Last updated on 29 August 2024 at 08:42 pm
Treasuring the words of Robert Jordan, I’ve put together the best quotes from The Eye of the World. Let’s celebrate Robert Jordan’s work forever!
This post has very mild spoilers for The Eye of the World. I’ll share lines from the book, including dialogue, thoughts, and prose. I’ll also include details on who said what and when. I’ve added context to the quotes, but I’ve kept these vague as I don’t want to spoil any plot points.
Best Quotes from The Eye of the World
In boldness, brevity, and abashment, Robert Jordan hits all the beats of his story with brilliant words. The quotes from the first Wheel of Time book are instantly memorable, staying with us long after we’ve finished the series. That’s partly because the most iconic lines appear first in The Eye of the World, prophetical words and common slurs, repeated throughout The Wheel of Time.
However, much credit must be given to the language instilled in our favorite characters. Lan Mandragoran is not all beef and sword forms, did you know? He can romanticize with the best of them and speaks his wisdom well.
You’ll find Lan Mandragoran quotes amongst my favorites from The Eye of the World and all the other books, too! So, without further introduction, let’s get into the best quotes from The Eye of the World:
The Iconic Opening Paragraph from The Eye of the World
This is the iconic opening paragraph from The Eye of the World, which goes on to begin each novel in The Wheel of Time. The wind rises in different places as the series progresses. In The Eye of the World, it reads, “…a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist.” These are the mountains found to the west of Emond’s Field, the village where our story begins.
Quotes About Aes Sedai in The Eye of the World
“Aes Sedai do what they do for reasons of their own, and they are not always the reasons you think” is a common saying about the women from Tar Valon. The wording on the blue parchment above is the first use of the phrase in the main series and is said by Thom Merrilin. Tam al’Thor also warns Rand of the same thing shortly after, in Chapter 9 of The Eye of the World, Tellings of the Wheel.
Rand knows from the stories that male Aes Sedai broke the world after being driven mad by the Dark One’s corruption of their power. As well as fear, there isn’t much love for Aes Sedai in the Two Rivers either. They don’t care for meddling and magic in these parts. He is astonished to think, “Aes Sedai. Breakers of the world. Puppeteers who pulled strings and made thrones and nations dance in designs only the women from Tar Valon knew.”
“The truth an Aes Sedai tells you is not always the truth you think it is” is another cynicism represented throughout The Wheel of Time and said first in the main series by Tam al’Thor. Both this and the “Aes Sedai do what they do for reasons of their own” phrases are iconic and incredible because they hold an ample degree of truth. The Aes Sedai are tricksome women.
Lan Mandragoran Quotes from The Eye of the World
Lan refers to Darkfriends who give their souls to the Dark One for the supposed gift of immortality. “Death comes sooner or later to everyone,” the grim Warder tells Rand bitterly, “unless they serve the Dark One, and only fools are willing to pay that price.”
When Mat acknowledges Perrin’s axe as a “proper weapon,” he gets a stern response from Lan. “Anything can be a weapon,” the Warder warns, “if the man or woman who holds it has the nerve and will to make it so.” It is a harsh lesson for Lan to teach the Emond’s Field boys so early in their adventure, but they will need to learn this if they are to live long enough to see Tar Valon.
Lan instructs Rand to guard his tongue in front of strangers. “These are bad days to speak of Trollocs, or Darkfriends, or the Father of Lies,” he tells the red-haired youth, “with strange ears to hear. Such talk can bring worse than the Dragon’s Fang scrawled on your door.”
Rand is confused about how the Taren Ferry men seem as suspicious of their party as they are of them. Lan explains that “when what they do is hidden, men sometimes deal with strangers in ways they wouldn’t if there were other eyes to see. And the quickest to harm a stranger are the soonest to think a stranger will harm them.”
Rand overhears Lan speaking these words as their party rests for the night. The Warder expresses his affection for a woman but knows that his legacy is death, and he courts it like a lover.
“I will hate the man you choose because he is not me,” Lan whispers softly, “and love him if he makes you smile. No woman deserves the sure knowledge of widow’s black as her bride price, you least of all.”
Raen (The Tinker) Quotes from The Eye of the World
The Tinker speaks about the people of the Aiel Waste, who veil themselves before they kill. “From the time an Aiel boy becomes a man, he will not sing anything but battle chants or their dirge for the slain,” Raen tells Perrin. “I have heard them singing over their dead,” he continues, “and over those they have killed. That song is one to make the stones weep.”
Another quote from Raen. The Tinkers, or Tuatha’an, are pacifists, and the Traveling People do no harm to others.
“Violence harms the one who does it,” Raen explains, “as much as the one who receives it. You could cut down a tree with an axe. The axe does violence to the tree and escapes unharmed. Is that how you see it? Wood is soft compared to steel, but the sharp steel is dulled as it chops, and the sap of the tree will rust and pit it. The mighty axe does violence to the helpless tree, and is harmed by it. So it is with men, though the harm is in the spirit.”
More Brilliant Quotes from The Eye of the World
The “Lady” Moiraine reflects on the circular nature of time, professing at the time to be a student of history.
“As the Wheel of Time turns,” she says, “places wear many names. Men wear many names, many faces. Different faces, but always the same man. Yet no one knows the Great Pattern the Wheel weaves or even the Pattern of an Age. We can only watch, and study, and hope.”
Rand tries to remember what he knows about the people of Taren Ferry. They are not trusted in the Two Rivers. “Taren Ferry folk had a reputation for slyness and trickery,” he recalls. “If you shook hands with a Taren Ferry man,” the saying went, “you counted your fingers afterwards.”
Elyas refers to the axe that Perrin Aybara carries, a source of inner turmoil for the apprentice blacksmith. “You’ll use it, boy,” Elyas retorts, “and as long as you hate using it, you will use it more wisely than most men would. Wait. If ever you don’t hate it any longer, then will be the time to throw it as far as you can and run the other way.”
What are your favorite quotes from The Eye of the World? Please share them in the comments section. My offering is grossly inadequate right now, so I’ll add the best of your suggestions to this page.
More Quotes from The Wheel of Time Series
I’ve posted delightful quotes from the entire series of The Wheel of Time and the prequel, so be sure to check them out. Tapping the images below will take you there.
Listen to The Eye of the World
Listen to the audiobooks to hear the quotes read for you by remarkable narrators Michael Kramer and Kate Reading or the equally enchanting Rosamund Pike. They are a fantastic way to enjoy the series, and I highly recommend both versions.
Please consider this format, especially if you return to the series after a previous read. I’ve provided all the information you need if you want to listen to The Eye of the World audiobook right here:
Alternatively, hop straight over to Amazon and listen to The Eye of the World audiobook samples, with Kate Reading and Michael Kramer narrating, or Rosamund Pike. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these quotes from The Eye of the World. Feel free to share the post on your social media accounts and leave me a comment if you’ve any feedback or questions. Also, remember, I would love to hear about your favorites. Which ones have I missed? Are there any other Lan Mandragoran quotes that I should include?
Until next time, may the Light shine on you, my friends!
Russell