Some info on the World of Fuhe

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Some info on the World of Fuhe

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This thread contains information on my current conworld, which contains Fuhe. I don't have a name for the whole world right now. While I will eventually explain the structure of the Kätänä-to-Kinu-Mutai in Fuhe proper, this post will be about the court religion of Niija, on the other side of the world.
King Delimaat II came under the influence of Bèthoberak, a former ascetic monk of the Monhindikxat school in the East mountains. Though there were wishperings in the court at the time that Bèthoberak was a wizard who had to much influence over the king, Bèthoberak's Monhindikxatism spread throughout the court and eventually the entire kingdom, as King Delimaat II made it illegal to take the civil service exams without being a practicing Monhindikxatist.
Monhindikxatism is said to have been influenced by Arrungi thought.
The King asked Bèthoberak to write a guide on Monhindikxatism called "The Illustrious and Royal Volume on Monhindikxatism , Moral Propriety, and the Deification of Man", Often shortented to just "the First Royal Volume".
The Basic philosophy of Bèthoberak's Monhindikxatism is that the world was created by a deity called Mamao Joitaka, who had once been a human on another world, who was deified and created the world. There are an infinite numbers of worlds in Bèthoberak's Monhindikxatism, but what generation of deity is Mamao Joitaka is "Forbidden speculation". The whole purpose of man is to, by "Moral propriety" and " extensive Meditation", to become a deity (Joitaka) and create their own world. Bèthoberak taught that ussually "deification" happaned after death, when the deified would come to a friend in a dream, but "very rarely, a person could be deified while alive, their body turning into gold dust. If someone was not deified in this lifetime, they would be reincarnated until they were, though always as a human, unless they were especially "Morally evil". Joitakas were said to be nigh omniscient and omnipotent. Those deified in this world could be prayed to as deities, as despite being supreme deity of their own world, they still had a connection to this one.
The dead were to be kept partially embalmed for a week. If a dream revealed they were deified, they would be mumified and placed in splendid tomb, to be prayed to. If not, they would be creamated, and their ashes would be scattered over the rice paddies that fed the place they died in.
A record was kept of all Joitakas, and they often became like "patron Saints" in IRL Roman Catholicism. An example is Fadharom, a woman who was jilted by her fiance, and thus became an ascetic, living at Bèthoberak's tomb, eating only two riceballs per day, sleeping only two hours a night and meditating for the rest of the time. She did this for 33 years, at which point she died. She appeared to the keeper of tomb in a dream, and was deified. Fadharom's tomb thus became a pilgrimage site for those seeking luck in love, or for those facing problems in romance or marraige.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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The Kirmitites have a rich system of astrology. Stars are classified as either "Moon Stars" or "sun stars". Moon stars are stars that are visible at midnight of the summer solstice, plus all the classical planets, except for Mercury and Venus. All others are Sun Stars. A person's horoscope is cast based on the positions or theoretical positions (if born by day) of the Sun and Moon stars at the time of birth in combination with his zodiac sign. (It is worth noting that the World of Fuhe is Earth, just with magic and alternative continents.) It is very important to cast a possible royal heir's horoscope. Only the son of the King with the most favorable horoscope is considered heir to the throne. Officers are also chosen from the nobles based on their horoscope, ie, if they have a war horoscope, they become generals, if they havbe a "Star" horoscope, they become astrologers. Based on time of year and of day, and the positions of the planets, various ventures are considered fortuitous or unfortuitous.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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A Typical Northwest Wanian creation myth (I'll use the Sawaan terms):
In the beginning, there was Koisontaa'aałi, the primeval human, who is a hermaphrodite. It had its first menstrual period, and the blood became the ocean, hair fell of its head, into the blood, becoming the continents and the islands. Koisontaa'aałi had so much divine power that life, including intelligent life, began to develop in its menstrual pool. Looking at the pool, Koisontaa'aał saw all this, and thought "I can't provide for all this". It then masturbated into the pool, the semen becoming the Koito'as, the gods or spirits. It charged the Koito'as to provide and oversee the world. Its left half sleeps half a day, with Koisontaa'aałi's right eye serving as the sun. It's right half sleeps at night, though the left eye, the moon, flickers open and shut throughout the month, thus causing the lunar phases. Every full moon, when it menstruates, and it's left is open, all the Koito'as come to it with reports. That night is unlucky night, as the Koito'as are gone, and the world may be flooded, based on Koisontaa'aałi's menstrual flow. But in the morning when the Koito'as return, good luck comes into the world, for the Koito'as have heard the wisdom of Koisontaa'aałi.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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The people of the Sevǔihk Archipelago have a method of cooking that uses a utensil they call a Caareis from <Caarǔ> "Six" and <Eis> "Fire", thus "Six[-fold] fire", which is a metal box that is on a tripod, with an edge going around it, with places for lighting fires on the four sides of the edge, on top of the box, and under it. They light all six fires for a quick, hot bake. On common dish made in the Caareis is Nippuvas (<Nippu> "Agave" + <Pas> "bread") which is an egg dough with heavy amounts of Agave syrup (imported from the deserts of South M̟oḩa), usually flavored with cinnamon, native to Sevǔihk Archipelago. This is a delicacy, customarily served at wedding, birth-parties and on holidays. Also, Kings eat every day; In fact they have a proverb "A King who does not eat Nippuvas at every meal is no king".
