Another fairly major difference is that Hogwarts is 'just' a school, much like Beauxbatons, Durmstrang etc are 'just' schools. Wizarding kids go there to learn magic but when they graduate, they are no longer part of the school except as alumni. Like the same for us - high school becomes a fond memory for them. They leave school and they go out into the world and get jobs -  in shops or at the Ministry of Magic, etc. Hogwarts doesn't pay their way or direct their movements.

Also, the political / government seat of power aren't the schools themselves, it's the Ministry of Magic that is the government / power seat (in England, anyway - other countries have their own Magical governments).

The White Tower, on the other hand, is the political seat of power for Tar Valon and the Westlands. Girls go there to learn to channel, but once they 'graduate' to become Aes Sedai, they don't leave to get jobs elsewhere. They do go out into the world but all the work they do is always on behalf of the White Tower. The White Tower pays their salaries, etc. I suppose you could say that the White Tower trains them up, and then becomes their employer, while Hogwarts students have to go out into the world and gain employment elsewhere.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, Hogwarts sole function is to teach students - it's just a school. The White Tower is so much more than that. 

At the end of the day, Dumbledore is 'just' a principal - his position in the wizarding world is not equal to the Amyrlin Seat in Randland. The Minister for Magic's position IS equal to that of the Amyrlin Seat. Dumbledore is politically powerful, that's made fairly clear. Fudge and other Ministers have felt threatened by him, mostly because they know of the support Dumbledore would have from the wizarding community if he decided to overthrow the current Minister in order to take that position for himself. Also because the Ministers know he could do a better job of governing the Wizarding world. But he chooses not to; therefore, he is not as powerful as the White Tower's "Principal": the Amyrlin Seat.

As for the White Tower size vs Hogwarts size, according to wot.fandom, the White Tower is 600 feet or 183metres tall. I'm not sure, but I think Hogwarts at its highest peak might reach that, but as a whole, the building might be much shorter. More sprawling than tall. I think the White Tower must be larger overall though, because the novice quarters can hold 400 novices, and the Accepted quarters can hold 200 accepted. With seven more floors allocated to the seven ajahs, surely there's enough room for another five hundred Aes Sedai - though that figure could be closer to one thousand?? Don't know...

How many Hogwarts students are there at any given time? Five - six hundred? And only about twenty - thirty teachers... If that's anything to go by, then surely the White Tower is larger than Hogwarts...

Interesting topic, thanks for raising it ? 

Please don't ask for quotes or page locations because it's been a super long time since I read the books ?

But I think it was Moraine who explained this one. As you say, everyone in the Two Rivers was pretty much of equal standing, from the Mayor (who should have been at the top of the social strata) to Cenn Buie who was a pain in everyone's arse LOL.

However (again, I think) it was Moraine who tells Rand and co about how, long ago, the Two Rivers and surrounding area was once Manetheren and that back then, the surnames of the Kings, Queens (and nobles maybe?) started with 'Al'. (I think she explains that it was an honorific).

But - as she says - it was so long ago that even Manetheren was forgotten, as was the reason for the 'Al' in some of the Two Rivers names. 

So really, Tham Al'Thor, Nyneave's family (the Al'Mere's) and Egwene Al'Vere were all descendants of Manetheren royalty / nobility. Someone else could probably explain it better than me - as I said, it's been a long time. Pretty sure it was explained in TEOTW. Maybe someone else can tell you where the passage is?

I would have loved to have seen Setalle Anan healed - preferably by a male channeller so she'd be as strong or stronger in the One Power than she was before she was burned out. I really loved her character and was really looking forward to a 'win' like this for her, but it never happened...

I didn't like that Rand didn't reveal himself to Tam - HIS GRIEVING FATHER - and would like to think that he would have let Tam know he was still alive, some time in the future. 

And the Seanchan. Oh my God. I can't begin to tell you how much they frustrated me. Yes, we need villains but they were downright frustrating to the point where they distracted from my enjoyment of the story. I didn't love to hate them as a reader above here said. I just bloody hated them LOL. So yeah, I really wanted to see them set back on their arse. Another thing that never happened. 

But now that I think about it, I reckon that the rumours about a sequel were true. RJ introduced the Seanchan so early in the series, and might have left the conflict unresolved so he could explore it in a sequel. Not 'book 15', but book 1 of the next age, the big bad being the Seanchan. Rand was paramount in the prophecies concerning the DO, and once the DO was defeated, Rand was able to take a back seat, go enjoy the world, being all zen with nature and all that. This leaves the Aes Sedai and Black Tower and all the nations to deal with the threat of the Seanchan in the next lot of books. 

