Aerwin, Teven. The author of The Dance of the Hawk and the Hummingbird, a book that purported to set forth the proper conduct of men toward women and women toward men.
Aes Sedai. Old Tongue for “servant of all.” It was a society of those who wielded the One Power, composed solely of women since the Breaking, when all men with the ability to channel went mad from the taint placed on saidin by the Dark One. The Aes Sedai divided themselves into seven groups, called Ajahs. Each Ajah had its own specialty: the Blue Ajah focused on causes; the Brown Ajah on scholarship; the Green Ajah on battle; the Gray Ajah on mediation; the Red Ajah on dealing with male channelers; the White Ajah on logic; and the Yellow Ajah on Healing. There was a secret eighth Ajah, whose existence was debated widely: the Black Ajah, who served the Shadow. The Aes Sedai were led by the Amyrlin Seat; the term was used both for the woman who led and for her throne. She was formally styled “The Watcher of the Seals, the Flame of Tar Valon, the Amyrlin Seat.” The Amyrlin Seat was chosen by the Hall of the Tower. The Hall of the Tower acted as the legislature; it consisted of three representatives, called Sitters, from each Ajah.
To become an Aes Sedai, a young woman first served as a novice and was taught to safely use the One Power, carefully monitored. When she had attained enough skill, she was given the test to become Accepted, which required passing through a ter’angreal. If she passed that test, she received a Great Serpent ring and rose to the level of Accepted. An Accepted was allowed more independent study and also assisted in teaching novices. When she was judged ready, she was given the test to become Aes Sedai, which required passing through another ter’angreal. In that test, she had to perform one hundred set weaves, maintaining calm throughout, while various challenges were given her by Aes Sedai manipulating the ter’angreal. When she passed that test, she spent the night in meditation and the next morning chose her Ajah and swore the Three Oaths on the Oath Rod.
The social hierarchy of Aes Sedai was set by several factors, the first and most important of which was strength in the Power. If another woman was stronger than you, you were expected to let her speak first, to listen to her, to defer to some extent, depending on how far above you she stood. Even when two women were of the same apparent strength, one would surely be the stronger by some margin, but this could only be determined by the sort of contests that were strongly discouraged among novices and Accepted. After that factor came time spent as a novice and time as Accepted, with the one who spent less being the higher. A shorter time as Accepted outweighed a shorter time as novice by a factor of about two to one (i.e., if you were two years longer a novice but two years less Accepted, you came out ahead by a year, so to speak), but a shorter total time was better and would outweigh other considerations. This generally decided matters, but if there was a need to go further, the final step was age, taken reluctantly because of Aes Sedai customs against speaking about this. In this final step, the older woman was considered to stand higher.
The degree of deference depended in large part on how far there was between the two women. If the gap was very small, it amounted to little more than politeness. If the gap was larger, the lower of the two was expected to stand when the other entered, etc. If the gap was very wide, the lower of the two was expected to do as she was told by the higher; it wasn’t put in terms of obedience, but if a woman sufficiently higher than you asked you to make tea, then you made tea for her. And you didn’t fix a cup for yourself unless she invited you to one.
This social hierarchy had no weight with regard to appointments and official duties—usually, at least—and if a woman who was lower was appointed to a position of authority, even those who stood above her socially were expected to obey if they were in the line of command. It was true, however, that the social hierarchy invaded the official side to some extent. For example, even in official proceedings what was said by one of higher standing usually was given more weight than what was said by one of lower. See also Amyrlin, Hall of the Tower, novice, Accepted, Ajah and Three Oaths
Aes Sedai trial procedure. A court consisting of five Aes Sedai: three acting as judges, one acting as prosecutor sitting in the Seat of Rebuke, and one acting as defender sitting in the Seat of Pardon, all facing the accused.
Aesdaishar Palace. The royal palace of Kandor, located in Chachin.
Aesnan, Lorstrum. See Lorstrum Aesnan
Aethan Dor. Old Tongue for “Red Shields.” It was the name given an Aiel warrior society which acted as police in addition to regular battle duties.
Aethelaine, Lady. The local lady of Jurador, a salt town in Altara. She swore the Oaths of Return to the Seanchan.
Afara. An Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah and the rebel contingent, with a strength level of 34(22). She was sent from Salidar to Tarabon with Guisin and Edesina to assess the situation there and was captured by the Seanchan. She remained in Tarabon as a damane.
Afrim Hansard. A loyal Guardsman of the Royal Guards in Caemlyn. He escorted Samwil Hark to meet with Elayne.
Agardo Saranche. The innkeeper of The Dragon in Tear. He was lean, balding, fair-complected and dark-eyed.
Age. The Wheel of Time is composed of seven Ages, each with its own distinct patterns; the cycle begins again once all seven Ages have been lived.
Age Lace. See Pattern of an Age
Age of Legends. The golden Age of peace and progress when Aes Sedai performed wonders now only dreamed of. The greatest feats of the Age of Legends required men and women working together with the One Power—a man and a woman working together were ten times as strong as they were apart. It was ended by the War of the Shadow and the Breaking of the World, over three thousand years before Rand al’Thor’s birth.
Agelmar Jagad. The Lord of Fal Dara in Shienar, considered to be one of the five great captains of the time. His sign was three running red foxes. He was about six feet tall, muscular, with graying hair. He commanded the Shienaran forces against the Aiel at the Battle of the Shining Walls, and on the first day of that battle, he led the combined forces. Agelmar commanded the armies at Tarwin’s Gap in the Last Battle. After it was discovered that he was the victim of Graendal’s Compulsion, he was removed from command. His sister was Amalisa.
Aghan. A lancer with Bashere’s army who accompanied Rand to meet the purported Daughter of the Nine Moons at Lady Deirdru’s manor house outside King’s Crossing. He searched the mansion after Semirhage was captured, and discovered a box of male and female a’dam.
Aginor. A Forsaken whose original name was Ishar Morrad Chuain. In the Age of Legends he was a noted biologist; after he went over to the Shadow, he created numerous Shadowspawn, including Trollocs, Draghkar, gholam, cafar and jumara. He claimed to have faced Lews Therin in the Hall of the Servants and to have matched the Lord of the Morning stroke for stroke. He had a strength level of ++2. He was trapped near the surface of the Bore; when he awoke in the Third Age, his face was parchment skin drawn too tight over a skull; it was a face of such age as to look beyond death already, with sunken eyes and withered ears. His scabrous scalp bore wispy tufts of brittle hair, his fingers were gnarled and his teeth were yellow. He and Balthamel attacked Rand and his party at the Eye of the World; Aginor drew on the pure saidin in the Eye, and grew younger and stronger, but not strong enough. Rand defeated and killed him. He was resurrected and given a new body that was male and not old, but not as young as he could wish, nor as good-looking. He was given the name Osan’gar, after the left-hand dagger in a form of dueling that had a brief popularity during the long run-up to the War of Power; the blades were poisoned and both duelists usually died. He slipped in among the Asha’man under the name Corlan Dashiva to be an assistant to Mazrim Taim, who thought he was only a high-ranking Darkfriend, which did not suit Osan’gar well. He wore both the Sword and the Dragon. His original purpose there was to keep a close eye on the gathering of men who could channel. See also Osan’gar and Corlan Dashiva