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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The Unification of the Sevǔihk Archipelago:
The Sevǔihk Archipelago, and its language once had a different name, but this has been censored since the days of King Sevǔihk, the namesake of the islands and language, 300 years ago. Before King Sevǔihk unified the islands, each island had its own king or some islands had multiple kings, or there would be a kingdom spanning multiple smaller islands. King Sevǔihk was the King of the southernmost island, Davaǔ. The Kingdom of Davaǔ was one of the most important islands, as it controlled about 18 small islands, and had a colony on the otherwise independent island of Kareihma, and had a city-colony called Hmǔǔdavaǔ on the otherwise independent island of Sahai. King Sevǔihk was an absolute war-lord at first, and conquered all the Islands and imprisoned their kings, to ritually sacrifice them to the Spirit of Davaǔ, on an appointed day he called "The Day of Conquest". However, during the week before that day, he had nightmares of guilt over all the blood he spilt in the wars of conquest. On the day itself, he came, to the shock of everyone there, not dressed as a king, but in humble robes and crying. He declared that instead of sacrificing the other kings, he would return them to their kingdoms, but under the "regretful condition" that they swear fealty to him,the "King of Kings of the United Island Kingdoms", as otherwise "Wars would happen for there would be others like me. Therefore, let us be united." At that point, according to myth "...all the spirits and gods of all the united islands came to King Sevǔihk, May He Be Praised Always, and bowed to him saying: 'O King of kings, you are no mortal. For when you did pardon the [other] kings, the God of gods bound your soul unto his essence, and you shall die, and be a part of Him, watching over these Islands of Sevǔihk. For this is the new name of these Islands, and you shall be 'King of Kings of the United Kingdoms of Sevǔihk'. But, before you do die, you shall sit on the throne of the United Kingdoms of Sevǔihk for many days, and then pass the throne to your son whom you find worthy. As long as one of the Patralineal of Sevǔihk sits on the throne of the United Kingdoms of Sevǔihk, as 'King of Kings of the United Kingdoms of Sevǔihk', no evil may befall these islands of Sevǔihk. But be very careful that no one from now until the end of all things (of which we know not) be named Sevǔihk on the Islands of Sevǔihk.' They gave him a robe to pass unto his sons, and went back to their places, and he followed their instructions to the end. This is why the burial site of Sevǔihk is a Temple forever."
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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The History of the Kätänä-to-Kinu-Mutai Part 1:
Around twelve hundred years ago, people in Fuhe discovered a life-force that runs through all living beings called "Ki". Using Ki, one can gain superhuman strength, agility, and reflexes, and influence the world around them. There two kinds of Ki: Urutunu-Ki or "Life Ki" that allows the user to have superhuman physicality and control their bodies and sometimes animals. The second kind is Rurunu-ki, or "Inorganic Ki" which allows control of non-animal life-forms or inorganic material. Both of these Ki are depleted when used, but can be recharged with rest. If a person depletes his or her Urutunu-Ki completely. For a few hundred years, wars raged between various nations in Fuhe, by users of Ki, until a band of "Noble Warriors" the Kätänä-to-Kinu-Mutai, literally "The warriors of Sword and Ki", who were trained not only in Ki-use but in the use of the sword, united all the nations (Except for the far north, to whom knowledge of Ki had not spread), contained all Ki-use manuals to them and established the language of their Capital, Herusinuki, as the prestige language (In fact, 1,000 years latter, almost all other languages are extinct or endangered). They divided up Fuhe into "District" each governed by a "Commissioner" who answers to the "Grand Commissioner" in Herusinuki. Each member has basic training in physicality-Ki, Swordfighting and telekinesis and then picks a Urutunu-Ki "Specialty" and a Rurunu-Ki "Specialty". For Example, Tappio, the Forester of the Kanuto District (which is known for producing highly skilled Kätänä-to-Kinu-Mutai) control's Bears with his Urutunu-Ki, and can "Commune with Forests" with his Rurunu-Ki. His wife, Meirikki, has chosen only to cultivate her Urutunu-Ki, so as to be a "Healer".
Last edited by Shemtov on 27 Mar 2018 05:46, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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The History of the Kätänä-to-Kinu-Mutai Part 2:
Around 500 years ago, the Kätänä-to-Kinu-Mutai went to war with the M'aillys over the latter invading Fuhe. They respelled the invaders, and captured a mystical, holy artifact, that the M'aillys carried into battle for luck. Upon examination by the Kätänä-to-Kinu-Mutai, the artifact, "The Seer's Ball", allowed Ki-Users to commune with "Beings of Pure Ki", who see the future, who prefer to commune with Women, thus establishing the office of "Prophetess of the Kätänä-to-Kinu-Mutai".

