Elmindreda Farshaw

In The Wheel of Time, Elmindreda Farshaw, just Min for short, is one of the three women in love with Rand al'Thor and a seer.

Although a pretty, maybe even beautiful woman (when dressed in the fashion men of those times wanted all women to be and women for some reason wanted to be too although pretending to be self-sufficient), Min prefers, or preferred until of late, to wear mens' clothes, claiming them to be handier. It would appear that she also wanted to object on women being just an object for men, saying "I won't wear dresses because of a man". Also the fact that she grew in a rough city called Baerlon in Andor, playing with boys, might have something to do with her clothing of choice.

However, lately she's started to behave like women are supposed to behave where she's from, apparently dimwitted by Rand al'Thor whom she is destined love, as dictated by the Algorithms of the Wheel.

Her last name, Farshaw, is an interesting choice by Robert Jordan, as she has ability whose origin is rather unknown, one that isn't known to have been possessed by any other human. That is, she can see 'auras' around people, images attached to feelings that somehow foretell the future. It is suspected that she reads the Pattern in the future, however, those of who still would wish some free will to exist suggest that she doesn't see the future but maybe past turns of Wheel from the same Age or even the algorithm of the wheel. This way or that, so far everything she has saw has come true. If she someone was to die, if she didn't tell that person he'd just die, if she did, he would die because she told him. Quite depressing, as she herself said.

This ability of hers has put her in Aes Sedai's interest, tangling her up with White Tower schemes, and since she won't just leave because of Rand al'Thor, she is another thread of life pulled in ta'veren swirl.

See also Elmindreda Farshaw, although the write-ups there are either terse or derogatory. I thought she deserved better, so I'm starting a new node under the name she prefers.

Min is a character in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. She is named after a character in stories who is a total slut or heartbreaker or something like that. But she doesn't like stereotypical women's roles in her area, so she refuses to be called by that name. Note that women anywhere in that world are equal to men or even better, but in many places, specific roles are expected of each. She also wears men's clothes, which means breeches and a coat like in the early 1800's, if I understand the descriptions correctly. She claims this is because it's easier to move in pants than dresses, but it's also because the breeches show her legs well.

Min has visions of the future, and they always come true. Occasionally, the vision involves how to prevent something, but if it doesn't, it can't be prevented and must simply be prepared for.

Min is also the wisest person in her world. Her only shortcoming is that she doesn't understand nobles. This can be seen in her complete inability to figure out why Colavaere killed herself. But when it doesn't concern nobles, she understands people very well, sometimes better than they understand themselves. She knew, without ever meeting Aviendha, just hearing about her from Rand al'Thor, that she, Elayne Trakand, and Aviendha all loved Rand and that he loved all three back. She also engineered getting them all in the same room together to admit it.