Min Farshaw
Encyclopedia
Elmindreda "Min" Farshaw is one of the main characters of The Wheel of Time
fantasy series by Robert Jordan
.
has said to be about 5'2"), and has short dark hair that becomes curly when grown long. She has large, dark eyes. She likes to wear men's coats and breeches, and over the series, her clothes get tighter and she recently discovered embroidery (all to impress Rand al'Thor, the protagonist of the series, and her lover).
ish tendencies, and (after he died), by a trio of aunts who failed miserably at making a "proper woman" out of her. Her personality is encapsulated by her name: "Elmindreda" is a character in a book who fawns and sighs over men, which is why Min likes to go by the shortened version.
at Baerlon, around the same time Nynaeve al'Meara
first caught up with and was caught up by the group, and managed to unnerve Rand thoroughly: not only was she a very attractive woman whose hair is cut short like a boy's and wears men's clothing, but she also has oracular visions. Min is privy to flashes of visual insight she calls "viewings"—for instance, whenever she sees Rand, Mat Cauthon
or Perrin Aybara
, she sees him surrounded by a vast, trackless darkness, while countless thousands of fireflies dart in and out, trying to fill the void; when two or more of them stand near each other, the fireflies get stronger. The symbolism of this viewing is relatively obvious,(The trio, Rand, Mat, and Perrin are stronger together) but most of them are much harder for her to decode in the beginning.
Whether or not Min is able to interpret her viewings, she insists that they always come true. (It should be pointed out the viewings above had all been explained by the end of Lord of Chaos
; there are more whose meanings are as yet unclear.)
Viewings are always thicker around those who can channel, or are connected with channelers. However, Min's ability itself has nothing to do with the One Power
; Aes Sedai have tested that theory extensively, which contributes to Min's general dislike for the organization.
It should also be pointed out that, according to series author Robert Jordan, Min's viewings always regard the future. With this in mind, viewings like Lan Mandragoran's (who "has seven ruined towers around his head, and a babe in a cradle holding a sword..."), which at first glance seem to be connected to his past, become far more unclear. On the other hand, it can be argued that this and other viewings were simply victims of a retcon
of Min's abilities.
Because of her ability to view things Min has been very helpful to:
1. Aes Sedai (Siuan Sanche and Leane both are aware of Min's gift. In fact they convince the Salidar Hall to send Min over to Rand in the embassy that is sent to Rand in Camelyn).
2. Aiel Wise Ones, who are very strict and private in their dealings with people who are not Aiel. The only people they seem to respect from wetlanders are Egwene al'Vere (she was an apprentice to Amys, Bair and Melaine), Min Farshaw, Moiraine Damodred and Lan. The respect Min receives is due to the viewing she has and shares with Melaine about having twin baby girls with Bael.
3. Rand - She is able to tell him if she can see anything about the various nobles and rulers who meet with him. She also is able to tell him about the Aes Sedai who have sworn to him. It was Min who warns Rand that the Aes Sedai will harm him before his abduction by the Tar Valon Embassy led by Coiren. She tells him that he will need Perrin's help if he is to stay alive, which he does need at Dumai Wells.
and Nynaeve to Falme, and stayed with Rand and the Shienarans that winter, while the novices travelled back to the Tower with Mat; but when Rand disappeared one morning, heading for Tear, Moiraine remanded Min to the Tower as well. Min arrived just in time for the coup against the Amyrlin Siuan Sanche
, and she later helped Siuan, Leane, and now-gentled former False Dragon Logain Ablar
to escape to Salidar, where she was reacquainted with Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve. Min later was sent to Caemlyn with the Salidar embassy to meet Rand; she has been at his side ever since. The reason for this was not immediately obvious to anyone but her.
. And not just her; two other women would love him as well. The face of one of the other women she later recognized: a friend she had made in the White Tower, a novice named Elayne Trakand. The two agreed to share him later, a decision made easier by their strong friendship. The other she did not recognize; it turned out to be the Aiel
woman Aviendha
, who ironically had promised to Elayne to keep anyone from getting their hands on Rand. Struggle against it though she might, Min did fall in love with Rand, becoming the second of his women to become his lover (after Aviendha), and she now plays an important role in his life: she is one of the few people in the world who can get him to smile, and certainly the only one he keeps nearby (Elayne and Aviendha being busy in Caemlyn, and Aviendha later goes to Arad Doman). He has tried to send her away, citing the danger in staying near him (for instance, a rogue Asha'man
attack aimed at him summarily melted a quarter of the Sun Palace in Cairhien), but she has steadfastly refused. She also reports any viewings she has that might help him, although she does not always understand what they mean.
