Birgitte Silverbow

Author: Melina Tashir

ber-GEET-teh

General

Birgitte Silverbow is a Hero of the Horn, and a hero of many gleeman’s stories and songs, in which she is always connected to Gaidal Cain, but a sudden turning of the Wheel spins her out before her time. Being made Elayne’s Warder, she tries to accept her new life guarding Elayne’s life.

The bond Birgitte and Elayne share is rare and surprising. Birgitte seems to choose when she wants to be an obedient Warder and when she wants to be an older sister or mother who lectures. Their bond also seems to reflect their emotions and physical states more strongly than a traditional Warder Bond, most likely due to the fact that both of them are female. After Elayne proclaims her the Captain General of the Queen’s Guard she becomes Lady Birgitte Trahelion.

Appearance

With her man’s coat and breeches, she appears to be Kandori. Her long, blond hair is always braided.

Relationships with Other Characters

Birgitte and Dyelin do not like each other.

She has been Gaidal Cain's lover in most of her previous lives and fears losing her memories of him.

Birgitte becomes great friend of Mat. She has certain connection with him as the Horn Sounder. They are similar in many things, including a disposition towards alcohol and having a rough tongue. Birgitte likes to visit taverns to gamble and ogle pretty men even if she prefers ugly ones. She is a woman of strong character who speaks her mind.

She feels very fearful that she cannot live up to legends about her.

After Elayne and Aviendha become first sisters, Birgitte treats Aviendha like a younger sister. Aviendha, in turn, is in awe of Birgitte but often tries not to show it (WH, Ch. 10).

After Birgitte is first pulled out of Tel'aran'rhiod, Nynaeve is overcome by guilt and tries to make it up to Birgitte by waiting on her hand and foot. Eventually, however, Nynaeve begins to treat her more normally.

Birgitte's Journey

Previous Lives

• She once led a band of thieves that robbed the Queen of Aldeshar (AMoL, Ch. 10).

• She had a life during the War of the Shadow (This passage needs a reference).

• In one life she was called Maerion (TFoH, Ch. 36).

• One life was as Jethari Moondancer (ToM, Ch. 22).

• She was involved in helping set up the White Tower (This passage needs a reference).

• She had about half a dozen lives between the forming of the White Tower and the Trolloc Wars (This passage needs a reference).

• She had at least one life during the Trolloc Wars (TFoH, Ch. 24).

• At one point Birgitte says she has never been a soldier in any of her previous lives (This passage needs a reference. However, in Towers of Midnight, she claims to have occasionally been a soldier and once a general (This passage needs a reference).

• She has forgotten many of the memories she had when she was first cast out of Tel'aran'rhiod and worries that she might lose all her memories of Gaidal (This passage needs a reference).

The Eye of the World

There is no relevant reference to Birgitte in this book.

The Great Hunt

There is no relevant reference to Birgitte in this book.

The Dragon Reborn

There is no relevant reference to Birgitte in this book.

The Shadow Rising

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• Birgitte appears in the wolf dream and warns Perrin to stay away from The Tower of Ghenjei. She also tells him of the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn (TSR, Ch. 28).
• Nynaeve meets Birgitte in Tel'aran'rhiod thinking that she is some woman dreaming that she is the woman from legend (TSR, Ch. 52).
• Birgitte tells Nynaeve that Moghedien is very strong and skilled in the World of Dreams, and advises Nynaeve to be very careful (TSR, Ch. 52).

The Fires of Heaven

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• Moghedien rips Birgitte out of Tel’aran’rhiod (TFoH, Ch. 34).
• Juilin and Thom find her naked and barely alive. They take her to Nynaeve and Elayne. Nynaeve tries to Heal her but is unsuccessful. To save Birgitte’s life, Elayne bonds her as her Warder (TFoH, Ch. 35).
• When Birgitte wakes she remembers everything and suffers for loss of Gaidal. Elayne tells her that she bonded her. Birgitte accepts her duty as a Warder with honor. She chooses a name that she used in one of her previous lives – Maerion (TFoH, Ch. 36).

Lord of Chaos

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• Birgitte avoids Mat in Salidar, not wanting him to recognize her (LoC, Ch. 39).

A Crown of Swords

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• Mat remembers who Birgitte is (ACoS, Ch. 21).
• Birgitte tells Mat about gholam and stasis boxes (ACoS, Ch. 39).

The Path of Daggers

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• Most Aes Sedai disapprove of Birgitte being a Warder (TPoD, Ch. 1).
• Brigitte tries to hold the Seanchan off and gets shot with an arrow in her thigh (TPoD, Ch. 6).
• Lan assumes that Birgitte is Kandori because of the way she is dressed (TPoD, Ch. 20).
• After coming to Caemlyn, Elayne grants an estate to Birgitte and makes her Captain General of the Queen’s Guard Lady Brigitte Trahelion (TPoD, Ch. 28).

