Tag: wot

Albus on Power

“It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited for power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find it to their own surprise that they wear it well.”

– Albus Dumbledore

This literary theme is actually present in Tolkien and Robert Jordan’s writings.
That power is best wielded by those who do not want it.
First you have the hobbits, willing to take on the task, but unaccustomed to the power that comes with it.
Then you have Mat, Perrin, and Rand in The Wheel of Time series…
Who, just like the hobbits, saw themselves as village people… Not powerful decision makers.
I believe it’s in the 13th book of the Wheel of Time that Perrin actually has a speech on power.

 

Jaichim Carridin & Ingtar Shinowa

Jaichim Carridin and Ingtar Shinowa were both shades of grey. Neither truly dedicated to the shadow, nor walking in the light.
Ingtar then chose to come back to the light.
While Jaichim’s deeds abandoned the light.
We can choose to do good.
Or we can choose to do bad.
We always have that choice.

That pretty much sums up the Wheel of Time’s character philosophy…. always can be good, always can be bad.

Weep, weep for your salvation…

And it shall come to pass that what men made shall be shattered,
And the shadow shall lie across the pattern of the age,
And the dark one shall once more lay his hand upon the world of man, Women shall weep and men shall quail as the nations of the earth are Rent like tattered cloth,
Neither shall anything stand or abide,
Yet one shall be born to face the shadow,
Born once more as he was born before and shall be born again time without end,
The dragon shall be reborn and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth,
In sackcloth and ashes shall he clothe the people,
And he shall break the world again by his coming,
Tearing apart all ties that bind,
Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us and burn us,
Yet shall the dragon reborn confront the dark one at the last battle, And his blood shall give us the light,
Let tears flow oh ye people of the world,
Weep for your salvation.

The Karaethon Cycle, The Great Hunt, Book two of the Wheel of Time.