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2.6.3: Who are the Aelfinn and Eelfinn?

[Erica Sadun, Sean Hillyard, P. Korda]

The Aelfinn and Eelfinn (henceforth referred to as "the Finn") are strange tricksy critters who live in other dimensions. They are also known as the Snakes and Foxes, because of their appearances, and have long-standing tricksy relationships with humans: giving gifts and answers... at a price.

Most of what we know about the Finn is from TSR. There is also a little bit in the Guide.

What we know from the Tear doorway (From [TSR: 6, Doorways, 95] and [TSR, 15, Into the Doorway, 174-180]:

There seems to be some kind of agreement concerning the use of the door. Anyone may enter who does not bring sources of light (lamps, torches), iron, or instruments of music. The snakes will then answer three questions which pertain to the future of the asker. "Frivolous questions are punished, it seems, but it also seems what may be serious for one can be frivolous coming from another. Most importantly, questions touching the Shadow have dire consequences." What sort of consequences? Moiraine mentions death and madness.
How do they provide true answers? Moiraine speculates, "That world is... folded... in strange ways.... It may be that that allows them to read the thread of a human life, read the various ways it may yet be woven into the Pattern." This explanation seems to fit with what the snakes said while Mat was in there.
What do the snakes get out of it? According to Moiraine: "Sensations, emotions, experiences. They rummage through them; you can feel them doing it, making your skin crawl. Perhaps they feed on them in some manner. The Aes Sedai who studied this ter'angreal ... spoke of a strong desire to bathe afterward."
The presence of two ta'veren placed some sort of strain on the place, causing it to almost fall apart.
As can be surmised from their questions upon entering, the snakes don't like fire: Rand uses a fire-sword to keep them off of him: "The sword kept them back; they wouldn't even look at it. Shied away. Hid their eyes."
The space the snakes live in is very weird, indeed. Moiraine, Mat, and Rand all enter and exit it through the twisty door around the same time, but they don't see any sign of one another while inside.

What we know from the Rhuidean doorway (From [TSR: 24, Rhuidean, 278-282] and [TSR: 26, The Dedicated, 306-307]):

The foxes also speak of a treaty in using the doorway. The spear Mat gets from them also mentions treaties and agreements: "Thus is our treaty written; thus is agreement made. Thought is the arrow of time; memory never fades. What was asked is given. The price is paid."
Again, no iron or musical instruments, or ways to make light.
Instead of answering three questions, the foxes grant three wishes.
Again, there is the prickling of the skin as memories are rummaged through. However, for the foxes this does not seem to be payment enough for their services. Apparently a 'price' has to be negotiated before 'agreements' are made. Mat lucks out (of course) and asks for a way out as one of his agreements (It seems extremely likely that he would still be there without that), but they still exact a price out of him, and an unpleasant one, from what we can infer of it.

What we know from Birgitte's talk with Perrin [TSR: 28, To the Tower of Ghenjei, 323-324]:

The Tower of Ghenjei is a route to the realms of the Finn. (The Tower is a large, metallic tower with no doors which is located in Andor. Perrin chases Slayer to it in TAR in [TSR: 28, To the Tower of Ghenjei, 322], and it is seen from Bayle Domon's boat in [TEOTW: 24, Flight Down the Arinelle, 299-300]) It is "hard enough to leave in the world of men. Here [in TAR] it is all but impossible."
The way to "beat" the snakes and foxes is to break the rules. "Courage to strengthen, fire to blind, music to daze, iron to bind."
The Finn "are not evil the way the Shadow is evil, yet they are so different from humankind they might as well be. They are not to be trusted."

From the Guide [Guide: 3, The Age of Legends, 33]:

"The answers received [from the snakes] are always true, though not easily understood."
"The requests are always granted, though not always as intended by the petitioner."

Aludra: I have finally figured out Aludra's entire raison d'etre: the matches. Now how can Mat/Thom get over to Nynaeve to get some matches before he heads off to Finnland? [Erica S.]

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The Wheel of Time FAQ. Copyright 1999 by Pamela Korda and Erica Sadun. HTML implementation by Matthew Hunter. This site maintained by Matthew Hunter (mhunter@andrew.cmu.edu). Comments and questions regarding the content itself should be directed to Pam Korda (kor2 @ midway.uchicago.edu).