Head Binding
Dàni culture places a large emphasis on the division between the Bear side and the Scimitar Cat side. Which side you are on determines your social roles, who you can marry, and where you fit in society.
To make it distinguishable at a glance which side someone is on, members of Scimitar Cat clans bind their children's heads with tight bandages, beginning about a month after birth. This continues about around 6 months, until the head has reached its desired shape.
It's taboo for a Bear parent to wrap their child's head. There is a famous story of a mother doing this so that her child could become a great chief. The character in the story spent his life mistaken for a Scimitar Cat, never quite fitting in, and ultimately died in a flood after his husband left him upon discovering he was truly a Bear. This story is prevalent throughout the region and serves as a reminder of what happens when you try to fit into a side you weren't born to.
