I am currently listening to the audiobooks of Piers Anthonys'  Incarnations of Immortality series.

 

The fifth book Being a Green Mother is about a young woman with the ability to perform music that envokes magic. On her quest searching the Llano, a mysterious song and all powerfull song she joins the Gipsys. They are described as a peacefull folk that loves music and dreaming of finding the Llano. The Gipsys love to dance and they perform an erotic, evocative dance called the Tanana.

 

Of course the Gipsys or better said the Romani exist and are the obvious inspiration for the Tuatha'an in the wheel of time series. But I wonder: Did Being a Green Mother inspire the presentation of the Tuatha'an in the WoT? The search for the Song, the way they love music and dancing and the similarity of the description of the Tiganaza and Tanana really makes me believe that this could have been an inspiration.

 

Being a Green Mother was released in 1987 - that should be very close to Robert Jordan starting work for the Eye of the World (release 1990). Incarnations of Immortality was very successfull for fantasy in the 80s, so I guess there is a good chance that Robert Jordan did read those books.

 

Is anything known if he did read or was inspired by this series? I could find nothing with the help of our friend Google.

 

Do not recall anywhere telling one way or the other.