Post by Euphy on Oct 6, 2010 16:30:22 GMT -5
Alorians across the world have a specific culture all their own. For instance, naming their children. Also their religion of worshiping the Goddess. They have their own holidays as well at mostly seasonal markings in the year. Here are the specifics of the Culture of Alorians.
----~*'^'*~.,_,.~*+*'^The Naming.^'*+*~.,_,._*'^'*~----
When an Alorian child is born they are known only by their gender and family name first. For instance "Boy Smith". Until their first birthday that is all they are known as. Once they reach the one year threshold they have surpassed the superstition that naming an infant brings misfortune and binds their soul in unnatural ways. Alorians believe that a name has the ability to change a person. A scholarly "Aaron" can become an adventurous "Alexander" with just the switch of the name. At the year one benchmark the child gets a name based upon their displayed character traits and personality, or upon their special identifying marks or appearances. A boy with bright red hair might be named "Blaze" for that reason.
Their childhoods are mostly determined by their parentage, though only the poorest never attend school, as both Cellhonis and Emeria pride themselves on educating their children. At age 12 their primary education ends and children are sent to an apprentice based on their magic skills and interests. They live with that family and train with them until their apprenticeship is completed. If they fail at the first apprentice they start again at a different one. The average career takes four years to complete, so usually at age sixteen the children- both men and women- may graduate their apprenticeship and at that point they take on the name of the family of which they apprenticed, accompanied by a " d' " in front of the name, meaning "of". For example, "Blaze Smith d'Turner". This means Boy Smith took the name Blaze, and he apprenticed with the Turner family.
After apprenticeship is complete marriage is an option. This is the last time a person's name will change. Instead of losing one's name at marriage, both sides gain the others name at the end, for example "Blaze Smith d'Turner Amerist." The children take a name that combines both parents' family names. Blaze's child might be "Girl Amersmith", or "Boy Smitherist." This way family trees can be easily tracked back through the generations and this prevent family members from mistakenly marrying.
----~*'^'*~.,_,.~*+*'^The Time.^'*+*~.,_,._*'^'*~----
The Alorian year has exactly 360 days, and 90 days in each quarter (season). It's easiest to just call them by their Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter alternatives in our own language, consistent with the seasons of the northern hemisphere. (Though in fact, they are in the southern hemisphere. The further Southwest you go the colder it gets. Hence, Cyrashias is a frozen wasteland. This also means Northeast gets warmer; This is why Tularia is a great nation for farming.)
There are Three months in each season- similar to our own calendars- except every month has an equal distribution of days- 30 each. The months are named after the primary description of the month. The first month of winter (the start of the new year) is Darkling[/u], for it starts on the darkest day of the year- the Winter Solstice (known as Moon Day to Alorians). The next month, (typically near our February) is Lunen[/u], the native word for Moon. The next month is named Aurin[/u], the native word for hope and also the name of the North-star, named for the last month of winter.
The first month of spring comes on the Vernal Equinox (called "the Conquering" by the natives, for it is when the sun finally overcomes the moon.), and is known as Rise[/u] (as in, the sun's power is RISEing.). The next month is Flourish[/u] (shortened to Flou ("flow")), for the flourishing greenery, and the last 30 days of spring is known as Pinnacle[/u] (often shortened to Pinna), for the sun reaching it's apex, or pinnacle, in the sky. The summer months begin with the Summer Solstice (known as Sun Day to Alorians) and the month of Brighton[/u] (some believe it as shortened for "Bright One"). The next month of summer (late July-August) is called Charring[/u], because with the heat it feels is as if the sun is charring the earth. The last month of summer is called Winding[/u], as in, things are winding down. The first month of autumn comes on the Autumnal Equinox (called "Termina" by the natives, meaning end.) and is known as Abundance[/u] (sometimes shortened to "Bunda" or "Dance".), denoting the harvest's plenty around this time. The second month (somewhere from October to November for us) is called Turn[/u], so called for the turning of the leaves. And the last month is known as Somnus[/u], meaning sleep, so called for the darkness of the month- a time for sleeping.
Aloria's "weeks" are nine days, with the fourth, eighth, and ninth days being universal days of rest. There are three weeks and three days in each month, and 10 weeks in each season. (40 in each year.) The days, in order, are Climber, Clamber, Rigor, Valor, Vigor, Feller, Trier, Glider and Teller. Valor, Glider and Teller are rest days.
----~*'^'*~.,_,.~*+*'^The Religion.^'*+*~.,_,._*'^'*~----
The two main religions of Aloria are Pulsism and the Balance, though recently a Male-deity religion has come into being. That one is known as Puritanism. Both Pulsism and The Balance have similar elements of conservation and cycling, but the main difference is Pulsism views the magic abilities (of Pulse) as the blessing of the Goddess on her subjects, so they worship her, whereas the Balance worships the land and her creatures.
Both Balancists and Pulsivites celebrate Most seasonal markings- Moon Day, the Conquering, Sun Day, and Termina for sure, but also Mid-Winter and Harvest, Summer Moon (mid-summer's eve), and The Gathering (which is a spring festival celebrating the first week that the flowers are in bloom.). These two religions coincide and mesh well together, for they both believe the earth and magic sacred, and so have the same sacred days, but the Puritanist Religion believes only in the sacrilege of Man's sacred days. The birth of kings, the anniversary of Founding a town, etc. Their holidays are less ubiquitous and self-defining. They celebrate a day for reasons they give it, not for something intrinsic of the day itself (i.e. the days that have the same amount of sunlight as moonlight- the Equinoxes.). The puritanists have many scattered holidays for varying reasons, and it is difficult for most Pulsivites and Balancists to decipher their meanings and understand their timing.
