Þalgans
The þalgans1 are hunter-gatherers inhabiting the most remote parts of Hjaam, the southern desert region of the land of Orrs in northwestern Túlmikkía - , as well as the westernmost part of the Deþren Mountains. They are the last remnants of the people who inhabited Orrs before the Orrólans migrated there, most of whom regard the þalgans with suspicion or even disgust due to their strange ways and alien language.
As such, they keep to themselves for the most part, aside from occasionally trading skins and baskets for sunflower seeds and metals with the tribes up in the Deþren Mountains.
The women in particular paint their faces with ochre and ash, with designs varying from one tribe to another.
Each tribe has its own specific rituals and talismans used to placate or ward off spirits depending on the situation, ranging from being done in private to being performed by the whole group. Common ceremonies include holding baskets with certain designs aloft, chanting and playing instruments such as rattles, drums and whistles.
In sharp contrast, þalgan funerary rites consist of a simple burial, after which the dead is never mentioned again. Their views on the afterlife are generally vague, though the dead are sometimes associated with the setting sun.
As such, they keep to themselves for the most part, aside from occasionally trading skins and baskets for sunflower seeds and metals with the tribes up in the Deþren Mountains.
Culture
Apparel
Þalgan clothing is quite distinctive compared to that of their neighbours, as it's mostly woven from grasses found in and near the mountains as opposed to hides and linen used by the deþreni and orrólans, respectively. Antelope- and gazelle hides are sometimes used for ceremonial garments, but otherwise grass skirts- and cloaks are the norm along with woven hats that can serve as baskets in a pinch.The women in particular paint their faces with ochre and ash, with designs varying from one tribe to another.
Art
Basketry
Baskets are an important part of þalgan culture, as not only are they useful for storing and carrying various things, but are also believed to have apotropaic qualities depending on the designs painted or woven into them. These intricate designs, ranging from stylized plants and animals important to more abstract shapes, make the baskets an important trade item in exchange for other goods among the deþreni tribes.Cuisine
Traditional þalgan diet consists mostly of the meat of whatever animals they can find, including gazelles, hares, raccoons and various species of birds and lizards, along with nuts, seeds, gourds and roots found in the Deþren Mountains. Gazelles in particular are often trapped with the help of desert kites.Language
Þalgan tongue is a linguistic isolate which, due to infrequent contact between different tribes, has resulted in various dialects spoken by each group, many of which are mutually intelligible, but all are characterized by an unusual sing-song quality to them.Religion
Þalgans have no shrines or altars, although certain rock formations found in their territory are sacred to them and are often visited by tribes for spiritual healing after tragic events. Although they believe in a multitude of spirits and other supernatural creatures, these beings are not worshipped as such, for they are mischievous at best, unpredictable and even outright malevolent, and are the source of all kinds of misfortune.Each tribe has its own specific rituals and talismans used to placate or ward off spirits depending on the situation, ranging from being done in private to being performed by the whole group. Common ceremonies include holding baskets with certain designs aloft, chanting and playing instruments such as rattles, drums and whistles.
In sharp contrast, þalgan funerary rites consist of a simple burial, after which the dead is never mentioned again. Their views on the afterlife are generally vague, though the dead are sometimes associated with the setting sun.
1Original icelandic: Þalganar, singular: Þalgani.
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