So, I finally (after months of convincing) got my boyfriend to pick up EotW for the first time. I have personally read the series all the way through at least 7 times. What does he do? Throws me for a loop by the end of the prologue. I'm sure someone has pointed this out before here somewhere, but I really need to know...

 

At the end of the prologue, in the prophecies that speak of the Dragon, it says they were recorded in the Fourth Age. While I can't remember what age the Age of Legends was, numerically speaking, I know that Rand and the rest are living in the Third Age. My question, was the Age of Legends considered the Fourth Age of the previous cycle of the Wheel, or is this a total loop that RJ decided to throw us for?

Could anyone remind me what the quote is at the end of the chapter? as I can't seem to find my copy of EotW

If I remember rightly there are seven ages to the Wheel.

The Age of Legends was the Second Age of this turn of the Wheel (out of seven total). I think the implication is that the quotations are from the Age that's about to begin, but I guess they could well be from any turning's Fourth Age. The first seems to be a history, but the second's title The Cycle of the Dragon brings to mind The Prophecies of the Dragon, which are collected into the Karaethon and Essanik Cycles. Whether it's an additional prophecy or a historical addendum, or both, or neither as the entire thing becomes legend, doesn't seem certain to me.

Could anyone remind me what the quote is at the end of the chapter? as I can't seem to find my copy of EotW

See here.

Edited January 6, 201115 yr by moratcorlm

It is most likely written in the current turnings 4th age, that is, the age that will begin once Rand seals the Dark One away. So essentially it is outlining what was happening in the latter stages of the third age, the time we are reading about. the FAQ explains it far better than I can http://www.darkfriends.net/wheel/node/171.html

They're just histories, describing what's going on at the end of the Third Age -- i.e. the events of the books -- written well after the time the books take place in.

Sounds to me like the first prophecy ("And the Shadow fell upon the land...") refers to LTT in the second age, and the other one ("And it came to pass in those days...") to Rand in the third.

It's interesting how Biblical both the prophecies sound.

They're just histories, describing what's going on at the end of the Third Age -- i.e. the events of the books -- written well after the time the books take place in.

That's what I needed! I was really offended that my boyfriend found something I couldn't explain so soon! But I had thought it was either a history or very old prophecy. Thanks guys!