NOTES ON THE CULTURE OF THE WESTERN ELVES compiled by P. Korda, the University of Steinhall Raw Material: (i.e. where I stole stuff from) My major sources are 1) the _Tuatha de Danaan_ & _Aes Sidhe_ of ancient Celtic (esp. Irish) myth, 2) Katharine Kerr's Deverry novels, in particular, the glimpses of the way her elves lived before their civilisation was destroyed. 3) Tolkien, of course. (_The Silmarillion_, _Lord of the Rings_) 4) I tried to fit it in as much as I could with the elves from Norse mythology, and still have them be normal beings, and not on the same "level" as the gods, 5) I tried to envision a society which would have Mick as a natural product. Introduction: Alfheim is the large Elvish kingdom in the west of the continent containing Steinhall, the Hellenic Hegemony, Franconia, etc. The inhabitants of the land call it _Eldamar_; "Alfheim" is the Steinhallisch translation of that Elven word. Social Structure: The people are divided into clans. A clan is part political- economic unit, part very-extended-family. (Note, though, that a clan consists of many actual families, all sharing the same clan name.) Most clans have a unified purpose in terms of their role in society. For example, the Jagger clan breeds and raises horses, although not every Jagger is directly involved in the clan business. Marriage-for-life is unknown among elves (well, there's always one or two exceptions), as can only be expected of a species who lives for centuries. Elven marriage involves one party becoming an adopted member of another party's clan, for a pre-agreed amount of time, for the purpose of producing and raising children. At the end of the agreed time, the adopted party may choose to return to his or her original clan, or they may join their adopted clan permanently, provided that clan agrees. Unlike in human society, the practice of marriage is not considered socially necessary for procreation; the idea of an "illegitimate" child is foreign to the Elven mindset. (Again, this does not entirely apply to the nobility). The Elven race has a very low fertility rate. (Again, it only makes sense, based on the long life span; if elves had kids at the rate of humans, the world would be overrun with elves.) Thus ANY child is regarded as a blessing. If the parents of a child do not choose to marry, the child is customarily raised by the mother's clan; the child is free to join his father's clan when he is grown (and vice versa if the kid's raised in dad's clan). RELIGION (The religion of the western elves is different from your typical D&D-world pantheistic religion. It is animistic; they believe that everything has a spirit, although there are different types of spirit. There is also a _very_ loose connection to Norse mythology, where the elves were considered to be on the same existential level as the gods and giants, rather than on that of humans & dwarves.) Elves do not worship gods like humans and the world's other humanoid races. They "believe" in gods the way one "believes" in the dining room table. However, they do not generally devote themselves to the service of one god or a group of gods the way humans do. Again, there are always exceptions. If a god has done a great service for an elf, the elf might feel obligated to return the favor by promoting the god's interests in the world. -------------------- Creation Myth: In the beginning, the world was without form and void. All being was spirit. There were four types of spirits. At some, point, the threads of Fate, Necessity, and Will decreed that the spirits must take material form. The simplest group became dull matter--rocks, water, mountains, etc. The second group of spirits formed themselves into plants living on the surface of the world created by the first group. The third group of spirits became animals. When it became time for the fourth group of spirits to materialize, there was dissent. After all, the fourth group was the group of spirits which had the greatest amount of will, and will often runs contrary to fate and necessity. Some of these spirits wanted to continue on the set path and become material. Others didn't want to change; they wanted to observe and affect the material world from outside. Eventually, everyone did as they wished; the ones who materialised became the various races of elvenkind (save one, which we'll get to later). The spirits who stayed immaterial did work their will on the world, to good and ill effect. Since the elves (at that time the only sentient folk on the earth) were considered off-limits for major meddling (since, after all, they were the same, spirit-wise, as the unmaterial ones), the immaterial ones created other intelligent species by adding some of their essence to animals. Thus were created lizard-men, fish-men, goblins, gnomes, dwarves, and all the sentient races, save elves and humans. These people, in turn, paid homage to their creators. This "worship" made the immaterial ones stronger and more powerful, and this is how they became the powerful beings