Winter's Heart

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• Birgitte accompanies Elayne to a meeting with Dyelin, at which Elayne tasks Birgitte with building her an army. Birgitte is not pleased with her new role. The meeting is interrupted multiple times, first by Zaida and Renaile, then by Taim, and then by the Aiel Wise Ones who have come to bring Elayne to her first sister ceremony with Aviendha. Birgitte is shocked at this last, and along with the other women in the room, she helps to shield Elayne from the gaze of Taim and his men when Elayne is instructed by the Wise Ones to strip naked in preparation for the ceremony (WH, Prologue).
• Birgitte learns that the men escorting Naean and Elenia have been ambushed near Aringill, and that the two women have been freed. She informs Renee Harfor and then rides out into the city to find Elayne and relay the news. Birgitte wants to appoint a bodyguard for Elayne (WH, Ch. 7).
• When Elayne wakes up after being attacked in the Royal Palace, Birgitte is waiting for her to wake up. Elayne finally agrees to allow Birgitte to appoint a small bodyguard for her. Birgitte argues when Elayne wants to go to Tel’aran’rhiod that night, but when Elayne insists, she stands guard in Elayne’s sitting room (WH, Ch. 10).
• Birgitte holds interviews to appoint Elayne’s bodyguard (WH, Ch. 12).
• When Elayne spends the night with Rand, she masks her bond with Birgitte. While Elayne temporarily disappears from Birgitte’s head, she reappears when her concentration slips and Birgitte can sense everything. Birgitte is ready to confront Elayne when she runs into Aviendha and Min. Aviendha convinces her to go get drunk with them instead (WH, Ch. 12).
• While they are drinking, Min tells Birgitte about her viewing of Elayne’s pregnancy (WH, Ch. 26).
• Birgitte listens as Merilille reports to Elayne about her visit to the Borderlanders, who are camped in Braem Wood (WH, Ch. 26). Birgitte and Elayne meet with the rulers, Birgitte remaining very quiet while Elayne negotiates(WH, Ch. 27).
• When they return to Caemlyn from Braem Wood, Birgitte helps an exhausted Elayne down from her saddle and carries her into the Royal Palace. Master Norry arrives in that moment to announce that there are four armies approaching the city (WH, Ch. 27).

Crossroads of Twilight

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• Birgitte can no longer remember much from before the founding of the White Tower. She has taken to drinking many nights due to her fear of losing her memories of Gaidal (CoT, Ch. 11).
• When Elayne and Aviendha return from visiting one of the Andoran noble houses, Birgitte goes to meet them. She approaches Aviendha to inquire as to how Elayne has been doing; Birgitte has been sensing tiredness through the bond (CoT, Ch. 11).
• While Elayne bathes after her trip, Birgitte catches her up on the news. When Zaida breaks in on Elayne, Birgitte is outraged—particularly when Zaida physically pushes Birgitte into the room to gain entrance. She attends Elayne’s subsequent meeting with Zaida as the Windfinder takes her leave of Caemlyn (CoT, Ch. 12).
• When Dyelin returns to Caemlyn with Catalyn Haevin, Perival Mantear, Branlet Gilyard, and Conail Northan, Birgitte brings Elayne the news. Birgitte is puzzled over the fact that all four of the High Seats Dyelin has brought with her are children or nearly children. She attends Elayne’s first meeting with them, where they all swear their support to House Trakand. They are all very impressed by Birgitte (CoT, Ch. 13).
• Later, Birgitte expresses her displeasure to Elayne over the fact that children are allowed to command soldiers to fight and die (CoT, Ch. 13).
• When Elayne meets with Reene Harfor and Halwin Norry to discuss spies and mercenaries, Birgitte attends as well. Afterwards, Birgitte, Elayne, Aviendha, and Dyelin discuss the Borderlanders and the Andoran High Seats who have not yet declared for a contender in the Succession (CoT, Ch. 14).

Knife of Dreams

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• Brigitte feels fearful that she cannot live up to the legends about her (WH, Prologue).
• Birgitte notices that the corridors begin to change, which worries her deeply (KoD, Ch. 17).
• Birgitte goes back to the Palace to gather the Windfinders and guardsmen to save Elayne. She convinces the Windfinders to help her in the battle (KoD, Ch. 32).

The Gathering Storm

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There is no relevant reference to Birgitte in this book.

Towers of Midnight

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• Birgitte, Elayne, and Dyelin discuss the captive nobles. Birgitte suggests executing them (ToM, Ch. 11).
• Birgitte sees the military potential of the Dragons as soon as Mat explains then (ToM, Ch. 19).
• She tries to warn Mat of the Tower of Ghenjei (ToM, Ch. 19).
• She and Elayne plan the trap for the gholam (ToM, Ch. 32).
• After Morgase returns, Birgitte stays for the reunion meeting (ToM, Ch. 45).
• She leads in the Cairhienin nobles. She does not understand the point of giving them lands in Andor (ToM, Ch. 50).
• She goes with Elayne to Cairhien, where she discovers a poisoned needle in the seat Elayne was going to use (ToM, Ch. 52).

A Memory of Light

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• Elayne sends her to Caemlyn following the trolloc attack (AMoL, Ch. 2).
• She is present the first time the dragons are used (AMoL, Ch. 10).
• Elayne heals her (AMoL, Ch. 37).
• The rest of her memories fade and the first thing she remember sis waking up with Elayne and Nynaeve (AMoL, Ch. 37).
• She is decapitated by Mellar (AMoL, Ch. 37).
• She is summoned when Olver blows the Horn of Valere and returns to Elayne, killing Mellar (AMoL, Ch. 39).
• She rides out with Elayne (AMoL, Ch. 40).
• She feels herself being reborn after the Last Battle (AMoL, Epilogue).

Miscellaneous

She does not like "players" (ToM, Ch. 22).

Quotes

Quotes about Birgitte

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“She’s a woman just like any other, Nynaeve had said. She told me so herself, and I realized she was right." (WH, Ch. 10).

Quotes by Birgitte

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"The world just changed, Elayne. It just changed in a very large way. I have a terrible feeling that it’s only the beginning." (On the Dragons, ToM, Ch. 29)