my ethnology is pasted on yay
Aug. 24th, 2010 01:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pauraque_bkI had promised to post some of the conlang stuff I've been working on, but I thought it might be interesting(?) to post the ethnographic information I've written for the intro of the grammar first. This may be a little rambly, it's just a first draft. Suggestions welcome.
Tirase is one of numerous modern languages which descend from Imperial Kulae. It is the language of the nation of Tir. In the Kulae language, the name of the region was Túhila "island", and the name Tirase derives from the Kulae term túhilainsu "island tongue". Native speakers of Tirase number approximately 30,000. The language is thriving in everyday use, and all children raised in Tir learn it as their mother tongue.
Tir was colonized by the Kula Empire during the middle Imperial Period. On paper, the purpose of the colony was to mine obsidian from the volcanic islands, but it is widely believed that the Empire sought to establish a military presence in the islands to defend against their enemies on the other side of the sea.
This was not the first time people had inhabited the islands; ancient ruins and inscriptions have been unearthed, but little is known about the society that produced them. The group of islands that make up Tir appear to be the remains of a single, larger, volcanic island that suffered a violent eruption in antiquity, producing a massive round crater whose floor is below sea level. Portions of the remaining land have crumbled below sea level as well, making it possible to sail into the crater.
Cultures on both sides of the sea tell stories of a catastrophic event in the past consisting of tidal waves, flooding, dark skies, falling ash, and failed crops, which could describe the eruption of the Tir volcano. But as these tales were already old by the dawn of recorded history, it is difficult to say with certainty.
In any case, there was no surviving native population in Tir at the time of colonization, and thus no substrate language. The colonists spoke Kulae, and historically there has been scant influence from other languages; contact with other seafaring peoples has generally been hostile. Tir already constituted a distinct dialect region by the time of the civil war that marked the Empire's fall. This is usually considered the point of division between Kulae and Old Tirase, though likely more time passed before mutual intelligibility with mainland speech was truly lost. With the Empire torn apart, the boats from the mainland simply stopped coming, and Tir sailors who ventured too far from home found that enemy nations and pirates were even more of a threat in the absence of Imperial control over the shipping lanes.
Life at first was difficult in Tir without significant trade from the mainland, with the port city of Mozro being particularly hard hit and going into a steep economic decline, becoming a place of poverty and danger for generations. Rural areas held up better, with subsistence farmers carrying on much as they had before, and more specialized agriculturists getting by via trade. Many people hoarded Imperial coins, leading to the advent of shells being used as currency. The celebrated King Vulu is credited with turning Mozro around, driving out criminals and nurturing the redevelopment of technologies once lost, and in modern times the city is quite bustling and relatively safe, albeit very strictly ruled. To this day, however, rural people tend to be suspicious of urbanites.
Outside the city, people can be divided into two major groups: farmers, who live inland and raise crops and/or livestock; and fishermen, who reside on the coast and make their living from fishing and beach-combing (the latter being the traditional occupation of coastal children). The two groups live apart, but meet and trade in small towns around the islands, where artisans and specialists such as apiculturists and salt-makers also sell their wares.
In its isolation, Tir has been somewhat culturally conservative, retaining many practices and beliefs that the continental cultures have abandoned. Arranged marriages are still standard practice, with a husband joining the household of his bride's father. The husband traditionally brings with him a marriage gift consisting of livestock among farmers, money in the city, or other materials of worth among fishermen. Inheritance is from a man to his eldest daughter's husband, even if there are other sons-in-law who are older. Women can legally own property, but rarely do, unless a man dies with no sons-in-law, in which case his wife or daughter may inherit.
Tir society is highly patriarchal, but women are not chattel, and abuse of women is strongly disapproved of. The ancient Kula virtue known as stel is taken very seriously in Tir. In the Kulae language it was called sítehilu "firmness-three", referring to a man's duty to show appropriate discipline and appropriate mercy to three important groups: one's enemies (neither showing cowardice nor butchering the defeated), family (neither letting women and children run wild nor abusing them), and domestic animals (keeping them in check but not treating them with brutality). The Tir people have a particular horror of sadism and cruelty, but they do not view it as an inherent right of people and animals not be abused; rather it is seen as the duty of the strong (adult Kula men) to shepherd the weak (everyone else).
