Body Swap

“If you would live, you must die.” –KoD,Ch. 18

The Aelfinn tell Rand that in order to win the last battle and survive, he must die. Further, the Karaethon cycle states:

“Twice and twice shall he be marked,
twice to live and twice to die.” tGH, Ch. 26

This indicates that Rand will live twice, meaning he’ll live again after his death. This presents the possibility that despite all of the prophecies and foreshadowing that Rand has to die at the last battle he will somehow be able to survive. But how?

With an ever-strengthening connection to Moridin, the theory that the two will somehow swap bodies has become ever more popular. The reasons for the likelihood of this happening have been well explained elsewhere, so instead I will discuss how the actual body swap will occur – with a twist.

Many theorize that Rand and Moridin will swap bodies, then Rand or Alivia will kill Moridin (who is now in Rand’s body). I, however, believe that Rand will allow himself to be killed, but then through their connection he and Moridin will fight a battle of wills for control of Moridin’s body while Rand’s body is left an empty shell. This is indicated by Egwene’s dream:

“Logain, laughing, stepped across something on the ground and mounted a black stone; when she looked down, she thought it was Rand’s body he had stepped over, laid out on a funeral bier with his hands crossed at his breast, but when she touched his face, it broke apart like a paper puppet.” ACoS Ch10

The image of Rand’s face breaking like a paper puppet indicates that his body has become an empty shell and that it is no longer really him. Further, we have Min’s viewing:

“I saw you and another man. I couldn't make out either face, but I knew one was you. You touched, and seemed to merge into one another, and....one of you dies, and one doesn't.” ACoS, Ch. 33

This very nicely parallels the section of the Dark Prophecy in tGH about Slayer:

“One did live, and one did die, but both are.” tGH, Ch. 7

This indicates that Rand and Moridin will merge like Luc and Isam, and that one will live on in the body and the other will die, driven out.

Finally, there are many dreams and viewings of Rand from all different parts of the series that, when taken together, paint quite a picture:

“Three women standing over a funeral bier with you on it, black rock wet with blood…” tEotW, Ch. 15 (Min's viewing)

"The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond. Three on the boat, and he who is dead yet lives. The great battle done, but the world not done with battle. The land divided by the return, and the guardians balance the servants. The future teeters on the edge of a blade." LoC Ch. 14 (Nicola’s foretelling)

"Melaine and Bair dreamed of you on a boat with three women whose faces they could not see, and a scale tilting first one way then the other.” LoC, Ch.19

“A man lay dying in a narrow bed, and it was important that he not die, yet outside a funeral pyre was being built, and voices raised songs of joy and sadness.” ACoS, Ch. 10 (Egwene's dream)

As Rand and Moridin battle internally for Moridin’s body (which itself will be on the brink of death due to the internal struggle), Rand’s old body will be placed on a funeral pyre. The tilting scale seen by the Dreamwalkers represents this internal battle for Moridin's body, as does Nicola's foretelling that the future teeters on the edge of a blade - if Moridin's soul manages to hold onto the body instead of Rand, he could still unleash chaos on the world, but if Rand wins the Light will be able to hold on. For all purposes, the world will believe him dead, but he will live out his days in the body of his former nemesis.

Quote of the day:

"The Light shine on you, and the Creator shelter you. The last embrace of the mother welcome you home."

-Shienaran burial ceremony

Stilling, Burning out, and Healing

Nynaeve and Damer Flinn have both found a way to heal stilling. Further, the healing is only 100% effective if performed by a channeler of the opposite gender. However, we have yet to learn if someone who has “burned out” can be healed. In this post I will lay out my theory on the differences between stilling and burning out, and try to determine if burnout is healable.

To find the difference between stilling and burning out, we first have to discuss the actual physiology of channeling. First of all, we know that channeling is genetic and that it is a recessive gene, and that some people are born with the “spark” and will start to channel no matter what, whereas others can be taught to channel but would not start channeling on their own. Someone who is not born with the ability to channel or learn to channel will never be able to channel – if you lack the channeling gene you will never be able to channel. These three distinct classes of people (sparkers, learners, and non-channelers) indicates a genetic scheme of incomplete dominance. Someone who has both recessive channeling alleles will be a sparker, someone with one channeling allele and one dominant non-channeling allele will be a learner, and someone with both dominant non-channeling alleles will not be able to channel.

Since the channeling ability is genetic, it also has a physical component – there is something physically different about channelers. Likely this difference would be an area of the brain that provides access to the True Source – a “channeling neuron”. Those with the spark would have a fully developed “channeling neuron,” those who must learn to channel would have an under-developed “channeling neuron” that grows as they use it, and those who cannot channel do not have one at all.

So what happens when someone is stilled versus when someone is burned out? A clue to stilling can be found when Nynaeve heals Logain. She describes a “hole” when she studies Logain, and a feeling “of something cut” in Siuan, and Leane. The cut feeling indicates that stilling (or gentling) someone involves cutting off the synapse that connects the part of the brain that allows channeling. The channeler still has that part of the brain, and can still sense the Source, but they cannot activate the part of the brain that lets them channel. This is further supported in Nynaeve’s use of Fire to bridge the gap when she heals them, as this makes sense for healing the nervous system because of the electrical pulses in our brain.

