Agirin. A Maiden of the Spear of the Shelan sept of the Daryne Aiel who died at Dumai’s Wells; Rand added her name to the list of women who died for him.
Agni Neres. The misogynistic, smuggling captain of the Riverserpent who gave passage to Nynaeve, Elayne and others to Salidar. He referred to them as “wenches.” He was from Ebou Dar, and had a wife and a flock of children there. He was tall and bony, with a dour, narrow face and ears that stuck out from his head.
Agora, Haviar. See Haviar Agora
Ahan, Kenley. A young Two Rivers man who joined Perrin’s band. He was killed in an ambush by Trollocs.
Ahan, Marisa. See Marisa Ahan
Ahan, Mistress. A woman of the Two Rivers; she was the mother of Kenley.
Ahelle, Meane sol. The Fourth Age composer of “Glory of the Dragon.”
Ahf’frait. A Trolloc tribe. Its symbol was a whirlwind.
Ahmid, Toma dur. The developer of the Toman Calendar.
Ahzkan, Tumad. See Tumad Ahzkan
Aiden Shimura. A Sea Folk Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah and the loyalist contingent. She worked in the Thirteenth Depository of the White Tower Library. Like all Sea Folk Aes Sedai, she was weak in the One Power. She lied about her age when she came to the White Tower. She was a shy, withdrawn woman with a very dark complexion, round figure, black hair and dark eyes. Aiden, Zemaille and Nyein shared rooms in the upper levels of the Library and spent most of their time either there or in the Thirteenth Depository. Alviarin passed Aiden and Zemaille in the Library when she returned from Tremalking.
Aiel. Old Tongue for “dedicated.” They were the people of the Aiel Waste, descendants of pacifists who served the Aes Sedai during the Age of Legends. Fierce and hardy, they veiled their faces before they killed. Deadly warriors with weapons or bare hands, they would not touch a sword even on the point of death, or ride a horse unless pressed. Aiel called battle “the dance,” and “the dance of the spears.” They were divided into twelve clans: the Chareen, the Codarra, the Daryne, the Goshien, the Miagoma, the Nakai, the Reyn, the Shaarad, the Shaido, the Shiande, the Taardad and the Tomanelle. Each clan was divided into septs. They sometimes spoke of a thirteenth clan, the Clan That Is Not, the Jenn, who were the builders of Rhuidean. All believed that the Aiel once failed the Aes Sedai and were banished to the Aiel Waste for that sin, and that they would be destroyed if they ever failed the Aes Sedai again. See also Aiel warrior societies, Aiel Waste, bleakness, Da’shain, gai’shain, Jenn Aiel, Rhuidean and Tuatha’an
Aiel kinship. Aiel relationships of blood were expressed in complex ways which outsiders considered unwieldy, but which Aiel considered precise. A few examples must suffice to demonstrate, as an entire volume would be needed for a full explanation. Beyond this the complications grow and are thickened by such factors as the ability of close friends to adopt each other as first-brother or first-sister. When it is also considered that Aiel women who were very close friends sometimes married the same man, thus becoming sister-wives and married to each other as well as to him, the convolutions become even more apparent.
One was considered to be more closely related to one’s mother than to one’s father. First-brother and first-sister had the same mother, whether or not they had the same father. If two women were sister-wives, however, their children were considered first-brothers and first-sisters to each other.
Sister-mothers and sister-fathers were first-sisters and first-brothers of one’s mother; thus, aunt and uncle through one’s mother, and more closely related to one than aunts or uncles through one’s father. The term was not used for one’s mother’s adopted first-sister who was also her sister-wife; she also was simply one’s mother.
Brother-father and brother-mother were the first-brothers and first-sisters of one’s father.
Second-brother and second-sister referred to the children of one’s mother’s first-sister or first-brother; thus, a cousin through one’s mother. This term was also used for a child of one’s father by a sequential marriage, as opposed to a child of a sister-wife.
A father-sister or father-brother was the child of one’s father’s first-brother; thus, a cousin through one’s father. Father-sisters and father-brothers (aunts and uncles through one’s father) were not considered as closely related as second-sisters or second-brothers, just as one was more closely related to one’s mother than to one’s father.
Greatfather or greatmother referred to the father or mother of one’s own mother, while the parents of one’s father were second greatfather or second greatmother.
An additional complication was that sister-wives were considered married to each other as well as to their husband; also, the ability of women to adopt one another as first-sisters added wrinkles.
Second-mother and second-father were mother-in-law and father-in-law equivalents.
A boy or man was expected to obey his mother before his father; a girl or woman was expected to obey her father before her mother. There were circumstances, however, when one’s second-mother took precedence over one’s mother, and when a second-father took precedence over one’s father.
It was possible to adopt someone as a first-brother or first-sister by saying the proper words in front of the individuals’ Wise Ones. This was most common among women, and nearly unheard of among men. There were occasionally cross-gender adoptions, but these were almost as rare as men adopting one another. Such an adoption brought in all of the familial relationships, duties, responsibilities, etc. For example, the sister-mother of one’s first-sister was of course one’s sister-mother.
As one was closer blood kin to one’s mother than to one’s father, the degree of relationship by rank was:
1) mother, first-brother, first-sister
2) father; greatmother and greatfather (maternal grandparents)
3) sister-mother, sister-father (maternal aunts and uncles)
4) second-brother, second-sister (maternal cousins)
5) second greatfather, second greatmother (paternal grandparents)
6) brother-father, brother-mother (paternal aunts and uncles)
7) father-sister, father-brother (paternal cousins)