#barthanes damodred

[fuckinkfruious]

Anvere, Barthanes, and a noble of Cairhien from Season 2

[asha-mage]

Some rambling thoughts on House Damodred's internal politics and family tree: we know that Laman died in New Spring without legitimate issue (Moiraine speculates he remained unmarried because not even the promise of being Queen of Cairhien was enough for any woman to overlook his absolutely rancid personality). Besides Moiraine we only hear about her sisters and Taringail as potential claimants, which implies that her other two uncles (who also died at the Blood Snows) did so without any legitimate issue either.

Jarna Malari notes that Taringail is disqualified from making a claim on the Sun Throne by virtue of having married Morgase, and Elayne is presumably yet unborn so he can't make a claim on her behalf. That leaves Anvaere, Innloine and Moiraine as potential claimants. As I noted in my feudalism essay, if Cairhien uses primogeniture Anvaere's claim SHOULD be the best, but the White Tower doesn't view Moiraine being the youngest as an obstacle to putting her on the throne which implies a different succession law, most likely designated. We also don't hear about sisters of Laman as potential claimants (and Moiraine never mentions any aunts)- which implies there aren't any since Cairhien's succession law is also gender equal.

That leaves us with two questions: where did Barthanes come from and where did Caraline come from?

We don't hear about any direct issue from Anvaere but Moiraine dose note that Innloine already has children (plural)- whom she dotes on to the exclusion of all else. By the time of The Great Hunt the High Seat of the House is Barthanes Damodred and after his death he is replaced by Caraline- who resembles Moiraine so much that it actually freaks out Rand when he meets her in Lord of Chaos, which strongly implies she is a close blood relative. The most likely explanation is that she is Moiraine's niece and one of Innloine's doted upon children. That by extension makes it likely that Barthanes is either her older brother or maternal cousin via Anvaere.

Which is to say....I think the show got this one dead on the money.

[nervouspearl]

Aunt Moiraine

[reformedmoth]

DAMANE | The Wheel of Time 2x5

[ofthebrownajah]

I just had a thought as to why Gawyn and Rand might look alike in the show.

in The Great Hunt, Rand has this conversation with Barthanes:

"I'm not Aiel, Lord Barthanes, and I'm not of the royal line either."

which is hilarious is hindsight considering Rand's heritage.

Barthanes brings up that the royal family of Andor look like they have Aiel heritage. And he also says that Rand kinda looks like Gawyn

It might be a stretch but it's all I got

[salazar-bollinger]

[the-hills-of-tanchico]

"Those eyes. That hair. I have heard the Andoran royal line has almost Aiel coloring in their hair and eyes." Rand stumbled, though the floor was smooth marble. "I'm not Aiel, Lord Barthanes, and I'm not of the royal line, either." (TGH, ch. 32)

Okay, I'm convinced.

[spectrum-color]

I hope now that the WoT show has expanded Barthanes’ role and presented him as more outwardly sympathetic, they still make him a darkfriend. Moiraines cute, wholesome seeming nephew being revealed to serve the Shadow has a ton of potential