Shienar

Shienar
Pronounced	No pronounciation given
Political information
Type of government	Monarchy
Head of State	King Easar Togita
Sigil	A swooping black hawk; the Black Hawk.
Banner	A black swooping hawk on a field of three blue and two white horizontal stripes.
Physical
Region	Northeast of the Westlands
Societal
Capital	Fal Moran
Cities	Ankor Dail, Camron Caan, Fal Dara, Fal Eisen, Fal Sion, Medo, Mos Shirare
Demonym	Shienaran
Historical information
Formed from	Early War of the Hundred Years

"Peace favor your sword."
   —Shienaran warrior's blessing

Shienar (pronounced: shy-NAHR) is one of the four Borderland nations which lie on the threshold of the Great Blight. It is the easternmost of the Borderlands, lying between the Spine of the World and Arafel. The sigil of Shienar is a swooping black hawk. By tradition, the sigil of the reigning ruler is also a sign of Shienar.

Geography

Shienar stretches from the River Mora on the border with Arafel to the Spine of the World, and from the Blight to the River Erinin. The city of Fal Dara lies in the north-east of Shienar, near Tarwin's Gap, while the capital Fal Moran is further south.

Location within the Westlands

History

The nation of Shienar was formed early in the War of the Hundred Years. The governors of Hawkwing's five northern provinces met and agreed to form stable nations to preserve the peace and defend against the Blight. Merean Tihomar was the first Queen of Shienar.

Following the Fall of Malkier in 955 NE, Shadowspawn armies crossed into the northern parts of Shienar and Arafel. With the additional aid of Kandor, the two nations managed to repel the invasion of their lands. Malkier, on the other hand, was soon consumed by the Blight.

At the height of the Aiel War, Shienar sent the largest expeditionary force of the Grand Alliance and fought in the Battle of the Shining Walls. The Aiel withdrew after killing Laman Damodred, and both sides considered themselves the victor of the war.

In 998 NE, Shienar faced an invasion by a Shadowspawn army. Hopelessly outnumbered and with no time to ask other countries for help, the Shienarans rode and faced the enemy at Tarwin's Gap, although they knew that they would almost certainly lose. However, the subsequent battle saw the Shienarans win a surprising victory thanks to the intervention of Rand al'Thor.

Government

The government body of Shienar is a monarchy. The throne is currently held by King Easar Togita. The throne is located in the capital, Fal Moran.

Fashion and culture

Shienaran men, especially warriors, typically shave their faces and wear their hair in a topknot. Like all the Borderlands, Shienar's culture is heavily martial due to the proximity of the Blight and the constant need for vigilance, and internal strife of the kind often seen in the southern countries is virtually nonexistent.

A Shienaran warrior by Jeremy Saliba.

Towns/cities

• Fal Moran (capital)
• Ankor Dail
• Camron Caan
• Fal Dara
• Fal Eisen
• Fal Sion
• Medo
• Mos Shirare

Parallels

• Shinar is an area mentioned several times in the Bible, meaning "two rivers" , possibly a reference to the two rivers, referring to areas of Mesopotamia. In addition, another kingdom mentioned in Genesis 14:1 is Elasar, possibly transformed into Easar. The king of Shinar was Amrafel, possibly an inspiration in the naming of Arafel.

Trivia

• In the "Shienar" section of The Wheel of Time Companion, the country's flag is described as consisting of a black hawk on a background of blue and white stripes (which was also previously confirmed in The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time). However, in the "Black Hawk" section of the Companion, the hawk is instead described as being displayed on a yellow background when used as the flag of Shienar. The reason for this inconsistency is unknown.