----~*'^'*~.,_,.~*+*'^The Customs.^'*+*~.,_,._*'^'*~----
Sexisms, Racisms, Wedding customs, greetings, manners, courtship, birthdays, bodily cycles, age, etc.
----~*'^'*~.,_,.~*+*'^The Naming.^'*+*~.,_,._*'^'*~----
When an Alorian child is born they are known only by their gender and family name first. For instance "Boy Smith". Until their first birthday that is all they are known as. Once they reach the one year threshold they have surpassed the superstition that naming an infant brings misfortune and binds their soul in unnatural ways. Alorians believe that a name has the ability to change a person. A scholarly "Aaron" can become an adventurous "Alexander" with just the switch of the name. At the year one benchmark the child gets a name based upon their displayed character traits and personality, or upon their special identifying marks or appearances. A boy with bright red hair might be named "Blaze" for that reason.
Their childhoods are mostly determined by their parentage, though only the poorest never attend school, as both Cellhonis and Emeria pride themselves on educating their children. At age 12 their primary education ends and children are sent to an apprentice based on their magic skills and interests. They live with that family and train with them until their apprenticeship is completed. If they fail at the first apprentice they start again at a different one. The average career takes four years to complete, so usually at age sixteen the children- both men and women- may graduate their apprenticeship and at that point they take on the name of the family of which they apprenticed, accompanied by a " d' " in front of the name, meaning "of". For example, "Blaze Smith d'Turner". This means Boy Smith took the name Blaze, and he apprenticed with the Turner family.
After apprenticeship is complete marriage is an option. This is the last time a person's name will change. Instead of losing one's name at marriage, both sides gain the others name at the end, for example "Blaze Smith d'Turner Amerist." The children take a name that combines both parents' family names. Blaze's child might be "Girl Amersmith", or "Boy Smitherist." This way family trees can be easily tracked back through the generations and this prevent family members from mistakenly marrying.
----~*'^'*~.,_,.~*+*'^The Time.^'*+*~.,_,._*'^'*~----
The Alorian year has exactly 360 days, and 90 days in each quarter (season). It's easiest to just call them by their Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter alternatives in our own language, consistent with the seasons of the northern hemisphere. (Though in fact, they are in the southern hemisphere. The further Southwest you go the colder it gets. Hence, Cyrashias is a frozen wasteland. This also means Northeast gets warmer; This is why Tularia is a great nation for farming.)
There are Three months in each season- similar to our own calendars- except every month has an equal distribution of days- 30 each. The months are named after the primary description of the month. The first month of winter (the start of the new year) is Darkling[/u], for it starts on the darkest day of the year- the Winter Solstice (known as Moon Day to Alorians). The next month, (typically near our February) is Lunen[/u], the native word for Moon. The next month is named Aurin[/u], the native word for hope and also the name of the North-star, named for the last month of winter.
The first month of spring comes on the Vernal Equinox (called "the Conquering" by the natives, for it is when the sun finally overcomes the moon.), and is known as Rise[/u] (as in, the sun's power is RISEing.). The next month is Flourish[/u] (shortened to Flou ("flow")), for the flourishing greenery, and the last 30 days of spring is known as Pinnacle[/u] (often shortened to Pinna), for the sun reaching it's apex, or pinnacle, in the sky. The summer months begin with the Summer Solstice (known as Sun Day to Alorians) and the month of Brighton[/u] (some believe it as shortened for "Bright One"). The next month of summer (late July-August) is called Charring[/u], because with the heat it feels is as if the sun is charring the earth. The last month of summer is called Winding[/u], as in, things are winding down. The first month of autumn comes on the Autumnal Equinox (called "Termina" by the natives, meaning end.) and is known as Abundance[/u] (sometimes shortened to "Bunda" or "Dance".), denoting the harvest's plenty around this time. The second month (somewhere from October to November for us) is called Turn[/u], so called for the turning of the leaves. And the last month is known as Somnus[/u], meaning sleep, so called for the darkness of the month- a time for sleeping.
Aloria's "weeks" are nine days, with the fourth, eighth, and ninth days being universal days of rest. There are three weeks and three days in each month, and 10 weeks in each season. (40 in each year.) The days, in order, are Climber, Clamber, Rigor, Valor, Vigor, Feller, Trier, Glider and Teller. Valor, Glider and Teller are rest days.
----~*'^'*~.,_,.~*+*'^The Religion.^'*+*~.,_,._*'^'*~----
The two main religions of Aloria are Pulsism and the Balance, though recently a Male-deity religion has come into being. That one is known as Puritanism. Both Pulsism and The Balance have similar elements of conservation and cycling, but the main difference is Pulsism views the magic abilities (of Pulse) as the blessing of the Goddess on her subjects, so they worship her, whereas the Balance worships the land and her creatures.
Both Balancists and Pulsivites celebrate Most seasonal markings- Moon Day, the Conquering, Sun Day, and Termina for sure, but also Mid-Winter and Harvest, Summer Moon (mid-summer's eve), and The Gathering (which is a spring festival celebrating the first week that the flowers are in bloom.). These two religions coincide and mesh well together, for they both believe the earth and magic sacred, and so have the same sacred days, but the Puritanist Religion believes only in the sacrilege of Man's sacred days. The birth of kings, the anniversary of Founding a town, etc. Their holidays are less ubiquitous and self-defining. They celebrate a day for reasons they give it, not for something intrinsic of the day itself (i.e. the days that have the same amount of sunlight as moonlight- the Equinoxes.). The puritanists have many scattered holidays for varying reasons, and it is difficult for most Pulsivites and Balancists to decipher their meanings and understand their timing.
----~*'^'*~.,_,.~*+*'^The Customs.^'*+*~.,_,._*'^'*~----
Sexisms, Racisms, Wedding customs, greetings, manners, courtship, birthdays, bodily cycles, age, etc.