Slavery per se has not existed in Tir for several hundred years, though it was never specifically outlawed. The first colonists were not wealthy people who would be likely to own slaves, and the traditional Kula source of slaves — enemies captured in war — was not available. Convicted criminals who are too poor to pay fines may be sentenced to indentured servitude, but generally do earn their freedom. The Tirase word meaning "person" is sisále, which derives from the Kulae word sianthálu "freeman".
Though the people of Tir are not enslaved, it would be an overstatement to say they are free. The government is an absolute monarchy, ruled by kings descending from Philanthes Losahi, the last Imperially-appointed governor of the islands. The role of the king is to keep order in the city, on the waterways, and in uninhabited areas, to collect taxes and fines and determine what they will be used for, and to protect the nation from outside threats (primarily piracy). His only near-equal in the government is the mómumaz (high priest), who is the head of the Church, advises the king, and appoints judges.
Judges, in fact, are a subset of priests, though not all priests are qualified to be judges (most act as healers, teachers, and/or counselors). They hear complaints of crime, but also are often called upon to settle disagreements. There is no constitution or legislature; judges in Tir depend on common-law precedent, which in turn is based on religious law. When there is no applicable precedent, judges are expected to turn to morality and common sense. A good decision is one that is dómage "fitting, appropriate, harmonious", not necessarily one that is logical.
Someone who is convicted of wronging another is generally sentenced to make amends to the victim's family with a monetary fine or other material offering. Additionally, the owner of the property on which the crime occurred may be held legally accountable for failing to keep the peace, and may himself be fined (in which case the fine would be paid to the king).
There is no concept of separation of Church and State, nor is there any right to freedom of religion. The worship of the Kula horse-god Mírehel (or, euphemistically, Om) is exclusively required, although it has taken on a somewhat altered form in the absence of contact with the god himself, who still resides on the mainland. Tir religion emphasizes faith that God personally watches over them despite physical distance, which is not a common mainland belief. However, self-sufficiency is also considered a virtue, which has encouraged the Church to develop sophisticated physical healing techniques, lacking the ability to plead in person for divine intercession.
Interestingly, with the reestablishment of mainland contact in modern times, these characteristics of Tir belief have not changed very much. It has become common for priests to make pilgrimages to the mainland, but most ordinary people never leave the islands, and will live and die without ever seeing God.
Tirase is one of numerous modern languages which descend from Imperial Kulae. It is the language of the nation of Tir. In the Kulae language, the name of the region was Túhila "island", and the name Tirase derives from the Kulae term túhilainsu "island tongue". Native speakers of Tirase number approximately 30,000. The language is thriving in everyday use, and all children raised in Tir learn it as their mother tongue.
Tir was colonized by the Kula Empire during the middle Imperial Period. On paper, the purpose of the colony was to mine obsidian from the volcanic islands, but it is widely believed that the Empire sought to establish a military presence in the islands to defend against their enemies on the other side of the sea.
This was not the first time people had inhabited the islands; ancient ruins and inscriptions have been unearthed, but little is known about the society that produced them. The group of islands that make up Tir appear to be the remains of a single, larger, volcanic island that suffered a violent eruption in antiquity, producing a massive round crater whose floor is below sea level. Portions of the remaining land have crumbled below sea level as well, making it possible to sail into the crater.
Cultures on both sides of the sea tell stories of a catastrophic event in the past consisting of tidal waves, flooding, dark skies, falling ash, and failed crops, which could describe the eruption of the Tir volcano. But as these tales were already old by the dawn of recorded history, it is difficult to say with certainty.
In any case, there was no surviving native population in Tir at the time of colonization, and thus no substrate language. The colonists spoke Kulae, and historically there has been scant influence from other languages; contact with other seafaring peoples has generally been hostile. Tir already constituted a distinct dialect region by the time of the civil war that marked the Empire's fall. This is usually considered the point of division between Kulae and Old Tirase, though likely more time passed before mutual intelligibility with mainland speech was truly lost. With the Empire torn apart, the boats from the mainland simply stopped coming, and Tir sailors who ventured too far from home found that enemy nations and pirates were even more of a threat in the absence of Imperial control over the shipping lanes.
