Þárúlsans

The þárúlsans¹ are the dominant ethnic group inhabiting the western Gnákan Savanna and to lesser extend the Gmeþon Highlands in western and southwestern Túlmikkía. Since the region is less suited for agriculture than the central and eastern part of the savanna, they subsist primarily on raising eland antelopes and horses along with hunting large animals such as buffaloes and deinothere, and raiding other groups for supplies, particularly Vevúni to the east.

Culture

Apparel

Þárúlsan clothing tends to be light, consisting of little more than a loincloth or a blanket of sorts wrapper around the body, either made of animal skins or cloth acquired through raiding or trading with vevúni, and preferably dyed in bright colours, especially red, yellow and blue.
Warriors often adorn their legs with special kinds of anklets made from rawhide and dyed wooden- or bone beads, connected by a strip of hide with fringes.

Cuisine

Meat and offal, blood and milk from eland antelopes and horses are the staple food among þárúlsans, and while hunting and fishing is practiced to some extend, many tribes avoid it and prefer relying solely on what their domestic animals provide. Eland antelopes are frequently stolen from vevúni, though the þárúlsans don't consider this as a theft as such, as they believe that all the world's antelopes originally belonged to them as a gift from their main deity.
All þárúlsans generally shun collecting and eating wild roots, nuts and berries, aside from a few used in medicine.

Religion

Like the vevúni, þárúlsan religion tends towards henotheism with particular focus on a creator god associated with the sky, commonly known as Ing, along with the cardinal directions and natural phenomena, especially lightnings, as well, though some tribes worship Ing exclusively.
The western Gnákan savanna is dotted with þárúlsan shrines, made by placing nearby rocks in a circle. During rituals, they dance around a sanctified spear that has been thrust into the middle of one of these stone circles, similarly to how vevúni perform rituals around a sacred pillar. The spear is left in place along with small offerings of food and drink, and only after it has fallen apart can the site be used once again.

Warfare

Þárúlsan warriors traditionally favour spears with unusually large tips and throwing clubs, along with daggers and other weapons acquired during successful raids. Small, circular and often highly decorated shields are used against arrows, and a kind of armour made from leather and hundreds of small, dyed bone- or tree beads gives some protection against enemy spears. Helmets made from the same materials are often adorned with black and grey harrier hawk feathers.

Þárúlsan warrior by Lappalingur

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¹Original icelandic: Þárúlsar, singular: Þárúlsi.

Related Locations

• Gnákan Savanna