Kabou

The Kabou are a tribe of humans living on islands in the Sea of Monsters. They worship the kraken Nakarorou as their god.

Social Organization

Falei, otherwise known as the head of the family and extended family, is a very important figure in the Kabao culture.
Each village has eight Falei, which serve together as a council to guide and oversee the village as a whole.

Role of a Falei

The role of a falei is a very large and important one. He is expected to provide leadership in all aspects of family life. He encourages warm family relations, offers advice, directs religious participation, and oversees disputes. As well as watching over the family land and representing the family in village affairs. Overall, a falei must have different demeanor than everyone else, especially other males in the family. Faleis are also in charge of economic situations. For example, a falei must manage the amount of food his family brings in and must store some away for when times are hard. The falei’s job as a leader is one that is very important in Kabao culture and helps the overall structure stay in place.

Election of a Falei

The election of a falei is a lengthy process that can last up to several weeks and is often a highly competitive race. In this race different branches from each family put forth a male candidate, accompanied by reasons why he would be a good candidate. These reasons range from the candidate's wisdom to wealth, including highly praised values such as negotiating, ritual knowledge, politics and economics. However, if the son of a falei meets these requirements, he is typically given a major edge in the race. Another advantage the son of a falei or any man in the falei's household is given is being able to observe and help the falei starting from a young age. Most men considered for the falei position are at least 40 years old, meaning many young candidates don't even stand a chance. One strategy that can be used by any males aspiring to become a falei is to choose to live in a household that has no other males, or to move to his wife's household if there are no males in her family's household either. The election of a falei is under the guidance of another falei who is related to the family, allowing for a fair election. Once a new falei is chosen, a feast is thrown for the family, followed by a bigger feast for the whole village at a later date. At the larger feast, the falei is expected to give a traditional inaugural speech, displaying his abilities to speak publicly, his wisdom and retelling of Kabou myths. Throughout this speech he is watched by village council, as well as all the other faleis in the village. Once the falei has proved himself to the other falei's by giving the traditional address, he is called on to serve the community as a whole. The newly elected falei is expected to host a village-wide feast where he is tasked with providing food for the meal, as well as getting the other faleis gifts. At this feast, the new Falei must consume the arm of an octopus, signifying his place as one of the new "arms" of the village. This is a significant event in Kabao culture, as it is the only time that the killing and consuming of octopus is permitted. Once this task is completed the newly elected falei is officially considered the falei of his household and will hold the position for the rest of his life, should he lead correctly. In certain cases where a falei is deemed cruel or ineffective, the title is stripped and a new falei is elected. However, a more often occurrence is the current falei becoming elderly or ill and requesting that a new falei be elected in order for there to be a more stable and effective leadership in place.


The main leader of each individual household is named the mata of the family. The mata is determined by line of succession, falling to the eldest male in the family when the previous mata dies.

Type

Geopolitical, Tribe