Around 50 years ago, the famous Kareva District's population was exiled by Grand Commissioner Rufu. They had mostly spoken another language, one of the few left over after the Herusinuki Dialect (now known as Fuheko) began to spread among Fuhe, because the Prophetess predicted that the District was "Cursed", sending the former Forester of the Kanuto District, Mechänärüti, the best Forester, to be its sole permanent inhabitant. The young Tappio took Mechänärüti's position. Kareva had been known for its beautiful forests, as immortalized in an old haiku:

Karevanu fuu
Harunu hivaroma
Süräni rauraa


Or loosely translated from the Fuheko:

Kareva's forest
In the bright sunlight of Spring:
My heart is singing


20 years ago Unutamo, the brother of The Commissioner of Kanuto, Eviru, came to believe that he and a few close allies should be the only possessors of Ki, and that the archives at Herusinki contained the secret of immortality. He killed his brother, kidnapped his newborn nephew Kareruvo, who he did not tell of his lineage and made a slave, changed his own name to Kochiroo, after an infamous pre-Kätänä-to-Kinu-Muta warlord, and started a terrorist group known as Rüüttääyä. Musashi took Eviru's place.
Present day: Kareruvo learned of his heritage by accident, taught himself Ki by watching his master/uncle and escaped to Kanuto, where he asked Musashi to join the Kätänä-to-Kinu-Muta. Rufu forbade it, because the Prophetess had called Kareruvo "The Child of Destruction", but Musashi still trained him anyway, causing strain between him and Rufu.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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Is there by any chance something topical wrt current times in all this emphasis on "purity"?
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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eldin raigmore wrote: 26 Dec 2017 20:57 Is there by any chance something topical wrt current times in all this emphasis on "purity"?
I'm not sure what you're talking about. Is there something in the News about "purity" that I've missed? If so, this was all canonized a few months back. The "Beings of Pure Ki" has nothing to do with "purity," per se, but has to do with the fact that they are made up of the energy called Ki.
I had made a language that mixed Japanese and Finnish, and was ruled by an order that's a cross between Naruto Shinobi and the Jedi. The two kinds of Ki were based on something I read about Finno-Ugric Shamanistic beliefs about the soul. Tappio and Meirikki are a reference to the pre-Christian Finnish gods, Tapio and Mielikki, specifically based on Nightwish's song "Elvenpath"'s lyrics: Tapio, Bear-king, Ruler of the forest/ Mielikki, Bluecloak, Healer of the ill and sad . Mechänärüti is named after a Finno-Ugric Shamanistic Forest Spirit. Kareva is a reference to Kaleva. Kareruvo and Unutamo are my take on the Kullervo Cycle, filtered through Tolkien's take on it, Narn i Chîn Húrin. Musashi and Kochiroo are references to Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojirō.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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Shemtov wrote: 26 Dec 2017 23:20 I'm not sure what you're talking about. Is there something in the News about "purity" that I've missed?
Not quite sure how you could have missed it! Been in the news since the Syrian refugee crisis, Brexit, and Trump's election.
But I'd rather not talk about it in the Conworlds & Conculture thread unless it's relevant to your conworld and conculture: which (see below)

Shemtov wrote: 26 Dec 2017 23:20 The "Beings of Pure Ki" has nothing to do with "purity," per se, but has to do with the fact that they are made up of the energy called Ki.
A completely different kind of purity, not related to what's been topical lately in RL at all.

