Air Nomads

"air"

- The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom.

Air Nomads is a collective term for a nation of people who practice the discipline of airbending. One of the four major nations, the Air Nomads were wanderers by definition, but had four air temples, one at each corner of the globe, hidden away atop mountain ranges in the northern Earth Kingdom and on three remote islands. The theocratic Air Nomads were home to a monastic order of men and women who practiced airbending. Unlike the other nations, the people of the Air Nomads were, without any seen exception, all benders due to the high level of spirituality of their people.

The Air Nomads were a peaceful race who were wiped out by the Fire Nation. They lived in large temples and traveled the world on flying bison. They were the most spiritual of all the cultures and lived in harmony with nature. They also were fun-loving and had a strong sense of humor. Tenzin and his four children are the only known living Air Nomads, as Tenzin's father, Avatar Aang, died and was reborn into Avatar Korra of the Southern Water Tribe.

The Air Nomads were the smallest of the four nations in the world. It had a small economy, based entirely on limited agriculture. The population of the Air Nomads was small compared to even the Water Tribe, and was far smaller than either of the world's two major powers, the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.

At 0 ASC, the Air Nomads were the victims of genocide at the hands of the Fire Nation. Ironically, the sole known survivor of the massacre was the very person the Fire Nation sought to kill in its quest for supremacy: the twelve-year-old airbender and Avatar, Aang, who had run away from the Southern Air Temple shortly before the Hundred Year War began and became trapped in suspended animation in a globe of ice along with his lifetime friend, Appa. One hundred years later, he was awakened and released by Katara and Sokka, who helped him succeed in his quest to restore balance and peace to the warring nations.

After the Hundred Year War, Aang found several flying bison and ring-tailed winged lemurs. Elsewhere, a group named the Air Acolytes was formed to carry on the teachings, culture, and traditions of the Air Nomads. This group resides on Air Temple Island, along with the new founded flying bisons and ring-tailed winged lemurs. The Air Nation also has a representative on the United Republic Council, a spot currently held by Tenzin.

Appearance


The Air Nomads wear yellow, orange and brown clothing. Aang and other young airbenders wear orange shawls over long-sleeved yellow shirts, an orange sash, double-layered pants with brown underneath and a loose yellow layer on top, and high boots that reach just below the knees. Older monks wear long robes in shades of yellow and orange, as well as wooden necklaces with the Air Nomad insignia carved into it. Most Air Nomads have gray or brown eyes and a light complexion.

Young boys to be trained as monks have shaven heads, while monk elders grow beards and mustaches; they had the longest and most prominent facial hair of any nation. Female airbenders do not fully shave their heads, just their foreheads so their arrow is visible. It has been shown that when not shaven, Air Nomads have black or brown hair.

Airbenders who have attained a level of mastery in the art are marked with arrow tattoos, based on the arrows of the sky bison, the first airbenders. A primary arrow tattoo is placed on their shaven head that extends down their back, along with four others, one on each limb that terminates in an arrowhead at the hands and feet.

The arrows mark the paths through which chi travels through the body. Because of this, when an Air Nomad Avatar tattooed in this fashion enters the Avatar State, these tattoos are known to glow, along with the Avatar's eyes and mouth. If the body has received an injury deeper than the tattoo, then that spot will no longer glow while in the Avatar State.

National emblem


The Air Nomad insignia is a stylized, swirling orb. Within the circle, coiling lines illustrate the wind. The symbol can be seen on the design of doors and surfaces in the air temples, as well as on pendants of monks' prayer beads.

The Air Nomad flag is a banner held between two wooden poles. The center of the banner is emblazoned with the Air Nomad insignia.

Geography
The Air Nomads were situated on remote mountains in large temples. There were four temples in all, one for each direction on the compass. Two were for and run by males and two were for and run by females. The young boys of the Southern Air Temple were known to travel to the Eastern Air Temple in order to choose their own personal sky bison. This was considered an important choice as the intelligent animals would be with the choosing airbenders for the rest of their lives.

Culture
While other nations possess royalty and are run by monarchies, the Air Nomads were led by the senior monks and nuns of the air temples. Many hints suggest that the Air Nomads are based on Chinese Shaolin monks and Tibetan culture due to their peaceful nature, monk-ruled society, and geographical isolation due to elevation.



The Air Nomads are the only nation comprised entirely of benders, due to the highly spiritual nature of their lives. Meditation was an important part of the airbenders' daily routines, as it helped them to focus their energies and understand the potency of their element. Due to their high spirituality, the monks believed that hope was only a distraction.

It has been mentioned that they had a good sense of humor, a fact shown when Monk Gyatso employed a unique teaching method when tutoring Aang with his airbending skills, accurately blowing fruit pies onto other monks' heads. This activity was useful training and a fun game combined.

The arrow tattoos adorning an Air Nomad's body signifies that he or she has mastered airbending. This is an emulation of the natural arrows on the heads of flying bison, who can naturally airbend and are the original teachers of the art, much like the badgermole is to the earthbenders. Aspiring airbenders have no tattoos and in order to receive the tattoos as well as the title of a master, an airbender must pass the thirty-six levels of airbending or engineer a new technique. In actuality, Aang had only reached the thirty-fifth level before he left the Jong-Mu Temple, but his invention of the air scooter earned him the tattoos prematurely, making him the youngest airbending master in history. Aang's son, Tenzin, became a master at an unknown age.

Season
Each nation of the four nations is influenced by their own distinct, dominant season, in which their bending is at its peak. Autumn is the dominant season of the Air Nomad race. Airbenders are thus at their strongest in this season. More Air Nomad children were born during autumn than any other season, all retaining bending abilities.

Natural resources and foods


As could be determined, air is the main and most significant power source and natural resource of the nomads, as without it they would be rendered powerless. Luckily, air is everywhere, so depriving Air Nomads of their power source is quite a feat. With the power of air channeled under their control, the airbenders could defend and protect their homes and way of life (before the Fire Nation launched its attack). It also made traveling much easier, since they could ride on their sky bison, or glide with the air currents using their gliders. Because the Air Nomads believed that all life was precious, they were peaceful vegetarians. They do not seem to mind, however, eating eggs and dairy products seeing how Aang was willing to eat an egg custard tart. They were also known to make sweets, such as pies. The Air Nomads sold their pies for money, at one silver piece each, and all the money made from that was given to charity.

The Air Nomads were a tranquil race of people endeavoring to preserve the environment around them. Any industry that they engineered, such as farming and gardening, were powered naturally. They also produced their own food.

Government


Government system: Theocracy

Head of State and Government: Two Councils of Monks (one Northern and one Southern) and two Councils of Sisters (one Eastern and one Western)

Religious Authority: Two Councils of Monks (one Northern and one Southern) and two Councils of Sisters (one Eastern and one Western)

Military
Contrary to the propaganda spread in the Fire Nation, the Air Nomads did not have an army, or any form of military, as Air Nomads believed in peace and non-violence. Though the Air Nomads did not have any organized fighting force, they still proved to be formidable opponents, as Gyatso's skeleton was found surrounded by several firebenders, showing that although the Air Nomads were a peaceful people, some were willing to fight when they were called to. Aang also mentioned that Fire Lord Sozin defeated the Air Nomads through ambush.

Notable places

 * Southern Air Temple
 * Northern Air Temple
 * Eastern Air Temple
 * Western Air Temple
 * Air Temple Island

Notable figures

 * Avatar Aang
 * Avatar Yangchen
 * Monk Gyatso
 * Sister Lio
 * Monk Pasang
 * Monk Tashi

Trivia

 * 70 years after the Hundred Year War, Avatar Korra visits the Air Temples.