1
Tamyrlin: 2000-11-21
I don't know. RJ seemed to want to assure us that it happened by letting the two Asha'man at the end discuss the clean Saidin that they were channeling. Is there a little bit left somewhere? I guess there could be. Will it come back slowly? I guess it has to do with the source of the Taint and whether or not that is a constant source. The DO fought it because he was worried...so I would expect it to be gone. Why fight it if it wasn't going to work?
2
Dedicated Gregor: 2002-11-25
I tend to diagree with this theory. In my opinion, that taint is gone, but it's effects stay. Others have wondered of the effects of insanity on Asha'man and also on the taint surrounding the Waygates. As for the Waygates, i'm not sure how they will be affected by the cleansing of saidin, if at all. But Ahsa'man... Well i think that the amount of the taint that is already affecting male channelers will remain, but there is no reason to conclude it will grow, because the taint on the Source isn't there to amplify the insanity. However, i don't think those already infected by the taint will get better. Unless there is some new form of Healing discovered that can remove the taint/insanity from male channelers.
However, one of my biggest questions, is how will the cleansing of saidin affect the Asha'man? I've heard some of the Asha'man say that, even with the taint, they are tempted to draw as much of it as they can. And Taim reported that many people in the Black Tower burn themselves out. So if saidin is clean, and there's no unpleasant, sickly feeling of the taint, will male channelers be more and more tempted to draw too much of the One Power?
I consider this to be quite a possibility, and i think it the long run it'll have effects on the Black Tower. This is kind of going into a whole new theory here... but i think that by the time Tarmon Gai'don rolls around, there may not be a Black Tower. What if there is only the Drgon Reborn, and his Hundred Companions? But how could they go from five hundred and growing, to one hundred?
Asha'man burning themselves out by drawing too much of the Power, or turning to the Dark One and becoming Dreadlords, or being killed in one battle or another, or maybe the Red Ajah won't be wiped out and will con! tinue to genlte men despite the cleansing, or what if some of the Asha'man are too afraid of TTarmon Gai'don and the Dark One to go and fight at Shayol Ghul? I think a number of possible reasons could result in Rand and the new One Hundred Companions fighting in the last battle, with the help of Aes Sedai too, i would hope. It would be an interesting way of the Wheel repeating itself, though i myself am not even sure of the likelyhood of this happening. It did seem like something worht putting some thought into, and a theory came out of it.
3
Raistlin Majere: 2002-12-01
So many of us would hope. Previous theories about the ties between the Taint and the Seals have hardly been addressed, namely that as the taint on saidin lessens, the seals weaken. Since things don't seem to have erupted into mass chaos after the "Cleansing", it would seem that perhaps the male half is not entirely clean, or perhaps that some residual effects will remain, thus keeping the seals from snapping.
4
Darren: 2002-12-05
Just to get down to brass tacks people... the new book is what, book ten? (too tired to count right now).... yeah, the taint is gone. The point is that nobody will believe the men, because the stigma is there, and only men who can channel could know. the only way to convince the women aes sedai is to link, and even then, it's not like the gen pub really trusts Aes Sedai... But the whole idea that there are still "trace amounts" there... sorry, I don't buy it at all. This is the Dark One's taint, not a coffeestain on the carpet. It's gone.
5
Drekan: 2002-12-08
I think that the taint is gone, and also that, as already said, the taint in the men will remain. However, the bit about a new type of healing is probably accurate. I think that nynaeve will discover a way to remove the taint(shes already found a way to heal severing). Also, about the Hundred Companions, that was just a name. I think it was the short story 'Strike at Shayol Ghul' that said that, at the end of the war of power, the Hundred Companions actually numbered 125 odd.
6
demonblade: 2002-12-11
Also you have to consider that when in The Dragon Reborn Moiraine recites some of the things about the Prophecies of the Dragon, things she doesn't understand, to Perrin. I don't remember the exact passage, but it's around when Rand runs away from them and races towards Tear in order to touch Callandor so he could see for himself once and for all if he is truly the Dragon Reborn. She refers to some passage where The Dragon Reborn 'heals the sickness of his people'. I don't remember the exact quote, but it implies the Ash'aman and the Taint. It doesn't say anything about MOSTLY healing the sickness of his people. The taint is gone, accept it.
