Lenn
Tell us about Lenn. How he flew to the moon in the belly of an eagle made of fire.
Tell us about Lenn. How he flew to the moon in the belly of an eagle made of fire. Tell us about his daughter Salya walking among the stars.
— Egwene al'Vere
Lenn is a mythical character who features in one of the stories within Thom Merrilin's repertoire. The story of Lenn is ancient and dates to the First Age. In the tale Lenn supposedly flew to the moon in the belly of an eagle made of fire. He had a daughter, Salya, who "walked among the stars." The tales of Lenn and Salya are examples of historical accounts that over time evolved into legends which further changed and faded into myth. This is common for all stories that transcend multiple ages as the Wheel of Time turns. Eventually the myths of Lenn and Salya will disappear from memory and will be long forgotten when the age that gave rise to the original stories comes again.
Parallels
Lenn is a hidden reference to John Glenn↗ who was the first American to orbit the earth. The "eagle of fire" that flew to the moon is a reference to the Apollo program↗ which codenamed its moon landing module as "the eagle"; though John Glenn never actually flew to the moon. Lenn's daughter Salya is a hidden reference to the American astronaut Sally Ride↗ who became the first American woman to fly in space.