"al'Lan Mandragoran" should be taught to Channel

[CrazyMike]

In NEW SPRING , Moraine is checking on men who are extremly LUCKY,,, such luck being a sign of the ability to be trained to channel,,, the luckier a man is the more likely he can be trained to channel and the WARDERS are very lucky men...

 

"al'Lan Mandragoran" is EXTREMELY LUCKY,,, as it says in NEW SPRING , and more than likely he could be trained to Channel...

 

It would sure be fantastic if either "Moiraine Damodred", when Mat rescues her, or "Nynaeve al'Meara" were to have LAN tested and trained to channel and to use battle weaves on his way to "Fal Moran" and "Tarwin's Gap",,, also they could test and train other men in LAN's Army ,,, they are going to have Several months of travel to get there...

[Luckers]

No, luck is the sign of a man who is actively channeling. If Lan had been actively channeling he would have sucumbed to the Taint long since. It is possible he could learn, though there is no evidence suggesting it.

[Jellybelly]

In "addition", I "think" that "idea" "stinks".

 

Sorry.

[Guest Majsju]

Lan will start channeling the day after Bela starts channeling.

[Thor]

But Bela has been channeling since at least the first book.

[DemandredFO]

Here's an idea CrazyMike, could you PLEASE stop using everyone's full name, in quotes? It looks like, at least to me, that you are talking down to everyone like you no one but you knows full names and titles. Everyone that is one here has OBVIOUSLY read the books and knows Egwene's last name is al'Vere, Lan's full name is Al'Lan Mendrageran etc. Sorry everyone else, I won't criticize often but that was really annoying me

[RobertAlexWillis]

Unless you have a syringe full of thorazine, there's really no point in repsonding to CrazyMike.

[CrazyMike]

Yeah, well the reason I've been using the full names is , I am looking them up on

http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/

and just copying them from there,,, there has been a lot of childish critizim of my spelling, punctuation and grammer in my post by would be 3rd grade teachers who do not have a worthy oppinion of their own to post and can only satisfy their impotent ego's by attacking me, and seeing as how they are afraid to attack anyone else online here and they obviously do not have an I.Q. above the level of Moron ,,, I have tried to be very exact about what I am saying ,,, I can take disagreement with my post, no problem, at least, even tho mostly wrong, it is in the line of discussion,,, but moron's that insist on correcting everyone else's grammer and punctuation and spelling instead of expressing their oppinions on the subject at hand are absolute worthless dip's who I wish would go diddle themselves somewhere else...

[Thor]

I second that about the names, who gives a freaking *beeep* *beep* *beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep* about spelling anyways?

 

I hate it when people are being such (*^*&$%.

[MetalMonkeyMood]

CM, the problem is that bad grammar, puctuation and spelling lead to 1) difficulties in reading and 2) misunderstandings. By making sure that you write properly you are helping your reader understand your argument in the way that YOU want, correctly framing it and getting the point across. That is why I at least have huge problems with people who don't even try to write properly, and sorry man, but you aren't trying.

 

As for your argument, what makes you think that Lan can be taught to channel? Luck, as it is shown in NS, can be a sign of someone born with the ability to channel and who does so involuntarily, not someone who can be taught but would not channel otherwise. Plus Lan is no luckier than anyone else, not that I remember anyhow, NS was more about the luck of Diryk - that's how I remember it anyhow, I'll have to check when I get home. Warders aren't particularly lucky, they work damn hard and the warder bond gives them abilities that makes them stronger in combat.

How would Moiraine or Nynaeve teach Lan to channel anyhow? Different sexes, different halves of the power used, compeltely different weaves and methods of channeling - remember when Egwene and Elayne tried to teach Rand in the Stone of Tear? Also, Lan is marching alone, and I doubt that either Nynaeve or Moiraine would join up with him before TG.

 

Now where was my stash of thorazine?

[Guest Majsju]

When it comes to using correct grammar, spelling etc, keep in mind that not everyone here has studied at Oxford or Cambridge. Dragonmount has visitors from all over the world, with different levels of understanding the english language. Deal with it, and shut the hell up about how other people write, unless it is a friendly suggestion aimed at helping rather than being just rude.

 

That sad, Lan still can't channel.

