Throughout History, How Were Male Channelers Treated in Your Time Period?

by ricree
sukritact

This question is rather vague. In any case, my area of expertise is the Breaking; so I'll answer for that particular period.

It is vital to note that not ALL male Aes Sedai immediately fell to the Taint following their attempt to seal the Bore, though Lews Therin and the Companions certainly did. Male channelers did notice the Taint; but as it did not prevent or directly alter the use of the One Power, it was not investigated; the war against the Shadow was still ongoing at the time.

So for the first 10 or so years after the Sealing of the Bore, attitudes towards male channelers did not change from before the Breaking.

Thus, some sources mark the beginning of the Breaking 10 years after the Sealing. Here; the repercussions of Lews Therin's action truly became clear; as more and more male channelers succumbed to the Madness.

At by this period you see 2 main attitudes; the first is similar to the attitudes of the Red Ajah before Saidin was cleansed; male channelers were killed before the Madness became truly advanced. In many of the cities still standing at the time; male channelers were gathered and massacred.

The second attempted to investigate the Taint; it was correctly identified as the source of the Madness. Obviously such attempts yielded no results. Often the Aes Sedai quickly went mad and killed those investigating it.

The third and most common; they tried to flee from male channelers or beyond the reach of the One Power (to stedding for example); and so this is the usual impression we get when talking of the Breaking.

Vinarinarinarin

I can't speak for other time periods, but first few centuries of the NE, after the fall of Artur Paendrag "Hawkwing" Tanreall, the White Tower was once again the dominant politic force in the Westlands. This of course means the Reds, even though they had not held the Amyrlin Seat since the Bonwhin Meraigndin being stripped of Staff and Stole around FY940 for trying to manipulate the Emperor, May He Live Forever, had a large part in leading the way on how male channelers should be treated.

As their dogma has not changed since after the Breaking, they continued to insist on immediate Gentling, which was much kinder than other places in the world were doing at the time. The only place where treatment was better was the Isle of Madmen, but of course, that is because the male channelers were in charge then. The Seanchen continued to toy with those suspected to be male channelers, much to the chagrin of sul'dam who had fallen out of favor with the descendents of Hawkwing's son, Luthair Paendrag Mondwin, who had been tasked with finding new lands in FY992 and had subsequently worked on conquering the continent of Seanchen.

And of course the Aiel men who could channel almost always willingly went to the Blight to spit in the Eye of the Dark One and the treatment of the male Ayyad was unchanged from the Breaking until Tarmon Gai'don, being treated as breedstock, never being taught to read or write and killed the moment they could channel.

Of course, my assessments of the situation can be way off for many of the other areas as my specialty the Westlands is from around the War of a Hundred Years until the aftermath of Serenia Latar's body being hung by the Whitecloaks.