Þiðans
Þiðic: Þiðhje /θɪːðçɛː/
Þamtic: Þidjó /θɪːtjouː/
Fjúnic: Þísils /θiːsɪːls~θiːsels/
Maþúlic: Þísels /θːisɛls/
Númric: Bþetólór /pθɛːthouːlour/
The þiðans1 once were one of the main groups of Jútrilían Elves in southwestern Jælondis, centered on the westernmost part of the continent, but like many other ethnic groups in that region are now primarily found in the Southlands after losing their land in the Fell Wars forty years ago.
They are renowned for their skills at archery, music, wine-making and medicine, the lattermost field being an important contributor to the success of Ljanþep Co., one of Borgalor's largest pharmaceutical companies.
While the memory of some of those events still lives on in the þiðan epic poetry, most scholars were skeptical of their validity until recent excavations revealed the site of the Zmó Empire's capital in western Erenúm, near the þamtan border.
While F'eno and the country of Þ'iþí became wealthy through warfare and trade, the þiðans have long been considered an anomaly among the jútrilían elves, as they have held on to their language and culture for the most part while adapting to their new home. Prior to the Fell Wars, they had established the colony of Anþ'ei in the eastern Southlands, which later became an independent country before being absorbed into New Þamta.
Þ'iþí was destroyed by the undead forces of Jörgalía during the Fell Wars, which caused many þiðans to migrate to New Þamta and eventually lead to the formation of the autonomous region of Þidírar. The few who remained in Jælondis settled down in Kúð, capital of Erenúm.
More recently, pies -especially flipper pies- have become popular among the þiðans, a custom introduced from neighbouring Kröþa to the south. Certain þamtan dishes have been adapted into þiðan cooking as well.
Prior to the Fell Wars, wine was the most common beverage among the þiðans, both made from regular grapes as well as those from crimson glory vines, with the latter being now the most common.
Þiðan naming convention also differs from most elven ones, each person is named after the settlement or -more rarely- the region they were born, using the suffix -fei. If they move somewhere else, the name of that place is added as well, though usually only the place of birth and current residence are used in everyday life. For example, the name of the current head of the þiðan government is Gaf'a Hjagofei ó Nogðófei.
Surnames are rare among þiðans, most notably being Eþ'óhjag /ɛθʼouçaːɣ/ once used by the royal family in Þ'iþí, and more recently those who inhabit other regions of New Þamta have adopted surnames that are used when speaking to non-þiðans, such as the actor Vef Þirmon.
Þiðan religion centers around the worship of spirits called if'a or jif'a /ɪfʼaː~ɥɪfʼaː/, each residing in a sacred tree which the people tend to and offer libations in exchange for protection against illnesses and other misfortune. In Þ'iþí, each household had it's own tree, but since the Fell Wars, each settlement now also has a sacred grove which the whole community venerates via libations and circle- or chain-dances at certain times of the year.
Spirits are believed to take on humanoid form at certain times of year to visit each other, or attack those who have harmed their trees. Before the founding of Þ'iþí, they are said to have even fought alongside and married some þiðans. Descriptions of these spirits and ways to identify them vary between different regions in Þidírar, such as them bleeding sap when wounded, having wooden fingernails or teeth, a leaf or root for a tongue, or moss instead of hair.
Like many elven dendrolatrist religions, the þiðan one emphasizes collectivism and self-control, the latter which includes practicing certain forms of meditation. Many of them dislike the more individualistic þamtan faith, a branch of arctolatry, which has frequently lead to conflicts between the two communities.Eþ'ó: Semi-historical founder of Þ'iþí and ancestress of the Eþójagids, the old þiðan royal family. Legend has it that her grandfather was a tree spirit.
Fif' Eþ'óhjag: Last monarch of Þ'iþí, abdicated in 85 BF.
Gaf'a Hjagofei ó Nogðófei: Current head of the þiðan government.
Hjiþvo F'enofei: Last president of Þ'iþí.
Igð F'enofei ó Nogðófei: Represented þiðans at the Ötera Conference, later first governor of Þidírar.
Vef Þirmon: One of New Þamta's most famous movie stars.
Maþúlic: Þísels /θːisɛls/
Númric: Bþetólór /pθɛːthouːlour/
The þiðans1 once were one of the main groups of Jútrilían Elves in southwestern Jælondis, centered on the westernmost part of the continent, but like many other ethnic groups in that region are now primarily found in the Southlands after losing their land in the Fell Wars forty years ago.
They are renowned for their skills at archery, music, wine-making and medicine, the lattermost field being an important contributor to the success of Ljanþep Co., one of Borgalor's largest pharmaceutical companies.