 

It would take away something from the story if everyyone and their uncles started to channel, in a time where channeling is supposed to be disappearing from the world. Lan is awesome because he is the best swordsman in the world, he don't need no friggin channeling, gringo.

[MetalMonkeyMood]

Maj, I don't have a problem with people who can't write properly because of education, culture, whatever, I have a problem with people who do not make the effort at trying to write properly.

 

Having said that, what I wrote was intended as advice and a reason as to why I believe that writing properly is important (especially in a medium where the only means of expression is the written word), and if it was taken in any other why or seen as offensive, I appologise.

 

EDIT: I even misspelt "apologise" just so show no hard feelings :P

[Guest Majsju]

I was not aiming at you sspecifically, yapping about language comes around on a regular basis, more or less polite.

 

Anyway, this forum is for talking about the books written by Robert Jordan, not for complaining about how people who are not Robert Jordan writes. I don't think many people here are in a position ti aim criticism at RJ's use of grammar though. :lol:

[Jellybelly]

Yeah, well the reason I've been using the full names is , I am looking them up on

http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/

and just copying them from there,,, there has been a lot of childish critizim of my spelling, punctuation and grammer in my post by would be 3rd grade teachers who do not have a worthy oppinion of their own to post and can only satisfy their impotent ego's by attacking me, and seeing as how they are afraid to attack anyone else online here and they obviously do not have an I.Q. above the level of Moron ,,, I have tried to be very exact about what I am saying ,,, I can take disagreement with my post, no problem, at least, even tho mostly wrong, it is in the line of discussion,,, but moron's that insist on correcting everyone else's grammer and punctuation and spelling instead of expressing their oppinions on the subject at hand are absolute worthless dip's who I wish would go diddle themselves somewhere else...

 

Come on. It is all well and fine that you use the full names, but why on earth do you enclose them within quotation marks? There is absolutely no reason for doing it, and it looks ridiculous. The fact that you do it, though, tells me that you do care about the language you put in your posts, so this is just a friendly encouragement to drop the quotation marks. Foreigners mangling English I have no problem with, I salute their fine attempts and their desire to learn another language, but I do not see it as a badge of respect for native speakers not to care enough about the contents of their posts to frame it within proper syntax.

[CrazyMike]

Good,,, now that we have reached a misunderstanding together, we can agree to disagree on subject content and offer our own well thought out misinterpritations here to each other... That being said:

 

In the book NEW SPRING, Moraine has a list of possible Male channelersthat she is seaching for, and the reason she has a list is it is either a well known fact or rumor among the Aes sedai that people who can channel are very "LUCKY" especialy in going uninjured from mishaps and escapeing dire situations,,, LAN is on that List before she ever meets him ,,, it is Lans reputation and legend that put him on the list...

 

as far as either Moraine or Nynaeve testing or training LAN ,,, I never meant that would occur ,,, I said they could arrainge for him to be tested and trained ,,, and since both have easy access to other men who can channel it is no big leap to do so...

[Anajon]

hi thanks for being fair on us second language English speaker/writers.

It isn't always about trying so - some people are dyslexic and some of the younger ones have only had English in school for a few years (like in Germany you start only with 10)

 

BUT I also look up the names since I find it embarrassing to miss spell everything - but you can copy only first names :-) and I put stuff through a spell check in a word document before I post it just to be on the safe side.

 

Otherwise I agree Lan is wonderful an does not need to channel!

[Jellybelly]

Agreed, Lan's luck has nothing to do with channeling.

[MetalMonkeyMood]

People who are lucky because of channeling are those that have the spark born in them, not those who can be taught to channel. As such, if Lan's luck (for the sake of argument let's say it exists) was due to the spark, he would already have begun channeling, and showing all the signs. Since he hasn't, we can only assume that he does not have the spark born in him, and there is nothing else in any of the books to make us think he might be capable of being taught.

[icspots]

In the book NEW SPRING, Moraine has a list of possible Male channelersthat she is seaching for, and the reason she has a list is it is either a well known fact or rumor among the Aes sedai that people who can channel are very "LUCKY" especialy in going uninjured from mishaps and escapeing dire situations,,, LAN is on that List before she ever meets him ,,, it is Lans reputation and legend that put him on the list...

