Dark One
Encyclopedia
The Dark One is a fictional character in the The Wheel of Time
series by Robert Jordan
. It is the main antagonist
; bound to its prison at the moment of Creation
and partially freed during the Age of Legends (though imperfectly resealed back into its prison prior to the Breaking of the World), it is the primary source of evil
in the series.
books, Verin
Sedai
says the Dark One is the "embodiment of paradox
and chaos
, destroyer of reason
and logic
, breaker of balance, the unmaker of order, and the opponent of the Creator
." Shai'tan (Arab
ic word for 'Adversary', related to Satan
) is the godlike figure of the creatures of darkness. Sheriam tells Egwene that the ability to channel confers a weakness, that those who can channel can be turned to the Dark One by 13 Dark-friend channelers and 13 Myrddraal. This weakness does not apply to those without the ability to channel the One Power. There is also a catechism
in the books that states that "The Dark One was bound by The Creator at the moment of creation."
, which is analogous to the One Power. However, one can only draw on the True Power with the Dark One's blessing. Furthermore, it is much more addictive than either saidin or saidar, and not even the strongest willpower can fight the desire to use it. The True Power is demonstrated to be centered around death and destruction; for example Moridin uses it accidentally to crush the life out of a servant. As of the end of The Gathering Storm, only Moridin and Rand can use the power as they are linked together.
The Dark One has never been actually seen in any of the novels. Padan Fain states in The Fires of Heaven
that the Pit of Doom's lake of fire "holds the Great Lord of the Dark in its endless depths." Although this language may be figurative, the Dark One has several powers within the area of Shayol Ghul. He can speak, although his 'voice' is massive enough to inflict incredible ecstasy and pain on the listener, often reducing those to whom he speaks to a barely coherent state.
There are other ways the Dark One can impact the world, as well. Metaphysically, the Bore is a pathway that allows the Dark One to reach out into the physical world; Lews Therin Telamon
and the Hundred Companions attempted to seal the Bore to limit the Dark One's power, but over the course of the series his influence extends, and the cuendillar seals on his prison begin to weaken and break. By Lord of Chaos
, several seals have broken and the rest are fragile.
As the Bore widens, the following phenomena occur, indicative of the increasing ability of the Dark One to affect the world.
, was subsequently sealed with a patch made by Lews Therin Telamon and the Hundred Companions at the end of the War of Power. A backlash of power at this moment of sealing led to the taint on saidin, the male half of the One Power.
The Dark One has the most influence in the Pit Of Doom. The Pit Of Doom is an otherworldly place beneath Shayol Ghul
, a mountain in the valley of Thakan'dar, beyond the Blight. In the books, Shayol Ghul is entirely a real place, but the Pit Of Doom, while it lies beneath Shayol Ghul, is either partially or wholly not in the world. Shayol Ghul was a tropical paradise in the Age of Legends.
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...
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...
. It is the main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
; bound to its prison at the moment of Creation
Creation
Creation may refer to:In religion and philosophy:*Creation myth, stories of the supernatural creation of the Earth and its inhabitants*Genesis creation narrative, The Biblical account of creationIn science and technology:...
and partially freed during the Age of Legends (though imperfectly resealed back into its prison prior to the Breaking of the World), it is the primary source of evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
in the series.
Character
In The Wheel of TimeThe 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...
books, Verin
Verin Mathwin
Verin Mathwin is a fictional character in The Wheel of Time series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.-Description:Verin is an Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah. Verin has grayed hair and is considered to be one of the oldest Aes Sedai alive; likely over 200 years old...
Sedai
Aes Sedai
The 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...
says the Dark One is the "embodiment of paradox
Paradox
Similar to Circular reasoning, A paradox is a seemingly true statement or group of statements that lead to a contradiction or a situation which seems to defy logic or intuition...
and chaos
Chaos (cosmogony)
Chaos refers to the formless or void state preceding the creation of the universe or cosmos in the Greek creation myths, more specifically the initial "gap" created by the original separation of heaven and earth....
, destroyer of reason
Reason
Reason is a term that refers to the capacity human beings have to make sense of things, to establish and verify facts, and to change or justify practices, institutions, and beliefs. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, language, ...
and logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
, breaker of balance, the unmaker of order, and the opponent of the Creator
Creator deity
A creator deity is a deity responsible for the creation of the world . In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator deity, while polytheistic traditions may or may not have creator deities...
." Shai'tan (Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
ic word for 'Adversary', related to Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
) is the godlike figure of the creatures of darkness. Sheriam tells Egwene that the ability to channel confers a weakness, that those who can channel can be turned to the Dark One by 13 Dark-friend channelers and 13 Myrddraal. This weakness does not apply to those without the ability to channel the One Power. There is also a catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
in the books that states that "The Dark One was bound by The Creator at the moment of creation."
Influence
The Dark One is the source of the True PowerTrue Power
The True Power is a source of mystical power found in the Wheel of Time books of Robert Jordan. It is similar to the One Power, but differs in some important respects.-Use:...
, which is analogous to the One Power. However, one can only draw on the True Power with the Dark One's blessing. Furthermore, it is much more addictive than either saidin or saidar, and not even the strongest willpower can fight the desire to use it. The True Power is demonstrated to be centered around death and destruction; for example Moridin uses it accidentally to crush the life out of a servant. As of the end of The Gathering Storm, only Moridin and Rand can use the power as they are linked together.
