ragonmount: how long can it stay?
by Rand-althor: 2003-03-23 | Not yet rated
Ok my theory is that dragonmount is eventually going to be destroyed (as in during the series) and here is my evidence. First is simple Forshadowing. The quote is as follows. "People who lived in the region were accustomed to Dragonmount dominating the sky, much as they were accustomed to the White Tower looming above the city walls and visible for miles. Both were unchanging fixtures that had always been there and always would be. . ." - CoT ch.16, p.400
As we can suspect the White Tower will be either destroyed or just rocked to its core, with the Tower, Rebels, and the dream of the Seanchan attack. The quote compares Dragonmout and the Tower as immovable permanent objects. With the braking of the Tower, this easily forshadows the destruction of dragonmount. Also there is the talk about Dragonmount smoking as the Rebels appear through the gateways. This implies to me that Dragonmout is a volcano, but over 3000 dormant years pressure would seal the top very tight, tighter than most volcanos. Now I believe that this will lead to a massive explosion of Dragonmount, probably something like Saint Helens (possibly connected to the Twice dawns the day?)
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1
Tamyrlin: 2003-03-29
Destroyed...well, I guess a case can be made that war will ravage the land, but to destroy that mountain it would take a large amount of the One Power, Choedan Kal like or Callandor like amounts...and for what purpose? I don't think that the volcano would destroy the mountain, more likely the land around it, if it is such. Destroying the White Tower, now that makes sense...and would be fun to watch, but the mountain, I just don't see why Jordan would do that? Any theories as to the why of your what?
2
Weird Harold: 2003-03-29
A very weak theory hanging on interpreting a common metaphor of mountains as enduring features as "foreshadowing" and a misunderstanding of volcanoes.
Not every nuance of every metaphor and simile that RJ uses is foreshadowing -- in fact the majority of them are NOT.
There are volcanoes in the RW that have remained inactive for upwards of 15,000 years and show no signs of "built-up pressure" threatening to make them suddenly and catastrophically active again.
I don't recall the timing or context of the "smoke" seen coming from Dragonmount. I would observe, that bats leaving their caves at sunset are often described as "like smoke boiling from a chimney," or similar comparisons to smoke. Other great flocks of flying creatures are also described using smoke as a comparison. Perhaps this is another case of RJ's characters making unwarranted and erroneous assumptions about what they see?
I can think of one reason why RJ might destroy Dragonmount: its creation marked the beginning of the Third Age, or at least coincided fairly closely to the beginning. Perhaps he might remove it as a mark of the ending of the Third Age?
However, like Tamyrlin, I can't think of any way it could be done without destroying most of civilization in the northern Westlands as well. It might not require as much One Power as you might think if the One Power is simply a trigger for the destruction, but it would take a suicidal amount of One Power even so without Callandor or stronger Sa'angreal -- maybe even with anything but the CK.
I can't really see Dragonmount being destroyed as any logical plot progression but I can see some degree of symmetry in it only lasting for one Age. It won't surprise me if Dragonmount erupts or collapses back into the ground, but I'm not holding my breath based on the evidence presented.
3
Anubis: 2003-03-30
one power or it could just erupt...
though i think twice dawns the day revers to the darkone getting loosed, creating night, then geting put back and dawning twice like that. i got this from the shinerians dinner chant oath thing where they say they guard against the shadow at noon. id bet that is what twice dawns the day meant... 2 dawns in a 24(do we even know how long their day is?) hr period.
4
moose: 2003-05-16
Don't know how much knowledge RJ has of volcanoes but hopefully he has more than u. Dragonmount is not a "Mt StHelens" volcano, it is a "Mt Fuji" or a "Hawaii". It is a hot spot volcano sitting over a point in the earth where the crust is relatively thin.
in case u r getting bored of the geology lesson i'll cut to the chase, DM erupting would f-up anyone in the immediate area (couple of miles in the direction of flow). it would not "blast" the surrounding countryside, but rather flood the area with 1500degreeC+ molten rock.
_IF_ Dragonmount ceases to exist at some point it will be due to Rand losing his temper... or Lews.
BTW would a gholam survive a volcanic erruption?
5
moose: 2003-05-16
opps forgot to say that in the case of DM the "hot spot" in the crust was due to Lews piercing the earths crust with OP. could write a whole lot more but getting bored of all this geology talk which probably means everyone else will have stopped reading by now.
6
Shadow Bane: 2003-07-01
I think Dragonmount is where Rand will go to get some answers. Has anyone ever been to the top? Maybe you can hear the creator like you can hear the DO at SG...HMM?
7
The Leveler: 2003-07-01
But Shayol Ghul is a volcano, or at least it has lava. The twice-dawning day could be when the DO breaks out and causes it to erupt.
8
spearmaiden: 2003-07-02
Hmm, I really like the idea that "Twice dawns the day . . ." might mean a serious volcanic erruption. It would certainly have more of an impact than the eclipse everyone keeps suggesting.
On the other hand, a volcanic erruption of that magnatude would likely kill everyone in the area.
9
Flinn Sedai: 2004-04-18
Remember, we know that Rand remembers a way to lower mountains. Don't have the exact quote, but its someth8ing like, a huge ball of fire erupts, when the fire clears, the hill is noticably smaller. What if Rand finds out that access keys for the CK are buried under the mountain. Remember, LTT was sane when he made Dragonmount. He may have been holding 2 keys to the CK and made Dragonmount to protcet them.
