Cultural Background of the Felser People.

Summary.

Semi-nomadic tribalist with limited permanent settlements. The areas they occupy tend to be plateau lands of low relief but with frequent depressions. The underlying limestone terrain is permeated with extensive cave systems. Variations in the semi-arid climate cause nomadic movement of herds to 'lushes' (oases). These form mixing grounds for the young of different tribes. There is no developed trading class or structure. Slave-holding is not uncommon. There are established tribal pasture grounds, well-marked after generations of frequent clashes. Low-level inter-tribal tensions are common in the grazing season. For raw material limestone is abundant, but there are very limited stocks of wood. Many uses are found for animal hide and other animal products. Homesteads and tribal centres are commonly fortified, and preferably located at the mouths of natural caverns, though tents are common throughout the pastoral lands.

Tribal Culture & Life.

In early years children are nurtured by parents, usually until weaned. They then enter into communal life, not segregated by gender until about aged eight. Once at this age they are fostered and educated by 'tribeparents' while remaining in single sex communal huts. At puberty the youth of the tribe take their place in society, which must include at least two seasons herding experience and droving to market.

Herding and droving form the most important element of tribal life. The herd belongs to the tribe, to ultimately be dispersed by the council of elders (with the advice of the drove-master). The meat is used for food, both the milk and the blood are drunk, the hides are employed in clothing and shelter, even the dung is used for fuel. As such the safety of the herds is paramount, and the job of their protection vital. The herders are less important than their charges, and should a neighbouring tribe seek to steal the herd their overseers are expected to fight to the death in their defence. Any herder who survived the experience and falls into the hands of the raiding tribe can expect a hard life of shame and slavery, any who survive uncaptured are destined to exile and disgrace.

Both genders are expected to play their full role in society. The unmarried women of the tribe are expected to go on the droves, as herders, cooks, hunters and guards, just like the males, with the express purpose of achieving pregnancy, while the menfolk are expected to sow the seed of the tribe among the women of other tribes and thus bring new blood to the tribes. It is not uncommon for the men to bring back wives, but not a requirement, as long as their union with at least one woman from another tribe has been reliably witnessed. Marriage may take place purely within the tribe, but only after both the parties have undertaken their drove run obligation. Marriage, is not however, taken as a societal obligation, and since children are the children of the tribe, rather than of the parents, and no stigma is attached to either the parents or the child should birth occur out of wedlock.

Polygamy is accepted, whether spouses are within the tribal enclaves or at market (and both polygyny and polyandry are known). Once children have been weaned and hence removed from households both sexes are expected to perform equally within the tribe, where status is based upon skill rather than marriage.

Such skill may be shown in many fields beyond the care of the herds. The tribal settlements are well established, with some degree of surrounding agriculture to be tended. Leather-working and tanning are well established trades and no part of the herd animals is ever wasted, with even the bones being used in the creation of bone pipes and flutes. Pottery provides the speciality craft for several of the tribes, while others, but not all have access to both a small lode of ore and a source of fuel, giving rise to the most honoured position of all, the blacksmith. New iron Is rare, and there appears to be more iron in circulation than can be accounted for by the number of smiths.

Government is by tribal council of elders, selected purely on the grounds of age, and status with the shaman. The senior elder is the one who can hold off the unarmed challenges of all pretenders, and also fulfils such priestly functions as are required towards Ak Rhuccuë.

Several personalities exist outside of the tribal structure, typically shamans and story-tellers who act as news-carriers. The shaman may be of either gender, and is highly respected, since it is his job to interact with the spirits, who are viewed as mischievous at best, and positively malicious at worst.

Religion & Mythology

Systemic religion is prevalent with the Felser creator being understood as distant (not likely to intervene often) rather than disinterested, mixed with Shamanistic expressions (since the spirits are all around and intent upon making a hard time of it for humanity especially in the tribal/wild environment), although there is a rising presence of fertility cults/worship. The elemental forces (Urges) are to be respected, but are by their nature impersonal and disinterested.

The world is understood to be inhabited in order of power by Urges and their lesser kin, the demi-Urges, who are the supernatural versions of the forces of nature; by gods, powerful supernatural beings who possess personality; and the spirits, personalities with varying power, but no physical form.

Typical Urges are Air, Water, Earth, Fire, Ice, Light & Shadow (personified among the Felser as Ak Tukaek). Demi-Urges include River, Storm, Forest, Sea, Mountain, among others. They may be petitioned by the gods, placated by humans and served by spirits.

The gods are understood to be extremely powerful spirits, able to create and retain for themselves physical forms through which they interact with both the physical and spiritual realms. The test to determine whether a being is god or spirit is whether the ‘personality’ is sufficiently powerful to create a form for itself or needs to possesses another vessel.

Spirits may aid or abet humanity and may also serve the gods and Urges, as messengers, servants and guardians of nature. Thus spirits may protect trees (dryads), water bodies, (nymphs) etc.

Unless created by a god to be vessels for spirits, sentient/sapient beings are referred to as having souls as the seat of personality and intelligence. The most widespread belief is in the transmigration of souls after death. Souls are created at the same time as the body.

Mythology does not speak of the initial creation (of the world), only that of mankind, created by Ak Rhuccuë, aided by the Urges of Air and Water, hindered by the spirits. Man is a creature of Air, woman of Water, the Urges often being taken to represent freedom and fertility respectively.

The Felser have no concept of savlation or redemption as a major religions theme, and no firm concept of eternal destiny, whether to punishment or reward. The nearest explanation offered is that of unconscious reincarnation, but without any ideas of karma. The spirits placated by the shaman are understood as totally unrelated to humanity and could be described as a separate ‘species’. Some of the more cosmopolitan groups (such as Felser descended city peoples) hold that spirits are related, and have somehow missed their chance of reincarnation, retaining individuality. This idea might be a translation from the Imbretch reverence of their ancestors.

This page last updated November 2001. All material unless otherwise stated is ©:1998 Dr. S.N.Mousir-Harrison