Reincarnation
The topic of Reincarnation is a natural element of the deep emotional and psychological connections between the characters and peoples of the Valdemar series. The Companions and their Heralds, along with corresponding "gifted" characters from other nations, all have varying degrees of Extrasensory perception (ESP), "information not gained through the recognized physical senses but sensed with the mind...psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairaudience, and clairvoyance, and their trans-temporal operation as precognition or retrocognition. ESP is also sometimes casually referred to as a sixth sense...The term implies acquisition of information by means external to the basic limiting assumptions of science, such as that organisms can only receive information from the past to the present."
The foremost and notable Reincarnations are embodied by the Companions, who were initially born from pure Light in "the Companion's Field Grove". The soul reincarnated within each Companion is always from a deceased Herald. Like many accounts of Reincarnation, memory is diffused from identity, while skills and ability, particularly magical strengths, are largely intact. A clear indication is seen in Herald-Mage-Trainee Tylendel returning as Bard Stefen. Companions appear to be self-named, yet their chosen name typically reflects the name they had in a past life, but is not identical. Listed are examples of likely reincarnations:
In The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy, Herald Tantras is one of Vanyel's contemporaries. Herald Kris in the first trilogy of Lackey's Valdemar Saga stories (starting with Arrows of the Queen) has a Companion named Tantris. In the above-mentioned Trilogy, Vanyel's Aunt is Savil. Herald-Captain Kerowyn's Companion is named Sayvil.
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