The Dark One has never been actually seen in any of the novels. Padan Fain states in The Fires of Heaven
The Fires of Heaven
The Fires of Heaven is the fifth book in American author Robert Jordan's fantasy series The Wheel of Time. It was published by Tor Books and released on October 15, 1993....
that the Pit of Doom's lake of fire "holds the Great Lord of the Dark in its endless depths." Although this language may be figurative, the Dark One has several powers within the area of Shayol Ghul. He can speak, although his 'voice' is massive enough to inflict incredible ecstasy and pain on the listener, often reducing those to whom he speaks to a barely coherent state.
There are other ways the Dark One can impact the world, as well. Metaphysically, the Bore is a pathway that allows the Dark One to reach out into the physical world; Lews Therin Telamon
Lews Therin Telamon
Lews Therin Telamon is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He was the Dragon of the Age of Legends. He is the most powerful, most hated, and most feared man in history, for his part in the Breaking of the World and killing his loved ones, earning him the...
and the Hundred Companions attempted to seal the Bore to limit the Dark One's power, but over the course of the series his influence extends, and the cuendillar seals on his prison begin to weaken and break. By 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...
, several seals have broken and the rest are fragile.
As the Bore widens, the following phenomena occur, indicative of the increasing ability of the Dark One to affect the world.
- The Forsaken begin to escape (Aginor and Balthamel first)
- "bubbles of evil", likened by Moiraine to a miasma in a swamp, emanate periodically from the Dark One, twisting reality in the Pattern to lethal effect, especially near ta'verenTa'verenTa'veren is a term used in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.Ta'veren : "A person around whom the Wheel of Time weaves all surrounding life-threads, perhaps ALL life-threads, to form a Web of Destiny." -Notable Ta'veren:*Current...
- The Dark One often uses the environment against his enemies. In The Eye of the World, he attempted to cause widespread starvation through prolonged winter. The unnatural winter was broken by Rand al'Thor, as he unintentionally uses the store of pure Saidin at the Eye of the World. From Lord of ChaosLord of ChaosLord 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...
onwards, the Dark One visits the burning of extended summer drought upon the land. This freak weather is eventually righted by Nynaeve and Elayne (amongst others) with the Bowl of the Winds in The Path of DaggersThe Path of DaggersThe Path of Daggers is the eighth book of The Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on October 20, 1998...
. However, by the time of 'Knife of Dreams' the Dark One's influence has stretched so that the food stores of the whole of the Westland are becoming impossibly spoiled, even through a Power wrought warding which is intended to prevent this (and has indeed done so for the last couple of thousand years). - During The Eye of the World, Rand is convinced the seals on Shayol Ghul are weakening, because 'Ba'alzamon' is showing increasing ability to touch the world. In fact, the seals still held, and Ishamael was simply masquerading as the Dark One.
- The Dark One demonstrates his power to resurrect the dead, as with Aran'gar, Osan'gar, Moridin, and Cyndane.
- Most ominously, power to alter reality: in Knife of Dreams, the plans of buildings change randomly, the dead are commonly seen by those who knew them, and saidar itself seems to be weakening. Some characters have voiced the theory that the Pattern itself imprisons the Dark One, and that this seeming unraveling of the Pattern is the last and greatest omen of his emergence.
- Tarmon Gai'don, at which point the Dark One will have his greatest influence.
Naming
Speaking the true name of the Dark One, Shai'tan, is believed to bring misfortune on the speaker. In the books, this is represented by the world 'lurching' around the namer and causing shadowspawn to find them easier. Darkfriends claim not to fear this misfortune, but consider speaking his name to be blasphemy. As a result, there are many alternative names for him:- Ba'alzamon (meaning 'Heart of the Dark' in the Trolloc language, a name assumed by the quasi-bound Ishamael; humans learned it and assumed that it was the Trolloc name for the Dark One, hence the misunderstanding in the first three novels that Ba'alzamon was the Dark One himself)
- Father of Lies
- Sightblinder (used by the Aiel)
- Soulburner
- Lord of the Grave
- Shepherd of the Night
- Heartsbane
- Soulsbane
- Heartfang (used by the wolves)
- Old Grim
- Father of Storms (used by the Atha'an Miere)
- Grassburner
- Leafblighter (used by the Aiel)
- Caisen Hob ("Old Hob", used by the Seanchan)
- Great Lord of the Dark; Great Lord (used only by Darkfriends, the Forsaken, and Myrddraal)
- Winnower (presumed, used by Jain Charin in the Tower of Ghenjei)
Location
At the time of the books, the Dark One is imprisoned in the same nameless state the Creator placed him in at the moment of creation, but with a "Bore" drilled into that prison. The Bore, made by Mierin EronaileLanfear
Lanfear is one of the primary antagonists of the Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan. She is one of the Forsaken.-Age of Legends:...
, was subsequently sealed with a patch made by Lews Therin Telamon and the Hundred Companions at the end of the War of Power. A backlash of power at this moment of sealing led to the taint on saidin, the male half of the One Power.
The Dark One has the most influence in the Pit Of Doom. The Pit Of Doom is an otherworldly place beneath Shayol Ghul
Shayol Ghul
In the Wheel of Time fantasy novel series, Shayol Ghul is a mountain beyond the Great Blight in the north of the known world. It is the place in the physical world to which the Dark One's prison seems closest...
, a mountain in the valley of Thakan'dar, beyond the Blight. In the books, Shayol Ghul is entirely a real place, but the Pit Of Doom, while it lies beneath Shayol Ghul, is either partially or wholly not in the world. Shayol Ghul was a tropical paradise in the Age of Legends.
External links
- http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/characters/s/shaitan.html
- http://www.dragonmount.com