Ta'veren
tah-VEER-ehn
Contents
General
Ta'veren are people chosen by the Wheel to mend the Pattern at need, making someone who is already alive one, people are not born ta’veren (Robert Jordan's Blog, Friday, January 20th, 2006). When the Pattern seems to be drifting too quickly, and especially if it is in the wrong direction, one or more ta’veren are created. As such, people such as Darkfriends are unlikely to be ta'veren as the aim of the Dark One is to break the wheel and destroy the Pattern (Robert Jordan's Blog, Wednesday, October 5th, 2005).
Unlikely events happen around ta'veren, both good and bad, which tend to balance each other out (ACoS, Ch. 35). It is also possible for Aes Sedai to duplicate the effects of ta'veren, though this has not been seen in the books (Robert Jordan's Blog, Wednesday, October 5th, 2005). Some channelers, such as Siuan (TGH, Ch. 5), Nicola (LoC, Ch. 38) and Logain (TEotW, Ch. 39; LoC, Ch. 30) have the ability to see ta'veren, and although it is considered a "minor" talent (ACoS, Ch. 9), the talent is rare, supposedly more so than ta'veren themselves (TGH, Ch. 5). Some Ogier are also able to see ta'veren, though Loial is not one of them (TGH, Ch. 3). It is also possible to find ta'veren using the Power, though few people know how (KoD, Ch. 18).
Ta'veren Effects
Ta'veren twist chance, causing events to happen that would likely not have otherwise, and people to make decisions that they likely would not. How unlikely the event or decision can depend on how strong the ta'veren is and it may often be difficult to classify an event as something that might have happened without the ta'veren. We generally do not know how much chance can be twisted, such as if events that would usually happen only one time in 10 will occur frequently, or if events that might happen one time in a million, or a hundred million. Similarly, for events that are more likely, it is difficult, if not impossible to say they are the result of a ta'veren. If an event happens fifty percent of the time, but would not have happened in the absence of a ta'veren, we would have no way of knowing.
Effects on People
- In Jarra, all the single people get married and several Whitecloaks quit (TDR, Ch. 8)
- In Tallan, old arguments and resentments boil to the surface, resulting in three murders (TDR, Ch. 33)
- A coin Mat tosses to choose how to get to Rhuidean lands on its side (TSR, Ch. 22)
- Perrin persuades people to abandon their homes (TSR, Ch. 33)
- Many Maidens start laying their Bridal Wreath (TFoH, Ch. 5)
- Bael and Jheran end the feud between their clans (TFoH, Ch. 30)
- Egwene almost reveals to Rand the location of the rebel Aes Sedai (LoC, Ch. 18)
- Galina responds to Rand's question about Alviarin (LoC, Ch. 27))
- The nine Rebel Aes Sedai swear fealty to Rand (LoC, Ch. 55)
- Loial lets slip his desire to marry Erith (ACoS, Ch. 4)
- Harine gives Rand much of what he desires (ACoS, Ch. 34)
- Darlin tells Rand he would be willing to follow the Dragon Reborn (ACoS, Ch. 35).
- Talmanes and other members of the band feel Mat needing them (TPoD, Ch. 18)
- Alliandre swears fealty to Perrin (TPoD, Ch. 20)
- Merana tells Rand off (TPoD, Ch. 27)
- When Rand visits the Tower to speak to Egwene, the Sitters cannot speak. Silviana says she could not think; Barasine says "something gripped [her] heart"; Yukiri could not speak even though she tried. Only Egwene is able to resist (ToM, Ch. 3).
Effects on Chance
- According to Loial, the events following escape from the Two Rivers is evidence of ta'veren (TEotW, Ch. 36)
- Much of Sidon burns to the ground (TDR, Ch. 33)
- The wells in Willar start flowing again (TDR, Ch. 33)
- In Samaha, the wells go dry (TDR, Ch. 33)
- In Fyall, the mayor finds old coins from Manetheren (TDR, Ch. 33)
- While gambling, everyone throws nothing but sixes (TFoH, Ch. 30)
- A servant drops a paper-thin vase whic goes tumbling end-over-end across the dark red floor tiles without breaking (LoC, Ch. 10).
- A basket of roof tiles fell from a roof and landed in the street unbroken in the shape of the ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai (LoC, Ch. 10)
- Aviendha suggests using Mat's ta'veren nature to help find the Bowl of the Winds (ACoS, Ch. 13). He does eventually find the Kin's store of ter'angreal ACoS, Ch. 31).
- There are no stillbirths while Rand is in Cairhien and more marriages in a day than previously in a week, though the number of men or women leaving their wives or husbands greatly increases (ACoS, Ch. 35)
- A baker's boy drops his loaves, which fall into the shape of a rough cone (CoT, Ch. 20).
