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Nyezza

Page history last edited by PBworks 16 years, 2 months ago


The nyezza, pronounced ['nʲɛzːə]  are one of the two major gnomish ethnic groups of Ilaros and certianly the one foreigners are most familiar with. Historically, the nyezza originated on the north western coast of the Esuin sea in what is now the Republic of Orothos and the Esuin League, although they have now spread much further afield and can be found throughout the coastal regions of Ilaros and beyond. They are predominantly a seafaring people noted for their skill as shipwrights, navigators, explorers and merchants as well as for their long-standing scientific, esoteric and philosophical traditions. Within the Maritime Republics, the nyezzan influence is strong and their peculiar ethical and political systems have been so deeply ingrained in the populace in general that it is often difficult to determine where "nyezza" ends and Maritime Republican begins.

 

Description

 

Physiology

 

The nyezza are, like all gnomes, a small people standing about- four feet in height. Like other members of the species, the nyezza possess the large noses, enlarged eyes, and prominent ears that one would expect, however there are several features which serve to make the nyezza a distinct people. In complexion they can range from honey-gold to pale ivory with moderate and pale tones predominating. Their hair (which, like their noses, is a source of substantial cultural pride) is generally wavy and often of a peculiar shade of deep red although blacks, browns, and more usual shades of red also occur. Strangely, blonde hair is almost completely unknown among them and the few cases that have been documented almost always end up being the result of dying.

 

The nose is generally hawkish or aquiline in shape and is invested with all manner of cultural and personal significance. A large, well shaped nose is believed to be a sign of cunning and strength of character. Many phrases in the nyezzai languages (such as Lókoiros) make reference to the nose as a metaphor for everything from business acumen, to intelligence, to virility and attractiveness.

 

Dress and personal adornment

 

Although the nyezza are not a monolithic culture, they do possess analogous practices when it comes to dress and adornment. Elaborately layered clothing, including various vests, coats, scarves, stoles, and sashes, is quite common and the fabrics tend to be rich and adorned with patterns and designs of baroque complexity. The colors of nyezzai clothing tend to be rich but somewhat muted favoring dark reds, sage greens, lapis blues, rusts, golds, dusty blacks. Pants are universally worn by both men and women and the idea of skirts or dresses is somewhat alien to most nyezzai groups.

 

Hats are another common item of nyezzai clothing and it is generally the case that no self-respecting nyezzai goes out in public without a hat. For centuries the soft, round, brimless hat made of heavy brocaded material has been the hat of choice among them, so much so that these hats are known as nyezholi meaning 'little gnomish thing'. Other hats that of nyezzai origin include the karídolen or tall hat, a cylindrical hat with a flared and rolled top (looking rather like an upside down top hat or a capitanesca), the mazradolen or disc hat which is similar to the karídolen in shape but with a much more dramatic flare, often the flat disc of these hats is a wide as the shoulders of the wearer.

 

Adornments such as jewelry and makeup are also common among the nyezza with earrings, rings, necklaces, and eye makeup being the most common. Male nyezza generally wear several rings along with long, dangling earrings and kohl around their eyes. These adornments are thought to accentuate those parts of the body that are generally considered to be the most important and attractive. Among females, bracelets, blue, purple, or green lip-paint , and ornate necklaces predominate for much the same reason.

 

Languages

 

The nyezzai languages are spoken by millions of people, predominatly in the Maritime Republics and their colonies and constitute the major languages of such nations as Orothos, Nacáil, the League, and to a lesser extent Genato. Although the modern languages are closely related, they are no longer mutually intelligable; even among the so-called dialects of some of the more widely spoken languages (Lókoiros for example) the degree of multual intelligability is low. The internal diversity of the nyezzai languages is often a shock to outsiders who might have learned some standarized form or come from nations where the internal lingustic diversity is low.