Burning out, on the other hand, is different. When someone is burned out, she cannot sense the True Source at all. So what physically happens when someone is burned out? The term itself is very descriptive, and likely provides the answer. Burning out occurs when you overreach yourself with the power or are involved in some sort of traumatic event involving the power (such as misuse of ter’angreal). This indicates that the part of the brain that allows one to channel is physically damaged and destroyed. Where in stilling the connection to that area of the brain is cut, in burning out that part of the brain is just gone or dead – literally burned away. This is why those who have burned out cannot even sense the Source – they no longer have that part of the brain at all, making them as if they had been born without the channeling gene.

Because those who are burned out have lost the area of the brain that allows channeling, it is unlikely that they can be healed the way that stilling can. Healing allows the body to drastically regenerate, but it cannot re-grow something that has been lost completely. If someone has a leg cut off, healing could probably reattach the severed leg (if it was placed where it should go) but it could not cause the victim to just grow a new leg. In the same way, stilling can be healed, but burning out likely cannot.

Quote of the day:

“My name is Nynaeve ti al’Meara Mandragoran. The message I want sent is this. My husband rides from World’s End toward Tarwin’s Gap, toward Tar’mon Gai’don. Will he ride alone?”

-KoD, Ch. 20

Once for Mourning, Once for Birth

“Twice dawns the day when his blood is shed.
Once for mourning, once for birth.
Red on black, the Dragon's blood stains the rock of Shayol Ghul.
In the Pit of Doom shall his blood free men from the Shadow.” tGH, Ch. 26

The Karaethon Cycle states that there will be two dawns during Tarmon Gai’don. This likely indicates either an eclipse (which occur during significant events in the mythologies of many cultures) or the sun being blotted out for a time by either Dragonmount erupting, the Dark One’s evil black and silver storm, or for any number of other reasons.

However, the prophecy goes on to say “once for mourning, once for birth.” The mourning is obvious – many are going to die in the battle, almost certainly including Rand. But the reference to birth is less clear. When the prophecy first appears very early in the series in tGH, it seems that birth refers simply to the birth of a new age or some other figurative meaning. However, now that Elayne is pregnant with Rand’s children, it could have a more literal meaning.

Elayne becomes pregnant on the 12^th day of Saban. By the end of tGS, it is approximately the 23^rd of Saven, or about 4½ months later. This means she’s about halfway through her pregnancy. With the last battle being two books away, it is entirely possible that she will give birth during Tarmon Gai’don. This would nicely fit the prophecy with one of the “dawns” being for the birth of her twins.

Further, she may give birth at Shayol Ghul itself. Now, why on earth would Elayne be at the last battle if she’s about to go into labor? We have already seen her ridiculous reliance on Min’s viewing that her children will be healthy to mean that harm cannot befall her until she has given birth, particularly in KoD. Birgitte says that through the bond she never even feels Elayne be afraid even during her kidnapping by members of the Black Ajah. This sets a precedent for her to perhaps feel safe even during the last battle. She even might be safe, considering that Aviendha has given her the dagger ter’angreal in KoD that prevents her from being seen by creatures of the Dark One and maybe even the Dark One himself.

Evidence for Elayne giving birth at Shayol Ghul could be in the same prophecy: “Red on black, the Dragon’s blood stains the rocks of Shayol Ghul” could be referring to Rand’s blood being spilled via his unhealing wounds or many Aiel being killed on the front lines of the battle, but it could mean Elayne giving birth on Shayol Ghul as the children would be Rand’s blood. This would nicely parallel Rand’s birth on Dragonmount during a battle.

Finally, Elayne’s children being born during Tarmon Gai’don would be very fitting if they turn out to be reincarnations of the two sibling Heroes of the Horn Shivan the Hunter and Calian the Chooser.

“Shivan the Hunter behind his black mask. He was said to herald the end of Ages, the destruction of what had been and the birth of what was to be, he and his sister Calian, called the Chooser, who rode red-masked at his side.” ACoS, Ch. 21

Shivan is clearly a reference to the Hindu god Shiva. Fittingly, in some traditions Shiva had three mothers, and in some forms is depicted as an archer (i.e. a hunter). He is also sometimes called the Destroyer. Calian is likely a reference to the Hindu goddess Kali, the goddess of time and change. The colors of Shivan and Calian’s masks would also fit with the red and black of the prophecy as well as fitting a color theme which is becoming more and more associated with Rand as the books progress. If Shivan and Calian are indeed Elayne’s twins, what better way for their coming to herald the end of Ages than for them to be born at the Last Battle?

Quote of the Day:

Mat did not know what to say or do. Without thinking, he spat on his palm and offered his hand as if sealing a bargain on a horse. "Your customs are ... earthy," Tuon said in a dry voice, but she spat on her own palm and clasped his hand.

-CoT, Ch. 3