Oath Rod Does Not Cause Agelessness

Posted by Darkborn on 21.01.01 00:00

I have been reading some of the theories about the Oath Rod and aging and the smooth, ageless look Aes Sedai have, and do not believe that the Oath Rod causes the ageless look. We have proof from Rand's trip to Rhuidean. We know that Aes Sedai from the Age of Legends did not bind themselves to Oath Rods (indeed, if "binders" were a punishment they would never do so willingly). Yet when Rand was in Rhuidean he saw Aes Sedai from the Age of Legends, through the eyes of his ancestors, and they had that ageless look to them. Therefore the Oath Rod cannot be the cause of the ageless look.

Now, the Oath Rod might cause a shortening of life, but I don't think so. The only group we know of who live much longer than Aes Sedai are the Kin. We have no idea how long Windfinders live. We have little reason to believe that Wise Ones who can channel live any longer than Aes Sedai, and if they do it can be attributed to the fact that Wise Ones are never in physical danger because it is forbidden for an Aiel to harm a Wise One. The only reason for a Wise One to die would be famine or old age or punishment.

I think that it is more likely that the Kin simply lead very unobtrusive lives and stay out of everybody's way, thus they live longer.

As far as the Forsaken go, they are a special case because they have been granted immortality by the Dark One. As such, neither the aging nor the smooth ageless look issues apply to them.

wotmania says: Yet another interesting fact tossed into this argument. I am really enjoying all the evidence people are bringing to this particular issue. None of the Wise Ones or Windfinders that I can recall have ever really talked about how old they are. Perhaps they live longer than we realize? Maybe in Winter’s Heart Sorilea will have a birthday and Jordan might mention the number of candles on her cake. Or maybe not... Anyway, nice piece of evidence - every little bit should help clear up this question (or just cause more arguing!).




Comments

lol!

Posted by The_Naeblis on 17.06.01 11:52
how come every1 are against it?
we all know that nynaeve has a bit of the ageless aes sedai face...and she hadn't sworn yet!
besides we have seen that the wiseones has a bit of that 2...and teh kins...


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nyaneve has not got the ageless look

Posted by mierin sedai on 26.07.01 06:12
just so that this is clear...
Nynaeve has not got even the beginning of the Ageless look, she has begun slowing, which is a completely different matter. And the wise ones do not look ageless, they just look younger than they are. Sorelia has wrinkles!
AS for the Aes Sedai Rand sees in the construction of Rhuiedan, that is a long time after the breaking, and the Aes Sedai probably started swearing just after the WoP
Otherwise I just tend to believe RJ did another mistake, if he wrote that the Aes Sedai in the AoL had ageless faces.
I remember reading that one of the Forsaken think that they bind themselves like criminales (I think it was Semirhage of Moridin), and the only obvious way she could have known that was by seeing the ageless look,
So, I think you are wrong


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is it not obvious?

Posted by Alanna Sedai on 23.10.01 16:56
This is what I firmly believe:

All Aes Sedai gain the ageless look after channeling the Power for many many years. As for living a long time, I think that every person who can channel at all is born with a very long lifespan, lengthened by actually practicing channeling the Power.

I do think that the Oath Rod shortens your life, which is why both the Kin and Aes Sedai live a long time but the Kin lives longer. Another speculation: when Cadsuane is first introduced into the series, it is noted several times how very old she is and how everyone had assumed she was dead. Is it possible that Cadsuane did not swear by the Rod?

My six cents,



Alanna Sedai, White Ajah

A question then?

Posted by Sigone Sedai on 17.12.01 16:09
If it is channeling the Power that gives the Ageless look, then... why don't the Forsaken all look Ageless????????????


Sigone Sedai

Have any of you read the books?

Posted by Dreamwanderer on 19.01.03 02:20
The Forsaken aren't ageless. They have been channeling for hundreds of years, and they still don't have the look. Wise ones don't have the look. Windfinders don't have the look. Damane don't have the look. In one part of the story, RJ points out an Aes Sedai with the ageless look, and then points at a damane who is 600 years old and doesn't look ageless at all. Throughout the book, RJ points out the difference between ageless and just looking yourger than you really are.


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Nonesense

Posted by Gaidin Marren on 19.01.03 18:24
Not only do Damane live longer and not have the ageless look, but when Egwene is with the Wise Ones they mention that a wise one was over 400 years old. Mesaana mentions somewhere that she was 600 and was middle-aged. And she didn't have the ageless look.


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forsaken not immortal

Posted by boaks on 04.03.03 00:27
The forsaken while very long lived are not necisarily immortal. They were sealed outside of time when LTT made the seal on the bore. Those closer to surface suffered the effects of aging ever if slowly. So their souls may be eternal but their bodies are not and would show the effects of aging or agelessness if it was aplicable to them.