Lews Therin Telamon

Lews Therin Telamon is a fictional character in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He was the Dragon of the Age of Legends. He is the most powerful, most hated, and most feared man in history, for his part in the Breaking of the World and killing his loved ones, earning him the epithet Kinslayer.

Before The Eye of the World

In "The Wheel of Time," Lews Therin Telamon was the leader of the Aes Sedai during the Age of Legends, the man who sat on the High Seat of the Hall of the Servants. He wore the Ring of Tamyrlin and summoned the Nine Rods of Dominion. Also known as the Lord of the Morning, Prince of the Dawn, he came to be known as the Dragon during the War of Power. The most powerful man of his time, he was chosen to lead the Ogier, the human warmen and the Aes Sedai in their fight against the Shadow. He was married to Ilyena Therin Moerelle and before the War of Power, he was involved with Mierin Eronaile, who after he spurned her affections, became one of the Forsaken. He was the most famous man of his age, and earned his third name Telamon because of his accomplishments.

He led the Hundred Companions to win the War of the Shadow by resealing the Dark One away in his prison in Shayol Ghul. However, the Dark One's counterstroke caused a taint to be placed upon saidin, the male half of the One Power. This taint caused Lews Therin and the remaining members of the Hundred Companions to go insane on the instant, causing chaos with the One Power. Eventually all the other male Aes Sedai became mad also. The immediate effect was that Lews Therin killed his wife Ilyena, everyone who carried a drop of his blood, and everyone he loved thus becoming known as the Kinslayer. The eventual effect was the Breaking of the World, caused by the insane male Aes Sedai and the end of the Age of Legends.

Ishamael, once named Elan Morin Tedronai and a theologian who was the only man in the world with strength in the Power equal to Lews Therin's, briefly healed Lews Therin Telamon of his madness, allowing him to see the killing he had done. This led to Lews Therin Telamon killing himself by drawing too much of the One Power, creating Dragonmount in the process. Rand al'Thor was born on its slopes, 3000 years later. At the time of his death he is described as being tall with dark eyes, and brown hair turning white. His face is lined with worry.

Modern appearances in the storyline

Rand al'Thor hears the voice of Lews Therin in his head. Originally there was some speculation as to the nature of this voice, with some evidence indicating that Rand was slowly being driven mad by saidin's Taint, and other indications suggesting that Rand really is somehow communing with the voice of Lews Therin.

That Rand is indeed Lews Therin's soul reborn into a new body was never in question, nor was the fact that Lews Therin is insane, as is made apparent by his communication with Rand al'Thor. Rand himself suffers from spells of anger and fatalism. However, Lews Therin is also able to show Rand new uses of the One Power, and it is debatable whether Rand could be inventing these (often in the heat of battle) on his own. He has also developed skills and talents that Lews Therin possessed, such as drawing. Others in the series who have had previous lives do not display the ability to speak with those lives (though a few characters have memories from prior lives). It is implied by Cadsuane that men who are being driven mad by the taint on saidin often hear voices in their heads (confirmed by Semirhage, who adds that the voices are sometimes real and that when they are, it is more difficult to treat the person afflicted). These voices may be a psychological manifestation of memories and "feisty urges" from previous lives, taking the form of voices, as the men's minds attempt to separate the previous life's memories from those of the soul's current life. It could also be due to the nature of the taint of saidin, it is a by-product of the Dark Ones backlash, the Dark One aptly also known as Lord of the Grave