known as gods. One of the immaterials was not content to create followers from the animal spirits. This one, known as "Loth(?)," chose to meddle with elven spirits, instead. She took a group of elves and changed them according to her will, making them dark and twisted. These "dark elves" are universally reviled by true elves, and Loth is regarded as the most evil of the gods. Humans--where did they come from? Nobody is sure. Some say that they were created by the gods from animals, like the other races. While this may be, it is held by most mystics and scholars that humans are not natually a part of this world, but came here from some other. The legends say that when humans first came to this world, they were regarded as foreign, and the gods frowned upon their presence in a very plague-and-locusts-like manner. The humans had not believed in gods who took active part in the working of the universe when they came. However, over time, they came to adapt some of their older religions to the new world, as a form of cultural self-defense. As is the way of these things, belief brings power and existence, so as the humans called upon Zeus and Osiris and Freja to help them, immaterials took up the places created for Zeus, Osiris, and Freja. Thus did the order of the world come about. ---------------- Death: The western elves believe in reincarnation. When an elf dies, his spirit spends some time in an immaterial state to rest and recover from the trials of life, then the spirit goes into a new body. wrt body disposal, they go in for burning. Ideally, the wood for the burning should come from, at least partly, the sacred grove/forest of one's clan. The ashes are then scattered in the grove. Many elves who travel far from their clan's lands carry a few sticks from their grove, so that if they die, there's a chance that the proper rites can be performed. "Priests": since the elves don't worship particular gods, they don't have priests and clerics in the usual sense of the world. They do have people who serve the same essential function--bridging the gap between the material and immaterial worlds. I suppose the best word for them would be "shamans," although "mystics" or "spirit-talkers" would be appropriate, as well. From a game-mechanics point of view, they would be similar to druids, I guess, although the elven shamen as a whole have a wider field of things they are concerned with. (Different shamen will be concerned with different things; one living in a forest would be pretty similar to a Druid, but one living in the capital city would be different (less concerned with nature spirits, etc.), as would one living near the ocean or on the plains. In addition to this, the elves have a vague belief in a nebulous principle called "the Light," basically the originating principle of all that is good, clean, etc, and an opposing principle of the Dark. ----------------------------- Social & Political structure: The lands of the western elves form a single kingdom; in the distant past, the various clans, tribes, kingdoms, etc were fragmented. However, when the humans showed up and started filling up all the land they possibly could; the western elves joined together for mutual protection. Considering the recent decimation of the non-united eastern elven communities at the hands of the Greeks, this seems quite wise. That was a good long time ago, even in elven terms. The lands are now a stable monarchy, although not an absolute monarchy. The lords (in Elvish, the _sidhe_) have considerable power, guaranteed by law (kind of a Magna Carta deal). The commoners don't generally participate in affairs of state; on the local level, the clan is the standard social/political unit. The clan leaders deal with the local nobility, who are supposed to act as representatives of their area to Her Magesty's government. The nobility is a hodge-podge of different titles, which are not at all nicely organised like they are in SteinHall. Dukes are the most powerful nobles, with the largest holdings. The dukes owe fealty to the queen. They also have their own "sub-lords" who owe fealty to the dukes, and who manage parts of the dukes' holdings (like Steinhalls' barons & lords). However, there are lower-than-duke-level nobles who are not subordinate to a duke. An earl, like a duke, owes fealty directly to the crown. However, an earl generally holds less land and has less power than your typical duke. To make things more confusing, there are areas of Alfheim which aren't under any noble's dominion. The Queen has her own lands, the most famous of which is the forest (and adjacent city) of Lothlorien. Mirkwood forest, a dense wilderness near the Franconian border, contains many tribes of wood elves who have signed some sort of treaty with Alfheim; those tribes deal directly with the Queen's representatives (rangers!), not with any lord. The current monarch is Galadriel of house (noble clans are called "houses," for whatever reason) Nuada. She has ruled the land for 200 years, since her elder sister Marial's death from disease, and has done a good job of it. {Think of her as a cross between Tolkien's Galadriel and Elizabeth I of England.