Date: 2013-02-16
Type: Paraphrased
Location: Milford, NH
Reporter: Mageen
KJacobs: Yes, thanks for asking about Verin’s letters ! I was going to ask that directly to Brandon but you saved me some time. :)
I wound up asking two questions directly to Brandon, about Birgitte and Gaidal and about the Rand/Moridin body swap, which a friend requested I ask. I’ll write them out as close to verbatim as I recall.
I have a question about who Gaidal and Birgitte might be reborn as. I was wondering if Gaidal could be the son of an Asha’man and if Birgitte might be reborn as an Aiel?
Gaidal definitely could be, and there’s a pretty big hint in Towers of Midnight that many folks online have found. As for Birgitte, it’s possible.
Do you know who Birgitte is reborn as?
No.
I think a case could be made for Melaine, as the Wise Ones talk about her time being near.
In the WoT, a soul becomes tied to the body at viability.
(As noted in the group Q&A per Robert Jordan.)
I think that’s pretty much confirmation that Gaidal is Grady’s son. I can’t decide whether the comment on viability is to direct attention towards Elayne, as she is at that stage of pregnancy, confirmed by that crazy scene. I know in the torchat Brandon said the notes don’t say who Melaine’s children are, so maybe he’s just stating everything he knows. I prefer to think that Elayne’s children might be Calian and Shivan and would usher in the end of the current age. I look forward to the encyclopedia, that’s for sure!
Can you shed any light on how the Rand/Elan body swap happened? I’m wondering whether it was like the Dark One’s transmigration of souls, if it’s tied to Rand’s apparent new abilities, or something else.
It’s not outlined in the notes, but I think of it as the soul that wanted to live found a body, and the one that wanted to die, did.
I knew going in that Brandon has said RJ didn’t explain how it happened, but a friend wanted me to ask and I’m glad I did! It was a much better answer than the shoulder shrug I expected based on the torchat.
Speaking of torchat, I noticed Brandon told someone that if they ask him on a tour stop, he might tell them who it was that helped Rand out of the cave. I’d be interested in knowing that and I would have asked that too if I’d remembered.
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