Well, IIRC, balefire is well-documented in the old lore and may be forbidden; I more vaguely recall Moiraine stealing a ter’angreal which specialized in producing balefire, and since she didn’t spend her life playing with random ter’angreal, someone else must have known of its function or it was listed in storeroom catalogues. If balefire is discussed in the old books, forbidden by Tower law, and a ter’angreal is documented as producing balefire, it’s hard to see how any Aes Sedai could doubt balefire’s existence.
Hm, Moiraine learned how to actually weave it herself. The ter’angreal thing was someone else. Not that it matters.
What matters is that class will be taught to Accepteds and Novices, so discussing something Moiraine describes thus...
‘Something forbidden,’ Moiraine said coolly. ‘Forbidden by vows almost as strong as the Three Oaths.’ She took Aldieb’s reins from the girl, and patted the mare’s neck, calming her. ‘Something not used in nearly two thousand years. Something I might be stilled just for knowing.’
My understanding is that it’s forbidden to use or even know how to weave balefire, but not to know it exists or what it does. Knowledge of its existence moves around among Aes Sedai quite a lot without comment throughout the series.
Letting Novices and Accepted even know it exists is probably bad conduct, if not forbidden though, lest someone lacking sufficient discipline be tempted and try to learn to use it.
Well, IIRC, balefire is well-documented in the old lore and may be forbidden; I more vaguely recall Moiraine stealing a ter’angreal which specialized in producing balefire, and since she didn’t spend her life playing with random ter’angreal, someone else must have known of its function or it was listed in storeroom catalogues. If balefire is discussed in the old books, forbidden by Tower law, and a ter’angreal is documented as producing balefire, it’s hard to see how any Aes Sedai could doubt balefire’s existence.
That makes sense, though I had vague memories of the existence of balefire being suppressed.
Hm, Moiraine learned how to actually weave it herself. The ter’angreal thing was someone else. Not that it matters.
What matters is that class will be taught to Accepteds and Novices, so discussing something Moiraine describes thus...
… is out.
My understanding is that it’s forbidden to use or even know how to weave balefire, but not to know it exists or what it does. Knowledge of its existence moves around among Aes Sedai quite a lot without comment throughout the series.
Letting Novices and Accepted even know it exists is probably bad conduct, if not forbidden though, lest someone lacking sufficient discipline be tempted and try to learn to use it.