Phelinian
Naming Traditions
Family names
Names are taken from the location where the person is born, or where they have chosen to make their home. A person is known as Name of Location. This means a person could be known by multiple names during their lifetime if they relocate. If a person marries in another location, all involved are referred to by the location where they choose to make their home together.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The dominant language in Phelin is the Trade language, though dialects vary slightly by region. In some specific instances, such as among sorcerers and priests, the Ancient language is used professionally.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Every winter the people of Phelin celebrate the New Year, the date regarded as when King Tryrayl was coronated in the Second Month of Winter, Year 1, Third Era. This is celebrated by holding dances, feasts, and games from dusk until dawn.
In the Second Month of Winter, many in Phelin celebrate the god Durasyan, who is believed to have brought love to the people of the world. The celebrations began during Grand King Caolan's reign as a way to show the country how important love was to the ruling family, and to allow Caolan to more openly acknowledge his relationship with his Second King, and his queens with each other.
The Spring Equinox is a day for celebrating the Goddess of Spring, Ayzy. It is meant to bring a good growing season to come, with good weather and plentiful crops. Traditional celebrations include feasts, dancing, and competitions of all kinds.
The Summer Solstice is known as Tysy's Day, a day set aside to honor the God of Summer in hopes that such celebrations will bring good weather for crops, and to protect people and livestock from heat and drought. In most regions there are feasts, dances, and games. Places near water often have swimming contests and incorporate fish into the feasting.
The Fall Equinox is a time for harvest festivals and thanking the God of Autumn, Lozk, for what was grown and harvested that year. If the harvest was poor, it is a time to pray for protection in the coming winter, and to ask for a better season the following year.
The Winter Solstice is celebrated by honoring Cafk, God of Winter. It is one of three major winter holidays in Phelin, all meant to bring hope and something to celebrate in the cold winters when it seems survival is all anyone can look for. Asking Cafk for a mild conclusion to the season, and thanking him for allowing them to survive to that point, is what Cafk's Day is for. If the winter has been especially bad, the purpose is to ask for mercy for the rest of the season. Traditionally, this is done through prayers, feasting, and dancing.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Babies are named when they are born. Close friends and family typically visit to congratulate the family and give small gifts. The day is noted so it can be celebrated throughout life as a way to thank the gods for allowing the person to live through the previous year and to pray for another year of prosperity and good fortune. These birthday celebrations involve a large meal and games with prizes.
Funerary and Memorial customs
The traditional funeral rites involve burning the body in a pyre tended by the family or friends of the deceased. After the fire naturally burns out, the ashes may be swept away for nature to reclaim. Some choose to collect the ashes and bury them in village cemetaries, or keep them close as a reminder of the deceased.
Common Myths and Legends
The greatest legend within Phelin is that of the first king, Tryrayl, being chosen by the gods to establish the country and rule it. The story likely began as a method of creating peace, as most of the warring clans at the time did believe in similar gods, showing that there had already been peaceful - or at least less violent - interactions between them all over time. Using the connection between the clans in regards to their shared beliefs was one tool to consolidate power. This divine right has allowed the same family to rule the country without internal conflict for nearly 600 years.
The story of the sorcerer Ardan and his role in bringing Grand King Caolan to power, while a true historical event, has also developed into a story of legend in some regards, often with his magical assistance or authority exaggerated.
Historical figures
Ardan of Ryal, who helped to bring Grand King Caolan to power.
All of the Grand Kings, Second Kings, and Queens.
Ideals
Gender Ideals
Phelin is a country in which men and women are treated equally in most circumstances. In some regions, the expectation for women to remain home and raise children has not completely faded, but in most major cities and towns women have equal opportunities to men. This includes military service and in business. Even within the royal family, where the queens are expected to produce heirs, they are still considered to have significant political and social power, and are able to live active and fulfilling lives while also bearing heirs for the Grand King.
It has also become common for men to take on roles considered "women's work" in the past. The existence of equal opportunities allows for any profession to be pursued by men as equally as women. This includes midwifery and assisting with the care of wealthy children.
Those who do not fit the male-or-female expectation of society do also have equality and are encouraged to live as they are most comfortable. In some regions of the country that is also easier than in others.
Courtship Ideals
When it comes to forming romantic relationships, there is typically a strong focus on creating a solid friendship built on trust first. Arranged marriages do take place from time to time among the noble and royal classes, but all parties involved must agree to the match. If any spouse does not agree to the match, the marriage does not move forward.
Relationship Ideals
The emphasis on building on friendship and trust leads to the expectation that the relationships themselves are based on mutual goals, desires, and respect. Manipulation and force are considered unhealthy and, in some parts of the country, worthy of outside intervention if a life may be in danger.