Then Rand comes along, uses his flame burst things a dozen times or so, and lowers Dragonmount. And maybe it isnt access keys to the CK in there, but something to rid the world of the Shadow. The sun goes over Dragonmount, then Rand destroys it, and the sun has dawned again. Then it releases something to seal up the DO again, and prophecy fulfilled.
10
Anubis: 2004-04-19
twice dawns the day
if you read the second book where the shinerians give their badass toast, one of the things they gaurd against is the shadow at noon (meaning that they are always vigilant no matter what). think about it tho. the shadow (Dark One for the intentionally obtuse) breaks out, streaches across the pattern some time midday. He gets resealed, no more shadow, and it would not be at all a streach to say that the day dawned twice.
11
Darren: 2004-04-19
umm... in what world or language has a volcano erupting meant that it's daybreak again? Certainly not this world, and certainly not English.
12
kikyo: 2004-04-19
**Dragonmount is not a "Mt StHelens" volcano, it is a "Mt Fuji" or a "Hawaii". It is a hot spot volcano sitting over a point in the earth where the crust is relatively thin.**
What? How on earth do you know what kind of volcano Dragonmount is? Did you go there and study it?
Although, truly I think your explanation is as good as any. We don't even know that it is a volcano really, except for some smoke coming out of it. Which I suppose could mean it is a volcano, although the volcanoes I have scene weren't really smoking so much as exuding toxic fumes. The only smoke I saw was from a lava flow that was going into the ocean, and I'm guessing that was steam.
I think that the quote that the theory author posted wasn't really foreshadowing, I think it was more to point out the general ignorance of history and the knowledge that we as readers take for granted. If the people that live around Dragonmount think it's always been there, then they don't know or remember that it was created by Lews Therin as he died. It's the same as the way RJ points out that people don't believe in Trollocs or the general confusion about whether the Dragon is good or evil. It's basically to show how completely uninformed and unprepared most of the people of the land are for the apocalypse that's about to come their way.
13
snakes-n-foxes: 2004-04-19
On a trivia note...sometime during the dark ages (I think it was around 560AD) records from many different parts of the world show that 'the world turned to night' for almost a year....researchers found evidence around that time that a volcano island in indonesia, Krakatoa, exploded at this time....the last explosion of this island was I think, in the 1930's. The explosion was heard 4000m away...the one in the 500's apparently dwarfed that one....oh, the darkness was caused by ash (it was thrown high enough to suspend it in the atmosphere, and it traveled as far around the globe as Europe)
Dragonmount exploding....
14
charliec: 2004-04-19
easy Darren. I think the point was that the sun can set behind a mountain and then 're-dawn' when the mountain is removed...
15
Deadsy: 2004-04-19
I don't think the White Tower will be destroyed anytime soon. I think the Seanchan will invade the tower, not destroy it. They'd want to capture as many marath'damane as possible, instead of killing them.
For the mountain.. it will be destroyed sometime. This is a wheel. It won't be there the next time the "2nd age" comes around. But it could just be destroyed if there is another breaking. Or maybe just when Rand dies. It was created when Lews "died." Maybe him really dying will cause it to go away.
16
Callandor: 2004-04-19
**Remember, LTT was sane when he made Dragonmount. He may have been holding 2 keys to the CK and made Dragonmount to protcet them.**
LTT even said to Rand, they had never even been tested. Also, we are told nothing other then he drew enough of saidin to OD and create Dragonmount. Calling him sane at the time might not be the best; sure he was Healed temporarily of the Taint, but he was driven over the edge with guilt.
17
Darren: 2004-04-20
Sunset is still not dawn. This is a foolish line of thought. If DM was being destroyed in some sort of insane eruption, it'd be SOME time before that rubble cleared, and smoke and sand debris cleared (perhaps weeks) the sun would have set by then. I will not take it easy.
18
Brendan Reborn: 2004-04-20
I think it's a reasonable assumption, that dragonmount will be destroyed, if not in the exact way everyone thinks. The wheel needs dragonmount to be destroyed so that the dragon in the next age can create it, so that the dragon reborn can again be born on the slopes of dragonmount. But a massive volcanic eruption destroying the land around tar valon? I dont think so...Maybe a small eruption, and maybe the world will be so rocked by tarmon gaidon that even the mountains of mist will be leveled. Just a thought.
19
TheNetweaver: 2004-04-21
Snakes-
I've heard of the event you're referring to, but it would take too long to look up specifics. Historians have said that it was more likely caused by an asteroid striking the earth, rather than a volcanic explosion. That's why records in both Europe and China describe nearly the same thing--it's doubtful that a volcano would have such a widespread effect.
20
dragonsceptor: 2004-04-21
Netweaver...Volcanic eruptions can and do have worldwide impacts if enough ash and dust are spewed into the air...the worldwide average temperature was lowered as a result of Mt. St. Helens and that was only part of the cone. The eruption being discusses was the explosion of an entire mountain...I don't think that DragonMount exploding will be the fulfillment of this prophecy but that does not mean it is not possible.
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Anubis: 2004-04-21
hey scroll up and read my post! its not about dragon mount, and thusly better, because it brings new ideas into teh discussion. i know new ideas seem to be frowned upon but take a gander!
22
Khyprus: 2004-06-13
That thing about DM smoking is the snow! The snow on the peak that is blown away
