Red and Black

[butrcup66]

A lot has been made about red and black in this series from Moridin's colours on Moghedian and Cyndane to the colours in Taim's "palace". So what significance, if any, is there in the fact that the Deathwatch Guard's colours are red and a green so dark everyone describes it as black, and why are the Deathwatch so touchy about everyone confusing the green and black? Could they know something we don't?

[Siswaiaman]

the deathwatch are the secret service of the Empire, what could they know. Unless theyre under Shadow control, like the tower was with taim.

[Guest cwestervelt]

There isn't much likelyhood that the Deathwatch Guard are under Shadow control. They are in part composed of the "Ogier Gardeners" and they wouldn't be there still. We know from the Dragon Reborn that Ogier are sensitive that way.

[Moric]

Yeah... I have to go with Cwestervelt on that one.

 

And I think that the reason the Deathwatch Guard is so touchy about wearing green and red, not black and red is because their colors are ideas. Once upon a time it may even have BEEN green. But if so that is long lost. In any case, the idea of the color (or the essence, if you will) may be different than the reality of the color. But the meaning and idea is more important than the reality and since everyone, at least all Seanchan, KNOW that it is green (even if it doesn't look like it if you'd ask one) it IS just as green as Saint Patricks-day. I can understand that the ones wearing the colours in question would get a little agitated when someone questioned this (for them) quite important fact.

 

Moric of the Singing Wind sept of the Miagoma aiel

[Thor]

deathwatch guard = deathwatch guard. morridin = morridin.

 

imo, morridin is lame for using red and black, he should have used black and gold.

[Guest cwestervelt]

But red is much more easily associated with death than gold. :)

[butrcup66]

I agree with Moric that the colours have more meaning than just the colour that they are. That was kind of my point. Who knows what info. from Randland Luthair took with him to Seanchan? There were hordes of ter'angreal in Tear unknown to the Aes Sedai for thousands of years, we already know Luthair took a different version of the prophecies of the dragon over to Seanchan...who knows what they know about the meanings of red and black from the Age of Legends?