 

Typologically, nyezzai languages are highly synthetic, often polysynthetic, and almost all posses some degree of incorporation. An usual, and somewhat controversial, feature of these languages is their underlying nounlessness. In  most  living nyezzai languages,  specialized stative verbs may be nominalized to for derived nouns, and the same is true of adjectives, but there remain no native, underived nouns. Similar constructions have been observed in several outsider languages and there has been some attempt to relate the nyezzai to these tongues with little success.

 

Social Structure and Politics

 

The nyezza are a very social people with a long tradition of urbanized living. Much of their collective identity is built around the idea of the city, both as a physical place and as a concept. Nyezza typically identify themselves as being citizens of one particular city or another even if they are also citizens of a larger nation. Those from Trokoilon, for example, consider themselves first as trokoilai and Orothoi secondly. Cities are also the centers of trade and learning and nyezzai cultures value these things highly for both wealth and knowledge are considered essential.

 

There is a rather sharp division between the private and the public realms of nyezzai society and it is considered unseemly and dangerous for the two to overlap more than is strictly necessary. The public life is the life of the marketplace where ideas and commodities are bought and sold, where political scheming takes place, and where civic virtue is expressed. The private life is that of home, of quiet contemplation, and of family and friends. To bring the two lives together would be to destroy them both and this is very much at the heart of their almost violent distaste for hereditary rule.

 

 

Family, Marriage and Kinship

 

Nyezzai family relations are complex due to a number of factors including views on the nature of kinship itself. There is no assumption of inheritance based on blood lines or ties of marriage and thus will-writing has become an important part of life. When a nyezza enters into adulthood they generally compose their first will and this document is continually revised over the course of their lifetime. Within the often labyrinthine wording of the will a very personal and private view of family emerges; nyezza might well consider their close friends and business partners to be as much a part of their family as their own siblings and offspring often favoring these 'fictive kin' over their biological relations.

 

Marriage too is a somewhat confusing institution among the nyezza for there exist not only several varieties of marriage, but none carry any public legal standing. Contract marriages are the most common form and are entered into for a prescribed period of time (often three, five, or seven years), at the end of this period, the contract can be renewed if, and only if, both partners agree to it. If the contract is not renewed, the marriage is dissolved and private assets are divided according to the terms of the contract. Other forms of marriage agreements include fictive marriages wherein the parties to the agreement need not show any special attention to each other nor even have anything more than a passing acquaintance, indeed they do not even have to have met. These agreements are usually made to avoid being pressured into accepting some other marriage proposal or to insure the proper dispensation of one's private assesses in the event of an untimely and unforeseen death. These marriages are common with travelers, merchants, and sailors who are often 'married' to some distant correspondent with whom they exchange little more than letters. This latter form of marriage has led to a whole body of literature, usually a novel in letters, concerning the participants in such a marriage.

 

Despite this rather unusual understanding of family and marriage, the nyezza take such things seriously and are not prone to marrying quickly or without some consideration of the possible consequences, such as how to deal with potential offspring. Traditionally, children are considered to belong to their mother's bloodline and thus take her family name. Further, ones maternal aunts are also referred to as 'mother' and a similar thing occurs with one's father's brothers. This system leads to a rather large number of people that one refers to as either 'brother' or 'sister' and, by extension, a large and rather formidable family tree. It is not uncommon for a nyezza to be able to recall the names and linages of relatives that in other cultures would be considered so distant as to make their classification as relatives somewhat spurious.

 

Politics

 

The nyezza are a disputatious people, and they hold the art of debate in high esteem. It is therefore not surprizing  that the traditional form of government among them was republican in style. There is no strong tradition of kings or other hereditary rulers amng them, and most modern nyezza consider the very idea of hereditary rule to be both inherently illigitmate and highly unethical.  Despite their long standing objections to hereditary rule and kingship, the nyezza are also profoundly anti-egalitarian believing that if people were truely regarded as having a priori equal value that society would be obliged to let itself be run by fools for it could offer up no objections.  Most nations that have a strong nyezzai influence tend toward some manner of represtative government which functions along with a meritocratic social order.

