Essebian arts

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Essebian arts

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Inspired by a section of The Conlanger's Lexipedia (of course), I've been developing the indigenous art forms of one of my con cultures, the Essebians, who live in a world called Odhisi and are engaged in a bloody rivalry with another culture, the Ayans, whose art forms I expect to expound at a later date.

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In general, Essebian arts (qupa) are meant to be performed or exhibited, and when certain art forms make use of manuscripts, these manuscripts are written to be interpreted, not recited. Paintings often follow common motifs but prominently include the artist's unmistakeable original touch, while plays feature extensive ad libbing and are often written as mere outlines. A manuscript is not considered art but a template for art.

While the above paragraph discusses paintings, plays, and manuscripts, Essebian art is divided up in a much different way from what we are accustomed to in our cultures. The two oldest and highest-prestige forms of art in Essebia are:

Qarrerārupa: the art of telling the truth.
Qodarupa: the art of being clever.

Both cover every medium, but Qarrerārupa strives primarily for the accuracy of its representations while Qodarupa strives primarily to make a non-literal impression. Very loose translations of each would be nonfiction and poetry, but both are much broader than what these are typically understood to be. Either one could be a painting, a play, a story, a song, a dramatization of a historical event, a piece of spoken word, etc..

Following this, there are two forms of art that are seen as being of lower prestige:

Qabōshtsi: the art of fiction.
Qagaqōptsi: the art of quasi-nonfictional narrative.

The etymology of these words is obscure; it is likely that they were drawn in prehistoric times from a language of lower prestige that has since vanished. Qabōshti aims to entertain by making a mostly-literal impression that is not true and is often fantastic. Qagaqōptsi is somewhere between qabōshti and qarrerārupa, as it strives for storytelling over accuracy but still tries to set itself firmly within a historic or otherwise factual tradition.

Following these two, there is a final form of art that is seen as being of lowest prestige:

Qakunentsi: the art of popular entertainment with no other purpose.

Like qabōshtsi and qagaqōptsi, this was probably not originally an Essebian art form. It consists of art intended to entertain, such as popular songs and folk stories. It is by far the most popular form of entertainment in Essebia, but is associated with the lower classes and seen by consequence as being of low value. It is also the only form of entertainment in Essebia where you are likely to hear or see the same thing over and over again, as once a work of qakunentsi becomes popular, it is not in the best interests of its performers to change it.

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Thoughts? Criticisms? Flames? This was interesting to think about for me. I don't agree with hierarchy at all, least of all artistic hierarchy, but this particular conworld is very similar to our own; it is not my ideal world.
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Re: Essebian arts

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Super, SUPER interesting! I love it. Please do more. Why do all the words start with /q/?
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Re: Essebian arts

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Thanks :D /q/ is the definite article.
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Re: Essebian arts

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I like how arts are divided by (cultural) prestige rather than form.

I could imagine schools of art being set up rather differently than we're used to as well. Whereas *here* you might find a school devoted to music or graphic arts; *there*, the 'school of artistic truth' would focus broadly on form but hone in on realistic portrayal.

How does an 'art' like the nightly news, which is (in the US) basically someone being clever (spin) while repeating fiction (unverified stories & sources) all for what is essentially popular entertainment?

A question: how does music fit in with the dichotomy of truth vs. fiction? I mean, the performance of a play or story ms can be judged on realism (of sets, of characters portrayed, of (hi)story and plot involved. But how can music be so judged?

Or is music relegated to the lowest echelons of art?
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Re: Essebian arts

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elemtilas wrote:I like how arts are divided by (cultural) prestige rather than form.
Thanks. It's less a division of prestige than a division of theme or genre, though, like comedy and tragedy. Prestige maybe takes up too much of my original post, but it's one of the things I thought about, as there is a proto-culture and then there are elements from an assimilated substrate culture that get introduced.
I could imagine schools of art being set up rather differently than we're used to as well. Whereas *here* you might find a school devoted to music or graphic arts; *there*, the 'school of artistic truth' would focus broadly on form but hone in on realistic portrayal.
Yes, exactly. In most of these art forms, form is seen as a means to an end; hence most art schools would be results-oriented and holistic. In "artistic truth schools" people learn to become proficient at multiple forms for the purpose of representing authentic reality, while in "fiction schools" they learn to become proficient at multiple forms for the purpose of a narrative. In "being clever" art, though, form is much more important and takes a much more central role. Form is often, though not always, the sole end of "being clever" 'art.
How does an 'art' like the nightly news, which is (in the US) basically someone being clever (spin) while repeating fiction (unverified stories & sources) all for what is essentially popular entertainment?
They are living roughly in their world's classical era, so they would have zero problem with unverified stories and sources, as there is no TV or Internet in their home world yet, very few people are literate, and almost all information is second-hand; truth-tellers are heavily reliant upon informants. They would have no more of a problem with the use of informants to portray the truth than anyone did in the West's classical era... or than anyone did as late as the 1970s when anonymous sources were used to expose the crimes of the Nixon administration. They would see the occasional false information as a necessary evil to increasing their knowledge, and would have nothing but contempt for people who never admit fault and claim to be honest 100% of the time, and whose whole MO is to lie non-stop and project their own cynical dishonesty onto others.

