Humans
Humans created by Solioran. They are average tall humanoids with a shorter, one or two centuries lifespan. Although they are not so susceptible to magic, they are hardworking, creative and resourceful. Humans try to get along with other races, except the Beastmans, for whom they harbor an ancient antipathy. Humans are close to the Undines, but they consider their Glonoii to be the same as their enemies.
Culture
Általános szokások, hagyományok, rituálék
Engagement:
The customs differ according to religion and social rank, but the dowry-related issues are typically negotiated: the groom learns how much wealth he will gain in addition to the bride with the marriage, the purpose of which is to keep his wife in dignified conditions after the wedding. People hold engagements throughout the year, but most often in the spring or fall.
In noble families, it is very rare for someone to choose a partner on an emotional basis, mainly because some children are already matched around the age of five. At this point, the most they can do is try to like each other - at least a little. If such an arranged engagement does not take place, it is possible to choose a partner independently, but the future partner must meet a number of requirements (social rank, wealth, connections, etc.) in order to be accepted by the family. Arranged marriages also occur in families of lower social status, especially if someone has a chance to marry their child "up" or in the hope of unifying their property. Young people usually accept the decision with the promise of a better life, but if not, they can run away or publicly refuse/break off the betrothal (which is not typical for the nobility). The Church of Solioran and Goren's Disciple announce the betrothal to the congregation, but the followers of Ralnor sign the betrothal in front of the congregation as witnesses. Estanna's followers don't usually hold an engagement, with them, if there is mutual sympathy and family support, they immediately jump to the wedding.
The wedding is usually held 3-12 months after the engagement, if both parties are of age at the time of the engagement or reach the required years during this time. (For noble ladies, the age of 12 is already sufficient for marriage.)
In humans, the engagement usually takes place with a ring, i.e. the groom puts a stone ring on the bride's finger, which the bride wears on her hand or around her neck on a chain until the wedding. The value of the ring and the stone symbolize the groom's wealth and the seriousness of his intentions, and the wearing of the ring symbolizes the commitment of the bride.
Wedding gifts:
In some families (mainly nobility, but many have taken over this custom from them), it is typical to present expensive gifts and ornaments to the young couple. For nobles, this is the first piece of common wealth, the jewel, often inherited in the family or a gift made for this occasion. Poorer couples, on the other hand, can pawn or sell this gift to finance the wedding or the family home - that's why couples in rural areas in several parts of the country receive a cheap clay jug as a gift, which they then smash with a hammer in the wedding. The jar was filled with money by the two families together earlier, that is the real gift.
Marriage:
Two people usually connect their lives with traditions corresponding to their religion. Most weddings are held in the summer.
Two people can live together without getting married. They are treated by their environment as spouses, but if they live differently (e.g. blatantly debauchery), they can expect to be offended by the environment and in some cases they can even be exiled from the settlement.
- The followers of Solioran swear allegiance to each other in the church, in front of their god and the congregation (or invited guests), led by the priest. The marriage usually lasts until the death of one of the parties, but it can be dissolved.
- Goren's followers swear eternal loyalty to each other in the church, but only the priest is present. The marriage is announced to the congregation at the next big service (spring or fall). Just as they don't run away from battle, they don't run away from marriage either, so they don't tend to dissolve marriages.
- Ralnor's followers take an oath before the congregation as witnesses, and marriage, as a sacred oath and promise, cannot be dissolved.
- Estanna's followers swear eternal loyalty to each other with the assistance of a priest. The presence of the family is not necessary. A marriage can be dissolved, but only if no children have been born.
In public administration, people usually do not record marriages, only if they are related to some kind of property contract (property merger, in the case of noble families).
Születési és keresztelő rítusok
Humans usually have many children. Children are born in the family or outside the family.
Bastard children usually have a more difficult fate, single women have a difficult situation if they don't have a family behind them, but such women are usually ostracized.
Mothers typically visit the nearest healer or priestess, who checks at regular intervals whether the pregnancy is going well or not. The women of the community also pay close attention to first-time mothers, and with their unsolicited advice they either make life easier or harder for the woman. When the time comes, they gather at the woman's house, and the boys and men are forced out of the house even in the middle of the night.