Shemtov wrote: 26 Dec 2017 23:20 I had made a language that mixed Japanese and Finnish, ....
Cool!
I went to graduate school with half of a couple; the husband was Finnish and the wife was Japanese.
They went by her surname instead of his, because Americans had a much easier time pronouncing the Japanese surname than the Finnish one!

Shemtov wrote: 26 Dec 2017 23:20 and was ruled by an order that's a cross between Naruto Shinobi and the Jedi.
I know nothing about Naruto Shinobi, I fear. But if I did, I'd probably think that was a good idea!

Shemtov wrote: 26 Dec 2017 23:20 The two kinds of Ki were based on something I read about Finno-Ugric Shamanistic beliefs about the soul. Tappio and Meirikki are a reference to the pre-Christian Finnish gods, Tapio and Mielikki, specifically based on Nightwish's song "Elvenpath"'s lyrics: Tapio, Bear-king, Ruler of the forest/ Mielikki, Bluecloak, Healer of the ill and sad . Mechänärüti is named after a Finno-Ugric Shamanistic Forest Spirit. Kareva is a reference to Kaleva. Kareruvo and Unutamo are my take on the Kullervo Cycle, filtered through Tolkien's take on it, Narn i Chîn Húrin. Musashi and Kochiroo are references to Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojirō.
All very interesting!
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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The Sexual Politics of Hötan'ővan:
This was inspired by question on my Sáhötan'ővan thread about Transgenders in Hötan'ővan society, based on some details of Sáhötan'ővan sociolinguistics as regards to Gender.
Transmen are unrecognized, as the society is highly patriarchal, so they take an attitude that Transmen are mentally "degenerate", as for a woman to want to be a man means she is "too cunning" and depending on the time-period "a witch", and deserving of death.. The only exception is the Man-Woman, chosen by the Tó'a (chief) as a young girl to be in perpetual virginity (Under pain of death to her, her parents, her brothers, sisters-in-laws and fraternal nephews and neices), who can vote in the council, and use "Male speech" but only in council meetings. They are considered a "third sex" and are referred to as Male in council meetings, and female outside. Other Archipelagoan cultures are slightly more accepting, where Men-Women are chosen by simply being transmen.
A woman is established as a Transman by using "Masculine Language" three times in front of a Male witness, who is interviewed by the council each time (there may be different men each time) and the accused is interviewed by the "Man-Woman". She may escape death, however, if she takes a "Dread Oath by the ancestors" that she was possessed at least one of the times by a "Male Demon", which is tested by burning her labia minora with a hot coal, which if totally healed after a month, means she is telling the truth.
Transwomen are more accepted, but their is no differentiation between a real "Transwoman" and a "Passive Male Homosexual". A man may be established as a Transwoman by using "Feminine Language" three times in front of a Male witness, who is interviewed by the council each time (there may be different men each time) or by receiving Anal Sex,Giving Fellatio, or "Providing other stimulation to a man's Penis". They may claim not to be a transwoman (as that is a sign of shame to their families, and if married, their wives and minor offspring are executed) by takinga "Dread Oath by the ancestors" that he was possessed at least one of the times (if language is the cause) or at the time of the sexual activity (if that is the cause) by a "Female Demon", which is tested by burning his Glans Penis with a hot coal, which if totally healed after a month, means he is telling the truth.
Once a person is established as a "Transwoman", all the rules of women apply to them; they can be changed back into "transmen" and thus deserving of death, but in such a case their is no escaping it; a Biologically male "Transman" cannot take an oath or test. They may be taken as wives by men, as long as they are the only passive partner, though a Biologically male wife may receive a handjob from her husband "During anal penatration". They may sleep with women, even in a penetrative role, as that is considered "lesbianism" and thus "not real sex"; they do not believe that a "Transwoman" can impregnate a Biological female.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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The State Religion of the Pòu is Dōun Jẽi Zâoq "The Divine Path" which is based on Niijan Monhindikxatism (see above) but has its own scripture, Dōun Jẽi Zâoq Jẽi Shū "The Book of Dōun Jẽi Zâoq" and has some difference in practice and belief:
Mamao Joitaka is referred to as Nguó Nguā Hiém Koun Jẽi Ràam Jẽi Dōun Glàau"Our world's Great god" In addition to the "Diefied" Nguó Nguā Hiém Koun Jẽi Ràam Jẽi Dōun Glàau is said to have created "Nature gods", that have their own cults.