} She has not yet had any children; her current heir is a cousin, Jamiel, Duke of ??. In addition to the lords and the Monarch, powerful & influential groups are the Bardic College (in this sense, the term refers to the collection of bards, instead of the place where bards are trained--more on bardgs later), the two major mage groups, and of course, merchants. Foriegn affairs: historically, the kingdom has had close relationships with the neighboring countries which are elf/human mixes--England, and Eldith and Aldaran to the east; although those two became part of the Franconian Confederation a couple hundred years ago, the Confederation is pretty loose, and the elf-majority Aldaran and the mixed elf-human Eldith have maintained strong ties with Alfheim. Recently, relations with England have become strained, due to the way its government has been favoring coastal (human) interests over elven interests, and the restrictions placed on bards, etc. Many powerful elves own land in England, and they're pissed over the way things are going. The treatment of bards in England has garnered an official complaint from the Queen. The fact that the guy running England has blamed the multiple deaths and disappearances of English government officials on "Foreign Conspiracies" hasn't helped matters. (Considering England's location, there really is only one foreign country he could mean, after all.) Among those in Alfheim who follow such things, there is a suspicion that Chancellor Archibald is using the "Foreign Conspiracy" story to fortify his own power, and that he may know quite a bit more about the deaths of his brothers and Queen Diana than he's let on. The government is also involved in the civil war in Greece; they are supporting the rebels by supplying them with money, mages, and weapons to resist the anti-elf government. (Mick's dad is involved in this, which is why he went to Greece. ) Officially, the government long ago cut off diplomatic relations with the Greeks. To the north of Alfheim lie the Mountains of Mist (elv. _Hithaeglir_). In these mountains can be found the famous Dwarven community Khazad-dum (elv. _Hadhodrond_). This community is famous for its fine metalwork, said to match, or even surpass, that of the Parisian dwarves. The dwarves of Khazad-dum trade with the elves, providing the elves with metal and other stuff from underground, while the elves provide the dwarves with wood, food, and other above-ground stuff. Also living in those mountains are the Drow, who regularly raid the north of Alfheim, and occasionally (every half-century or so) mount a large invasion. The last Drow invasion occurred about 250 years ago, at the end of the reign of Marial and Galadriel's father. In general, the government attempts to promote the interests of elves in all countries. --------------------------- Crime and Punishment: The general method of punishment in Alfheim is being sentenced to work at jobs which are necessary, but not pleasant for elves--mining, for example. For more serious crimes, exile or imprisonment is imposed. Treason against the crown is one of the few capital crimes in Alfheim. Minor crimes, and civil cases are mainly judged and handled on the local level, by clan elders, or the local lord (or the lord's representative), or if no other suitable judge is available, a bard. --------------------------- Short historical notes: Although the country is currently nice and stable, it hasn't always been that way. Before the threat of being overrun by the younger races forced them to unite, the elves had lots of strife among their little kingdoms. (Pick an appropriate story from _The Silmarillion_ and adapt it to Josh-world.) Many thousands of years ago, back when the ancient old-time human civilizations (like the Kepta and Egypt) were just getting started, the various tribes were persuaded (some more forcefully than others) to join together by Nuada, the ruler of one of the larger Elven kingdoms. Nuada became the first king of Alfheim, and his clan still holds the throne. The most recent large-scale Drow invasion occurred about 250 years ago, during the reign of Henriridin Nuada (the father of the current queen). The king's forces managed to beat the Drow back into the mountains, but he took a serious wound in the fighting. This wound, given by what was later concluded to be a powerful magical weapon, resisted all attempts to heal it fully, and Henriridin died of it after 25 years of suffering. His elder daughter Marial succeeded him, but she died of a disease less than a century after ascending the throne. She died without issue, and the crown passed to her younger half-sister Galadriel, who has held the throne for 140 years. -------------------- Geography & demographics: Some areas of interest: Highlands: The northern part of Alfheim, just south of the Misty Mountains, is very hilly (think