Wheel of Time (History)
Unless stated otherwise, all information herein is taken from The World of Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time".
Contents
General
A similar entry appears in the Wheel of Time Companion confirming the information available in the main story arc.
In the world of the Wheel of Time, time is split into seven Ages, with the cycle of seven Ages repeating eternally, the Wheel of Time.
The First Age
Little is known of the First Age. Some of the stories Gleemen tell are believed to come from the Age, and some believe Portal Stones are from this Age. It is not known what ended the Age.
The Second Age
- Main article: Age of Legends
A similar entry appears in the Wheel of Time Companion confirming the information available in the main story arc.
A little more is known of the Second Age, the Age of Legends. By the late stages of this Age, society was highly advanced. It began to fall apart when the Bore was drilled, leading to a period known as the Collapse and ending with the War of the Shadow and the Breaking.
The Breaking of the World
- Main article: The Breaking
The Breaking of the World, or the Time of Madness was a period following the Age of Legends when society collapsed completely and the world was reshaped as men channeling saidin went mad. No cultures or institutions passed untouched, with even the Aes Sedai losing much of what they once knew. Once the last of the male Aes Sedai died, the land began to settle and people were able to form stable communities again, but it was many years before nations once more grew.
The Third Age
The current Age has lasted for about three and a half thousand years, generally considered to have begun when the last male Aes Sedai died.
Years AB
The first main period of time of the Third Age reckoned years from the arbitrarily decided end of the Breaking. From around 200AB, when the Compact of the Ten Nations, society recovered much in this period, which was which was brought to an end by the Trolloc Wars.
Years FY
- Main article: The Free Era
The second period of time of the Third Age starts at the end of the Trolloc Wars. Those nations that had managed to hold on fell apart and new nations arose. This period came to an end following the death of Artur Hawkwing, when the empire he had forged tore itself apart.
Years NE
The current nations were formed in the aftermath of the War of the Hundred Years. Initially, the whole of the Westlands were claimed, but over time, many of the nations dwindled and died and much land is unoccupied.
The Fourth Age
- Main article: The Fourth Age
The Fourth Age begins after the Last Battle in the Third Age has been fought. Little is known of this Age, except for fragments of songs and rhymes that commemorate the Dragon's victory over the Dark One.
