Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

TPOD Signing Report - John Novak (Paraphrased)

Who or what is the Tamyrlin?

RAFO.

In the glossary of the split version of The Eye of the World, RJ hints that Tamyrlin was the person to discover the One Power at the dawn of the Age of Legends. Some fans believe this was the previous incarnation of Lews Therin/Rand.

Composite Glossary: Ring of Tamyrlin

tamyrlin, rand, lews therin,

TOR Questions of the Week Part II (Verbatim)

Who were the first channelers, and how did they learn? By trial and error? Are there any Ages where channeling does not exist?

The first people to discover the ability to channel learned through trial and error, with fairly high casualty rates until they learned enough not to kill themselves accidentally. Their appearance marked the beginning of the previous Age to that of the books, or at least the end of the Age before that one.

Yes, as I have set things up, there are Ages when no one has any idea of how to channel or even that the One Power exists. Our own, for one. (The Wheel of Time turns.)

RJ hints in the glossary of the split version of The Eye of the World that Tamyrlin was the name of the person who discovered the One Power at the dawn of the Age of Legends.

the wheel, one power, channeling, tamyrlin,

TPOD Signing Report - Ray Chason (Paraphrased)

My question at the Bailey's Crossroads signing (21 Nov 1998) was:

Lews Therin wore the Ring of Tamyrlin. Who or what was this named for?

Ray Chason

This information was inserted in the glossary of To the Blight, the second half of the split version of The Eye of the World.

lews therin, tamyrlin,

Budapest Q&A (Verbatim)

And there is the Ring of Tamyrlin. It's just a signet ring, or . . . ?

Read and find out. Again, this is something I don't know whether I'm going to put it in or not.

Question

Okay.

Robert Jordan

But you see there are things that I might want to put in, I might want to use, and giving you the answer lets it out and means I might as well not use it because . . .

Question

It's more interesting.

Question

Does Telamon mean "dragon" or does it mean "Kinslayer" or is it something else?

Robert Jordan

What? In Lews Therin Telamon? No, no. It means something else. That's his name. Lews Therin is the name he was born with. Telamon, a name he was given later.

Question

It does not mean dragon?

Robert Jordan

It does not mean dragon, no.

Question

And are dragons definitely not the same as raken and to'raken?

Robert Jordan

Definitely not. Definitely not.

Harriet McDougal

Oh that's an interesting question.

Question

But, I mean the name [sounds?] the same. . .

Robert Jordan

But no, they're definitely not. They're definitely not.

Harriet McDougal

They're flying creatures.

Question

They're like a dragon image.

Robert Jordan

Yeah, I know they are somewhat of a dragon image. But no, they're definitely not.

Harriet McDougal

Oh, cool. That's a wonderful thing to have noticed. That's great.

Robert Jordan

Although who can say what may be said in the next Age? Remember, things get repeated, things get distorted. And what the next Age believes is true history of a previous Age may not be in any way close to what actually happened. So who knows?

Question

So was . . .  In the Age of Legends, a dragon was a completely symbolic thing? It did not refer to an actual creature?

Robert Jordan

Not to an actual creature. But beyond that, read and find out.

Question

Did they have dragons like . . . ?

Robert Jordan

No, it was symbolic at that time. There were no dragons flying around in the Age of Legends, no.

Question

And did they have [inaudible...]

Robert Jordan

They named this man the dragon as a symbol. And his banner was a dragon as a symbol.

Question

[inaudible]

Robert Jordan

No, that . . . I think you better read and find out.  Again, I don't know if I'm going to use it, but I don't want to put out too much.

Question

So if you don't use it, after you finish the series, we come back to this question.

Robert Jordan

Okay, okay.

ring of tamyrlin, dragons, age of legends, raken, seanchan, chinese whispers,

AMOL Signing Report - J. Dauro (Verbatim)

Does the Ring of Tamyrlin still exist?

I don't believe that it does.

tamyrlin, age of legends,

Waygate Foundation Q&A (Verbatim)

What was the Ring of Tamyrlin—could it have been the twisted stone ter’angreal?

The Ring of Tamyrlin was defined in the expanded glossary included in To the Blight (the second half of The Eye of the World repacked for YA readers); it was a legendary ring, believed mythical by most people, worn by the leader of the Aes Sedai during the Age of Legends. Stories about the Ring of Tamyrlin include that it was an angreal or sa’angreal or ter’angreal of immense power. It supposedly was named after the first person to learn how to tap into the Source and channel the One Power, and in some tales, was actually made by that man or woman. It was definitely not the twisted stone ter’angreal.

ring of tamyrlin, ter'angreal, tamyrlin, age of legends, the eye of the world, glossary,