With that said, if they came to Earth and met Americans and encountered the nightly news or any other manifestation of the Spectacle, they would be horrified and nauseated. It would be a tremendous culture shock to them as they are accustomed to elevating reality over representation rather than the reverse. They have no concept of art whose sole purpose is to sell products, and would probably not see it as art at all. They might try to expose its creators as fraudulent or tyrannical and, upon encountering the misplaced priorities of the American people, become contemptuous of us as a whole. Integrating would be difficult to say the least.
A question: how does music fit in with the dichotomy of truth vs. fiction? I mean, the performance of a play or story ms can be judged on realism (of sets, of characters portrayed, of (hi)story and plot involved. But how can music be so judged?
I think you misunderstand; there is not a dichotomy of truth vs. fiction. There are five genres and only three of them relate to truth vs. fiction; one of those three (quasi-nonfiction) explicitly blends truth with fiction. Each genre generally uses multiple media to convey its message. So music can be used as part of an attempt to represent reality or to be clever; it can also be used to accompany fiction or quasi-nonfiction. On its own, music can be put to any number of purposes. If it is meant to be clever, it falls under being clever. If it is meant to entertan the masses, it is "the lowest form of art" (and the most popular). If a song has lyrics that form a narrative, it would probably fall into one of the other genres.

Be aware also that people crossed and blended genres, and this became more and more of a thing as history went on. No one can be too limited in their expression forever, but this is a very young civilization.

Thank you so much for these questions as they made me think a lot.

EDITED a bit for clarity
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Re: Essebian arts

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marvelous wrote:
A question: how does music fit in with the dichotomy of truth vs. fiction? I mean, the performance of a play or story ms can be judged on realism (of sets, of characters portrayed, of (hi)story and plot involved. But how can music be so judged?
I think you misunderstand;
Possible so!
there is not a dichotomy of truth vs. fiction.
Well, there may not be a dichotomy, but there is a hierarchy as I understand what you wrote. A highest prestige art is that of truth-telling. Below that comes, basically, lying (the art of fiction). It's a dichotomy for us, if not for the Essebians!
There are five genres and only three of them relate to truth vs. fiction; one of those three (quasi-nonfiction) explicitly blends truth with fiction. Each genre generally uses multiple media to convey its message. So music can be used as part of an attempt to represent reality or to be clever; it can also be used to accompany fiction or quasi-nonfiction. On its own, music can be put to any number of purposes. If it is meant to be clever, it falls under being clever. If it is meant to entertan the masses, it is "the lowest form of art" (and the most popular). If a song has lyrics that form a narrative, it would probably fall into one of the other genres.
I guess that's my question. How is music either "truthful" or "fictive"?
Be aware also that people crossed and blended genres, and this became more and more of a thing as history went on. No one can be too limited in their expression forever, but this is a very young civilization.
That was actually a follow-up question! How do genres blend? Particularly the polar opposites "truthful" and "fictive"?
Thank you so much for these questions as they made me think a lot.
Sure! Neat ideas you've got here. I certainly hope to hear more about the Essenians!
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Re: Essebian arts

