Coffee and Avendesora

[thisguy]

I love finding historical and mythological realities that became fodder for Mr Jordan's imagination when creating his world in TWOT. Recently, I've been looking at the evolution of coffee into the drink many of us consume today. In Europe, the Dutch were the first of the European powers to bring plants over and sell, what was a highly desired commodity, to the rest of Europe. The Dutch (the mayor of Amsterdam to be precise) gave King Louis a plant, which was a hugely prized and coveted gift. Long story short (look into it), the plant was stolen by a man from the French Navy. This man had asked Louis for a clipping of the tree. The King said no. The man later scaled a wall at night and took some clippings. He boarded a boat where he had to fight off crew members to keep the clippings and later the crew had to fight off pirates. Finally, he made it to the Caribbean and grew many plants. He was finally forgiven by Louis and his plants became the coffee plants that would populate the Caribbean and the Americas. Obviously, the Tree of Life in the book draws from Judaism, Norse mythology, and Buddhism, but I believe this story in many ways matches the story of the Aiel giving the Cairhienin clipping from the Tree of Life and the chaos that ensued from this gift. 

 

Just food for thought. 

[mb]

kind of see the connection between the Tree of Life and Judaism; though it seems more Bible/Scripture than Judaism.

what is the connection between the Tree and Buddhism?

and what is the Norse myth?

 

this series does have coffee; it is called kaf.

[Manel Rochaid]

In Norse mythology, the Tree of Life is in the centre of Asgard, and extends into the nine worlds. 

 

In Buddhism the Buddha sat underneath the Tree of Life to attain Enlightenment, which is a close effect to the one in Rhuidean.

[mb]

searched the term "tree of life" sometime after making the other post.

Norse mythology, it is called Yggdrasil; Buddhism, bodhi tree.  And there are other references of it elsewhere.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life