Surrender or you will be killed! - Laws of Andor?

[JustusW]

Hi everyone,

 

as the title suggests this is on the first meeting of Perrin and the Whitecloaks. The first words any Whitecloak ever said to Perrin were: "If you can understand human speech come down and surrender. You will not be harmed if you walk in the light. If you don't surrender you will all be killed. You have one minute."

 

Now, this is happening not just anywhere, it is happening in Andor. The Children of the Light (as we are reminded numerous times) hold no sway over Andor. Boiled down to the important parts the Whitecloaks say "Surrender and we will maybe harm you, or we will indiscriminately murder you."

It's a bit hard to judge in Andor but in any other country in history with similar government there would have been some very clear rules for that kind of behavior. In a nutshell the Whitecloak in question would have usually been guilty of waylaying which in many times in history was punishable by death. Remember he is a foreigner in service to a foreign military power acting without consent of the crown demanding an andoran citizen surrender to his authority by force of arms.

 

Do we have any sources for actual Andoran law? Cause for the life of me, I can't understand how they could get away with that.

 

Regards,

Justus

[Finnssss22]

The Children only care about their own "Laws" and believe they override the laws of whatever country they are in unless they are forcibly held in check by an equal or greater force.

They do this repeatedly throughout the books. Even Galad pretty much dismisses Alliandre's rule during the "Parley" not to mention not relinquishing his prisoners that were taken on Ghealdan soil. 

[jack of shadows]

the british historian toby green writes in his book inquisition:the reign of terror

that the inquisition was about power and control,not religion,and fear was the 

key ingredient to achieve power,it was all about creating climate of collective terror,

the author also notes that the great unchecked power to inquisitors meant that

they were widely seen as above the law.

to the best of my knowledge,robert jordan based the children of the light on the

16th century spanish inquisition.

[Sabio]

Also remember Andor was involved in a brewing civil war.  Out in the countryside there wasn't anyone to enforce laws.  Where perin was who was going to run to the queen and complain?  At the time you saw the Queen was trying to figure out what to do with all the whiteclaosk about.  But with everything happening in Andor she didn't have the forces to kick them out of Andor.  The whiteclaoks also assumed their authority superceded any nations laws.  As Fins said if they could get away with doing thse things they would.  You saw when opposed by a force with numbers they would back down. 

[JustusW]

Well, all of that kinda makes my point.

 

Once it enters the trial I just see no way how Morgase could have gotten to the conclusion she has... While it is true, that there no right to kill someone because he killed your dog, I'm pretty sure you are allowed to defend your own life...

 

[Ainosterhaspie]

Well, all of that kinda makes my point.

 

Once it enters the trial I just see no way how Morgase could have gotten to the conclusion she has... While it is true, that there no right to kill someone because he killed your dog, I'm pretty sure you are allowed to defend your own life...

 

The last bit of your comment in the spoiler was my thinking, but I never went back to check on how exactly the whole thing went down. The part you're talking about didn't sit right with me, and it sounds like there is a good reason for that.

[Sabio]

But Perrin he admiitted he didn't attack becuase he was in danger,, he attacked becase the white cloaks were harming the wolves.

[szilard]

Robert Jordan:

 

The Children of the Light are all of those people who say I know the truth, my truth is the only truth, you must believe my truth. You must believe my truth, if you refuse to believe my truth I will kill you. I wanted them in there because there are always people like that in any world, and they have a tendency to organize and start killing people that don't believe what they believe, so it is really their similitude. I don't think there can be a world without the haters. Haters exist.

For Children of the Light, the Whitecloaks were inspired by the Inquisition, the SS, the Teutonic Knights and others. In fact, they were inspired by all those groups who say, "We know the truth. It is the only truth. You will believe it, or we will kill you."