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elemtilas wrote:
marvelous wrote:
A question: how does music fit in with the dichotomy of truth vs. fiction? I mean, the performance of a play or story ms can be judged on realism (of sets, of characters portrayed, of (hi)story and plot involved. But how can music be so judged?
I think you misunderstand;
Possible so!
there is not a dichotomy of truth vs. fiction.
Well, there may not be a dichotomy, but there is a hierarchy as I understand what you wrote. A highest prestige art is that of truth-telling. Below that comes, basically, lying (the art of fiction). It's a dichotomy for us, if not for the Essebians!
You're missing that there is also the "being clever" art form at the exact same level as "truth-telling," which is where instrumental music would probably fall in, though music can be many, many different things. Hence there is no dichotomy; there is room for forms of art that have no relation to truth or falsehood. It's not about "art is either true or false" but different types of art that focus on different ultimate goals. If a science fiction novel has a romance element, it's still science fiction.
There are five genres and only three of them relate to truth vs. fiction; one of those three (quasi-nonfiction) explicitly blends truth with fiction. Each genre generally uses multiple media to convey its message. So music can be used as part of an attempt to represent reality or to be clever; it can also be used to accompany fiction or quasi-nonfiction. On its own, music can be put to any number of purposes. If it is meant to be clever, it falls under being clever. If it is meant to entertan the masses, it is "the lowest form of art" (and the most popular). If a song has lyrics that form a narrative, it would probably fall into one of the other genres.
I guess that's my question. How is music either "truthful" or "fictive"?
It isn't necessarily, but there are other forms of art in the Essebian world than truthful and fictional. Music can be truthful and can be fictitious if it aims to convey a narrative, but it doesn't have to fall into one or the other category; it can fall into any number of other categories that Essebian aristocrats value. And even if Essebian aristocrats don't value it, it still exists; it just isn't considered by art snobs to be valuable.
Be aware also that people crossed and blended genres, and this became more and more of a thing as history went on. No one can be too limited in their expression forever, but this is a very young civilization.
That was actually a follow-up question! How do genres blend? Particularly the polar opposites "truthful" and "fictive"?
A perfect example is historical fiction. Look at the show Rome: in many ways it aims for authenticity while in others it seriously deviates from what is conventionally accepted to be true. Another example might be Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, a fictionalized account of a true story. Truthful and fictive are really not as opposite as they might seem to you; it is possible to be truthful in one way and fictitious in another way, and it is also possible to take artistic license with the truth without creating something completely separate from it.

It's not black or white, in other words. Wonderland is more fictive than the Valyrian Stronghold which is more fictive than the Rome portrayed on the HBO Series. What you have here are gradations of relationship to Earth's history.
Thank you so much for these questions as they made me think a lot.
Sure! Neat ideas you've got here. I certainly hope to hear more about the Essenians!
Thanks.
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Re: Essebian arts

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marvelous wrote:You're missing that there is also the "being clever" art form at the exact same level as "truth-telling," which is where instrumental music would probably fall in, though music can be many, many different things. Hence there is no dichotomy; there is room for forms of art that have no relation to truth or falsehood. It's not about "art is either true or false" but different types of art that focus on different ultimate goals. If a science fiction novel has a romance element, it's still science fiction.
Right. Still thinking of MUSIC as the genre, not TRUTH TELLING or BEING CLEVER!
I guess that's my question. How is music either "truthful" or "fictive"?
It isn't necessarily, but there are other forms of art in the Essebian world than truthful and fictional. Music can be truthful and can be fictitious if it aims to convey a narrative, but it doesn't have to fall into one or the other category; it can fall into any number of other categories that Essebian aristocrats value. And even if Essebian aristocrats don't value it, it still exists; it just isn't considered by art snobs to be valuable.
Perhaps music isn't a good medium for those particular genres ... it is neither "true-to-life" nor "fictitious". I mean, if you paint a picture of a leaf, and it looks like a leaf, the Truth Tellers say "well done!" If you paint a leaf and it looks like stacked boxes the Fictionistas say "done well!" How do I truthfully or fictively depict a leaf with sound? Perhaps better suited to a different genre?
Be aware also that people crossed and blended genres, and this became more and more of a thing as history went on. No one can be too limited in their expression forever, but this is a very young civilization.
example might be Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, a fictionalized account of a true story. Truthful and fictive are really not as opposite as they might seem to you;
Well, kind of by definition, they are. Fictionalising a true story doesn't make the account any more true. There may be elements of truth in it, but that doesn't lessen the fictional nature of the tale.

I guess these are the kinds of arguments proponents of the various schools of arts might get into in Essebia!
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Re: Essebian arts

