4.2: Min's Viewings

From The Eye of the World

[TEOTW: 15, Strangers and Friends, 181]

LAN: Seven ruined Towers/A babe in a cradle holding a sword

These refer to his Malkieri heritage: Lord of the Seven Towers, and sworn as a babe by his parents to the fight against the Shadow.

THOM: A man-- not him-- juggling fire/The White Tower

Either of these could refer to his channeling nephew Owyn, who seems to have been caught up in the "vileness" after the Aiel war. The Tower could also represent future involvement with Aes Sedai.

MAT: A red eagle, an eye on a balance scale, a dagger with a ruby, a horn, a laughing face

The eagle is related to his past life/lives as a Manetheren general. The eye is another reference to him having to sacrifice his eye at some point, in order to achieve total Odin-hood, and to produce some greater good. Compare to the "half the light of the world" prophecy, and Eg's dream of the exact same image. The dagger is the Shadar Logoth dagger which Mat was involved with for so long. The horn is the Horn of Valere, which Mat blew in TGH. As for the laughing face, it doesn't seem to refer to anything specific Mat's done so far, although he is a bit of a trickster, or to any other prophecies.

RAND: A sword that isn't a sword, A golden crown of laurel leaves, a beggar's staff, him pouring water on sand, three woman standing over a funeral bier with him on it, A bloody hand and a white hot iron, and black rocks wet with blood.

The Sword That Ain't is Callandor. The crown is the Crown of Illian, achieved in ACOS. The beggar's staff vision is probably related to Perrin's vision of Rand dressed as a beggar. Pouring water on sand probably refers to Rand making it rain at Rhuidean. The three women over his funeral bier are probably his three chicks - Min, Avi, and Elayne. No idea about the bloody hand and hot iron, although there is a similar vision for Elayne in TGH. (A suggestion that has nothing to do with Elayne relates Rand's self-inflicted hand wound when Liah is lost in Shadar Logoth in LOC (the bloody hand) to the balefire he used on her at the end of COS (the "white-hot iron" is Min's description of balefire, since she doesn't know what it actually is).) The bloody black rocks are probably the rocks of Shayol Ghul; this seems to tie in with "his blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul" from the Karaethon Cycle.

PERRIN: wolf, broken crown, trees flowering all around him.

The wolf refers to his wolfbrotherhood. The "broken crown" has to do with his marriage to Faile. The Saldaean crown is called the Broken Crown [COT: Prologue, Glimmers of the Pattern, 67], and Faile is second in line for the throne after her father. The meaning of the flowering trees is unclear; it has been suggested that they refer to Loial singing to the trees over Perrin's family's grave, or that Perrin will find the Song.


[TEOTW: 16, The Wisdom, 195]

The number of sparks increased when Nynaeve joined the party.

Obviously, Nynaeve is an important part of the group who will fight the Shadow.


From The Great Hunt

[TGH: 24, New Friends and Old Enemies, 305] [TGH: 43, A Plan, 511]

ELAYNE: Elayne tells Egwene: "She [Min] said I'd have to share my husband with two other women, and I'd never put up with that." Also, the Rose Crown of Andor, and a severed hand (not hers).

As to the first, well, duh. The crown is the Crown of Andor, which Elayne claimed in TPOD. For the severed hand, see the following Elayne viewing.

EGWENE: A white flame

Refers to Eg. becoming Amyrlin Seat.


[TGH: 43, A Plan, 511]

NYNAEVE: A man's ring of heavy gold.

This is Lan's ring. The vision could symbolize Ny's love connection with our favorite Warder, or it could refer to some particular instance, yet to come, in which she'll need the ring for some specific purpose.

ELAYNE: A red-hot iron and an axe.

The severed hand from above, the red-hot iron, and the axe may be related to the bloody hand and white-hot iron Min saw around Rand (see section 2.6.2).


From The Dragon Reborn

[TDR: 6, The Hunt Begins, 62-3]

PERRIN: An Aiel in a cage, a Tinker with a sword, a female falcon and a female hawk on his shoulders, a darkness swirling around him.

The caged Aiel is Gaul, who Perrin freed. The Tinker is Aram. The hawk and the falcon are Berelain and Faile, respectively. The swirling darkness is vague. Possibly, it just means that the Shadow was chasing him, or maybe more specific - there are Darkfriends near to him? Maybe this is the same darkness Min sees around Rand and Perrin, with the fireflies/sparks?


From The Shadow Rising

[TSR: 1, Seeds of Shadow, 16-23]

RANDOM AES SEDAI IN WHITE TOWER: A silver collar, similar to, or actually, a damane's. Also lots of death and suffering/bones etc.

The bones, death, etc. probably refer to the Tower's current strife (the coup, etc.). The collar vision agrees with others which show that at least some AS will be captured by the Seanchan.