If a person is not deified, they are not cremated, but taken to the mountain nearest their village, and left to rot there. As the Dōun Jẽi Zâoq Jẽi Shū says:
The Body is a vessel for the Soul. If the Soul is not Deified, what use is the body? But the predators shall eat it, and Nguó Nguā Hiém Koun Jẽi Ràam Jẽi Dōun Glàau will make them expel their waste of the carrion as to fertilize the plant from which the mother of the reincarnated soul will eat
In addition to this fate, and Deification, a Deified person may appear to one of the Dōun Kàam "the living gods" in a dream, and tell them that though Diefied, they have chosen too to be a Dōun Kàam, reincarnated into a child, to lead the faithful and tell the Dōun Kàam in which village they are to be reincarnated in. In this case, they are neither preserved or left for carrion, but cremated, and the ashes are kept. 5 years and 9 months after the person who has become a Dōun Kàam died, the Dōun Kàam search in the village for all children of that age range, and decide which one is the Dōun Kàam. The child partakes in ritual cannibalism, drinking the ashes of his or her past life's body and then is trained to be a "pure, celibate Dōun Kàam". The Dōun Kàam form a council, which decide on all matter of ritual and interpretation of the Dōun Jẽi Zâoq Jẽi Shū. If they defile themselves they are stoned to death, declared to be undiefied, and are buried in infertile lands, as their soul undergoes "utter destruction" "never to be incarnated again". When a Dōun Kàam dies, he or she tells the other Dōun Kàam if he or she will be fully deified, and thus preserved, or come down as a Dōun Kàam again, in which case the cycle starts all over again.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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An ethnography of the !qónǂàma (speakers of Ūnǂàma: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6684):
They are a mixture of Ngǂamian immigrants from the Oman island, and native Ngǂamian speakers, however the former group is dominant, and in their myths, they act like the immigrants were the only inhabitants of the island.
They have an somewhat egalitarian society, where Shamans choose future Shamans from early teenagers, and the children of shamans are also Shamans (Shamans may marry only other Shamans if they want to keep their status. The Shamans choose representatives from themselves and the non-spiritual population to form a Political Council; however, there are also representatives sent from each village on the island (18 in total) not chosen by the Shamans, who are elected by each village for life. Both men and women may be Shamans and Shaman-chosen representatives, but they cannot be the 18 elected representatives. Homosexuality is tolerated, but marriages for Homosexual couples are forbidden; they instead refer to the relationships as "Lover-Companions", but both partners live in separate houses, and there is no ceremony to make someone your Lover-Companion or to sever it. Furthoremore, Shamans cannot take Lover-Companions. The age of marriage and ability to take "Lover-Companions" and to serve on the council is when the child develops pubic hairs; before then children are naked; they are not clothed until they develop pubic hairs, unless there is a cold spell.
Religious ceremonies usually consist of the sacrificing of the dead (who are left to rot outside the village until the next feast) to the spirits, so they can pass to the afterlife, and sacrificing of the "First ripened" Oats, which is the staple crop, cultivated by the "Natives"; though in the myths they tell how the spirits "gave" oats. They also sacrifice fish, as most protein comes from seafood; Land Mammals may only be killed "for the sake of human life" and then not be eaten. After the sacrifices, a Village Shaman recites a Mpoumiso Ūmāmari, a sacred epic poem that is a mix of myth and history. Most Mpoumiso Ūmāmari are conservative, featuring linguistic distinctions missing from most speech; for example a non-present tense continuous, which is otherwise regulated to present tense and for emphasis on that Aspect. Before a Mpoumiso Ūmāmari is recited, the Shaman shouts its name, which greeted by all adults shouting " Ūnǂymahāǂho ūmāmari" "Let it be said", after which the recitation begins.
The main feast is "Pheqétènhǔso Ūscampôtai" "Paradise Week", which celebrates the immigration, which has a seven-part Mpoumiso Ūmāmari called Pheqétènhǔso Ūmāmari "The Epic of Paradise", which tells of their coming to the island. It tells how the "Barbarous" Oman came from the east, and some fled to other islands. Those who fled were "Chosen" by the spirits and lead to more temperate climates then the tundra of the Oman island: ".....For they did not intermarry, nor suffer/The Barbarians, who corrupt the spirits and the ancestors'/ ways; whose skin is like a burnt Yellow Poppy, not/ true to the Ancestors and us, whose skin/ is like a cloud full of rain.....saying/Men cannot be Shamans, only/ Women, and Women cannot serve and sit/ on the council..."
They also kill all children who, when playing with a fishing rod, toy bow, or toy spear, are consistently left-handed
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