It is typical that during the maternity period (one or two weeks), the women of the community take turns bringing food to the family, if there is no female relative who would temporarily take over the running of the house.
In addition to healers and priestesses, less often, but also to assistants inexperienced in magic, infant and maternal mortality is unfortunately quite high. 2 out of 100 women and 3-15 out of 100 children are lost (mortality is higher in autumn and winter).
In addition to the mother, several women and older girls are usually present, as well as at least one healer or priestess. Men are not allowed to set foot near a woman in labour, because they believe that if the child sees a man's face for the first time, it will become ugly. Actually, it's just a good excuse for dad to go out to the pub with his friends.
The parents choose a name for the children together, legitimate children typically carry on the father's family name.
Felnőtté válási rítusok
Society considers boys to be adults at 17 and girls at 15 (for noble families, the decision of the head of the family matters more). From this point they are expected to be capable of self-preservation.
Young people usually celebrate coming of age in groups, i.e. young people born in the same year in the given community organize a party for themselves and their friends (typically with a lot of alcohol and not everyone wakes up dressed). In families, young people are greeted with some kind of inherited object of use or useful thing, in the case of a girl's house, the amount of the dowry is announced at this time. In rich, noble houses, the family usually makes a suit of armor or a weapon for the child. The young ladies and gentlemen are introduced to the elite and can participate in the social events of the adults, but in the first few years they are not allowed to have much of a say in the conversation.
Temetési és megemlékezési rítusok
Life for humans is very short compared to other ethnic groups.
Couples usually get over the death of an infant or small child with the birth of the next child. Older children and adolescents are usually buried and mourned in the same way as adults and the elderly.
There are many taboos and beliefs associated with funerals and mourning: covering the mirrors in the house of the dead until the body is buried, giving all the food in the house to the church or the poor, and eating only new food (this does not apply to food that is kept closed, like canned or unopened wines). They do not bake new bread in the house from the funeral until the following month, they only eat a kind of unleavened pie. The deceased's closest household items are burned and given away, but e.g. not one of its clothes can be left in the house.
The funeral rites are performed by the priest of the given denomination.
Solioran's followers are usually buried in a coffin, unless there is a reason (e.g. an epidemic) for which the body is burned. If someone dies during winter and there is no possibility of a coffin burial, cremation takes place, they do not despair. The dead are commemorated with headstones, tombstones, and wooden crosses (the name of the deceased is placed on the horizontal part of the cross and is cheaper than a headstone or a tombstone).
Goren's followers are traditionally cremated. Their names are engraved on marble tablets on the church wall. Statues are also erected for exceptionally outstanding knights and warriors.
Followers of Estanna scatter the ashes in the forest or fields or bury their dead wrapped in textiles in (typically very deep) graves. Their place is usually not marked by anything, they are returned to nature.
The followers of Ralnor are traditionally embalmed and put to rest, according to strict rules (marble coffin, lockable crypt under the church, so that they cannot be accessed with evil intentions).
In all cases, the ceremony takes place among the bereaved family and friends. The ceremony consists of many prayers, songs, and typically consoling the living. The followers of Solioran, Goren and Ralnor believe that people who have lived the right life will join their gods in the other world, the followers of Estanna rather hope for a kind of cycle and rebirth.
Despite the differences, adherents of several religions are buried together in one cemetery.
Grief depends on kinship. The mourning period can last up to two years in the case of children and spouses, months in the case of parents, even less in the case of distant relatives and friends. During the period of mourning, it is typical for families to close themselves off, do not visit and do not receive guests. Typically, they visit the church of the denomination more often (regardless of the service), where the priests can help them process the grief. The grave, if there is one, is visited quite frequently. A person who has lost a spouse does not choose a new partner or get married until the mourning period is over. The change in clothing is typical: the mourners wear simple, monochromatic, non-flashy clothes (but not necessarily black).
Names:
Human's names are very diverse, it is typical that one (usually paternal or higher-ranking noble) family name is passed on to the descendants.
Related Organizations
Related Locations
Megjegyzések