[TSR: 1, Seeds of Shadow, 21]

GAWYN: His face a bloody mask; a heron marked sword, his or threatening; his banner with a field of green rather than white

The blood is exactly how he looked after the coup. The meaning of the heron sword is uncertain. I guess Gawyn could be a blademaster. "Threatening" could refer to fighting Hammar and Coulin in the Tower Coup. The banner is that of the Younglings, whom Gawyn commands.


[TSR: 17, Deceptions, 198]

LOGAIN: A halo of gold and blue, signifying glory to come.

This may have to do with being him being un-gentled, but there is probably more to this than that. Suggestions include the "Rand fakes death and Logain takes credit" theory (see Eg's dream), the "Logain uses Callandor" theory (now partially discredited by events in TPOD and WH), and the "Logain takes care of Taim" theory.


[TSR: 47, The Truth of a Viewing, 544]

GAWYN: either breaking Egwene's neck or kneeling to her

The either/or vision about Egwene is similar to several of Eg's dreams which imply that Gawyn will either get over his psychosis and go along with Egwene, or that he'll end up destroying her, maybe killing her.


From The Fires of Heaven

[TFOH: 26, Sallie Daera, 317]

SHERIAM: "Rays of silver and blue flashed about her fiery hair, and a soft golden light; Min could not say what it meant."

*shrug* Could this have something to do with her being Keeper? Could it be related to Logain's gold and blue aura?


[TFOH: 26, Sallie Daera, 317]

CARLINYA: "a raven floating beside her dark hair; more a drawing of the bird than the bird itself. She thought it was a tattoo..."

Carlinya is one of Sheriam's faction with the rebel AS. The raven tattoo indicates that a person is "property" of the Seanchan empress.


[TFOH: 26, Sallie Daera, 320]

EDESINA: "[...] a silvery collar suddenly appeared, snug around the woman's neck, and as suddenly seemed to shatter. Min shivered. She did not like viewings connected to the Seanchan. At least Edesina would escape somehow."

Fulfilled. Edesina was captured and collared by the Seanchan, and ended up in Ebou Dar. Mat freed her (and Teslyn) in WH.


[TFOH: 28, Trapped, 343]

SIUAN SANCHE/GARETH BRYNE: "When Bryne came in, I had a viewing. An aura, and a bull ripping roses from around its neck. All I know is this. If he stays close to you [SS], you live. If he gets too far away, for too long, you are going to die. Both of you."

The bull ripping off the roses indicates Gareth Bryne severing his ties to Andor and Morgase. (The crest of House Bryne is a bull with a wreath of roses, which symbolize the Rose Crown, around its neck.) We have not yet seen a situation where Siuan's or Bryne's life depends on having the other one around.


[TFOH: 50, To Teach, and Learn, 592]

FAOLAIN: '"A nasty woman," Min murmured, squinting after Faolain ... "You'd think, if there was any justice, she would have an unpleasant future ahead of her."'

By implication, Faolain has a good future. This perhaps will come of her swearing fealty to Eg. It also indicates that her disappearance in COT doesn't mean she's dead.


[TFOH: 50, To Teach, and Learn, 598-9]

MARIGAN, NICOLA, and AREINA: (Three women refugees with Ny et al.) "Those three you brought with are trouble, and that is a viewing." ... "I only caught glimpses of aura, and just out of the corner of my eye. Never when I was looking right at them, where I might have made something out."

Marigan was Moggy, which certainly was trouble.

Nicola and Areina have been causing plenty of problems themselves - they tried to blackmail Eg, and succeeded in blackmailing Myrelle. Their escape from the rebels in COT may be tied in with Egwene's betrayal (see section 2.6.8).


[TFOH: 50, To Teach, and Learn, 598-9]

RAND, ELAYNE, MIN, AVIENDHA:
'Elayne leaped off the cliff. "Min, you had a viewing about Rand and me, didn't you?" [...]
"Yes." It was a wary word.
"You saw that we were going to fall in love."
"Not exactly. I saw you'd fall in love with him. I don't know what he feels for you, only that he's tied to you some way."
[...] "And you saw there would be someone else. Someone I'd have to ... share ... him with."
"Two, " Min said hoarsely. "And .... And I'm one."
[...] "Who is the third?"
"I don't know," Min mumbled. "Only that she has a temper. Not Nynaeve."'

Fulfilled, more or less. Elayne, Min, and Aviendha (the third one, with a temper) are all in love with Rand, and he with them.


From Lord of Chaos

[LOC: 41, A Threat, 527]

RAND: Countless thousands of sparkling lights, like stars or fireflies, rushed into a great blackness, trying to fill it up, rushed in and were swallowed. There seemed to be more lights than she had ever seen before, but the darkness swallowed them at a greater rate, too. And there was something else, something new, an aura of yellow and brown and purple that made her stomach clench.