History
Þiðans originally inhabited what is now the northern edge of Amþax, where they became one of the main rivals of the ancient Zmó Empire which ruled parts of western Jútrilía and southern Þjaris. During the chaos that reigned around the empire's demise, most þiðans migrated southwest and founded the city of Fðeno -later called F'eno-, while some moved to Fúmsis to the east and were absorbed into the local population2.While the memory of some of those events still lives on in the þiðan epic poetry, most scholars were skeptical of their validity until recent excavations revealed the site of the Zmó Empire's capital in western Erenúm, near the þamtan border.
While F'eno and the country of Þ'iþí became wealthy through warfare and trade, the þiðans have long been considered an anomaly among the jútrilían elves, as they have held on to their language and culture for the most part while adapting to their new home. Prior to the Fell Wars, they had established the colony of Anþ'ei in the eastern Southlands, which later became an independent country before being absorbed into New Þamta.
Þ'iþí was destroyed by the undead forces of Jörgalía during the Fell Wars, which caused many þiðans to migrate to New Þamta and eventually lead to the formation of the autonomous region of Þidírar. The few who remained in Jælondis settled down in Kúð, capital of Erenúm.
Culture
Apparel
Tattooing is practiced among the þiðans, particularly among women, whose cheeks are traditionally marked to reflect their marital status, though men and women alike receive hand tattoos as a coming-of-age ceremony. Adding new designs or modifying existing ones is common in Þidírar, including ones believed enhance one's skills at fishing or archery, while the þiðans of Erenúm stop doing so after marriage, much like the local Erens.Cuisine
Traditional þiðan cuisine is based on beans, rye, dairy products, fish, beef and seal meat, along with wavy bittercress, onions, kelp, chestnuts and acorns. Bean stews are particularly common, variously flavoured with vegetables, kelp, nuts, meat or dried fish, along with a kind of pottage made from rye flour, boiled beans and acorns, fat and salt.More recently, pies -especially flipper pies- have become popular among the þiðans, a custom introduced from neighbouring Kröþa to the south. Certain þamtan dishes have been adapted into þiðan cooking as well.
Prior to the Fell Wars, wine was the most common beverage among the þiðans, both made from regular grapes as well as those from crimson glory vines, with the latter being now the most common.
Language
Þiðic is an isolate within the elven languages, being the only remaining one of the afoðic family once spoken in parts of northern and central Jútrilía. It's notable for lacking sibilants and lateral consonants and featuring ejective ones, the latter which evolved from certain consonant clusters, such as /fð/ becoming /fʼ/ and /θɥ/ becoming /θʼ/.Þiðan naming convention also differs from most elven ones, each person is named after the settlement or -more rarely- the region they were born, using the suffix -fei. If they move somewhere else, the name of that place is added as well, though usually only the place of birth and current residence are used in everyday life. For example, the name of the current head of the þiðan government is Gaf'a Hjagofei ó Nogðófei.
Surnames are rare among þiðans, most notably being Eþ'óhjag /ɛθʼouçaːɣ/ once used by the royal family in Þ'iþí, and more recently those who inhabit other regions of New Þamta have adopted surnames that are used when speaking to non-þiðans, such as the actor Vef Þirmon.
Religion
Unlike most elven religions, which are based on or at least contain elements of the ancient triad of arctolatry, dendrolatry and pyrolatry, traditional religion followed by the majority of þiðans is exclusively a form of dendrolatry, with only a few adhering to þamtan arctolatrist faith.Þiðan religion centers around the worship of spirits called if'a or jif'a /ɪfʼaː~ɥɪfʼaː/, each residing in a sacred tree which the people tend to and offer libations in exchange for protection against illnesses and other misfortune. In Þ'iþí, each household had it's own tree, but since the Fell Wars, each settlement now also has a sacred grove which the whole community venerates via libations and circle- or chain-dances at certain times of the year.
Spirits are believed to take on humanoid form at certain times of year to visit each other, or attack those who have harmed their trees. Before the founding of Þ'iþí, they are said to have even fought alongside and married some þiðans. Descriptions of these spirits and ways to identify them vary between different regions in Þidírar, such as them bleeding sap when wounded, having wooden fingernails or teeth, a leaf or root for a tongue, or moss instead of hair.
Like many elven dendrolatrist religions, the þiðan one emphasizes collectivism and self-control, the latter which includes practicing certain forms of meditation. Many of them dislike the more individualistic þamtan faith, a branch of arctolatry, which has frequently lead to conflicts between the two communities.
Notable þiðans
1Original icelandic: Þiðar, singular: Þiði.
2Blue-gray hair occurs among the human population in the country of Orgoll to this day because of this.
Þiðan lady by Lappalingur
Parent ethnicities
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