Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time Episode 5.
The Big Picture
- The Horn of Valere is a valuable and coveted magical artifact in The Wheel of Time, capable of summoning long-dead heroes to fight in battle.
- The mechanics of the Horn are unclear, but heroes who are summoned fight for the Dragon’s Banner and cannot fight against the Light.
- The Horn has been hidden for centuries but was recently stolen and delivered to Lord Turak, who plans to use it to conquer the world. Its significance is yet to be fully revealed.
The Wheel of Time is set in an expansive fantasy world full of different cultures, powerful magic, and nasty villains. But even so, the show has much more lore to explore. Based on Robert Jordan‘s series, The Wheel of Time has plenty of source material, including an extensive history and unique artifacts. Not all of this can be explored in the show, but some elements are too important to cut from the story. One of the more important details is the Horn of Valere. The Horn is a magical artifact that few understand, but everyone wants to use.
There has been lots of talk of the Horn of Valere in The Wheel of Time, with it being removed from hiding in Shienar, a hopeless hunt beginning in Cairhien, Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) having chased it through the country with the Shienarans, and Ishamael (Fares Fares) gifting it to the Seanchan leader, Lord Turak (Daniel Francis). Everyone in the series seems to have heard of the Horn of Valere, no matter where they are from. Still, no one has done much to explain why the ancient artifact is so coveted. The Horn is an ancient legend, so old that some are no longer sure it’s real, but it supposedly wakens long-dead heroes for battle to fight beside the hornblower. As a significant part of the impeding Last Battle against the Dark One, and therefore important to the Dragon Reborn, the Horn’s role in the series will only grow as its mysteries are revealed.
What is the Horn of Valere in ‘The Wheel of Time’?
The simple curved horn is golden without a particularly grand appearance but distinguishable by an inscription in the Old Tongue on the Horn’s mouth that reads, “Tia mi aven Moridin isainde vadin,” which translates to “The grave is no bar to my call.” Despite the unremarkable appearance, the Horn of Valere is valuable. So valuable, in fact, that even the lowest peasant has enough hope to set out on the hunt called in Cairhien. Yet, the most notable thing about the Horn is what it can do. As Lord Yakota (Amar Chadha-Patel) explains in Season 1, when trumpeted, the Horn will call back the greatest heroes of the Pattern. But even in the series, the exact mechanics is unclear. Though some believe they will fight for whoever blows the Horn, it’s not that simple. In the books, the heroes themselves explain that they must fight for the Dragon’s Banner, but they also claim they cannot fight against the Light, which seems like there are a lot of stipulations. Whoever the heroes serve, the Hornsounder is linked to the Horn until their death, and the Horn will work for no one else while they are alive.
Despite the prevalence of these legends, which spread across many different cultures, much about the Horn is unknown. But, while the creation of the Horn has been lost to time, the legend remains. Supposedly destined to be found in time for the Last Battle against the Dark One, the Horn of Valere’s purpose is clear: summoning dead heroes to fight. While there are no uses of the Horn listed before the events of the series, enough rules are established that it could have been blown before but lost to history. The number of heroes tied to the Horn is uncertain, especially considering whatever power the Horn wields can add new heroes throughout the ages. But Jordan states that there are fewer than a hundred. Among them are notable names such as Artur Hawkwing, Birgitte Silverbow, Jain Fairstrider, Shivan the Hunter, and many more. They return as ghost-like figures ready to charge into battle with all their legendary knowledge.
The Horn is the subject of its own prophecy, which ties it to the Last Battle specifically, but not exclusively. Though it is not directly a part of the Dragon Reborn prophecy, the Horn is tied to him, as proven by the insistence that they fight behind the Dragon’s Banner. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the Horn that can only be unraveled with use. Obviously, it is the Horn’s ability that makes it so desired. With the ambiguity of the myth, everyone believes possession of the Horn will give them access to history’s greatest heroes during the impending battle, and that additional power is a huge advantage.
Where Is the Horn of Valere in ‘The Wheel of Time’?
The series has already shown the Horn, though it has been trapped in an intricate box. It first appeared in Shienar, where it had been hiding for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. Lord Yakota ordered it removed as he expected the Last Battle to begin at that attack. However, before it could be sounded, the Darkfriend, Padan Fain (Johann Myers), stole it, bringing it out of Shienar for the first time in who knows how long. Season 2 saw Perrin, Loial (Hammed Animashaun), and a company of Shienarans chasing down Fain in hopes of recovering the Horn, but they never managed to catch up. The Horn is also mentioned to Rand (Josha Stradowski) in Cairhien, where a hunt is setting out, with riches promised to whoever finds it. Yet Rand learns that this is a tradition to cull the city’s population, and there is no expectation that anyone will find it. However, people seem happy to go, with the enticement of the prize.
The Horn of Valere finally reappears on-screen in Season 2, Episode 5, “Damane,” when Ishamael delivers it to Lord Turak of the Seanchan. Turak opens the box with palpable greed and proudly declares that the Horn will help his people conquer the world, but fortunately, he doesn’t use it. Despite all the build-up about the Horn, no one has dared to sound it, so it has yet to do anything. Until the Horn is used, its significance is far from over. Loial and the Shienaran Ingtar (Gregg Chillin) are already planning to get it back from Turak despite their enslavement, and anyone else who hears of its whereabouts is likely to chase it as well. With so many different sides ready to wage war, everyone longs for the advantage the Horn of Valere promises.
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