- A man drinking in the second story of an inn, falls out and lands on, mug still in hand (CoT, Ch. 20)
Interrelationships between Ta'veren
The three known ta'veren in the series, Rand, Mat and Perrin are have an awareness of each other, which manifests in the form of swirling colours that coalesce into an image of the person, in their current location, whenever one of them thinks of the other. Mat and Perrin also feel Rand tugging on them on occasion.
Swirling Colours
- Perrin
- Colours swirl in Perrin's head when he thinks of Rand, and he ignores them (WH, Ch. 1)
- Colours swirl in Perrin's head and form an image of Rand and Nynaeve facing each other (CoT, Ch. 8).
- Colours swirl in Perrin's head and form a brief image of Mat and Tuon (KoD, Ch. 4).
- The colours swirl to show Rand, sitting alone (TGS, Ch. 5)
- The colours swirl but Perrin shakes them off before they can show Rand (ToM, Ch. 2).
- The colours swirl to show rand standing in front of a building with a burnt front, looking westwards (ToM, Ch. 2).
- The colours swirl but Perrin shakes them off before they can show Rand (ToM, Ch. 10).
- The colours swirl to show Rand and Nynaeve riding through Tear (ToM, Ch. 10).
- Colours swirl to show an unidentified image of Rand (ToM, Ch. 21).
- Colours swirl to show Rand walking the Stone of Tear (ToM, Ch. 29)
- Perrin sees at talking to a Seanchan (AMoL, Ch. 44).
- Mat
- A faint swirl of colours when he thinks of Rand and Perrin (WH, Ch. 15).
- Colours come and vanish when he thinks of Rand (WH, Ch. 16).
- Mat avoids the colours by not thinking Rand's name, but then gets them when he thinks how successful it was (WH, Ch. 29).
- Colours swirl in Mat's head and form a vague image of a man and woman facing each other (likely Rand and Nynaeve cleansing the source), (CoT, Ch. 3).
- An image of Rand and Min kissing next to a large bed forms in his head. Another image then briefly forms and he thinks there are worse thinks to see than kissing (KoD, Ch. 6)
- The colours swirl to form an image of Rand and Loial (KoD, Ch. 8).
- Colours that resolve into an image of Rand alone, missing his hand (TGS, Ch. 27).
- Colours that were going to resolve into Rand, but were forced away (TGS, Ch. 34).
- Colours swirl to show Rand shaving (ToM, Ch. 17)
- Colours swirl to show an unidentified image of Rand (ToM, Ch. 22).
- Colours swirl to show Rand eating a meal with Min (ToM, Ch. 55).
- Rand
- Colours form and he chooses not to suppress them. He sees two images, firstly of Mat and Tuon arguing while riding, then Perrin in an inn with a man and woman wearing identical coats (KoD, Ch. 18).
- The colours swirl to show Mat with the Band outside Caemlyn (TGS, Ch. 5).
- Colours that resolve into an image of Perrin with Galad, then change to show Mat with Thom, riding through Caemlyn (TGS, Ch. 27)
Known Ta'veren
Seeing Ta'veren
Some people have the ability to see Ta'veren, as a glow around the individual. Others, such as Ogier can sense it
Ogier
Miscellaneous
When the first Bubbles of Evil appeared, they were attracted to ta'veren (TSR, Ch. 3)
A dreamer's dreams about ta'veren are almost always significant, the stronger the ta'veren, the more likely (TDR, Ch. 25).
The Aelfinn and Eelfinn are especially drawn to ta'veren (ToM, Ch. 57).
The Seanchan do not know about ta'veren and when Tuon learns, she considers it superstition (KoD, Ch. 26).
Quotes
The Wheel of Time weaves the Pattern of the Ages, and the threads it uses are lives. It is not fixed, the Pattern, not always. If a man tries to change the direction of his life and the Pattern has room for it, the Wheel just weaves on and takes it in. There is always room for small changes, but sometimes the Pattern simply won't accept a big change, no matter how hard you try...
...And sometimes the Wheel bends a life-thread, or several threads, in such a way that all the surrounding threads are forced to swirl around it, and those force other threads, and those still others, and on and on. That first bending to make the Web, that is ta'veren, and there is nothing you can do to change it, not until the Pattern itself changes. The Web - ta'maral'ailen, it's called - can last for weeks, or for years. It can take in a town, or even the whole Pattern. Artur Hawkwing was ta'veren. So was Lews Therin Kinslayer, for that matter, I suppose (Loial to Rand, The Eye of the World, Chapter 36).
"I could almost feel the Pattern swirl just listening to you tell your tale, and I have no Talent there. You are ta'veren, all right. You, and maybe your friends, too." (Loial, to Rand, The Eye of the World, Chapter 36)