 

Philosophy and Religion

 

The religious traditions of the nyezza have a long history, originating in the pre-literate oral culture and slowly developing and evolving into the customs and practices of the present day. Like all folk religions that of the nyezza has no founder and is deeply intertwined with the culture and psychology of its practitioners. The private exercise of religious devotion is still very much an affair of the home and of the family, full of idiosyncratic practices where as the public, civil religion (widely known as Tlónism) is considerably more organized and consistent.

 

The nyezzai religious customs are implicitly atheistic for they are utterly silent upon the matter of gods. This has always been the case and even the earliest known writings concerning nyezzai religion make no mention of divinity. As contact with explicitly theistic cultures increased, the nyezza were introduced to the concept of deities but have largely retained their lack of belief in such beings, seeing them as irrelevant. Although lacking deities, the religion of the nyezza does have numerous objects of veneration and worship, the Tlón (the underlying cosmic order), the meorai (philosopher-saints), the ghosts of ancestors, and numerous other cosmic forces and concepts.

 

 

Universal Concepts and Beliefs

 

 

The nyezzai religions have never been unified in a fashion analogous to that of the revealed religions of the world. Each city or city-state has its own religion traditions, festivals, and customs that are unique and often contradict those of neighboring cities. However all schools and sects of nyezzai religion share a number of core beliefs that are universal

 

 

 

The Tlón

 

 

The Tlón is the underlying order of the cosmos which permeates all things. It is intimately associate with natural law, with mathematics (especially geometry and game theory), and civic order. Often, the Tlón is likened to the rules of a very complex and elaborate game which are revealed slowly over the course of play; an analogy which has confused no end of foreigners who come away thinking that the nyezza literally worship games

 

 

Thoeth

 

 

Thoeth is understood to be the cosmos as interpreted by the fallible senses. If the Tlón can be likened to the rules of a game, then Thoeth is the game itself. Thoeth is the result of the mind interpreting the ideas and patterns of the Tlón as physical phenomena rather than as arrangements of mental events. However, Thoeth is not regarded as “evil” only as an imperfect representation. Indeed, Thoeth is often regarded as a kind of teaching tool, a series of helpful metaphors and stories to help condition the mind and guide it toward the underlying truth.

 

 

The Meorai

 

 

The word Meorai roughly translates as “wise one” or “sage” and refers to the saint-like figures in nyezzai religion. The meorai are those who have attained a certain level of wisdom and understanding of the Tlón that their minds posses a special clarity after death and remain within the dreams of the living, guiding their dreams and fostering harmony.

 

Veneration of the meorai often takes place at shrines whose location is significant to the life and teachings of the meorai in question. Statues and Icons are made of them to serve as proxies and as foci for veneration and acts of devotion. It is considered auspicious to make offerings to the meorai upon certain holy days as it will bring their attention to you and thus more likely to guide you (should you be found worthy).

 

Meorai also function as patrons of places, of ideas, and of professions and are venerated accordingly. The patrons of cities usually feature prominently in the art and architecture of their city, often in symbolic ways. In Trokoilon, for example, herons and other long-legged water birds are symbols of Pharon (patron of that city) and are found on everything from the official seal of the city to the frescos that decorate the sides of the buildings in the ele. There are also patron meorai of crafts, trades, arts, and the like, and each has festivals and observances.

 

 

The Thalos

 

 

The city-state  is considered the basic unit of civilization among the nyezza and it is no great surprise that it features so prominently in their philosophy and religion. The thaloi are invested with an almost sacred quality and representations of the ideal of harmonious and pragmatic order. When actions are prescribed they are almost inevitably in the context of civic virtue to the point that the conduct of individuals is largely judged on its contribution to (or detraction from) the overall good of the city.

 

Even the ele (the marketplace) which forms the heart of the thalos is held in reverence by the nyezza, The ele is place both of commerce and debate where goods and ideas are regulated by underlying and above all pragmatic laws. It is for this reason that the ele the very soul of the thalos is seen as an embodiment of the immutable Tlón.