Recently Min, Elayne and Aviendha have jointly Bonded Rand as a Warder
as Aes Sedai do, something previously unheard of (and necessarily done in secret). It was at that time she also revealed that Elayne
would become pregnant with twins and that Rand would be the father, and that Aviendha would later have his quadruplets (Min couldn't see if she herself would have any children with Rand, however). It was also revealed at that time that she is incapable of masking the emotions she senses from Rand through the bond. She was also present when Rand and Nynaeve
were using the Choedan Kal to cleanse saidin of the Taint.
It should also be noted that Min has taken to reading theory and philosophy books regarding the Dragon Reborn and Callandor, in hopes of being helpful to Rand to survive the Last Battle.
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under the pen name Robert Jordan. Originally planned as a six-book series, the length was increased by increments; at the time of Rigney's death, he expected it to be 12, but it will actually...
fantasy series by Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. , under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.-Biography:Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina...
.
Description
She is slender, a little taller than Moiraine (whom JordanRobert Jordan
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. , under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.-Biography:Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina...
has said to be about 5'2"), and has short dark hair that becomes curly when grown long. She has large, dark eyes. She likes to wear men's coats and breeches, and over the series, her clothes get tighter and she recently discovered embroidery (all to impress Rand al'Thor, the protagonist of the series, and her lover).
Origins
Min grew up in Baerlon, under the patronage of a father who did not curb her tomboyTomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
ish tendencies, and (after he died), by a trio of aunts who failed miserably at making a "proper woman" out of her. Her personality is encapsulated by her name: "Elmindreda" is a character in a book who fawns and sighs over men, which is why Min likes to go by the shortened version.
Viewings
She met Rand al'ThorRand al'Thor
Rand al'Thor, also known as the Dragon Reborn, is the fictional main character and protagonist of The Wheel of Time, a series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.Rand al'Thor has many other titles within the series:...
at Baerlon, around the same time Nynaeve al'Meara
Nynaeve al'Meara
Nynaeve al'Meara is one of the main characters of The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Personality:Nynaeve's personality often runs a gamut of emotions, meek at times before more experienced women but also able to stand up and run down others. While she will deny it, Nynaeve is...
first caught up with and was caught up by the group, and managed to unnerve Rand thoroughly: not only was she a very attractive woman whose hair is cut short like a boy's and wears men's clothing, but she also has oracular visions. Min is privy to flashes of visual insight she calls "viewings"—for instance, whenever she sees Rand, Mat Cauthon
Mat Cauthon
Matrim "Mat" Cauthon is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. He is one of the primary protagonists and has moved over the course of the series from his beginnings as a mischievous farm lad into the role of a powerful, shrewd and successful general and...
or Perrin Aybara
Perrin Aybara
Perrin t'Bashere Aybara, or Goldeneyes, is one of the main characters of Robert Jordan's epic fantasy The Wheel of Time. Character is largely based on Slavic god Perun. In addition to the name similarity Perrin's choice of weapons include the axe, hammer, and bow...
, she sees him surrounded by a vast, trackless darkness, while countless thousands of fireflies dart in and out, trying to fill the void; when two or more of them stand near each other, the fireflies get stronger. The symbolism of this viewing is relatively obvious,(The trio, Rand, Mat, and Perrin are stronger together) but most of them are much harder for her to decode in the beginning.
- Why does Mat evoke a banner with a red eagle? (The Red Eagle is the emblem of Manetheren.)
- Why does Perrin have both a hawk and a falcon stooping on his shoulder? (BerelainBerelainBerelain sur Paendrag Tanreall of House Paeron is a character in the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is the "First" of Mayene, a small city-state southeast of Tear, and High Seat of House Paeron...
, represented by the hawk, and Faile BashereFaile BashereFaile Bashere is a character in the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Life as Zarine:Zarine "Faile" ni Bashere t'Aybara is the daughter of Lord Davram Bashere, the Marshal-General to Saldaea and uncle to Queen Tenobia...
