So I've been thinking a lot about Elaida recently, among other Reds, and have come to the conclusion that she doesn't make sense as a Red.
She doesn't have much in the way of motivation, but what little she has would, in my opinion, push a young woman to become a Gray or a Blue. She has the Foretelling, like a strong, famous Blue (Gitara Moroso) and she likely would have studied with the older Aes Sedai as an Accepted to better understand her Talent. During that training, Gitara likely would have set hooks into Elaida's mind and thoughts about joining the Blue ajah.
Elaida herself fortold that the Royal House of Andor would be the key to winning Tarmon Gaidon, and we know that Blues and Grays are the most commonly politically oriented Aes Sedai.
Now, if one took her foretelling as her reason for joining an Ajah, the Green would make more sense because the Greens are actively looking toward the Last Battle. Their purpose is to be ready to fight the LB, and someone who had a foretelling regarding the LB could be an incredible asset to the Greens, especially if she had more foretellings.
The Red Ajah's purpose is to preserve the World, protecting it from the destruction mad channelers would wreak. But Elaida hasn't done that, at all as far as we can see. As a young sister, she might have been part of the vileness, when roving bands of Reds Gentled men on sight, but for the last 20 years of plot time, she's been the advisor to Morgase.
Which is another connection to Gitara Moroso who went from being the Blue Keeper to being Aes Sedai advisor to the Queen of Andor before Morgase.
Is there some conversation I'm forgetting? Did Elaida think about why she chose to be a Red and I have just buried it out of sight and mind? Was it a machination of Galina's that pulled Elaida into the Red camp?
Or, was Elaida as a Red just a plot contrivance? Was she set up to be a foil to the Blue Ajah as a whole, but Gitara and Moiraine in particular? She really is a foolish version of Gitara, while she also mirrors Moiraine in many ways.
Thoughts?
She doesn't have much in the way of motivation, but what little she has would, in my opinion, push a young woman to become a Gray or a Blue. She has the Foretelling, like a strong, famous Blue (Gitara Moroso) and she likely would have studied with the older Aes Sedai as an Accepted to better understand her Talent. During that training, Gitara likely would have set hooks into Elaida's mind and thoughts about joining the Blue ajah.
Elaida herself fortold that the Royal House of Andor would be the key to winning Tarmon Gaidon, and we know that Blues and Grays are the most commonly politically oriented Aes Sedai.
Now, if one took her foretelling as her reason for joining an Ajah, the Green would make more sense because the Greens are actively looking toward the Last Battle. Their purpose is to be ready to fight the LB, and someone who had a foretelling regarding the LB could be an incredible asset to the Greens, especially if she had more foretellings.
The Red Ajah's purpose is to preserve the World, protecting it from the destruction mad channelers would wreak. But Elaida hasn't done that, at all as far as we can see. As a young sister, she might have been part of the vileness, when roving bands of Reds Gentled men on sight, but for the last 20 years of plot time, she's been the advisor to Morgase.
Which is another connection to Gitara Moroso who went from being the Blue Keeper to being Aes Sedai advisor to the Queen of Andor before Morgase.
Is there some conversation I'm forgetting? Did Elaida think about why she chose to be a Red and I have just buried it out of sight and mind? Was it a machination of Galina's that pulled Elaida into the Red camp?
Or, was Elaida as a Red just a plot contrivance? Was she set up to be a foil to the Blue Ajah as a whole, but Gitara and Moiraine in particular? She really is a foolish version of Gitara, while she also mirrors Moiraine in many ways.
Thoughts?
I was Phelix on wotmania, I will always be Phelix in the "real" world, and now I am Phelix on RAFO.
You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.- Churchill
*MySmiley*
You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.- Churchill
*MySmiley*
Elaida's ajah
29/09/2010 11:39:53 PM
- 1946 Views
Re: Elaida's ajah
30/09/2010 01:00:32 AM
- 1099 Views
What has she done that shows she hates men?
30/09/2010 01:03:52 AM
- 1192 Views
I don't think she hates all men
30/09/2010 04:39:00 AM
- 1152 Views
Thanks for the confirmation about the vileness.
30/09/2010 04:49:50 AM
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Elaida's more like a Slytherin. I can't really think of any causes she has
30/09/2010 06:20:04 AM
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actually there's a bit where suian thinks that elaida's hated her since she beat her to
30/09/2010 08:59:01 AM
- 933 Views
I probably need to re-read
30/09/2010 01:09:55 AM
- 1061 Views
Hehe... I need to reread too.
30/09/2010 01:13:05 AM
- 1039 Views
I wonder if RJ ever planned on Thom getting revenge
30/09/2010 01:20:35 AM
- 935 Views
I have a secret fantasy/hope...
30/09/2010 01:26:07 AM
- 1206 Views
I think that might happen anyway
30/09/2010 01:36:26 AM
- 903 Views

She thinks those that channel are unclean and have rejected the light IIRC.
30/09/2010 08:28:43 AM
- 900 Views
But she might not always have been like that
01/10/2010 03:44:57 PM
- 958 Views
seems to me that she would have been like this early on since she participated in the
01/10/2010 09:58:09 PM
- 871 Views
I always thought of it as a fall-back ajah
30/09/2010 05:32:19 AM
- 1053 Views
Funny, I always considered the Bluye as the fall-back Ajah.
30/09/2010 06:35:18 PM
- 958 Views
see, and I've always seen the Greens as a the fall-back Ajah
30/09/2010 08:09:03 PM
- 858 Views

At least I guess we can all agree that the Yellow aren't a fall-back Ajah
*NM*
01/10/2010 06:44:06 AM
- 489 Views

Thats because Yellows are superior
*NM*
01/10/2010 03:42:45 PM
- 405 Views

Totally superior! 3000 years using 1 weave to heal the upper crust of society
02/10/2010 02:12:28 PM
- 716 Views
Elaida is pretty clearly a Red Ajah-link to great article that summarizes the point better included
30/09/2010 03:22:14 PM
- 1193 Views
I think she's not a Blue because there's already an Ajah for her particular "cause. "
01/10/2010 05:13:53 AM
- 936 Views