It strikes me as interesting--and perhaps unsurprising--that in RJ's world: in which men are considered guilty of 'original sin', in which women are considered 'naturally' purer/better, in which charismatic men are both automatically suspected of being False Dragons...that there are so few 'bands of brothers'--being it anything other than comrades in armies. Even in EOTW, we are told that Rand, Mat, and Perrin are the best of friends, but that's a pretty loose interpretation of the term based on how they actually behave. The first hint of trouble, and each one becomes suspicious and mistrustful of the others. Of course Rand's secret is the 'darkest', but even Perrin is embarrassed of his golden eyes, and in Mat's portal-stone-visions, he clearly betrayed Rand--despite growing up together and being the best of friends, they are easily parted. Compare this to more 'realistic' fictional cultures (in which men are dominant)--women still readily portrayed as being able tomake friendships with other women, and the concept of 'sisterly bonds' is prevalent. Mat's Band of the Red Hand is exceptional in the degree to which you see any kind of male camraderie in Randland.

I can't speak too much to brotherhood in other cultures (Aiel men fight all the time, not sure what's up with the Sea Folk men, since we rarely see them), but pre-Mat's Band and the Black Tower, we saw few instances of male bonding (beyond admiration for military leaders).

Of course, the major exception to this is the Whitecloacks. It is the antithesis to the power of women in RJ's world, in that it views the most powerful sisterhood (Aes Sedai) as being evil to the core. Do they go over the line to complete mysogynism? I'm not sure. They revile women who can channel, and women who can channel despise them, but perhaps it is the threat to Aes Sedai absolute authority that causes the most Aes Sedai angst? The audacity of a bunch of puny men to stand up to the power of the White Tower? And of course, the Whitecloaks are pretty dastardly themselves.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the Whitecloaks under the leadership of Galad, who risked his life to uphold the honor of a woman--a woman who could channel no less--in a time of the Black Tower, which is the more natural counterbalance to the White Tower.

Perhaps in the future the Whitecloaks will include women?