 

Lan was never on her list. Moiraine's list came from a compilation of lists made by Accepted of male children born within "x" number of days of Gitara Sedai's Fortelling that the Dragon was reborn. They specifically mention that Moiraine and Suian remove names from the list when they're too old to have been born during the proper time slot. M&S aren't looking for channelers per say as the Dragon Reborn would be far far too young to be channeling yet, so despite Aes Sedai knowing that wilders are often lucky (as they blindly wield the power) they aren't looking for luck as a defining characteristic.

 

The Black Ajah is the one that was randomly going around killing lucky men and boys. The reason for that is because they knew that the Dragon was reborn, but not when. Lan may have been on the Shadow's list, but he was never on Moiraine's. And yes we know that there were attempts on Lan's life, but we don't know if that's because he was lucky, or if it was because the Shadow thought he was trying to resurrect Malkier..... which of course he wasn't. ;)

 

Would it be a twist for Lan to be able to learn to channel? Yes. Do I think it will happen? No. We're too far into the story now for Lan to learn a whole new skill. I think Lan has the mental discipline to learn to channel quickly (if he were able), but I just don't think there's enough time left in the story for anything like that to take place. Also I wouldn't say that Lan is lucky. I would say that he's very tough, very smart, very well trained, and very savvy in the ways of the world. If you make better decisions that other people then you might seem luckier than they are.

[Shaidar_Rannow]

The point is this...Lan IS NOT a channeler. Spark or no, he would have to have started channeling. Lan is older than any of the current false dragons. However you do have one point going for you. There are many old male channelers in the BT. It is possible for someone older to channel, but certainly not Lan. As male channelers use the power whether they want to or not, over the span of of 10 books there would be signs. Sorry it just doesnt seem conceivable. Good theory though, I appreciate you bringing it out even though you had to know people would jump to destroy it. I think we would have a better site if there were more who did provide theories instead of bashing everyone elses. Not pointing any fingers though...

[CrazyMike]

I still believe it is possible for LAN to learn to Channel and be trained in the weaves ,,, and I believe That I am correct in my post ,,, I would like to see it happen,,, but again that is up to RJ not me ,,, as I've posted in other places I believe there are BILLIONS of Trolics in the Blight and the good guys will need every gun they can get to defeat them...

 

Glad to see the Post have started getting more on point here,,, good input guys, thanks...

[icspots]

The point is this...Lan IS NOT a channeler. Spark or no, he would have to have started channeling.

 

You're incorrect. If Lan had the spark (which he doesn't) then he would've started channeling long ago. However if Lan has the ability to learn then he would not ever channel without being taught.

 

I still don't think he can channel though.

[Luckers]

icspots hit it all.

 

Also, to those commenting on language--languag exists to portray an idea, nothing more. It is a tool. Those whose bastardize the idea they are speaking in order to obey the so called 'sacred cow' rules of spelling and grammar are just as bad as those whose inability causes problems with others understanding them... indeed worse, because thiers is a crime of direct intension.

 

I am dyslexic and therefore biased on this issue, it is true... but the over glorification of language is a sad thing. Language is living, and should be allowed to bastardize itself. Its how it grows.

[CrazyMike]

Luckers

 

also we are not writing a book or a letter,,, while a book needs to be correct in nearly every way, and a letter though less so still needs some formality in its form and content,,, we are more or less chatting on the EnterNet/Ethernet and that is very unstructured and informal ,,, if we manage to communicate our thoughts to others our use or abuse of the formal english language is unimportant,,, the EnterNet Chat and Board originated with scientist not english teachers...

 

and I still believe it would be good for the story line for LAN and even some other Main Characters to be Taught to sieze Saidin and to make Weaves of power...

[Guest Majsju]

and I still believe it would be good for the story line for LAN and even some other Main Characters to be Taught to sieze Saidin and to make Weaves of power...

 

How would that be good for the storyline? The majority of the main characters are channelers, there is a great need for characters like Lan, whose skills lie elsewhere.

 

besides, it would do Lan little good to learn he could channel, as he is about to ride to war, and has pretty much no time to go find someone who can teach him (the Black Tower is not really a wise place for him to go right now, and rand, Logain and the others with them are quite busy with a bit more urgent things than teaching some ol' fart to channel well enough to not blow himself to smithereens.

 

And after TG Lan will be busy being dead.