Tuatha'an

The Tuatha'an are a fictional group of people in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. Also known as Tinkers and The Traveling People, The Tuatha'an are a nomadic group of people who travel continuously and widely in brightly colored wagons. These wagons are comparable to the Gypsy Vardos. The nomadicism of the Tuatha'an stems from the belief that only by moving continuously can they remain safe. The Tuatha'an's main purpose has evolved to searching for "The Song" which they claim they will know when they find it. The purpose of the song is hinted at when Rand discovers that the Tuatha'an were once part of the Aiel and that they sang a song with Ogier and Nym that helped plants to grow. "The Song's" exact purpose and nature are not disclosed in the first 12 books and may or may not be disclosed in the last. It is customary for the clan chief of the Tuatha'an, the Mahdi, to ask those who come to their camps "Do you know the song?". According to the Tuatha'an, they lost the song during the Breaking of the World, and that if they can find it again, the Age of Legends will return. As followers of the Way of the Leaf, the Tuatha'an are also a very pacifistic people. They believe there is never a reason for violence against other people. It is suggested that their ancestors had no issue with hunting animals for food during the breaking of the world but it is mentioned by Elyas offhandedly that the Tuatha'an are in fact vegans, to paraphrase. Several times in the series, violence against those who follow the Way of The Leaf is demonstrated by men as well as by Shadowspawn.

The Tuatha’an are also well known for their singing and dancing. They sing and dance at any opportunity, and Tinker camps are seldom without music. One such dance performed by Tinker women is the Tiganza, a dance purported to be capable of 'bringing men's blood to a boil'. The Tuatha'an are very fond of extravagant bright and clashing colors.

It is strongly suggested that the Tuatha'an have the same origin as the Aiel, but split away from the Aiel during their wanderings after the Breaking of the World. At one point, a particular group of Aiel had been so ravaged by brigands that some broke their oath to guard the objects of the power that they had been charged with by the Aes Sedai. They lost faith in the Aes Sedai but continued to adhere to the Way of the Leaf. It is for this reason that the Aiel refer to the Tuatha'an as the "Lost Ones". The Tuatha'an are also one of the few groups of people who can pass through the Aiel Waste unmolested. This is because the modern Aiel are so disturbed by them that they won't even approach the Tuatha'an to throw them out of the waste. Only one occasion is known of even a single Aiel voluntarily making contact with a Tuatha'an. A single Maiden approached a group of Tinkers to pass on a message as she lay dying that The Dark One intended to break the Wheel of Time and make the Eye of the World serve the shadow. Thus implying that only the end of the world was enough motivation to overcome the loathing of the Tuatha'an by an Aiel.

The Way of the Leaf

The Way of the Leaf is a philosophy of nonviolence and acceptance of what may happen in life. The belief is similar in some ways to ahimsa. The Way of the Leaf applies to all living things, including that its adherents not put up a fight in defense of their lives, kill animals for food, or even touch weapons of war. Male adherents may sacrifice their lives when attacked so that women and children can escape when necessary.

The original followers of the Way of the Leaf in the Age of Legends were known as the Da'shain Aiel. During the breaking and shortly thereafter, the Da'shain Aiel broke into three main groups, the Jenn Aiel, the Tuatha'an (Tinkers) and the Aiel. The Tuatha'an became a traveling band while the other two groups crossed the Dragon Wall (Spine of the World). In the current time period the Jenn Aiel have died out leaving the Aiel, who no longer practice the way of the leaf, and the Tuatha'an who continue to do so.