The sparks and darkness seem to be a continuous indication of the status of the fight against the Shadow. They're first mentioned when we meet Min in TEOTW. The nasty bruise-colored aura could indicate Rand's (physical and psychological) injury during his captivity by the Tower AS, or it could indicate that he was growing more and more susceptible to the Taint.


[LOC: 41, A Threat, 532]

RAND: "I saw an aura around you [Rand] in the throne room. Aes Sedai are going to hurt you. Women who can channel, anyway. It was all confused; I'm not sure about the Aes Sedai part. But it might happen more than once."

Injury at the hands of channeling women has happened once - Rand's captivity by the Tower AS. It is possible that he'll be hurt by channeling women again, although not necessarily more AS - after all, they've had their turn. The most likely groups seem to be Sevanna's Wise Ones, the Black Ajah, and the Seanchan. Other possibilities are the Sea Folk, the Sharans, the Salidar AS, and some Forsaken.


[LOC: 41, A Threat, 534]

MELAINE: will bear twin daughters

Melaine is currently pregnant.


[LOC: 46, Beyond the Gate, 578-9]

RAND and PERRIN: "When you two were together, I saw those fireflies and the darkness stronger than ever.... But with two of you in the same room, the fireflies were holding their own instead of being eaten faster than they can swarm, the way they do when you're alone. Twice he's going to have to be there, or you [Rand]...." "If he's not, something bad will happen to you." "Very bad." Rand: "Then I'll just have to keep him around." Min: "I don't know that that will be enough, it will happen if he is not there, but nothing I saw said it won't because he is. It will be very bad, Rand."

The sparks indicate the odds in the fight vs. the Shadow. Clearly, Rand doesn't stand a chance without Perrin. The first time Rand needed Perrin was probably the capture by the Tower AS. The second hasn't happened, so Perrin better hurry up in Altara.


[LOC: 49, The Mirror of Mists, 616]

RAND: (possible viewing) Rand says, '"Trust me, Min. I won't hurt you. I will cut off my arm before I hurt you." She was silent, and he finally looked round to find her peering at him with a strange expression. "That's very nice to hear, sheepherder." Her voice was as odd as her face.'

This may or may not be a real viewing. However, it seems like she saw something related to what he'd just said. Maybe he'll cut off his arm (or lose a hand!), or hurt her somehow.


[LOC: 50, Thorns, 626]

MISC. NOBLES: "Maringil...was going to die by poison. Colavaere... would die by hanging. Meilan...would die by the knife. ...Aracome and Maraconn and Gueyam were all going to die too, bloody deaths, in battle.

Colavaere killed Maringil and Meilan, or had them killed, and then hung herself when her plan to seize the Sun Throne was foiled. Aracome died battling the Seanchan in TPOD. Maraconn and Gueyam haven't been mentioned since that battle, so presumably they're still alive for now [thanks to David Forbes for the correction].


[LOC: 50, Thorns, 628]

BERELAIN: "a man in white who will make her fall head over heels."

Who is it? The only groups of people who regularly wear white are WCs and gai'shain. It seems most likely that this mysterious man is Galad--there's a certain symmetry to the Most Beautiful Woman and the Most Beautiful Man getting together. Not to mention, Berelain is in Ghealdan at the end of TPOD and in WH, and thus in prime geographic condition to meet some handsome Whitecloaks.


From A Crown of Swords

[ACOS: 2, The Butcher's Yard, 88]

WHOLE BUNCH O' FOLKS: "Taim has blood in his past and blood in his future, but you could guess that. He's a dangerous man. They [the Asha'man] seem to be gathering images like AS....The problem is, what I can see is all blurry....Kiruna and that lot have all sorts of things around them, but they stay so close together that it all...jumbles together....It's even muddier with the [Tower AS] prisoners....I keep feeling there is something important, if I could only pick it out. You need to know."

This is pretty vague. There is something important that Rand must know about Taim, or the Asha'man, or the Aes Sedai sworn to Rand, or the Tower AS prisoners.


[ACOS: 33, A Bath, 526]

RAND: 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."

Rand takes this to mean that LTT is a real presence in his mind. That seems too easy, and Min seems doubtful about that interpretation. It could also have something to do with the "other one" LTT begins talking about in WH (see section 2.1.7).


[ACOS: 34, Ta'veren, 534]

MERANA, ALANNA, BERA, FAELDRIN, RAFELA: "They will keep their word....I just saw these five in your hand."

Those five will keep their oath of fealty to Rand. Note that Verin and Kiruna are not part of this group.


[ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 543]

RAND: "He would almost certainly fail without a woman who was dead and gone..."