7
Callandor: 2002-12-11
Basically in my mind and in a lot of others the taint is totally gone. I have this idea because i looked at the cleansing scene as the taint being coheicive(sp), basically its all one big piece, and Rand channelled a little bit of the taint through to sadar logoth(sp). The two evils came together and dissolved each other, like 2 magnets of opposite poles coming together. So if the taint was all one piece, which as the prophacy about Rand healing the madness and illness it most likely was, then all of it is gone for good. End of story.
8
Dedicated: 2003-02-09
I remember that sequence with Perrin and Moiraine. I believe exact quote is "What 'great wound of madness' has he healed?" This has gotta be referring to the taint. Not much else it could be. The taint's removed. Let's get on with our lives.
9
juitzhead: 2003-02-26
Agreed. The taint is gone but I think the only person that will be able to CONFIRM this will be Rand as he is the only character (apart from the Forsaken) to channel pure saidin previously.
10
Callandor: 2003-02-27
Rand can say that the taint is clean and he would have the backing of all the Ashaman due to the change from pure filth to a sweet feeling like women feel.
But, the Aes Sedai who joined in the male and female links who took part in the cleansing can also say that the taint is clean because they had to deal with the taint whenever they drew upon the Ashaman.
11
juitzhead: 2003-03-02
In response to Callandor, I don't think the Asha'man or Aes Sedai will be a source for confimration. They have no way of guaging the extent of the cleanse. For example, say you have never showered, and then you have your first shower. You might think you are clean but because you have never been actually clean, you will not know at which point you are clean. Follow? You could have missed some spots. Same applies to the Ashaman, they dont know if its clean, it only 'feels' cleaner. Hence, only Rand or male Forsaken can actually - yes, it's clean.
I also wonder what will happen with the male forsaken when they find out that the DO's protection is not required anymore. Will some of them decide to go on their own?
12
Callandor: 2003-03-05
In response to that, lets say that you have always showered in pure filth and oil and every horrible thing you can imagine... and then you take a shower in pure water. Your telling me that you wouldnt know the difference or the extent of how much more clean it was? Im not saying that they will be able to say **Oh yes saidin is the exact same as it was back in the AOL.** No way. Rand will say that but not everybody will believe him. So thats where the Ashaman and Aes Sedai come into to play to say **Yes we can confirm it is cleaner.** Then people should know for fact that Rand isnt crazy and babbling but is indeed telling the truth.
13
Dedicated: 2003-03-05
By that logic, however, Rand wouldn't really know either. He only channeled clean power once before he actually cleansed the taint, and that was long before Rand really knew what he was doing. THE TAINT IS GONE. There's no unclean "areas" left. Remember, this is the DO's taint, not (as someone else put it another theory) a coffee stain on the carpet.
14
Elder Haman: 2003-03-06
But Rand also has the LTT memories- I think LTT would know the difference.
Also, we hear Aginor (as Dashiva) comment to himself that Rand was successfully cleaning Saidin.
15
TheNetweaver: 2003-03-06
Rand wouldn't remember clean saidin, but LTT would. Remember in Winter's Heart that Rand could draw Kisman and the others because LTT could draw. Also, Lews Therin says in CoT "Clean...Pure and clean again." Inevitably, this will lead back to the debate of whether the voice of Lews Therin really is Lews Therin, but I think he'd know if the taint was still there.
16
Vander: 2003-09-30
another reason i think that Saidin is pure again is because it HAS to be cleansed eventually, its clean in the AOL or the DO wouldnt have had to taint it. this is as good a time as any for that to happen.
17
Sidhe: 2003-12-04
Raistlin Majere wrote:
*So many of us would hope. Previous theories about the ties between the Taint and the Seals have hardly been addressed, namely that as the taint on saidin lessens, the seals weaken. Since things don't seem to have erupted into mass chaos after the "Cleansing", it would seem that perhaps the male half is not entirely clean, or perhaps that some residual effects will remain, thus keeping the seals from snapping.*
But wasn't the theory that the pure Saidin in the well in the Eye of the World was protecting the seal at the bottom from the taint? And this specific seal broke once it wasn't protected by the pure Saidin anymore, after which more seals broke. Which imho doesn't mean that "as the taint on saidin lessens, the seals weaken", but "as the taint lessens, or in this case disappears, the (remaining) seals grow stronger". Please correct me if i'm wrong...
18
JollyW89: 2005-03-19
I believe the taint is removed because of Harad Fel. He said that the hole in the DO's prison must be made whole again because it was b4 it was bored through. Unless the Creator made a hole originally. So I believe that this applies to Saidin. The male half didn't always have the taint so for the wheel to turn and for another age to come sadain must be clean again.