Scotland-like geography, but with a warmer climate). This area has sufferred Drow raids and invasions since before the beginning of recorded history. The countryside is filled with forts and castles. The people are very militaristic and honor-bound. (I'm thinking something like the Borderlanders in Robert Jordan's _Wheel of Time_ series.) They are also very loyal to the queen and the government, since the crown has supported their defense since the founding of Alfheim. The current Lord of the Queen's army (i.e. leader of the Alfheim armed forces) is a Highlander. Apart from the constant conflict, the Highlands are very beautiful, filled with green hills and deep, clear lakes. Some of the best whiskey in the world comes from the Highlands of Alfheim. Plains: South of the Highlands is a vast expanse of grasslands. In ancient times, this region was roamed by nomadic clans; the clans are all settled now, and generally make their living by ranching. The best horses in Alfheim are raised in this area. This is the area in which the Jagger clan lands are found. Mirkwood Forest: The border between Alfheim and the Franconian Confederation is formed by this dense forest. This area is very wild; it is inhabited mainly by tribes of wood elves. The tribes were never fully conquered by Nuada; many of them made some sort of alliance with him or one of his descendants, although the agreements by which different tribes joined Alfheim vary from tribe to tribe. All agreements have one thing in common, though; the tribes do not owe allegiance to any duke, earl, or other sort of elf-lord. Each tribe owes its allegiance, however that may be defined, directly to the crown. The government has an entire branch of service dedicated to relations with the wood elves of Mirkwood, the Queen's Rangers. The rangers are skilled in woodcraft and diplomacy, and represent the Queen's government to the tribes. They also provide guides and assistance to travellers who cross through the forest; it is a dense, dark place which is nigh-impossible to navigate unless you are familiar with it. Caravans and travellers who wish to cross through the forest need to hire a ranger guide to navigate the forest and to deal with the various tribes. It is also possible to hire a native wood-elf guide, but those who do risk discovering that their guide is a member of a tribe which is engaged in a blood-feud with the tribe whose lands you must pass through. (While many of the tribes have made peace with the Crown, this doesn't translate to peace with one another. Furthermore, there are some truly wild tribes in Mirkwood who have NOT accepted the sovereignty of the Queen, and whose attitudes towards travellers range from willingness to trade and provide hospitality to extreme xenophobia.) Imryrr, the Capital City: The capital of Alfheim, Imryrr, is one of the oldest cities in the world, as well as one of the most beautiful. (The inhabitants would say _the_ most beautiful.) It is located on the western coast, in the central bit of the country. It and the surrounding land are Crown holdings. The Palace of Nuada sits on the hill around which the city is built, towering over the city like a huge crown. It is very large, and it's a prime example of the merging of beauty with function which permeates Elvish society. (For city geograpy, I'm thinking of something along the lines of Zelazny's Amber.) Lothlorien: This famous forest lies south of the Highlands, in the western part of Alfheim. It is the Queen's personal holding, inherited from her mother. The city of the same name which lies northeast of the forest is important as the "gateway to the Highlands." This forest is very different than Mirkwood; being there gives one a feeling of peace and well-being, whereas Mirkwood generally gives one a feeling of oppression and claustrophobia. The shamen claim that the forest has a very strong and benevolent Immaterial One (see religion section) associated with it, perhaps the soul of an ancient elf who gave up incarnation in order to watch over the forest and its citizens. White Dukedom: The southern bit of Alfheim are the lands of the White Dukedom. It is one of the largest areas of Alfheim under the control of a single person. This alone would make the White Duke a very powerful figure. The area also has strategic and commercial importance. The city which sits at the southern tip of the continent, Calay, is a major port of trade with england and the Seafolk, since it is the part of the main continent lying closest to England. Although the White Dukedom is the southernmost bit of alfheim, and thus the coldest, it is much warmer than the comparative latitudes of Steinhall, due to the warm ocean current which flows past it, coming from the northwest (i.e. Mexico). Even so, the White Dukedom gets more snow in winter than any other part of alfheim, hence the name. There is a hilly bit in the center of the Dukedom, next to a nice lake, which is where the Duke's main castle is, although he has several dwellings throughout the