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Art & LiteratureMusicMost ajami consider the music and instruments of the Zuberi to be somewhat reedy and atonal. However, it is simply a matter of taste. One does not find blaring metal trumpets or whining violins, but rather items with strange names like shebaba( long transversal flute), doumbek (goatskin drum), bendir( a hand held drum like a tambourine without cymbals) and karkabat (double castanets made of metal). Zuberi have songs for everything from birth to marriage to the passing into the next life. They sing a great deal and it is not uncommon to see a battle-hardened veteran pick up a shebaba and play a song for his troops. CalligraphyA visiting ajami once said "Calligraphy is a spiritual geometry produced with material tools. "Under this writing style, most of the letters change their form depending on their position in a word. Soon the words begin to take on more and more complicated forms giving the documents a rich and multi-layered look. Scroll Painting.Religious scroll paintings (thangka), made by the al'Aqrab graced the inner sanctuaries and chanting halls of monastery. They are tools of meditation, used by practitioners to visualize themselves developing the enlightened qualities of the prophets. ArtAncient paintings within the caves of the “Fists of Northern Light” indicate the Zuberi have practiced this art form since pre recorded history. The art form which they are most famous for, however, is the creation of exquisite miniatures-portraits, depictions of legends, tiny little jeweled gardens, languid odalisques lounging on satin pillows. These miniatures, like the beautiful fountains and gardens, show a side of the people travelers do not expect. The Zuberi -both nomads and city dwellers- are intelligent, artistic people, with a fine creative eye, a strong sense of humor and an understanding of nature and the universe. Zuberi art celebrates the elegance of design, the curve of an oval, the detail inside a repeating pattern of paisleys, which is one of their two favorite motifs the other is the circle). Although they tend to favor blue, they also understand color harmony and balance. You would never walk into a Zuberi home and be struck by an item glaringly out of place. If your attention is drawn to something, it is intentional and if you take a step back, you will see how other aspects direct your eye to that point. Zuberi who have seen art in other cities tend to find it lacking in delicacy and refinement. Dance and entertainmentDancing is almost the exclusive purview of women in the Empire although young men among the nomads have been known to jump up and gyrate ecstatically to the sound of a martial drum. The most recognizable dance form is karinya, performed by women of all ages clad in an assortment of short tops that bare their midriff and gauzy pants. They also wear a profusion of silk scarves and use tiny metal cymbals on their fingers called zils with which they tap out a counter beat to the music. Karinya can be performed to drum accompaniment, or to music provided by a variety of instruments. There are different karinya for different situations; some are mournful and some are designed to be extremely seductive and performed in the privacy of the harem). The main type of dancing entertainer is the k'vrimah or "twirling girl". K'vrimah are more street entertainers than artists, combining karinya steps with twirling found in early religious dances. Unlike women who perform karinya, the k'vrimah often wears a long double circle skirt over white loose fitting pants clasped around the ankle with bangles. The classic twirling dances were performed on holy days by priestesses and involve running and whirling to chanting and repetitive music. The person dancing often entered a trance like state, which some Zuberi believed would drive out evil spirits and purify ones heart. Henna and HarquusBoth Henna and Harquus are used by women to decorate themselves. Henna is a paste made from flowers and was typically applied to the hands and feet. Woman would gather together to apply the henna to each other and generally socialize, dance, nap, what ever. Harquus however are permanent tattoos typically around the face, neck and upper chest. They are applied with a sharp stick and a very black dye. The process is painful, but it is a sign of a woman's desirability if they are well marked. Other EntertainmentOther forms of entertainment included reenactments of myths, puppet shows and a form of sleight of hand "street magic" intended for amusement only. The latter type of entertainers usually loiter around bazaars or taverns, and wise travelers take precautions against fast hands that can dip in and out of a pouch with inhuman ease. LiteratureThe Kingdom of Zuben has a literary tradition reaching back to its prehistory (when storytellers were revered). One of the most valued skills among Zuberi is the ability to tell a great story; this person is treated like royalty regardless of their rank. Gaining the ability to record these stories did not dilute the literature at all; in fact, it enabled more people to read and appreciate it. Zuberi especially favor poetry, and the position of Chief Poet of the Empire is one of the most revered in all the land. |
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