 

 

The Virtues

 

 

The writings of the meorai are filled with descriptions and discussions of proper conduct. Although numerous formulations of these ethical precepts exist, the most widely expected version occurs in The Discourses of Nurian.

 

• Avoid Avarice, embrace Greed: Greed and Avarice are sharply contrasted in nyezzai philosophy with greed representing the positive acquisition of wealth, knowledge, power, etc. for some pragmatic or aesthetic end while Avarice is merely acquisition for its own sake. Avarice is regarded as a vice as it deprives the market (and thus society as a whole) of the benefits of ongoing commerce by overly restricting access to goods and resources.

• Shun Ignorance, embrace Doubt: Doubt, and skepticism in general, is regarded as necessary as it cultivates an incisive mind that is not easily fooled or led astray.

• Avoid Candor, embrace Cunning: On the whole the Nyezza do not believe that the old saw “honesty is the best policy” has any merit. There are many times when a lie is more efficacious and even more meaningful than a simple statement of truth. One should always endeavor to attain the most favorable and pragmatic outcome regardless of whether or not it is founded upon truth. If one must lie to do so, then the lie is necessary. If the truth is more useful, then to lie would be unnecessary.

• Abhor Disorder, embrace Harmony: Disorder and unreason are states brought about by ignorance and self delusion and one must avoid falling into the trap of holding that there is no underlying order. To embrace harmony is to embrace the Tlón itself, to live according to reason, to be civilized, and there is no higher value than civilization itself.

• Distrust the Answers, embrace the Questions: Knowledge is not acquired through the simple knowing of facts, the questions themselves, and why they are asked is often more important. The questions show the path of reasoning rather than just a few scatted points and should be seriously considered.

• Refrain from Rashness, embrace Persistence: Action without forethought is both unreasonable and ultimately destructive as well as being a trait of the uncivilized and the unlearned. One is expected to act in accordance with reason, with forethought, and above all with dedication to leaving nothing unfinished.

 

 

Private Devotion and Civil Religion

 

 

Like many aspects of Nyezzai culture there is a strong division between one’s private religious devotions and those that are performed in public. Private religion is largely practiced within the home and often involves ancestor veneration (especially the singing of songs and small sacrifices), meditation, the telling of stories, and the playing of certain games thought to help condition the mind. These practices are largely concerned with the internal harmony of a household or family group and tend to translate poorly both to other family groups and to the society at large. Why should one offer up songs and litanies to some obscure ancestor of one’s neighbor who had nothing whatever to do with you nor you with them?

 

By contrast the public religion of Tlónism is highly concerned with the public good, especially the good of the city. Public holidays and rituals are meant to unite the populous as a whole with a common set of symbols and stories as well as cultivate civic virtue. To this end the veneration of the meorai is central to Tlónist practice as these sages and culture heroes represent something approaching a universal ancestor to a whole population and are venerated accordingly. Public festivals are very important and it is generally considered in bad form to not join in the celebration of such holidays.

 

 

The Private Religions

 

 

Although the individual customs and beliefs of the many family groups vary they all draw from the same cultural background and as such contain many similar concepts which serve to unite them. What follows in an inexhaustive list of some of the more common beliefs of nyezzai folk religion.

 

• Belief that one’s mind is the totality of one’s true being.

• Belief that proper training of the mind leads to harmonious thought and a better, more rational life

• Discord is unnatural and caused by improper thinking and an undisciplined mind

• Strong disbelief in the “reality” of the material world

• The continued existence of the dead within the dreams of the living, especially relatives, lovers, and close friends

• The need to completely destroy the body of the dead (usually by creation) to help ensure that the deceased will not become a unquiet ghost

• Belief that grieving too much for the dead will cause them pain as well as dooming them to exist as ghosts

• Belief that the dead and influence the dreams of the living for good or ill

• A yearly ceremony or celebration of one’s departed ancestors in which is once more acceptable to grieve for them

• A strong tradition of keeping the practices of private religion secret

• A ceremony in which a dying member of the family shares all of their secrets with a chosen successor both to pass on the knowledge and to be unburdened in the afterlife