Dukedom, as well as a very nice house in Imrryr. The current Duke is David Bowie, who ascended to the title very recently; only about ten years ago. ------- The Bards of the Rock: In Alfheim, it is said that the shamen are the keepers of spiritual lore, the mages are the keepers of arcane lore, and the bards are the keepers of mundane lore. This is generally the case. The duties of the bards are to gather, retain, and disseminate all varieties of knowledge. In addition, bards also learn many forms of entertainment. The "Bard Guild" is known as the Bardic College of the Rock. The name comes from the College's holding, located on an island off the coast from Imryrr (the capital). This island is basically a big rock, which has been built on and carved out to form a huge complex of buildings. The Rock contains the schooling facilities where young elves train to become bards. It also contains the Bard headquarters, and the largest single collection of lore and music in the known world (ObCivilization: they have the Great Library!). Of course, the the Library is not open to the general public; only full bards (from that college) are permitted in there. (Non-bards can apply for limited use of the library, if they have a good reason. Visiting bards from other countries are usually given passes; random people who are idly curious are not.) In order to become a Bard, an elf must first be accepted into the Bard School. Then, he must study, taking classes in music, history, geography, comparative religions, deportment, self-defense, etc. for five years. Provided that he succeeds in this part of the education, he becomes apprenticed to a Master Bard (Level ? or up) for another five years or so. This is to teach the apprentice bard the practical aspects of life as a bard, as well as to evaluate whether the apprentice has the right stuff to become a bard. If the master gives a positive recommendation, the apprentice is finally made a full Bard of the Rock. New bards are tattooed with an intricate pattern which has symbolism indicating all sorts of stuff, such as when he became a bard, who he apprenticed with, etc. No two bards have exactly the same tattoo, and all the patterns are kept on record at the Rock. The ink used is of a magical variety made uniquely for the Bards of the Rock by some mages; it is "shimmery," for want of a better word, even when put into the skin. The tattoo serves as proof positive that a person is a real bard. A new journeyman bard is expected to work hard to earn the designation of Master Bard; doing so usually takes a few centuries. Many new bards take to wandering the world, collecting knowledge and music from distant cultures. The bards serve many functions in Elvish society. They dissemminate news, and provide education and entertainment. They can be called upon to act as judges in civil cases, when no other appropriate authority is available. They often serve as messengers and agents for the Crown. They gather knowledge and lore in their travels. They are especially expected to find and preserve lore about Elvish cultures outside of Alfheim. ------------------- The Mages: There are two major schools of magic in Alfhiem. To an outsider, they seem very similar, but according to any member of either school, the two have major differences on magical theory, magical ethics, etc. Not every magic-user in Alfheim belongs to one of the two schools; there are many elves with limited magic ability who learn by themselves, or from other "hedge-wizards." In general, they are not as powerful as the more disciplined, better-educated, School mages. There are a few exceptions; there are some independent mages who train apprentices, perpetuating their own personal line of mages. ------------------- Important people and groups: The Queen: She's the boss. Galadriel ascended the throne 140 years ago after the death of her elder (half-)sister Mariel. The country has prospered under her rule, and she is generally well-respected by the people. She has never married, although she has not lacked for lovers. Since she's been Queen, her love affairs have been conducted quite respectably, but there are some quite scandalous (even for elves!) rumors about her carryings-on when she was young. It's rumored that when she was young, she had an affair with Keith Glimmer, who later became a powerful councillor to the English king and queen. That is fairly tame, but it is also rumored that she also slept with Keith's twin brother, Mick, while she was having an affair with Keith. Certain scurrilous gossip-mongers will claim that the three of them actually had a sort of menage-a-troi, as the Dwarves say, going on, but that is almost certainly false. In any case, the Glimmer twins were close friends of the Queen, and she was quite upset about their murders, and the insinuations made by Chancellor Archibald that the government of Alfheim was behind those crimes. Lord of the Army: The supreme commander of Alfheim's armed forces and the Queen's cheif military advisor is a