How will The Wheel of Time show use the Old Tongue?

A lot of great fantasy authors create languages, and Robert Jordan is no exception. The ancient language known as the Old Tongue is a staple of his The Wheel of Time series. Based on the evidence, it looks like the upcoming adaptation from Amazon Studios will include this conlang.

Jordan fleshed out the Old Tongue in his books; by the end of the 14-book series, there were over a thousand words and phrases in place, and even an alphabet, but Amazon could still expand on the language in its series.

The most popular fantasy languages created for movies and television are probably Elvish and Swarvish, created by J.R.R. Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings. There’s also the Valyrian and Dothraki speech from Game of Thrones. In the hunt for ultimate fantasy experience, The Wheel of Time hopes to capitalize on what Jordan already built and fully incorporate the Old Tongue.

In the early days of production, The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins revealed that actors were speaking the Old Tongue exceptionally well, saying they “nailed it.” It’s unclear which members of the cast he was referring to, but there were rumors of a casting leak for Lews Therin that suggested the characters speak will speak in the Old Tongue.

The Old Tongue shows up in The Wheel of Time soundtrack

The soundtrack for The Wheel of Time has also put a heavy emphasis on the Old Tongue. Composer Lorne Balfe has posted two songs from the series, and both are sung entirely in the invented language. The title of the first track, “Al Naito,” translates to “the Flame.”

The second track, “Caisen’shar,” means “Old Blood.”

The first three episodes of The Wheel of Time will drop on Amazon Prime on November 19.

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