The most likely person for this to be referring to is Moiraine, who everybody thinks is dead.


[ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 546]

MOIRAINE: "it was not as if she had really expected Moiraine to turn up alive. Moiraine was the only viewing of hers that had ever failed."

Obviously Min had some viewing of Moiraine which had not been fulfilled by the time Moir took a header through the Red Door. WE know Min is never wrong, and thus, Moiraine will be back!


[ACOS: 35, Into the Woods, 549]

DARLIN, CARALINE: Caraline Damodred and High Lord Darlin will get married.

This has not occurred, but he is courting her.

DARLIN: "To her eyes a crown suddenly appeared on Darlin's head, a simple golden circlet with a slightly curved sword lying on its side above his brows. The king's crown he would wear one day, though of what country, she could not say. Tear had High Lords instead of a king."

Somebody suggested that this may be a stripped-down version of the Illianer Crown of Swords, but it is more likely a crown that we haven't seen before, or of a new country. In WH, Rand sends Darlin to become his steward in Tear; perhaps that will end up turning Tear from an oligarchy to a monarchy, with Darlin as the first king.


[ACOS: 41, A Crown of Swords, 642]

CADSUANE: "It's Cadsuane. She is going to teach you something, you and the Asha'man. All the Asha'man, I mean. It's something you have to learn, but I don't know what it is, except that none of you will like learning it from her. You aren't going to like it at all."

Judging from her conversations with Sorilea in TPOD and with Verin in WH, Cadsuane is going to teach Rand and the Asha'man "laughter and tears" - in other words, that they are human, and not killing machines. In the same vein, she speaks of showing Rand the difference between being hard and being strong, which is much the same thing.


From The Path of Daggers

[TPOD: 29, A Cup of Sleep, 560-562]

The four Tower Aes Sedai prisoners who were compelled by Verin:

BELDEINE: "She was going to bond an Asha'man as a Warder!"
SARENE: "A tempestuous love affair, of all things!"
NESUNE: "One red-and-green aura spoke of honors, and fame. A huge building appeared above her head and vanished. A library she would found."
ELZA: No specific viewing.

SORILEA: "She had never seen anything really useful around that white-haired harridan"

ALL FOUR, PLUS SORILEA: '"Suddenly an aura flashed, blue and yellow tinged with green, encompassing them all. And Min knew its meaning....'They will serve you, each in her fashion, Rand.".... Sorilea would serve him? Suddenly Min wondered exactly what "in her fashion" meant.'

This is all either trivial, self-explanatory, or both.


From Winter's Heart

[WH: 12, A Lily in Winter, 294-295]

ELAYNE: "'She'll get with child from this. Two of them; a boy and a girl; both healthy and strong.'"

AVIENDHA: "Aviendha would have Rand's babies too. Four of them at once! Something was odd about that, though. The babies would be healthy, but still something odd."

That's some seed Rand's got there, apparently… It seems doubtful that Avi's actually going to have quadruplets, not if they're going to be healthy - Randland medical technology isn't up to that challenge. Various interpretations on the "something odd" with the four babies have been offered. Maybe all three of them are having twins, and Min screwed up interpreting the vision because she can't see things about herself. Or the vision means that

Rand

is having four babies, two from Elayne and two from Avi, and Min's vision was distorted by the sister-bond. Or that Min is (or will be) pregnant with twins and Avi isn't, and the Warder-bond will mean that Avi will experience the birthing-pains of the other two, or something.


[WH: 12, A Lily in Winter, 296-297]

BIRGITTE: "Auras danced around her and images flickered, more than Min had ever seen around anyone, thousands it seemed, cascading over one another… she was certain they indicated more adventures than a woman could have in one lifetime. Strangely, some were connected to an ugly man who was older than she, and others to an ugly man who was much younger, yet somehow Min knew they were the same man."

The second part of the vision obviously refers to Gaidal Cain (see section 2.2.5). As for the first part, Birgitte asserts more than once that she is no longer Birgitte Silverbow but just an ordinary gal. This vision seems to contradict that.


[WH: 25, Bonds, 483]

ALIVIA: "Rand, I like Alivia, But she is going to kill you." [Rand replies]: "You said she was going to help me die… Those were your words."

Clearly related to the various prophecies and visions concerning Rand's death and the general ambiguity surrounding that event. Perhaps Alivia will be involved in helping Rand fake his death, rather than actually killing him.


From Crossroads of Twilight

[COT: 24, A Strengthening Storm, 547]

BASHERE: "And there's something... dark... in the images I saw around Lord Davram. If he turns against you, or dies..."

Pretty vague, but it's always been speculated that Perrin 'n Faile will end up ruling Saldaea at some point. Of course, for that to happen both Tenobia and Bashere have to die.