Someshta

Author: Val a'Shain

For more information about the Green Man mythology see the article by Shirlyn Cheade.

General

Someshta is called "the Green Man" by humans of the New Era. He is not human himself, he is a Nym and the last of his kind. He is described as a man-shaped figure made of vines and leaves, green and growing. Even his clothes seem to be made of plants. He is half again as tall as an Ogier. He has a scar on his head and his memory seems less than perfect (TEotW, Ch. 49). The Green Man's home looks like a lush oasis in the corrupted wasteland that is the Blight (TEotW, Ch. 50).

The Green Man is set to guard the Eye of the World, a reservoir of the essence of saidin, made pure after the taint of the male half of the Source manifested itself. A hindered Aes Sedai died to make it pure (TEotW, Ch. 50; The World of Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time"). This means the Green Man must be over three thousand years old.

In the Borderlands young men sometimes undertake a quest to find the Green Man to prove themselves (The World of Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time")

Timeline

• The Green Man greets Rand and his party. After Moiraine explains their need he agrees to take them to the Eye of the World (TEotW, Ch. 49).

• The Green Man tells them he was set to guard the Eye of the World and that he feels his end approaching now that the need it has been created for is upon them (TEotW, Ch. 50).

• When Moiraine explains to the party what the Eye of the World is Aginor and Balthamel show up. In the fight that follows the Green Man kills Balthamel and is killed by Aginor. The place where he dies is marked by an ancient oak tree (TEotW, Ch. 50).

• After Rand uses the pure saidin of the Eye of the World Moiraine finds one of the seals of the Dark One's prison and the Horn of Valere. Other things the Green Man was guarding (TEotW, Ch. 52).

• Before they leave Loial sings to the tree that marks the site where the Green Man died to avoid the Blight consuming it (TEotW, Ch. 53).

Relationships

• Moiraine has met the Green Man before even though nobody should be able to find him twice (TEotW, Ch. 49).

• Elder Haman has met the Green man as well, as has Loial's father (TEotW, Ch. 46).

Miscellaneous

• The Green Man has not seen the Tree of Life in two thousand years (TEotW, Ch. 50).

• The Green Man refers to Ogier as "little brother/sister" (TEotW, Ch. 49).

• The location of the Green Man's enchanted grove depends on where those who need it are. Need it the key to finding the Green Man (TEotW, Ch. 46).

• The Green Man is surprised to see a Wolfbrother (Perrin). He appears to have met them before a long time ago (TEotW, Ch. 49).

• The Green Man is slightly easier to find for Ogier (TEotW, Ch. 46).

Quotes

"This place," said a deep voice from the trees, "is always where it is. All that changes is where those who need it are." (The Green Man to Rand when they meet at the Eye of the World; TEotW, Ch. 49)

"Then it has come again. That memory remains whole. The Dark One stirs. I have feared it. Every turning of years, the Blight strives harder to come inside, and this turn the struggle to keep it out has been greater than ever since the beginning. Come, I will take you." (The Green Man to Moiraine after she explains why to came to see him; TEotW, Ch. 49)

"I will not go in with you," the Green Man said. The butterflies around him swirled as if they shared some agitation. "I was set to guard it long, long ago, but it makes me uneasy to come too close. I feel myself being unmade; my end is linked with it, somehow. I remember the making of it. Some of the making. Some." His hazelnut eyes stared, lost in memory, and he fingered his scar. "It was the first days of the Breaking of the World, when the joy of victory over the Dark One turned bitter with the knowledge that all might yet be shattered by the weight of the Shadow. A hundred of them made it, men and women together. The greatest Aes Sedai works were always done so, joining saidin and saidar, as the True Source is joined. They died, all, to make it pure, while the world was torn around them. Knowing they would die, they charged me to guard it against the need to come. It was not what I was made for, but all was breaking apart, and they were alone, and I was all they had. It was not what I was made for, but I have kept the faith." He looked down at Moiraine, nodding to himself. "I have kept faith, until it was needed. And now it ends." (The Green man about the Eye of the World; [The Eye of the World: Chapter 50|TEotW, Ch. 50]])

"This is my place," the Green Man said, "and you shall hurt no living thing here." (The Green Man to Aginor and Balthamel; TEotW, Chapter 50)