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TraditionsOne of the unique features of the Shaula is that they live in full harmony with nature. The nomadic herders, face nature directly on a daily basis. The herders are involved in a multifaceted relationship with nature which is the theme of many epics, blessings, and well-wishes. Traditions, customs, and teachings reinforce the protection and care of mother nature. Tearing up flowers and grass, allowing filth into water systems, digging up and destroying land, killing of animals and destruction of forests are considered sins and are thus strictly prohibited. Old Postal SystemThe Zuberi pride themselves on developing the world’s first long-distance internal postal system. During the time of the first great Shaula tribe wars, a ‘pony express’ postal service, known as urton, would cover many leagues per day. Bells were attached to the saddle to warn locals of an approaching rider. The rider was quickly fed, and the horses changed before he went on his way. All male herdsmen were required to work for several weeks a year to ensure the continuing success of urton. The postal system was steadily improved over the centuries, and continues to this day. Honor, shame, oaths etc.The function of an oath is to bind someone to their word. This would
generally involve calling down a curse from Acrab upon themselves if the oath is
broken. To add extra significance to the oath, it may be accompanied by a sign
of its importance, or of the fate of the one who reneges. The concept of honor and shame is vitally important for the Zuberi. If one’s honor, or one’s family’s honor is discredited, then people will not deal or trade with that person or family. [The worth of someone’s name and honor is the Zuberi equivalent of a good or bad credit rating. Just as those with a bad credit rating are often unable to get a decent loan etc; so those who have brought shame on their name will not be able to deal with reputable people and will get exploited by the more shady dealers (loan shark equivalents etc)] Thus a family or group will often go to extraordinary lengths to clear their name, even to the extent of killing the person who has brought the shame on them, if there is no other way to regain honor. Therefore anyone who makes an oath may be called to account regarding the terms of that oath; either directly by Acrab, or by those around him. With the Jabbah who live around Arjat, word will get around quickly about any breach of trust, and so the situation often resolves itself without serious repercussions. With the Shaula, where groups may meet rarely if ever again, this is a more contentious issue. Someone could make an oath, break it and move on, never to be seen again. Therefore the honor of the Shaula has developed into a somewhat stricter mould. The Shaula are taught from an early age that it is ESSENTIAL to be honorable, and that oaths are binding. They know that if oaths were to be thought of lightly, there would be no way to deal with other groups, short of immediate trades backed up by force of arms. Thus, in certain extreme cases, whole families have paid the price for particularly heinous oath breaking, by ritual thirst-death. The Zuberi word that many outsiders translate as ‘fool’ does not mean someone lacking in mental ability, that is simply the will of Acrab. Instead it refers to one who is morally corrupt, and is one of the most damning labels that can be applied to someone. Thus a variant of one prayer popular amongst the Shaula is: In recognition of this, a common greeting amongst the Shaula is to press one’s hands together against the chest (over the heart), then over the lips, then over the forehead, whilst bowing. This signifies a heart (or will) that means no duplicity, lips that are clear of deceit, and a mind that thinks honorably. More generally, amongst the Zuberi as a whole, their traditions are incredibly important in defining how they live. Certain things are ‘not done’ amongst the Zuberi, such as harming a guest under the bond of salt; defiling any water source; offering grave insult without cause; and so forth. Although foreigners are not expected to know all of the various traditions, woe betide anyone who breaks one of the fundamentals… PurityIn Zuben, purity may be a man or woman's greatest virtue, at least publicly. A foreign lothario, condemned for his actions, may point to the harem (or harem) as proof of Zuberi "hypocrisy". In point of fact, very few Zuberi men have more than one wife. But even the wealthy sheikh with a harem is technically married to every woman whose unveiled face graces his bedchamber. Furthermore, a man and woman may divorce readily, and find new spouses, with no stigma attached for anyone. The fact that a sheikh or king is married to a particular woman for only a few weeks or even days implies no impropriety for him or for her. Long or short, a marriage is sacred in Zuben. Zuberi's believe their own culture is more civilized than that of their "barbaric" neighbors. Certainly the Zuberi concept of purity is more complex. Throughout Zuben, purity means avoiding all unnecessary physical contact between a man and a woman unless they are married however inadvertent or innocent that contact may seem. Every honorable Zuberi woman would extend her hand to help a wounded man. But almost none would shake hands with a man who is newly introduced, lest he assume her improper or be violently tempted by her charms. Instead, a simple nod is the proper greeting. At the very least, a man who openly casts fiery glances at an unmarried woman has paid her an insult rather than a compliment. Her brother or father would be perfectly in the right to demand some sort of retribution - from a public apology to a gift of many camels, depending on the woman's stature and the amorous man's audacity. In a world where strength of character is exalted, Zuberi's have a peculiar belief in every man and woman's underlying weakness where matters of the heart are concerned - It's for this reason that many women wear veils and don robes that conceal the shape of their bodies, it's also for this reason that a few groups require men to do the same - that is, to cover their bodies and the lower half of their faces whenever they're in public. Not surprisingly, eyes, hands, and feet have become important objects of beauty in the human (or even non human) Zuberi form. Women line their eyes with kohl. Some tattoo their foreheads with a simple pattern. Others may decorate their brows with dots of henna, a natural dye which may also redden their nails. Bracelets adorn their wrists and ankles. Believing that even eyes and hair create too great a temptation, some sects in Zuben require woman to don an opaque hood whenever she's in public, concealing her entire head. The cloth has many tiny holes over the eyes, allowing her to look out, but preventing others from looking in. The rest of her body is completely engulfed by voluminous robes that sweep the ground. Purity is also the basis for the seclusion of women, a common practice in Zuben. Whether home is a tent, a mud brick house near an oasis, or a grand palace, it usually contains separate quarters for women, an area where no grown man but a husband may venture (and even then, he typically asks permission as a courtesy). The degree to which a woman must remain in these quarters varies. For instance, the laws of Zuberi hospitality require a woman to act as a host in her husband's absence, serving an honoured or needy guest who comes to their abode by offering coffee or food. Were her husband to appear later, she might politely retire to her quarters. Although foreigners might view seclusion as a prison, a Zuberi woman often sees it as her privilege as well as a sanctuary.
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