Rand's Birth In The Wheel Of Time Explained
While a number of fantasy book series have been adapted for film and television over the years, one of the series whose adaptation fantasy fans were eagerly awaiting was "The Wheel of Time." Written by Robert Jordan, the book series began in 1984 with "The Eye of the World," and currently encompasses 17 books in total.
News of Amazon Prime adapting the books into a TV show was met with excitement. The show, titled "The Wheel of Time," was developed for the screen by "Chuck" and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." writer Rafe Judkins, and stars Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Zoë Robins, and Josha Stradowski.
One of the key mysteries in the show's 1st season has been the circumstances surrounding the birth of Rand Al'Thor, played by Stradowski. The 7th episode, titled "The Dark Along the Ways," shed some light on the matter, thanks to visions by Min Farshaw, played by Kae Alexander. Here is the explanation of the circumstances around Rand's birth and how it could affect events on the show.
Rand's birth aligns with a prophecy
Episode 7 starts with the Battle Of The Shining Walls, which was a major fight in the history of the Aiel War that takes place at Dragonmount, a mountain created by the death of the final dragon. The Aiel, a red-haired race of people, are known for having a culture of war as well as a strict honor code. They were fighting against an alliance of a number of kingdoms, including Cairhien.
Among the people fighting in the battle is a pregnant woman named Tigraine Mantear, played by Magdalena Sittova. Tigraine is a significant character in the book's mythology, as a noblewoman from Andor who marries into Cairhien's royal family, House Damodred. She ultimately leaves Cairhien behind, however, joining the Aiel and ultimately marrying an Aiel clan chief named Janduin. The two have a child, who turns out to be Rand.
The series reveals that Tigraine, known as the Maiden of the Spear, encounters the soldier Tam Al'Thor (Michael McElhatton) while in labor during the Battle of the Shining Walls. Tigraine dies in childbirth, and Tam takes Rand and raises him. This mirrors the events in the book series, where Tam finds baby Rand during the battle and decides to raise him.
This is particularly significant because the dragon prophecy says that the reincarnated dragon would be born on the slopes of Dragonmount. As Rand did not know this fact about himself, the revelation hints at him being the Dragon Reborn.