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Welcome back to another edition of "WoT If?". This week, I want to examine Min's viewings, what they actually consist of, and different ways they can be interpreted. I feel that some of what she sees hints at answers with regards to Lan and Birgitte, in particular. But before we begin:
Spoiler warning! This will include content from many books in the series, including Towers of Midnight, and speculation about A Memory of Light. Please read at your own risk.
Also, this WILL NOT contain spoilers from A Memory of Light's Prologue, Chapter 1, or Chapter 11. Please refrain from posting any spoilers from A Memory of Light in the comments section. The A Memory of Light spoiler discussion board can be found here.
I think we need to come to the harsh reality that some of our beloved characters will die in the last book. As much as I don't want that to happen, it needs to. And even though Rand will die, I'm convinced he will be Healed, or his soul will be reclaimed. He doesn't count as one of the characters who will die, in my opinion.
But there is one who most believe will die during the Last Battle: Lan. As my favorite male character, I'm hoping he won't. So, naturally, I'm going to point out all the clues—mostly from Min's viewings—that suggest he might survive Tarmon Gai'don.
First, let's look at this interview with Robert Jordan to see what he has to say about Min's viewings.
Slayer: Do Min's viewings always predict the future, or do some tell about the past, mainly the seven towers around Lan in The Eye of the World?
Robert Jordan: Um, her viewings are always concerning the future.
I think this is so interesting, because I assumed this viewing was of the past, too. Let's see exactly what Min said before we go into it more.
Chapter 15, "Strangers and Friends"
“The War...ah...Master Andra has seven ruined towers around his head, and a babe in a cradle holding a sword, and...” She shook her head. “Men like him — you understand? — always have so many images they crowd one another."
We learn later (Chapter 47, "More Tales of the Wheel"), that Lan is the last Lord of the Seven Towers. And his parents placed a sword in his infant hands, and consecrated him the next Malkieri king. I think our first instinct at this point is to think back to Min's viewing and say, "Oh, there are the Seven Towers, and the babe with a sword." Pretty simple.
But, taking that quote from Robert Jordan into consideration, especially because the asker points out the viewings in The Eye of the World, we know these are future events. And if these events are in the future, I think it's safe to assume that Lan will bear a child with Nynaeve.
Looking at the timeline for The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight, we see that it took Lan 100 days to ride from World's End, in Saldaea, to Tarwin's Gap, in Shienar. That's 100 days he's been apart from Nynaeve. That's more than three months, which would be plenty of time for Nynaeve to start showing if she was pregnant. We've seen her take the test for Aes Sedai, and know she swore on the Oath Rod; both things she wouldn't do if she was pregnant. So, I'm going to conclude that, at this point, Nynaeve is not pregnant.
There is a viewing Min has about Nynaeve that might put a damper on this theory, in some people's opinions.
The Gathering Storm
Chapter 48, "Reading the Commentary"
And...what was that vision that was suddenly hovering above Nynaeve's head? She was kneeling over someone's corpse in a posture of grief. The viewing was gone a moment later.
Min shook her head. That hadn't been a viewing she could interpret, so she let it pass. She couldn't waste her time trying to unravel all of those.
Nynaeve is a very kind soul—despite her bullying. We saw in her test for Aes Sedai that they constantly made her walk away from sick children because it hurt her the most. She is a natural healer, wanting to cure anyone and everyone. So, her bent over in a posture of grief doesn't necessarily mean it's Lan she's mourning.
Also, notice how Min can't interpret it. Nynaeve mourning the loss of her husband is pretty straightforward. Not much to interpret there. I think it more likely that it's Rand's body she's bent over. And it's this scene where she will Heal him, or grab onto his soul.
My conclusion: Lan has to survive the Last Battle.
Let's move on to Birgitte. Many wonder if she is still bound to the Horn after being ripped out of Tel'aran'rhiod. There are a few reasons I believe this is so.
Now, this might not count as proof, but I want to point it out. After Mat recognizes Birgitte in A Crown of Swords, they speak in the Old Tongue and she calls Mat "Horn Sounder" (Chapter 21, "Swovan Night"). I think this definitely shows that Mat is still bound to the Horn, because Birgitte was in Tel'aran'rhiod after he was killed and brought back to life (The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 54, "To Caemlyn"). I feel Birgitte, being a Hero, would feel if the connection to Mat had been broken by his death and rebirth. Again, that's not really about Birgitte, but I think the parallels are similar. Birgitte is still bound after her strange rebirth too.
And the main reason Birgitte is still bound to the Horn is Min's first viewings of her.
Chapter 12, "A Lily in Winter"
Auras danced around her and images flickered, more than Min had ever seen around anyone, thousands it seemed, cascading over one another.
…
Besides, those multitudes of images and auras flashed by too quickly for her to make out any clearly, but she was certain they indicated more adventures than a woman could have in one lifetime. Strangely, some were connected to an ugly man who was older than she, and others to an ugly man who was much younger, yet somehow Min knew they were the same man.
Remember that all these viewings are in the future. She has so many of them, more so than Rand, even—and he's also bound to the Horn. This is probably due to Birgitte being ripped out. But she still has a thousand more lives to live, and all of them connected to Gaidal Cain. I think her rebirth threw off their cycle—hence his being younger or older—but there's no doubt she's still bound to him.
And if Birgitte is bound to Gaidal, I don't think her connection to the Horn has been broken either.
I have one last thing to point out about Min's viewings.
Question: How valid are the viewings and prophecies, given that the Pattern has been loosened? There was also a comment by the person about how the viewings and prophecies are readings of the Pattern.
Robert Jordan (paraphrased): The viewings and prophecies that occurred before the loosening of the Pattern are very valid. But those that occurred at, or after, the loosening have a higher chance of not coming true.
This shows that everything—viewings, dreamwalker's prophecies, foretellings—are less true today than yesterday. And probably will continue to be less likely. We know Rand's use of balefire on Natrin's Barrow caused a great loosening of the Pattern (The Gathering Storm, Chapter 37, "A Force of Light"). Plus, we know Demandred was commanded to unleash balefire on the world by the Dark One (Lord of Chaos, Prologue). With the Pattern taking so much damage, I'm not sure how far we can trust any recent viewings.
And that's all we have time for today. Next week, I want to look at the end of The Great Hunt and try to answer lingering questions about events at Falme. Thanks for reading!
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