Post by Shemtov »

The Religions of the Momčalsum:
The Momčalsumai was once a great empire, dominant across Southern Fuhe, especially in the Southwest. Unlike the Fuheans, who are monotheistic, for the most part, the Momčalsum were polytheistic, and had many cults. In fact, the Fuheans attribute the fall of the once mighty Momčalsum to dynastic struggles over which cult the Emperor should worship, to which there is some truth. However, all cults centered around a supreme deity, Zlaund, the Sun. There basically two kinds of Zlaund cults: The Creator Cults, and the Salvific Cults. The Former believed that Zlaund was the creator deity, who created all the other gods. The Later believed that once the world was "endless night" which produced "Demons" and the gods poured all their available creative energy into creating Zlaund. This leads to a second dichotomy, that patterns with the first in some ways: The view of Mwani, The Moon. The Consort-view was believed in by all Creator Cults: Mwani was the wife of Zlaund. Some Salvific Cults believed this, too but with the catch that Mwani was a weaker "First Attempt" before Zlaund. They viewed the stars as Mwani's tears at being weaker then her husband. The Creator Cults, for the most part, believed that eclipses were Zlaund and Mwani "Having sex". Lunar Eclipses produced stars, as did partial Solar ones. The Rarer Full Solar Eclipse would produce a "God who appears to be a man", who would appear out of nowhere, doing miracles, before "dying", when He would ascend as a Full god. Many Creator Cults traced their "Mysteries" back to a specific instance . They also believed that the Lunar Phases were Mwani's menstrual cycle; as she got closer to menstruating, she would "cloak herself in shame" until she was fully cloaked, at New Moon.Some took this belief to form "Menstrual Cults", where girls whose menarch was New Moon were taken to be priestesses of Mwani. Some "Menstrual Cults" required these girls to remain virgins, under penalty of death, others allowed them to marry "Priests of Zlaund who were Initiated into the Mysteries". The second view of Mwani, believed by some Salvific Cults, was that she was the "Queen of Demons", the Stars being the "First Attempts", now assigned as her "Guardian". Some Salvific cults, especially "Demonic Mwani" ones would have priests walk around in circles chanting Zlaund's name, as they believed this strengthened him In the late period, a third kind of Cult developed, the Quaternity Cults, who believed in only four gods, two of the heaven, Zlaund and Mwani, and two of the earth. Like Zlaund and Mwani, the earth deities were male and female, the bodies of water being the Earth God's dwelling, the dry land the Earth Goddess's. These cults saw the sun and moon as only the heads of Zlaund and Mwani, and thus referred to them as Phink Zlaund and Phink Mwani.
All cults had certain things in common. The celebration of the Summer solstice as a feast, where sun-dried produce would be offered to Zlaund. Despite this, different cults had different attitudes toward sun-dried produce, some saying it was all to be burnt for Zlaund, others that some was a sacrament only for Priests of Zlaund who were Initiated into the Mysteries, others to all Zlaund's priests, others allowed all to participate in the sacrament, before the left-overs were burnt to Zlaund. Another commonality was the winter solstice being the "The day of Mourning Zlaund" as according to the Creator Cults, he would retreat to meditation for most of the day, thus leaving the world without its main god. According to the Salvific Cults, this is when Zlaund was weakest, and many "Mwani as demon" cults would engage in self-cutting in grief, and even burning all baby girls born on that day alive. Another commanality was the existence of "Mysteries", secrets that only certain priests could know and be Initiated into.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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Still fascinating, Shemtov!
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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The Politics of Kasõdakakowi:
Kasõdakakowi is an autocracy run by the Toka , which I translate as "Autocrator" The Toka is elected from the "Council of Rich Elders", who are supposed to be Men (and occasionally women) over the age of 45 with property, though corruption allows younger people to slip through, and eligible people to be blocked. They get their power from "Land and Experience". Every time a Toka dies, they gather to give "all power" to one of their number. It sort of a non-religious version of the Papacy, though there is a spiritual reason why "Land and Experience" allows people power. Land is because the "spirits of the land" are all obligated to protect their land's owner. Every single feature, man-made and natural, has a spirit. Every Living-Hut, every Storage-Hut, every Field, every hill, every pit, every minor rise, every minor fall. "Experience" is because boys of 15 are put in an arraigned marriage with a 13 year old girl of his own "Birthweek". Premarital and Extramarital Heterosexual sex is a capital crime (though it is very common for councilmen, and Tokas especially, to take mistresses and get ignored.) Every anniversary, their "Guardian spirits" have a twin Male and Female "Domestic spirits", who help the "Guardian spirits". 45 is the age of "experience" because 30 is seen as a mystic number- there are different interpretations, depending on time and place- "The First Toka reigned for 30 years" "Three and Ten are "Perfect" numbers, so their product is Perfection incarnate". "The First Man gave his sons land that each had thirty spirits, and the land was been twisted, and things have been built since then" etc. Because of this "Land and Experience" means that the person is guarded by many, many spirits.
A woman can only join the council if she is a widow of a councilman who submitted that his wife gain his position on his death, and is approved by both the Toka, and a 75% vote of all other members of the council. These women very rarely become Toka- "When there is a woman Toka" is an idiom like :eng: "Once in a blue moon".
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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The Khőőtín People value the cultivation of a sweet species of Genus Citrullus that was bred by their ancestors from the colocynth. It is used in many dishes, often as a sweetener. The Egusi is often ground to use as a spice. The juice is extracted and fermented, making a Melon Wine, that is their primary source of alcohol, however, they have developed a taboo on making Melon Wine from juice whose Marc (Gefen)- this includes the egusi- has not been burnt by a prepubescent boy immediately after squeezing, as an appeasement to their Death-god, as they believe that drunkenness from wine whose source has not undergone this ritual can be a "opening" for him to "ascend" unless such rituals are performed to "appease" him.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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While the Khőőtín people have not developed writing, they do not rely on memory for spiritual affairs- ritual specialists are taught a complicated system of Dongba symbol-like glyphs that can be "read" to remember prayers; they also have a quipu-like system for remembering the prayers: each string is a "line" of the prayer, and feeling it, going from right (colored white) to left (colored black), tells how many syllables and their stress pattern are in each line; these are attached to "Prayer tablets", which have the glyphs on them; the combination of the glyphs and "quipus" are supposed serve as a mnemonic for the exact words used.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

