The Real-Life Religions, Myths, And Philosophies That Inspired ‘The Wheel of Time’
Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series is a hallmark of modern fantasy literature, and Amazon Prime’s adaptation has brought even more attention to its many inspired components.
For instance, behind each of Jordan’s spells, battles, and twists of fate, there’s usually something in the real world inspiring it – some cultural tradition, philosophical belief, or anthropological theory. After all, the events of the series supposedly take place in a version of our world that is both the distant past and the distant future. (The Wheel of Time implements a circular vision of time into its universe.) Now that The Wheel of Time is in Season 3, we can explore the show’s real-world influences even further. From Eastern dualities to Celtic festivals, here’s our breakdown of The Wheel of Time’s many influences.
Not today, Shai’tan
The central conflict of The Wheel of Time rages between the “Creator” and “The Dark One,” instantly conjuring the tales of good and evil found in monotheistic religions dating back to Zoroastrianism. Additionally, the Dark One’s “true” name, Shai’tan, immediately recalls “Shaitan,” the Arabic word for “Satan,” thus creating a parallel between The Wheel of Time and Islam.
Reinventing the Wheel
The series’ idea of time being a never-ending circle comes from Hinduism, which favors the idea of cyclical time. According to Hindu belief, the universe cycles through various phases comprising the Yuga Cycle – Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga – and repeats this for eternity. As in Hinduism, the characters of The Wheel of Time – and their reincarnations – are doomed to face the same challenges as their previous and future incarnations. That idea of reincarnation is also found in Hinduism in the concept of “samsara” – the cycle of death and rebirth that all souls must traverse.
Norse code
In both the books and Prime series, there’s an omnipotent “One Power” magic that breaks into a male half and a female half. (Robert Jordan was not familiar with the idea of a gender spectrum.) The female half is called “saidar,” which references the “seidr” of Norse mythology – a form of shamanism often practiced by women to predict the future and alter fates.
Hidden in plain Sedai
In both the books and series, the symbol adopted by the powerful Aes Sedai resembles two teardrops, one black and one white, joined in perfect harmony. This is unmistakably a nod to the yin and yang of Taoist philosophy. Just as Taoists believe, the characters in The Wheel of Time insist that harmony arises not from dominance, but balance: no dark without light nor motion without stillness. Once this balance is fractured, chaos reigns.
Dragon banter
There’s a lot of talk about the Dragon Reborn in The Wheel of Time. He’s the man with the plan to take down the Dark One, and his ancestor once possessed a Dragon Banner featuring a wingless serpentine dragon on it. This whimsical depiction of a dragon, in contrast to the violent fire-breathing dragons of Western fantasy, resembles East Asian depictions of wise and benevolent dragons throughout mythology. In this way, the Dragon Banner signals that the Dragon is both a destroyer and a prophet or vessel of renewal.
Adapt me, I’m Irish
Just as in the Lord of The Rings series, Celtic folklore often takes center stage in the Wheel of Time universe. In fact, the book series’ very first pages depict a “Bel Tine” festival that resembles Bealtaine (or , an ancient Gaelic spring celebration encouraging fertility and boundary-crossing. Additionally, the term Aes Sedai may be pulled directly from the aes sídhe, a magical ancient race from Celtic mythology that walked between worlds and often lived beside humans. Meanwhile, the Tuatha’an, or Traveling People, live out of colorful wagons and subscribe to a pacifist philosophy, just like the Irish Travelers, a nomadic ethnic group that has been historically marginalized in Ireland. In fact, several Tuatha’an characters on The Wheel of Time Prime series have Irish accents.
Medicinal moghedien
Not every Wheel of Time reference is an allusion to folklore or Eastern philosophy. In the case of the Forsaken Moghedien, her name is a reference to the American pharmaceutical-industrial complex. Yep, according to the non-fiction companion book Origins of the Wheel of Time, her name derives from Mogadon, a brand name for nitrazepam – a sedative prescribed for insomniacs. This is rather appropriate since Moghedien often attacks and manipulates people while they’re asleep.
Now check out season 3 of The Wheel of Time and see if you spot any other references!