• Belief in ghosts

• Belief that games (especially abstract strategy games) are important tools to training the mind to think correctly

• Veneration of certain meorai who have special significance to the family group

• Veneration of the Tlón

 

 

Private Worship

 

 

The exercise of private religious devotion almost always occurs within the home and most houses have small shrines to ancestors and to patron meorai. Many of these are located in wall recesses or in small courtyard gardens and usually contain images, statues, or other items which serve as the focus of acts of veneration. Veneration of the shrines usually takes place alone or with a small family group and can involve silent contemplation, chanting of liturgies, libation pouring, the lighting of lanterns, or the burning of incense.

 

In addition of worship at shrines, most nyezza engage in various forms of familial worship which include the telling of stories of ancestors and meorai, the eating of special commemorative meals, the celebration of births and deaths, and the observance of a number of other holidays.

 

The Civic Religion

 

 

Tlónism, as it is practiced in the nyezzai city-states is very much a part of the overall civic culture which helps keep the people united. Each thalos has a unique set of rituals, festivals, practices, and beliefs which are intimately tied to the history and culture of the city. In Trokoilon, the meorai Pharon is venerated as the mytho-historic founder of the city and his iconongragy (herons, ships, and navigation tools) is ubiquitous; however, in Sýrenvo he is barely mentioned as a figure of import. The patron meorai form an important part of civic religious expression and many public festivals and observances are tied to them.

 

 

Civic Worship

 

 

Tlónists do not, as a rule, build temples or churches such as are found in other lands but instead worship in small shrines, in the marketplace (or other place of public gathering), or in walled ornamental gardens (often featuring hedge mazes, small shrines, and canals and lakes). Worship in the gardens is generally conducted by ethiseke (Tlónist scholar-priests) on festive occasions or on certain days connected with patron meorai. Often these services consist of the telling of traditional stories (often in riddle form) accompanied by music, ritual offerings, chanting, and silent contemplation.

 

While worship in the gardens tends to be a fairly serious affair, the festivals and holidays celebrated in the ele and other public spaces tend to be more colorful affairs full of boisterous activity, theatrical performances, food, music, and general conviviality. These festivals are meant to be times of joy and laughter, an aspect of existence every bit as important to the nyezza as quiet introspection.

 

 

 

The Afterlife and Funerary Customs

 

 

The nyezza hold that death is merely a more permanent form of sleep and one from which there is no awakening. At the moment of death, the mind slips into the dream-state and remains there, living in the collective dreams of the people. The body itself is rapidly disposed of as its continued existence is thought to torment the dream-mind of the deceased by reminding them of their once physical state. The most common way of disposing of the body is by cremation followed by the scattering of the ashes into the sea. As a result of these customs there are no graveyards in the nyezzai nations and funerary monuments such as stele are vanishingly rare.

 

 

Interactions with Other Religions

 

 

Like many religions that develop alongside a specific culture, the religion of the nyezza is not a proselytizing faith. One will not find Tlónist missionaries trying to convert people or populations as membership in the nyezzai religion is synonymous with being nyezza. There have been instances of people, and even whole populations converting to Tlónism but this usually occurs only after near-total cultural assimilation (the Esh of Orothos being an excellent example of a population that has been thoroughly “nyezzified”).

 

The nyezza tend to be relatively tolerant of foreign religions in their midst, as long as they do not disrupt civil order or directly conflict with the elaborate legal codes which govern their society. Conflicts have arisen in more recent times with the religions of other lands, especially those that demand total devotion to a particular dogma. A family or other group of nyezzai extraction living among the Caeleans would most likely adopt the local religion in the public sphere, going to the public festivals, attending whatever worship services are required to maintain decorum and the like but at home the situation would be very different. The shrines would be maintained, the ancestors and the meorai venerated in accordance with family tradition, the stories would be told, and the old language would be preserved. This sort of split religious identity would not be considered problematic to the nyezza but it could very well be interpreted badly by the locals.

 

 

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