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Shemtov wrote: 03 Sep 2018 23:05 they also have a quipu-like system for remembering the prayers: each string is a "line" of the prayer, and feeling it, going from right (colored white) to left (colored black), tells how many syllables and their stress pattern are in each line;
Note that Khőőtín has stress on the first syllable of every word, and thus the knots indicate the beginning of a new word; feeling the space in between knots tells the ritual practitioner how many syllables each word is.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
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Re: Some info on the World of Fuhe

Post by Shemtov »

Momčalsum culture had Daiti, a beet-molasses-based wine, as the primary beverage. Fruit Wine was reserved for the gods.
The tradition continues in Nurǔsarǔcǔ with Cora, the only product allowed to be imported into the rest of Fuhe (under the name Tusora). There are various "houses" of Cora, made by families who claim their roots go back to Momčalsum days. Most "Houses" do not make pure beet-mollases-based wine, as that is called Tḕti. Cora is, by definition, flavored with herbs, mostly Lamiaceae. The most popular houses use Lemon Balm, and some kind of ground nut is added to the fermenting product. This is based upon the most praised, and most expensive, "House's" recipe, that being Cokö (sold as Tusökö), though of course, the "Houses" keep their recipes secret, and the exact nut and amount of Lemon Balm, and what other Lamiaceae herbs are added depends on the "House". Many suspect Cokö to use almonds and thyme, but the exact amount is unknown; Cokö claims that in addition to using nuts, those nuts are "cooked in a secret way before being ground". As the Conworlder, I will tell you that they boil their almonds in water flavored with beet-molasses that cannot be used for Cora, and then fry them in Sesame oil, before grinding them.
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
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