A way of life loosely based on the Way of the Leaf, the Dashain Aiel way of living in Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time series.

The Wheel of Time is set in a world where time rotates through many Ages, and readers are introduced to events taking place in the Third Age. Previously, in the Age of Legends, also known as the First Age, a group known as the Dashain Aiel were covenanted to Aes Sedai, poeple with a special "magical" ability. In this Covenant, the Aiel swore to serve the Aes Sedai, while the Aes Sedai pledged to protect the Aiel from harm. The Dashain Aiel were also respected during that Age, and therefore never had to resort to harming others. The Way of the Leaf, the Third-Age equivalent of the Covenant, refers to the way a leaf never does violence even in death, but floats gently to the ground.

Although it was not mentioned in the series1, fans believe that The Way of the Coconut exists, and that it is another modern attempt to return to the original Covenant. The Way of the Coconut is a Trolloc society pledged to peace. Trollocs are creatures similar in disposition to Orcs in The Lord of the Rings, and were created by Aginor as creatures of destruction. This extraordinary society was formed by Narg, who was a Trolloc blessed with powers that many Trollocs do not possess.

Narg is special in that he is the only Trolloc to have a name. He also displays intelligence and the ability to communicate with humans. The only time he appeared in the series in The Eye of the World, he was believed to have been killed by Rand al'Thor, the messianic Dragon Reborn. However, as he is such a unique character among the Trollocs2, many fans think that his part in the story is far from over.

They speculate that after having had a run-in with Rand, Narg probably recovered from his wounds, though severe they were. He realised that he had been spared and pondered over the meaning of his life. Studying the Prophecies of the Dragon, he came to the conclusion that the boy which he had tried to kill was not an ordinary person. He saw the importance of the Covenant of the Dashain Aiel and vowed to bring the other Trollocs to that same awareness which he had reached.

However, the Trollocs as a group did not have the same common foundation as the Aiel of the Covenant. The Trollocs that followed after Narg were stupid, clumsy and naturally bloodthirsty creatures. Despite their fervent desire to follow the Covenant wholeheartedly, they sometimes did things that seemed contrary to their beliefs. Thus the name "The Way of the Coconut" was coined for their version of the Covenant.


1 It is an important note that The Way of the Coconut was never mentioned in the series, and exists merely as a theory in the minds of fans of the series.
2 See Narg.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.