From the clues we have, especially Thom's stories in EotW and what RJ said, I think one can determine the following basic chronolgy of the Ages:
The first Age (the Age of Myths?) is a very natural, primal and instinctive Age, since humankind and the world is born anew. For example, men and wolves run together, apparently the Horn of Valere is created, and eventually Tamyrlin taps the OP for the first time.
This starts the second Age, the Age of Legends, which eventually lead to the tapping into the DO's prison, the War of Power & the Breaking.
Then we have the current third Age, which will end with TG.
Next comes the fourth Age, where the world heals again, eventually it might be another utopian Age like the AoL was at first (as the mentioned name in the 4th Age texts "Great Aravalon" indicates). People can probably still channel, but don't have to fear the Shadow anymore. On the other hand, we know that Mat and Tuon have to reconquer Seanchan in the beginning, likely using the new technical weapons like canonns. I believe this Age will end with a catastrophe like a large meteorite hitting the world, thus ending the society.
The fifth Age could then simply be an Ice Age, where the world and humankind eventually regenerates.
Then comes "Our Age", that means basically "our reality". Apparently it will end with a nuclear war between USA and the Soviet Union, which throws the world again into chaos and ends most of society.
This might lead to another Ice Age, namely the 7th Age, where the world and humankind renew till it all starts again with the primal 1st Age.
The first Age (the Age of Myths?) is a very natural, primal and instinctive Age, since humankind and the world is born anew. For example, men and wolves run together, apparently the Horn of Valere is created, and eventually Tamyrlin taps the OP for the first time.
This starts the second Age, the Age of Legends, which eventually lead to the tapping into the DO's prison, the War of Power & the Breaking.
Then we have the current third Age, which will end with TG.
Next comes the fourth Age, where the world heals again, eventually it might be another utopian Age like the AoL was at first (as the mentioned name in the 4th Age texts "Great Aravalon" indicates). People can probably still channel, but don't have to fear the Shadow anymore. On the other hand, we know that Mat and Tuon have to reconquer Seanchan in the beginning, likely using the new technical weapons like canonns. I believe this Age will end with a catastrophe like a large meteorite hitting the world, thus ending the society.
The fifth Age could then simply be an Ice Age, where the world and humankind eventually regenerates.
Then comes "Our Age", that means basically "our reality". Apparently it will end with a nuclear war between USA and the Soviet Union, which throws the world again into chaos and ends most of society.
This might lead to another Ice Age, namely the 7th Age, where the world and humankind renew till it all starts again with the primal 1st Age.
thinking on the 4th-7th and 1st ages....
21/04/2010 10:32:38 PM
- 1218 Views
I don't know that there could really be a first or last Age...
22/04/2010 07:48:11 AM
- 738 Views
Yeah, it's the "third age"...
22/04/2010 02:13:56 PM
- 705 Views
Difficult to see how you can refer to a billion people as a "fringe"... *NM*
22/04/2010 05:02:08 PM
- 320 Views
You really think half of all christians believe that Earth is only 3000 years old? *NM*
23/04/2010 12:35:01 AM
- 326 Views
Last I've heard, the majority of Christians weren't fundamentalists
23/04/2010 01:54:04 PM
- 619 Views
That's not entirely right
22/04/2010 03:54:23 PM
- 667 Views
I think FT is saying that human conceptions of time don't apply to eternity.
22/04/2010 04:14:45 PM
- 604 Views
However, I think RJ definitely had an idea, what each Age of the 7 Ages is supposed to be. *NM*
22/04/2010 09:53:20 PM
- 305 Views
I don't think so.
22/04/2010 09:57:43 PM
- 580 Views
No, the point is...
23/04/2010 10:06:03 AM
- 656 Views
Not sure what your point/question is. Doesn't seem like an issue to me quite frankly .
26/04/2010 04:45:21 PM
- 653 Views
Well, maybe.
22/04/2010 06:32:05 PM
- 632 Views
Doesn't make sense
22/04/2010 09:51:55 PM
- 574 Views
Why?
22/04/2010 11:16:21 PM
- 602 Views
The question isn't if it would be possible for the Creator...
23/04/2010 08:34:23 AM
- 598 Views
Yes, but as we also know from the cosmology of WoT...
23/04/2010 09:08:58 AM
- 651 Views
Yeah...
23/04/2010 10:03:19 AM
- 607 Views
Why must there have been such a thing?
23/04/2010 07:30:02 PM
- 609 Views
So, you believe there never was a first 1st Age? *NM*
24/04/2010 08:55:45 AM
- 326 Views
Yes and no...
24/04/2010 10:55:02 PM
- 578 Views
Don't think so, but might be an interesting question for BS! *NM*
25/04/2010 09:38:09 AM
- 295 Views
On the Ages...
22/04/2010 02:16:38 PM
- 889 Views
Re: thinking on the 4th-7th and 1st ages....
23/04/2010 04:15:49 AM
- 657 Views
Can't be...
23/04/2010 08:27:29 AM
- 627 Views
Yeah, but Loial apparently read a copy of The Lord of the Rings somewhere...
23/04/2010 09:11:00 AM
- 666 Views
It's reversed...
23/04/2010 10:10:56 AM
- 728 Views
I doubt it, I don't have the books with me right now...
23/04/2010 07:31:34 PM
- 672 Views