, represented by the falcon, both seek to capture his regard.) - Why is Rand pouring water on sand? (This has two possible interpretations: it is said that the Car'a'carn will spill the blood of the AielAielIn Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, the Aiel are a race of people. They live between the "wetlanders" in the west and the Sharans in the east, in a desert which the Aiel call The Three-fold Land and which everyone else calls the Aiel Waste. They have earned a reputation as skilled...
as water on sand; and, in The Shadow RisingThe Shadow RisingThe Shadow Rising is the fourth book in American author Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. It was published by Tor Books and released on September 15, 1992...
, Rand makes a far more literal fulfillment by channeling to create rain at Al'cair Dal, the first rainfall in the Aiel Waste in recorded history.) - Whose heavy golden ring floats above Nynaeve's hand? (Lan MandragoranLan MandragoranAl'Lan Mandragoran is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.Lan is very similar in characterization to Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien...
, who eventually marries Nynaeve, owns a heavy golden ring signifying his office as the current king of Malkier.) - Why is a white flame connected with EgweneEgwene al'VereEgwene al'Vere is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Description:She is described as beautiful, with large brown eyes and long dark hair. Like all adult women in her home village of Emond's Field, she initially wore her hair in a long braid, but as soon...
? (The white flame is the Flame of Tar Valon and the sigil of the Amyrlin SeatAmyrlin SeatThe Amyrlin Seat is a fictional title from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.The Amyrlin Seat, or Amyrlin as it is often shortened to, is the leader of the Aes Sedai in Tar Valon. The term can also refer to the actual seat upon which the Amyrlin sits...
, which Egwene is named by the rebel Aes SedaiAes SedaiThe Aes Sedai are a special society in the fictional universe of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time book series. Aes Sedai means "Servant to All" in the Old Tongue. They are the wielders of the One Power...
, and is confirmed by the loyalists later.)
Whether or not Min is able to interpret her viewings, she insists that they always come true. (It should be pointed out the viewings above had all been explained by the end of Lord of Chaos
Lord of Chaos
Lord of Chaos is the sixth book of The Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on October 15, 1994, and was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 1995. Lord of Chaos consists of a prologue, 55 chapters, and...
; there are more whose meanings are as yet unclear.)
Viewings are always thicker around those who can channel, or are connected with channelers. However, Min's ability itself has nothing to do with the One Power
One Power
In The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the One Power is the force that maintains the continuous motion of the Wheel of Time. It comes from the True Source, and it is separated into two halves: saidin , the male half, and saidar , the female half. It is used in the series by people...
; Aes Sedai have tested that theory extensively, which contributes to Min's general dislike for the organization.
It should also be pointed out that, according to series author Robert Jordan, Min's viewings always regard the future. With this in mind, viewings like Lan Mandragoran's (who "has seven ruined towers around his head, and a babe in a cradle holding a sword..."), which at first glance seem to be connected to his past, become far more unclear. On the other hand, it can be argued that this and other viewings were simply victims of a retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
of Min's abilities.
Because of her ability to view things Min has been very helpful to:
1. Aes Sedai (Siuan Sanche and Leane both are aware of Min's gift. In fact they convince the Salidar Hall to send Min over to Rand in the embassy that is sent to Rand in Camelyn).
2. Aiel Wise Ones, who are very strict and private in their dealings with people who are not Aiel. The only people they seem to respect from wetlanders are Egwene al'Vere (she was an apprentice to Amys, Bair and Melaine), Min Farshaw, Moiraine Damodred and Lan. The respect Min receives is due to the viewing she has and shares with Melaine about having twin baby girls with Bael.
3. Rand - She is able to tell him if she can see anything about the various nobles and rulers who meet with him. She also is able to tell him about the Aes Sedai who have sworn to him. It was Min who warns Rand that the Aes Sedai will harm him before his abduction by the Tar Valon Embassy led by Coiren. She tells him that he will need Perrin's help if he is to stay alive, which he does need at Dumai Wells.
