Aranatian

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

During the time of the New Abrizan Empire, aranea were typically tasked with creating textiles as well as using them to create clothing, blankets, tapestries, and other similar items. Aranea today still have a reputation as skilled weavers and tailors. Aranea originated from underground, and as such are far more comfortable living in caves than most other races in Zelunica.
Aranatian culture is separated into two categories: civilized and tribal. Civilized Aranatians are those that live in cities and developed villages. Tribals are, obviously, those who still live in tribes. Aranea tribes' laws and cultural practices vary somewhat between differing tribes. However, they are all still subject to the Queen's law, and their cultures are typically at least somewhat similar to the rest of Aranatia on most of the important points.

Common Dress code

Aranatian clothing is purely decorative, serving no practical purpose. Because of this, it is acceptable for Aranatians to wear nothing day to day, although many do wear some clothing. Larger and more elaborate articles of clothing are more common at formal events.

Art & Architecture

Aranatian buildings are typically made of wood, with stone being used in some higher-class buildings as well as fortifications. Tribal buildings are typically made of wood and silk. In both cases, silk is quite common for furniture.
Tapestries and quilts are a quite common form of art among Aranatians. Because of the largely decorative nature of clothing among Aranatians, clothing is widely considered a type of art. Boring-looking clothing is seen as largely pointless.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Aranatian funerals traditionally consist of wrapping the body in a burial cocoon made of silk, then burying it. The silk used is traditionally made collaboratively by the deceased's family and close friends. If they have none, it is made by the highest-ranking government official in the area. It is also customary for all those involved in the creation of the burial cocoon to give a eulogy at the funeral.

Common Taboos

Cannibalism is taboo among Aranatians, even more than most other cultures. This is largely because of their history of cannibalism, which was (mostly) ended under the New Abrizan Empire. The reason for this cannibalism was purportedly part of some kind of fertility ritual. However, many historians believe that the real reason was much simpler: population control. Aranea have always been largely matriarchal, despite (or perhaps because of) the larger ratio of males to females. In those times, aranea leaders believed it necessary to control the number of males in the population in order to retain their own power. This belief has proven itself to be erroneous, as despite the practice of cannibalism being ended, aranea culture continues to be matriarchal.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

Aranatian culture is quite matriarchal, although this isn't legally enforced.

Relationship Ideals

Relationships among Aranatians tend to be polyandrous. It is quite common for Aranatian women to have a harem of men, typically not exceeding five. Harems exceeding five are legal, but frowned upon. Harems below three are not extremely disgraceful, but may be seen by some as a sign of impotence. In addition to the harem, an aranea woman may keep some Arachne as concubines, who are in many cases also available to her husbands. These concubines are not officially considered part of the relationship, and as such one woman can have as few or as many of them as she wants without it being unseemly.
This system came about after the banning of cannibalism by the New Abrizan Empire. Previously, the custom was to simply grab a man, mate with him, and usually eat him, although there were a few cases of men being kept alive. In these cases, they were more akin to pets than husbands. Men in these situations would typically be branded or tattooed to prevent them from being taken by anyone else. In these times, the ratio of men to women was much lower than it is today, although it was still higher than 1:1.

Encompassed species

• Arachne
• Aranea

Related Organizations

• Aranatia