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elemtilas wrote:
marvelous wrote:You're missing that there is also the "being clever" art form at the exact same level as "truth-telling," which is where instrumental music would probably fall in, though music can be many, many different things. Hence there is no dichotomy; there is room for forms of art that have no relation to truth or falsehood. It's not about "art is either true or false" but different types of art that focus on different ultimate goals. If a science fiction novel has a romance element, it's still science fiction.
Right. Still thinking of MUSIC as the genre, not TRUTH TELLING or BEING CLEVER!
Exactly! :P
I guess that's my question. How is music either "truthful" or "fictive"?
It isn't necessarily, but there are other forms of art in the Essebian world than truthful and fictional. Music can be truthful and can be fictitious if it aims to convey a narrative, but it doesn't have to fall into one or the other category; it can fall into any number of other categories that Essebian aristocrats value. And even if Essebian aristocrats don't value it, it still exists; it just isn't considered by art snobs to be valuable.
Perhaps music isn't a good medium for those particular genres ... it is neither "true-to-life" nor "fictitious". I mean, if you paint a picture of a leaf, and it looks like a leaf, the Truth Tellers say "well done!" If you paint a leaf and it looks like stacked boxes the Fictionistas say "done well!" How do I truthfully or fictively depict a leaf with sound?
Almost sounds like a koan :P
Perhaps better suited to a different genre?
Yes, instrumental music would probably never fall into the truth/falsehood genres unless it was accompanying a larger work like a play. But music with lyrics would be a different story. In that case, the end goal would be to faithfully tell a story set to music... as long as the piece as a whole pulls that off, the instrumental part of the music is merely an ingredient used to make the truth entertaining and/or beautiful... even to express an emotion widely reported to have been felt on a particular occasion. This doesn't mean music is relegated to this, though; it can also be used for a number of other purposes.
Be aware also that people crossed and blended genres, and this became more and more of a thing as history went on. No one can be too limited in their expression forever, but this is a very young civilization.
example might be Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, a fictionalized account of a true story. Truthful and fictive are really not as opposite as they might seem to you;
Well, kind of by definition, they are.
I think you are conflating fiction with falsehood. Falsehood is the opposite of truth; fiction is not. Fiction is complex; it is composed of a tremendous amount of information, some of which may be more true than other parts.
Fictionalising a true story doesn't make the account any more true. There may be elements of truth in it, but that doesn't lessen the fictional nature of the tale.
Yes, if you were to take a story as a whole and decide its logical truth value, you could declare it false by finding one example of falsehood, but that's neither here nor there. We could argue about this forever, but I suppose the plainest way to say it is that it's not all or nothing for Essebians... and in fact, I'm essentializing them, but the existence of these lower-prestige genres shows that essentializing them is really impossible. One of their oldest, most consistently-respected genres held representation of the truth to be one of the highest forms of art, but as their civilization got older and interacted with other cultures, they began to introduce historical fiction and dramatization into the mix as well as imaginative fiction, and these were their best works despite holding lower prestige at the time. Traditionalists still held representation of truth as the highest, just as Roman traditionalists valued epic poetry over the Poetae Novi... but I think the best art has always been the kind that broke with tradition. That's my take on it - but in a conculture I've had to think about what their traditions might be and how they might be different from the ones I am acquainted with. And it's a lot of fun :D
I guess these are the kinds of arguments proponents of the various schools of arts might get into in Essebia!
Undoubtedly; they are the sorts of people who like to argue for the sake of arguing. Personally though I start to feel bad about myself if I do that for too long :P

EDIT: Spoke too soon; the Essebians probably would hate arguing for the sake of arguing the more I think about it... bah.
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Re: Essebian arts

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marvelous wrote:
I guess these are the kinds of arguments proponents of the various schools of arts might get into in Essebia!
Undoubtedly; they are the sorts of people who like to argue for the sake of arguing. Personally though I start to feel bad about myself if I do that for too long :P

EDIT: Spoke too soon; the Essebians probably would hate arguing for the sake of arguing the more I think about it... bah.
They sound much like the philosophers of The World, arguing for the sake of arguing, and sakesome arguing about art for all that!
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Re: Essebian arts

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elemtilas wrote:
marvelous wrote:
I guess these are the kinds of arguments proponents of the various schools of arts might get into in Essebia!
Undoubtedly; they are the sorts of people who like to argue for the sake of arguing. Personally though I start to feel bad about myself if I do that for too long :P

EDIT: Spoke too soon; the Essebians probably would hate arguing for the sake of arguing the more I think about it... bah.
They sound much like the philosophers of The World, arguing for the sake of arguing, and sakesome arguing about art for all that!
Is The World your conworld?
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Re: Essebian arts

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marvelous wrote:Is The World your conworld?
Yep.

A little bit here at CBB
and some more here at Conlang
a little more at Frath.
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Re: Essebian arts

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elemtilas wrote:
marvelous wrote:Is The World your conworld?
Yep.

A little bit here at CBB
and some more here at Conlang
a little more at Frath.
I love the way you present all this xD I've seen the Shadowfolk dance freely in the light a few times, usually when I'm manic... maybe the moon is freeing them and making me manic at the same time.
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