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I found it very interesting that "Elayne" is mostly just "Ilyena" with an "e" instead of an "i" and with a few letters transposed. Is this coincidence, or is Elayne supposed to be Ilyena reborn? Another mysterious coincidence is that of the name "al'Thor" to the name "Thor," the Norse god of thunder. Also "Rhuarc" and "rock;" "Cauthon" and "caution," to name a few. I'm sure there are many more.
Egwene al'Vere sounds extremely close to Guinevere of Arthur legends.
Artur Hawkwing Paendrag is also from Athur legends. Besides the obvious connection of their first names, The man many legends attribute to being King Arthur's father was Luther Pendragon. Hmmm...
Caemlyn could be in reference to Camelot, but I'm not too sure about that one.
The Horn of Valere seems obviously to be a play off the word Valor.
The festival of Bel Tine is from a celtic/scottish celebration for approximately the same part of the year. The spelling of the scottis of the scottish festival escapes me, but is nearly exactly the same as Bel Tine.
Lord Galad and Gawyne once again spring from Arthurian legend. Their names were probably fashioned from knights: Sir Galahad, and Sir Gwaine of the Round Table.
Asha'man could have it's roots possibly traced to tribal mystics of North and South American indians, often known as Shaman.
Yona also has some thoughts on the subject:
In northern mythology there“s "gjalder hornet" (The noise or loud sound horn) which the protecter-god Heimdal uses to call the dead heroes of the past to do battle against "jętterne" (the giants)
Amberle of House Elessan brought up the following similarities:
| Name/Word | Similar to: | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Tarmon Gaidin | Armageddon | Book of Revelation(Bible) |
| Graendal | Grendel | Beowolf (Norse myth.) |
| Belal | Belial (Other name for Satan) | Bible |
| Aiel | Isreal (Nation) | Bible |
| Shayol | Sheol | Hebrew for "grave" |
| Dhavol | Devil | Bible < Bible |
| Artur Paendrag | Arthur Pendragon | Camelot legend of Brittain |
| Maesma the Prophet | John the Baptist | Bible |
Bruce Kinner compares tWoT to Celtic mythology:
I would argue Celtic myth is the single major source for Jordan's world. The most important are the Aes Sedai. This is a direct reference to the immortal race of beings that conquered Ireland in Celtic myth, the Sidhe (pronounced SHEE). The Sidhe live in the Otherworlds but often mate with mortals. They have "Talents" and are powerful magic-users, fear yet respected by the masses. Most Celtic heroes have part Sidhe blood. Not unlike Pattern repeating. The majority of the heroes linked to the Horn Of Valere are versions of Celtic heroes (Artur Hawkwing, Birgitte, Paedrag, etc.). Manetheraen is a cycle of Celtic myths known as the Red Branch. A major part of the Celtic worldview is "The Wheel of the Year". Rand's Ashaman are a Fianna, an elite group of warriors that serve the High King and protect Ireland from outsiders. The list goes on and on. It's a shame that only Greek myth is taught in schools because as Jordan shows Celtic myth has alot more to offer. Also, at least for those with Northern European ancestry (I'm Irish-German), the Celtic myth is more closely related to the Blood.
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This page last edited September 14, 1997