Life at first was difficult in Tir without significant trade from the mainland, with the port city of Mozro being particularly hard hit and going into a steep economic decline, becoming a place of poverty and danger for generations. Rural areas held up better, with subsistence farmers carrying on much as they had before, and more specialized agriculturists getting by via trade. Many people hoarded Imperial coins, leading to the advent of shells being used as currency. The celebrated King Vulu is credited with turning Mozro around, driving out criminals and nurturing the redevelopment of technologies once lost, and in modern times the city is quite bustling and relatively safe, albeit very strictly ruled. To this day, however, rural people tend to be suspicious of urbanites.
Outside the city, people can be divided into two major groups: farmers, who live inland and raise crops and/or livestock; and fishermen, who reside on the coast and make their living from fishing and beach-combing (the latter being the traditional occupation of coastal children). The two groups live apart, but meet and trade in small towns around the islands, where artisans and specialists such as apiculturists and salt-makers also sell their wares.
In its isolation, Tir has been somewhat culturally conservative, retaining many practices and beliefs that the continental cultures have abandoned. Arranged marriages are still standard practice, with a husband joining the household of his bride's father. The husband traditionally brings with him a marriage gift consisting of livestock among farmers, money in the city, or other materials of worth among fishermen. Inheritance is from a man to his eldest daughter's husband, even if there are other sons-in-law who are older. Women can legally own property, but rarely do, unless a man dies with no sons-in-law, in which case his wife or daughter may inherit.
Tir society is highly patriarchal, but women are not chattel, and abuse of women is strongly disapproved of. The ancient Kula virtue known as stel is taken very seriously in Tir. In the Kulae language it was called sítehilu "firmness-three", referring to a man's duty to show appropriate discipline and appropriate mercy to three important groups: one's enemies (neither showing cowardice nor butchering the defeated), family (neither letting women and children run wild nor abusing them), and domestic animals (keeping them in check but not treating them with brutality). The Tir people have a particular horror of sadism and cruelty, but they do not view it as an inherent right of people and animals not be abused; rather it is seen as the duty of the strong (adult Kula men) to shepherd the weak (everyone else).
Slavery per se has not existed in Tir for several hundred years, though it was never specifically outlawed. The first colonists were not wealthy people who would be likely to own slaves, and the traditional Kula source of slaves — enemies captured in war — was not available. Convicted criminals who are too poor to pay fines may be sentenced to indentured servitude, but generally do earn their freedom. The Tirase word meaning "person" is sisále, which derives from the Kulae word sianthálu "freeman".
Though the people of Tir are not enslaved, it would be an overstatement to say they are free. The government is an absolute monarchy, ruled by kings descending from Philanthes Losahi, the last Imperially-appointed governor of the islands. The role of the king is to keep order in the city, on the waterways, and in uninhabited areas, to collect taxes and fines and determine what they will be used for, and to protect the nation from outside threats (primarily piracy). His only near-equal in the government is the mómumaz (high priest), who is the head of the Church, advises the king, and appoints judges.
Judges, in fact, are a subset of priests, though not all priests are qualified to be judges (most act as healers, teachers, and/or counselors). They hear complaints of crime, but also are often called upon to settle disagreements. There is no constitution or legislature; judges in Tir depend on common-law precedent, which in turn is based on religious law. When there is no applicable precedent, judges are expected to turn to morality and common sense. A good decision is one that is dómage "fitting, appropriate, harmonious", not necessarily one that is logical.
Someone who is convicted of wronging another is generally sentenced to make amends to the victim's family with a monetary fine or other material offering. Additionally, the owner of the property on which the crime occurred may be held legally accountable for failing to keep the peace, and may himself be fined (in which case the fine would be paid to the king).
There is no concept of separation of Church and State, nor is there any right to freedom of religion. The worship of the Kula horse-god Mírehel (or, euphemistically, Om) is exclusively required, although it has taken on a somewhat altered form in the absence of contact with the god himself, who still resides on the mainland. Tir religion emphasizes faith that God personally watches over them despite physical distance, which is not a common mainland belief. However, self-sufficiency is also considered a virtue, which has encouraged the Church to develop sophisticated physical healing techniques, lacking the ability to plead in person for divine intercession.
Interestingly, with the reestablishment of mainland contact in modern times, these characteristics of Tir belief have not changed very much. It has become common for priests to make pilgrimages to the mainland, but most ordinary people never leave the islands, and will live and die without ever seeing God.
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no subject
Date: 2010-08-25 12:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 03:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 11:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 03:28 pm (UTC)And thank you!