By book 14 (haha) of this sequel, I think we would have seen massive changes in the Seanchan empire: a completely altered thinking, and the freeing of their enslaved channellers.

I agree that Tuon was an absolute monster - for the same reasons given by other posters above. There was nothing endearing about her, no matter how RJ tried to humanise her. She was totally wasted on Matt, she was most definitely the wrong choice for him. But I suppose if the story had been able to be continued, Matt would have been paramount in helping to change the Seanchan way of thinking, by starting at the top - with Tuon... 

I'd have loved to have read something like that, but sadly, RJ is no longer with us and if that was his dream initially, it's not something that can be realised. 

Except in Fanfiction LOL! 

Halima??? From the top of my head, the three women who are 'breath taxingly' beautiful are Halima, Berelain, and Lanfear...

But I'd vote for Mat...

hehe

Well, the Black Ajah is released from the Oaths to swear their new Oaths, so most likely it doesn't reset, or they would live longer than other Aes Sedai (particularly those who were recruited later in their lives). Verin is somewhere over 200 years old, but she was only recruited 70 years before. It didn't appear to slow her aging any, or reverse it.

Thanks Terez. I forgot that some of the BA had been recruited later in life, and their age hasn't been prolonged so I guess it doesn't reset.

Pity! I was hoping the AS would suddenly gain an extra few hundred years - its such a huge sacrifice, especially now they know what they are giving up! I know, they can be released and live on in the Kin, but they won't be Aes Sedai any more...

About the AS in the Tower who were released from the Oath Rod, and retook their oaths. Unbound channelers can live for approx 700 or 800 years. AS live for around 300 years, because of the OR.

But the AS in the WT released themselves and retook their oaths, so does their 300 year life span begin anew? If Cadsuane, for example, was released from the OR and retook her oaths, would her lifespan reset - would she live for another 300 years?

AS wouldn't have to retire into the Kin, if that was the case... Just retake the oaths when their life span is getting close to their 300 years. Though I guess they'll figure it out when AS, who were released and then bound again, don't start dying off after they reach their 350th year...

:-)

Sorry if its been asked before!

I want to put a WoT quote in my yearbook, but I dont have the books and it is due in an hour. any help?

I know its too late but:

"Blood and bloody ashes!"

:-)

I constantly live in the WOT world - in my head... I have three kids now, who distract me and keep bringing me back to the real world to make them pink milk and get them chippies and chocolate, but I slip back in when ever I can.

:-)

Maybe I can weave them into my WOT daydreams so they won't distract me from it so much - I can be the only Aes Sedai of 'today' to have three kids... Until Elyane births hers that it!

LOL

Mine are:

- You now use WoT curses rather than regular, real life curses

- You add the word 'bloody' everywhere in your sentences, à la Mat Cauthon ^^

- You want to give your future kids WoT names (in my case, Matrim and Natael) even though you blame Twilight fans for giving their kids Twilight names (Renesmee Bella Stephenie, anyone?). BUT IT'S WoT, IT'S DIFFERENT. *is in denial of her own hypocrisy*

I wanted to do this, but I didn't... If Amelia had been a boy, she would have been Perrin, so we did get close! Instead we went for Buffy names...

- You dream about WoT almost every night. Epic dreams at that ^^

I have nightmares of myrdraal

- You used to be scared of dead people and ghosts when it's dark, but now you're afraid of Gholams. I swear it's true.

Again, mines myrdraals... :-)

- You have to remind yourself that WoT is NOT real life.

Yip!

Great post, by the way! Fun!

I have a interesting question,

 

Is Nynaeve and Lan's Marriage Legit?

 

Because i just finished new Spring and doesn't Lan's 'first' have to give that lock of hair to the one he's to marry, which is impossible since it no longer exists?

 

Not important in any respect but interesting. also what ever happened to her?

Hmm, good question. To the Seafolk it'll certainly be legit, and The Two Rivers people would accept it. But LAN is royalty, so if he isn't married following Borderland custom & tradition, then maybe it could be questioned...

Nyneave would throttle them if they did tho!

LOL

It's been so long since I read New Spring, so I can't tell you what happened to "her", I don't remember... :-)