Eswe
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Guli, Azhin, Arzhu, Tanaz
Masculine names
Devar, Mer, Kawah, Atash
Family names
Patronymics formed by adding the prefixes g' or ge, e.g. Gedevar, G'mer, G'kawah, G'atash
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
ChamanGul
Common Etiquette rules
The Eswe bearfolk are a deeply reserved people. Emotional outbursts are frowned upon, and most Eswe's biggest complaint about foreigners is how obnoxiously demonstrative they are.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
In keeping with their taciturn culture, Eswe do not celebrate births. To do so is to invite misfortune by drawing the universe's attention to a helpless newborn. Mothers birth in private, and children are ideally kept hidden away from all other eyes until they are a five-day old. At that point, their mother will leave the birthing room with a curious child trailing after on unsteady new legs. Each member of the community, upon meeting the child for the first time, ritually smells him or her and then rubs the child's head or back. In this way, the whole community scent marks the newborn to indicate that the new member has been accepted into the fold.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Funerals are the one time that Eswe are allowed and even encouraged to express emotion. In a ritual led by those closest to the deceased (who may or may not be family), the community comes together at a spot routinely used for the purpose, often near a cliff or the top of a hill. The beloved of the dead begin with a low, growling chant and are quickly joined by the rest of the assembled. They stomp or punch the ground, ears laid back aggressively. Those particularly caught up in their grief may make short charges at the cliff's edge or pinnacle of the hill. The chant slowly rises to a bellow. Though the words are prescribed at the beginning, as the volume climbs more and more of the assembled will add extemporaneous shouts, ranging from wordless, pulsing groans to simply the name of the deceased to brief memorial phrases -- along the lines of "You are missed" or "We will meet again." The whole of this display was originally meant to scare away death, keep it from visiting again too soon, but the focus has become a much-needed emotional outlet into which Eswe pour their grief, rage, and fear.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Thick, dark body fur is considered the height of beauty for both genders. Conventionally attractive females will have a sleek coat with facial highlights of lighter fur, short legs that make their bodies low to the ground, and tufted ears. Many find a bit of silver around the female muzzle attractive, as it indicates all of the positive traits that lead to longevity. Conventionally attractive males have thick necks with a slight ruff, longer legs, and barrel chests.
Gender Ideals
Females should be assertive, steady, and decisive. Males should be quiet, dutiful, and self-sacrificing.
Courtship Ideals
When a female comes into season, the males in her community vie for the privilege of mating with her. [Details TBD]
Relationship Ideals
Eswe do not mate for life. Each time a female comes into season, she chooses a mate from the males who court her. That is not to say that it cannot be the same male multiple times, but he must win her anew each season. Offspring of the pairing receive a patronymic to indicate their lineage, and half-siblings are the norm.
Procreation is mostly disconnected from love, affection, and friendship, so meaningful emotional relations happen outside of that context.
It does sometimes happen that a male who has developed a deeper emotional connection to a female will display physical possessiveness, but this is considered unattractive behavior at best and socially dysfunctional at worst. Such males risk destroying their relationship with the female in question as well as hurting their chances for future mating with anyone else. Females will tell you that they are not susceptible to this weakness. This is untrue, though it does happen less frequently and comes with less social stigma.
Encompassed species
Related Myths
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