Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

Twitter 2011 (WoT) (Verbatim)

JWIEDOW

JWIEDOW

TEREZ

JWIEDOW

BRANDON SANDERSON

BRANDON SANDERSON

oath rod, three oaths, first oath,

Balticon XXX - Bill Garrett (Paraphrased)

The Aes Sedai who beat Rand in Lord of Chaos did not necessarily violate the Three Oaths. Jordan explained that the Three Oaths are bound by literal intent and perception. He said that the Aes Sedai could have considered the beatings a just punishment rather than the use of a weapon. He also suggested that not everything that harms you need be considered a weapon. I think he gave the example of a whip used lightly not considered a weapon, versus a whip used to flay skin being considered a weapon. On the subject of the first Oath ("to speak no word that is untrue"), Jordan said that Aes Sedai can say something they believe to be true or something they don't mean literally. As an example of the latter, an Aes Sedai can employ hyperbole and say something like, "I'm going to tie your ears over your head," when she means to do no such thing.

FOOTNOTE—BILL GARRETT

three oaths, third oath, rand, lord of chaos, aes sedai, dumai's wells, black ajah, first oath,

BaltiCon XXX - Pam Korda (Paraphrased)

The oaths: They are quite subjective; if an Aes Sedai believes she is not lying, then the Oath doesn't stop her. So, that is what was going on in the torturing part of Lord of Chaos. It depends on the psychology of the individual. It's like spanking a naughty child. Some people regard that as child abuse; some people regard it as reasonable punishment.

three oaths, first oath, third oath, dumai's wells, lord of chaos, rand, aes sedai,

DragonCon SciFi Channel Chat (Verbatim)

Would making all Aes Sedai reswear the Three Oaths on an Oath Rod, and then asking them, reveal if they are Black Ajah? (It should...)

There are certain difficulties with this. It might answer the question but how many sisters do you think will meekly submit to being asked to do such a thing? Being asked to do it is in effect an accusation.

oath rod, three oaths, black ajah, aes sedai, first oath,

DragonCon Report - Isabel (Verbatim)

Quoting from Tamra in New Spring, "You will tell no one about this, not for any reason, if necessary lie, even to a sister, Gitara died without speaking, do you understand me?" How is it that Tamra can tell Moiraine and Siuan that Gitara died without speaking, when she knows full well that she did speak?

Question

Robert Jordan

new spring, three oaths, first oath,

Robert Jordan's Blog: IT'S BEEN AWHILE (Verbatim)

For Majsju, the oath against lying does leave room for sarcasm. It is intent and result that matter. No sister can intentionally speak an untruth either with the intent of passing on false information or with the belief that false information might be passed on. Thus the careful slicing and dicing of words. But if someone were to hold up a piece of white cloth and ask whether it was black or white, someone who had sworn the Three Oaths would be capable of saying that it was black as a matter of sarcasm. But not if, for example, the person asking the question was blind and thus might well take the statement for truth rather than sarcasm.

three oaths, first oath, aes sedai,

TGS Midnight Release - Matt Hatch (Verbatim)

Was Ishamael partially, or was he responsible for the initiation of the Three Oaths? Was he a part of what brought them about?

That’s a MAFO. Type that one out. That’s a MAFO.

MARIA SIMONS (VIA LUCKERS)

No. What is now the second oath (To make no weapon with which one man may kill another) was the first one that the Aes Sedai adopted. “It grew from an impulse within the Aes Sedai themselves coming from tales passed down regarding the War of the Shadow. The other two oaths certainly grew out of the suspicion of ordinary people towards these Aes Sedai.” (That’s a quote from the notes, btw). Sometimes things happen without an agent of the Dark One’s involvement, and sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

mafo, ishamael, three oaths, second oath, first oath, third oath,

TGS Signing Report - Tim Kington (Paraphrased)

Is Mesaana still in the Tower?

Question

Brandon Sanderson

mesaana, white tower, oath rod, three oaths, first oath,

Little City Books-AU Tour (Paraphrased)

Is Niccolo Machiavelli's political theory, the ends justify the means, incompatible with the Knights Radiants' First Oath?

No. Although many of the Orders of KRs would find Machiavelli's theory that the ends justify the means incompatible with additional Oaths and/or values of that Order, there are some Orders who could accept a Machiavellian. Brandon said that the Skybreakers where a Machiavellian could find a home.

Question

As Brandon was signing my books, I asked if the Elsecallers would also accept a Machiavellian.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

knights radiant, skybreakers, elsecallers, first oath,