I agree about the test, kind of. The Oaths was going too far.
DomA Send a noteboard - 07/12/2010 07:02:43 PM
The status of an Aes Sedai once conferred is a general acceptance by the White Tower, and NOT a gift to be handed out or taken away by the Amyrlin Seat, even if she has final approval over the granting of that status.
Therefore Egwene should not have overlooked whatever Tower Law says about the raising of an AS and made Nynaeve one by decree.
She got away with this the same way Elaida got away with demoting Shemerin to Accepted. Shemerin didn't challenge Elaida, and her Hall did not. The same way, if for completely different reasons, Egwene's Hall didn't wish to challenge her decree, as it would have completely destroyed what they were trying to accomplish that night by raising an Amyrlin, nor could it be shown publicly that they didn't have control over Egwene, as most AS would have expected them to have.
That, and not any legal point, was why Egwene's decree wasn't challenged, and why it took some time before the Sitters openly showed their despise of that decree.
Egwene now is fully aware of the awkwardness of the situation, and there is the precedent of Elaida's unilateral action with Shemerin to take into account. Egwene could have put her foot down and insisted that her decree, made impulsively when she knew nothing and felt cornered and manipulated, stood, and the new Hall was now in a position to challenge her over this, and to bring up Elaida demoting an AS and Egwene's vocal opposition to this, or she could negotiate something with the Hall about Nynaeve and Elayne, which is apparently exactly what Egwene did. Insisting that her decree stood as is was no gift to Nynaeve/Elayne: for decades or more they would always have been seen as not properly raised.
The Sitters and Sheriam and co knew better, when they rather chose to acknowledge Theodrin and Faolain were ready for the testing by giving them special permissions and all, but didn't even pretended they were raising them now, when the proper ceremonies and provisions could not be met. Egwene was just a bleary eyed Accepted raised Amyrlin, and she made a very bad call that first night, one that did Nynaeve/Elayne and the other two no favour.
I frankly don't see your point about the Three Oaths. Elayne and Nynaeve were expected to abide by them already and until they could be made to swear them on the Oath Rod. The whole concept of bound Oaths make those no Oaths at all, but that's another issue altogether. As of now, AS are required to swear on the Binder, and until Tower Law is changed about this, this applies to all sisters, no matter how they were raised.
The biggest problem about the Oaths is all the PR fuss the Tower has made about them for millenia, made worse by the stupid habit of the sisters to go around the first Oath on a regular basis and getting themselves a reputation as devious liars and manipulators, which negate the PR effect the first Oath was supposed to have!
Whatever Egwene might have wanted (before she changed her mind anyway), she could not get rid of the three Oaths, unless secretely. The blow, if the WT announced the sisters were no longer bound by the 3 Oaths and only respected them by choice and without coercion, would be devasting outside the Tower. Aes Sedai are barely trusted by many rulers and people as it is, they're in no position to announce the end of the 3 Oaths.
Give them decades or more serving the people and abandonning most of their political games and rebuilding for channellers a good reputation, and maybe then the fate of the 3 Oaths could be discussed again.
Nynaeve should not have been made to swear the Oaths
07/12/2010 03:12:00 PM
- 1767 Views
*shrugs* ... the oaths are lame and so full of holes the only value they bring is
07/12/2010 03:26:21 PM
- 764 Views
I wonder what would have happened if she refused and left the tower entirely.
07/12/2010 03:30:58 PM
- 749 Views
I doubt they would have stopped her ... but there was no real reason for her to refuse the
07/12/2010 03:34:20 PM
- 713 Views
no there wasn't a real reason for her to refuse. It'd still be interesting if she did *NM*
07/12/2010 03:37:45 PM
- 361 Views
would have made for an interesting spin on the plot
07/12/2010 05:37:31 PM
- 695 Views
How is she not a lead?
07/12/2010 06:25:45 PM
- 667 Views
She has never really had her own unique plot line
07/12/2010 06:34:40 PM
- 646 Views
I'm going to have to disagree with you on that
07/12/2010 07:46:08 PM
- 708 Views
Nothing to really argue here except perspective ... to each their own *NM*
07/12/2010 10:26:04 PM
- 354 Views
That would have been good - I think she was probably the only woman with such an opportunity
07/12/2010 10:59:50 PM
- 742 Views
Personally, I think it would have been a brillaint twist if Nyneave didn't become Aes Sedai *NM*
08/12/2010 12:02:05 AM
- 400 Views
Re: *shrugs* ... the oaths are lame and so full of holes the only value they bring is
07/12/2010 10:49:12 PM
- 736 Views
she shouldn't have, although I think they should trash the oaths in general
07/12/2010 03:29:21 PM
- 679 Views
Especially since Egwene herself didn't really think it necessary for herself to take the tests
07/12/2010 03:43:18 PM
- 720 Views
well it looks like such a coalition is part of the plan
07/12/2010 03:47:03 PM
- 702 Views
I meant one that would destroy the White Tower
07/12/2010 03:53:35 PM
- 767 Views
I agree with you. Hopefully Post LB there will be a new structure to the AS organization
07/12/2010 05:34:01 PM
- 625 Views
She was always going to have to swear the Oaths
07/12/2010 04:42:59 PM
- 677 Views
Brace yourselves, everybody...
08/12/2010 02:56:43 PM
- 621 Views
The only problem with that scenario was that Nynaeve had stuff to do, and could not as Accepted
09/12/2010 01:09:45 AM
- 732 Views
And what? To miss all the awesomeness she had before/during/after the test?
07/12/2010 06:27:23 PM
- 654 Views
I agree about the test, kind of. The Oaths was going too far.
07/12/2010 07:02:43 PM
- 809 Views
Re: I agree about the test, kind of. The Oaths was going too far.
16/12/2010 10:40:39 AM
- 547 Views
It's supposed to be a required part of being Aes Sedai.
08/12/2010 08:52:34 AM
- 612 Views
On the contrary, being Aes Sedai means she had to swear the Oaths.
14/12/2010 04:53:28 AM
- 606 Views
Re: On the contrary, being Aes Sedai means she had to swear the Oaths.
14/12/2010 11:53:43 AM
- 674 Views
Passing your scars on
14/12/2010 07:07:43 PM
- 533 Views
They believe Oaths necessary, thus an Aes Sedai refusing sets herself apart from and above the rest.
16/12/2010 02:26:45 PM
- 1081 Views
So?
15/12/2010 11:40:32 AM
- 699 Views
From the standpoint of actually changing Tower rules and traditions I agree with you.
16/12/2010 02:13:44 PM
- 1101 Views