Falme, and the Truth of a Viewing
After the Eye of the World, Moiraine Sedai summoned Min to the White Tower for safekeeping, something the free-spirited Min did not appreciate at all. She went with Egwene, ElayneElayne Trakand
Elayne Trakand is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She bears a resemblance both in name and appearance to Ilyena, the doomed wife of Lews Therin Telamon from the Age of Legends.-Description:...
and Nynaeve to Falme, and stayed with Rand and the Shienarans that winter, while the novices travelled back to the Tower with Mat; but when Rand disappeared one morning, heading for Tear, Moiraine remanded Min to the Tower as well. Min arrived just in time for the coup against the Amyrlin Siuan Sanche
Siuan Sanche
Siuan Sanche is a character of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.The sharp-tongued daughter of a fisherman from Tear, Siuan Sanche joined the White Tower at the same time as Moiraine Damodred...
, and she later helped Siuan, Leane, and now-gentled former False Dragon Logain Ablar
Logain Ablar
Logain Ablar is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.-False Dragon:Logain Ablar was a False Dragon who could channel the One Power. He proclaimed himself shortly before the events of Winternight in the Two Rivers...
to escape to Salidar, where she was reacquainted with Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve. Min later was sent to Caemlyn with the Salidar embassy to meet Rand; she has been at his side ever since. The reason for this was not immediately obvious to anyone but her.
Love at First Sight
One vision Min had upon first meeting Rand was one that she was able to interpret quickly, although she did not tell him of it at the time: that she would fall in love with the Dragon RebornDragon (Wheel of Time)
In the fictional Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the Dragon is the champion of the Light and the Creator against the evil Dark One. Although the Dark One was imprisoned by the Creator at the moment of creation, he continually seeks to break free of his prison. In each Age, the Dragon...
. And not just her; two other women would love him as well. The face of one of the other women she later recognized: a friend she had made in the White Tower, a novice named Elayne Trakand. The two agreed to share him later, a decision made easier by their strong friendship. The other she did not recognize; it turned out to be the Aiel
Aiel
In Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, the Aiel are a race of people. They live between the "wetlanders" in the west and the Sharans in the east, in a desert which the Aiel call The Three-fold Land and which everyone else calls the Aiel Waste. They have earned a reputation as skilled...
woman Aviendha
Aviendha
Aviendha of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Description:...
, who ironically had promised to Elayne to keep anyone from getting their hands on Rand. Struggle against it though she might, Min did fall in love with Rand, becoming the second of his women to become his lover (after Aviendha), and she now plays an important role in his life: she is one of the few people in the world who can get him to smile, and certainly the only one he keeps nearby (Elayne and Aviendha being busy in Caemlyn, and Aviendha later goes to Arad Doman). He has tried to send her away, citing the danger in staying near him (for instance, a rogue Asha'man
Asha'man
The Asha'man are an organization of men who can channel the male part of the One Power, Saidin, in the fictional world of Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time.-Description:...
attack aimed at him summarily melted a quarter of the Sun Palace in Cairhien), but she has steadfastly refused. She also reports any viewings she has that might help him, although she does not always understand what they mean.
Recently Min, Elayne and Aviendha have jointly Bonded Rand as a Warder
Warder (Wheel of Time)
A Warder in the world of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is a person bonded by an Aes Sedai through the use of saidar to become her bodyguard as she travels....
as Aes Sedai do, something previously unheard of (and necessarily done in secret). It was at that time she also revealed that Elayne
Elayne Trakand
Elayne Trakand is one of the main characters of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She bears a resemblance both in name and appearance to Ilyena, the doomed wife of Lews Therin Telamon from the Age of Legends.-Description:...
would become pregnant with twins and that Rand would be the father, and that Aviendha would later have his quadruplets (Min couldn't see if she herself would have any children with Rand, however). It was also revealed at that time that she is incapable of masking the emotions she senses from Rand through the bond. She was also present when Rand and Nynaeve
Nynaeve al'Meara
Nynaeve al'Meara is one of the main characters of The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan.-Personality:Nynaeve's personality often runs a gamut of emotions, meek at times before more experienced women but also able to stand up and run down others. While she will deny it, Nynaeve is...
were using the Choedan Kal to cleanse saidin of the Taint.
It should also be noted that Min has taken to reading theory and philosophy books regarding the Dragon Reborn and Callandor, in hopes of being helpful to Rand to survive the Last Battle.