Highlander named Morrigu. She is a second cousin of the Queen, although not of the Queen's clan. Morrigu was trained in things military from childhood; at the young age of 35, she defeated a Drow raiding force of 50 with a five-person scouting party. Not a single Drow escaped. This exploit gained her instant fame, and marked the start of a brilliant military career. Her hatred of the Drow is implacable. She has a reputation for coldness and ruthlessness. The (Thin) White Duke: The current White Duke is David Bowie, who ascended to the title very recently; only about ten years ago. Part of his duty as Duke is to produce an heir, so he married soon after becoming Duke, about five years ago. The marriage was clearly politically motivated, but the Duke's wife Angela bears an eerie resemblance to him, and it's believed that they chose each other as much out of some narcissistic attraction as out of the political advantages of the match. The White Duke has some holdings in England as well as Alfheim, and the new Duke has been strongly involved in opposing the policies of that country's Lord Chamberlain, even more stridently than his father had. David led a rather wild youth, running around the country as a bard, but he's settled into his responsibilities as one of the most powerful elf-lords. Important Bards: The head of the Bardic College, the Council of the Rock (the College's ruling body, composed of ten Master Bards), the Queen's court bards (there's a chief one, and some minor ones), the court bards of various important nobles... Important Mages: The heads of the two mage guilds, the Queen's court mages, some lords & advisors who are also mages. ------------------ National Character and General Attitudes: Aesthetics Beauty is highly-valued by the elves. They attempt to incorporate aesthetic principles into all aspects of their culture--architecture, music, literature, dress, farming, etc. This has led the more utilitarian races, like humans, to conclude that Elvish civilization is decadent. This is not true; the elves just have a different view on things. For a human, beauty is considered "extra"; it's ornamentation to be added if one can afford it. For an elf, aesthetic considerations are as essential to the design of something as functional considerations. One wouldn't waste one's time building a house which wouldn't keep the rain and cold outside, and one wouldn't waste one's time building a house which would be ugly and unpleasant to live in. Fashion Part of this national appreciation of aesthetics is an appreciation of complicated dress. This is especially apparent among the upper classes. A human walking into an offical gathering of the nobility (such as a court), or a ball held by an Elf-lord would find the apperances of the elves there quite outlandish. Elaborate costume, hair-dressing, and make-up are the norm for elves of both sexes, in such a situation. (Think David Bowie in _Labyrinth_.) Even among the lower classes, party dress is outre', by human standards. Social life: What do elves do for fun? Popular forms of entertainment are singing and dancing, or listening to a bard's tale. Local shamen will hold ceremonies and rituals which invoke the spirits to aid the community in some way; these rituals are usually community affairs, the people will gather to add their spiritual energy to the shaman's summons/plea/whatever. Such ceremonies are often followed by feasting, or dancing, or singing, or whatever is appropriate. Communal swimming/bathing is a popular form of socializing (think coed Roman baths), especially in the cities. There are even some resorts, usually near hot springs, which people travel long distances to experience and socialize. Of course, taverns are always popular gathering places. Nationalism: Although there is no official policy of discrimination against non-elves, a general belief in elvish superiority is prevalent among the elves of Alfheim. The degree of this belief varies from person to person. Mick, for example, is very egalitarian, due to travelling in the human lands for many years, and due to the influence of his father, who has spent a lot of time away from Alfheim. Even so, he's quite nationalistic. Part of the reason he is so supportive of the anti-government revolt in Greece is that the people being "ethnically cleansed" are _his_ people. On the other hand, there are pro-elf extremists who believe that elves should live completely separate from nonelves, etc, etc. Fortunately for the national economy and international relations, those folks are a small minority. For completely different reasons, many older elves are rather cold and distant towards members of the shorter-lived races. This is because, over a long lifetime, they've known a fair number of humans, etc, who all got old and died over a relatively (to an elf) short time. After several hundred years of that, one tends to stop making friends with folks who are going to be dead soon. Younger elves are much more friendly towards the shorter-lived races.