Macran Tropes
Background
All cultures have a range of tropes, significant and recurrent themes, which appear in various storytelling methods and can turn into figures of speech. They are so much a part of a society that they often say something about the culture's collective thinking and can determine an individual's decision-making, based on expectations built on these tropes. The people of P'Ache Micro are no exception. There are a lot in Macran culture, but those listed here are three of the most popular ones.Wise and generous bird
The concept of the wise and generous bird is a very old one. A lot of the oldest stories in Macran culture feature a giant bird which provides shelter or food to those in need or points them in the direction of the thing they are searching for.
History
Several origin stories from around P'Ache Micro tell of a giant bird taking in people looking for a home. The major ancient religion of P'Ache Micro had several bird gods, so this is likely an amalgam of them.Usage
Most often a literal bird appears in the story, sometimes as a Vont Hawk or a Hodet Hawk. Occasionally the bird speaks, but normally indicates where help can be found.
However, in more modern interpretations the bird might be represented by a person of any gender or age. Sometimes this person is dressed as a bird or they are at least wearing feathers in some capacity as a signal to the audience that this is a wise and generous character.
Societal Impact
As a result of this trope, there's a general feeling that people wearing feathers are more likely to be trustworthy. This is generally a subconscious feeling and is something that has been used by politicians and people wishing to take advantage of others. This is likely part of why the Macran rebels during The First Micro Rebellion and The Second Micro Rebellion used Vont Earring as part of their symbol.Building your own nest
Usage
In older stories, the building of the nest was a physical thing and symbolised setting out on your own and creating something you would later invite other people to (often the people who helped you build it).
More modern storytelling sees a metaphorical use of this trope, in which the person finds themself out of their depth in some way and collects people around them to create that sense of security and home. It is likely these people will gather at a height or in a hometree to solidify this imagery.
Alongside the idea of there being a wise and generous bird, a large number of traditional Macran stories contain the building of a nest, usually with help from the bird.
History
In the traditional wording, a large number of settlement origin stories have the building of a "nest" at the heart of them. While it is not clear whether these are literal or figurative nests, in these stories they are always built by more than one person. Some historians believe that this term, "nest", refers to the rough dwellings which sat high in the branches of trees and later became hometrees.Societal Impact
This idea of gathering people together holds true throughout Macran culture, and all Macran traditions involve including large numbers of participants. There are also several common Macran sayings which include references to "nest" and "building together" which relate back to this trope.Returning to your roots
Hometrees are at the heart of Macran culture and it is, therefore, unsurprising that their strong roots should be the foundation of one of the more popular tropes.
History
Unlike the other two, this trope can be traced back to a story first told by Garan of Lichen in Sunshine in -2138 PT in which the main character from a great fishing dynasty tried to become a farmer because they felt it was a more worthwhile pursuit. They struggled every day until they met with a wise and generous bird who told them "Return to your roots".Usage
In the original story, the advice to return to your roots was used to mean two things; go home to your family and don't fight what you're good at. In some stories the roots are literally the hometree in which the person is born.
It can also be used as a phrase to suggest grounding yourself. If someone is frightened or worried, a person may advise them to "return to your roots" meaning remember who you are. Most stories contain a moment of this.
This is so fun. It's like literary criticism and worldbuilding all in one go. I was so excited to read this article. <3
Explore Etrea
Thank you! Yeah, I could feel my literature degree coming in handy! XD I’m glad you enjoyed it, it was a lot of fun to write. <3