![]() The Ogier and Nym likewise share some similarities to another of Tolkien’s creatures: the Entfolk. They’re the most used Shadowspawn primarily because of their numbers. Created by the Shadow, they are evil, aggressive, and blood-thirsty, but they’re also cowardly, relatively easy to kill. They have horns or claws or beaks or hooves. Although Trollocs resemble humans, they’re nearly a foot taller on average than a human, and all of them have animal features mixed in. No apocalyptic fantasy series would be complete without dark minions against which the protagonists can test themselves against before facing the Big Bad. ![]() Several of the big ones–elves, dwarves, and, to a certain extent, dragons (see subheading below)–are carefully kept absent from Wheel of Time, but traces of other “traditional” fantasy creatures can be found in the series. Tolkien set the trend for many a “traditional” mythical entities. Twisting Existing Fantasy Creature Tropes (These creatures are discussed below.) Perhaps if there was another “real-world” creature with a made-up name that came from the same continent as the s’redit, it would be more obvious what Jordan was trying to accomplish, and the term “s’redit” would be less aggravating. However, none of these creatures bear any resemblance to a single real-world animal, which only serves to alienate the s’redit further. Many of the other creatures that hail from the same continent are given made-up names as well. These PoV characters are familiar with horses and cats and wolves, and hence they carry their usual name, whereas the PoV characters would have little to no experience with creatures like the s’redit that hail from another continent, and so giving the elephants a new name was meant to keep them separate and distinct. The story is told primarily by Mainland characters like the Emond’s Fielders. If horses and cats and wolves can exist in WoT with their earth-name intact, there’s little reason an elephant can’t.Ī case could be made that it was a matter of regional confinement. However, the more an author diverges from the real world, the more they risk alienating their readers. Series like Wheel of Time take that to a certain extreme, the exact opposite of urban fantasy. It is something bigger, more intense, and more magical than anything that can be found in the real world. This is where the controversy comes in.įantasy’s main draw is that it is other. Yet, in contrast to the similar Oliphaunts of Lord of the Rings, the s’redit do not have several more tusks they are not bigger than a normal elephant. The Wheel of Time chapter icon of the s’redit is very clearly the head of an elephant. S’redit are, for all intents and purposes, elephants. The s’redit, as I mentioned before, is of a different nature than the Darkhounds. Discussions of mythical influences on some of Jordan’s creatures can be found below, but Darkhounds are one of the two “made-up” creatures in the series that resembles a real-world animal, hence its inclusion here. These additions make them more than just “dogs.” They’re similar in concept to the real-world mythos of Hellhounds. ![]() Darkhounds are Shadowspawn, described as a sort of wolfish dog dangerously enhanced with poisonous saliva and the ability to run faster and longer than even the best horse. The latter is cause for controversy, but we shall start with the former. Two of Jordan’s creatures are described in a familiar way while retaining an “otherly” feel: Darkhounds and s’redit.
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