This has been bothering me. Aiel means Dedicated-we all know that. It is mentioned in the books that the Aiel sometimes call themselves People of the Dragon, and again we all know that clan chiefs are marked with the Dragon, Car'a'carn marked with two.

 

What gets me is, what is the connection between the Aiel and Lews Therin? There must be one, as he was THE DRAGON, which sounds like they are his people. Lews Therin was never mentioned as being Aiel, and the Aiel have always said they don't give a monkeys about the Dragon Reborn, only the Car'a'carn. It just seems wrong, what with the Aiel being so loyal to clan and sept, that they would call themselves the people of someone who they don't acknowledge.

 

Any thoughts? But before anyone says, the "People of the Dragon" thing does NOT refer to Rand; it was said before Rand became Car'a'carn.

Not really sure.

 

If there is an actual translation of Car'a'carn, I can't find it right now.  I believe it means not much more than Chief of Chiefs.  Or possibly the equivalent to the Amerind War Chief.  Making him someone who must be deferred to in battle but who has no real authority in the day-to-day ordering of the Clans.

 

That's pretty much how they treat him anyway.  In battle, they follow his direction.  Otherwise they follow the Wise Ones and Clan Chiefs and Holdmistresses.

Before the drilling of the Bore the Da'shain Aiel served all the Aes Sedai, but after sealing the bore and during the Breaking of the World they were all associated with the Dragon and called "Children of the Dragon." Everyone began to believe that they had all served Lews Therin only.

 

And so over the centuries it was completely forgotten and the name "Children of the Dragon" stuck. It's basically part of their punishment for not stopping the drilling of the Bore, but now it's become something different.

its possible that the they served LT and that they retreated to the desert before the proficiencies of the dragon were widely known and that the name Cara'carn was given to the one who they knew was to come

Again Bob you seem to have missed the point. Car'a'carn means Chief of Chiefs, but thats not what Im getting at. What Im saying is, why would they call themselves the People of the Dragon if they had nothing to do with Lews Therin? Does it say anything in any of those books not set with the story? I havent got them myself.

Kadere got the basis of it. The Aiel served the Aes Sedai--both during the war and prior to it. But in the years of the war this came to be mispercieved--especially given Lews Therin actively protected the covenant that kept the Aiel from participating in the war.

 

As a result people came to view the Aiel as servants of the Dragon above anything else. The idea stuck, and given the Aiel revered Lews Therin as the 'great leader' is transduced itself into their mythology.

Spot on, Kadere and Luckers. The World of the Wheel book says:

"Perhaps it was this mutual service and protection under Lews Therin that led to the Da'shain being called the People of the Dragon."

That answers the question, I havent got the World of the Wheel. Cheers