Warning: Spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 4
The Wheel of Time's world, and what's more, the destiny of the Dragon Reborn himself.
Of course, Avendesora stems directly from Jordan's Wheel of Time books. The book version of the particular story adapted in "The Road to the Spear" also featured Avendesora. From the looks of things, the TV show's take on the tree and its history is quite accurate to the source material. Both in the novels and in the show, Avendesora is shown to be the reason Rand and Moiraine's path to the Last Battle even began in the first place.
Avendesora Is A Chora Tree
Chora Trees Are A Rarity Now, But Were Common In The Age of Legends
Image via Prime Video
Avendesora is a chora tree, a plant species that has its origins in the Age of Legends, the era of Lews Therin Telamon aka The Dragon. The Age of Legends was a time when science was at its peak in Wheel of Time's timeline; channelers were able to combine their understanding of technology and the One Power to create all manner of constructs, some of which being of an organic nature. These included chora trees like Avendesora.
Chora trees were designed to give off an aura that made those near them feel a sense of joy.
Chora trees were designed to give off an aura that made those near them feel a sense of joy. These massive trees were planted liberally in numerous cities, likely to help make them pleasant places for people to visit and live. Unfortunately, the chora trees - despite the abundance of them during the Age of Legends - have largely died out. The apocalyptic event that ended the Age of Legends - the Breaking of the World - wiped most of the chora trees off the face of the planet.
Avendesora Was Preserved By The Aiel, And Shared With Cairhein
Avendesora Spawned Another Chora Tree
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The majority of the chora trees didn't survive, but the Aiel were able to preserve cuttings from the trees. With them, they were able to plant their own chora tree, which they named Avendesora. In the Old Tongue (the primary language spoken in the Age of Legends) Avendesora means "The Tree of Life." As the only one they had, Avendesora became a sacred symbol to the Aiel and was deeply cherished by their people for centuries.
Later on, the Aiel formed friendly ties with the people of Cairhein, the kingdom introduced in The Wheel of Time season 2. As a token of their friendship, the Aiel took a sapling from Avendesora, named it Avendoraldera, and bestowed it upon the kingdom. The people of Cairhein planted Avendoraldera somewhere within their borders, where it grew.
The Destruction Of Avendoraldera Caused The Rebirth Of The Dragon
Rand Wouldn't Have Been Born On Dragonmount If Moiraine's Uncle Didn't Cut Down The Tree
The Aiel and Cairhein maintained positive relations for centuries, but this relationship eventually turned hostile. As Moiraine related to Rand in "The Road to the Spear," King Laman Damodred decided that he wanted a "throne that couldn't be copied" and therefore chopped down Avendoraldera with the intention of building one from its wood. Unsurprisingly, the Aiel saw this act as a desecration of a sacred Aiel tree and a betrayal of their friendship, and retaliated with force. This event resulted in the Aiel War.
The Aiel's effort to get revenge was on display in the first memory that Rand received from Rhuidean's glass columns. Rand's father in The Wheel of Time, Janduin led his Aiel clan and three others in an assault on their enemies. Their journey culminated in a battle that took place on the mountain known as Dragonmount, where Rand was born.
Since some nations use Avendesora-like trees on their banners, it's possible that Rhuidiean isn't the home of the last chora tree. A few others could be out there as well, especially since there's never been any confirmation that Avendesora is truly the last of its kind.
Dragonmount is famous for being the landmark that Lews Therin inadvertently created with his death at the end of the Age of Legends. For that reason, it was fitting that the Dragon Reborn prophecy included the following prediction, "On the slopes of Dragonmount shall he be born." The place where the Dragon's life ended was also to be the spot where he would be reincarnated. The next line, "born of a maiden wedded to no man" applied perfectly to Tigraine Mantear, as she had become a Maiden of the Spear but wasn't married to Janduin.
Both of these lines in the prophecy were fulfilled, with the true starting point being King Laman's decision to cut down Avendoraldera. This deed, ed by the Aiel as "Laman's Sin," brought a pregnant maiden to the slopes of Dragonmount and in turn made her son the vessel for the return of the Dragon.
Avendesora's Role In The Wheel Of Time's Story Explained
Avendesora Has Nothing To Do With Sakarnen In The Books
Image via Prime Video
Avendesora's role in the Dragon Reborn saga extends a bit beyond the backstories of the Wheel of Time characters. In the book, a pivotal moment in Mat Cauthon's story occurs when Rand al'Thor finds him hanging from the tree. Min's Viewing indicates this moment will happen in the show, but his absence in the show suggests the series won't be using Avendesora to facilitate this scene.
The show instead opted to use Avendesora as setup for an altogether different development. As Rand's memories revealed, a powerful sa'angreal and the female counterpart to Callandor called Sakarnen was given to the Aiel by the Aes Sedai, and subsequently hidden inside Avendesora, where it was later retrieved by Moiraine. Sakarnen exists in the books as an extremely dangerous sa'angreal, but has no connection to Avendesora in The Wheel of Time books.
Everything Wheel Of Time Season 3 Just Revealed About The Aiel
The Wheel of Time season 3, episode 4 strips back the curtain of history, revealing the true origins of the Aiel and the People of the Dragon.
Avendesora also returns into the finale of The Wheel of Time's fourth book, The Shadow Rising. At the end of the book, Rand engages in a heated showdown with one of the 13 Forsaken, Asmodean, at Rhuidean. Avendesora's fate is briefly in question after being caught in the crossfire, but it's indicated by Moiraine that it will survive. Whether or not the same will be said of Avendesora if and when the Rhuidean fight is adapted in the show remains to be seen.
The Wheel of Time
- Release Date
- November 18, 2021
- Network
- Prime Video
- Showrunner
- Rafe Judkins
Cast
Moiraine Damodred
al'Lan Mandragoran
WHERE TO WATCH
The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the powerful all-female organization Aes Sedai, as she leads a perilous quest with five young individuals. Moiraine suspects one among them could be the prophesized reincarnation of a mighty figure destined to either save or doom humanity.
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
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