Ruritanian
A Westphalian ethnicity characterized by its similarity to storybook Alpine folk. As one might encounter in the Pages of Heidi or The Sound of Music or The Prisoner of Zenda. As a rule the people are generally tall and fair. With a tendency to be lean and spare or athletic of frame. Roundly regarded by other nations as a people of solid moral character and simple but deeply held values. They are generally marked by a tendency to keep criticism to their own counsel, and praise only where honorable courtesy requires it.
The men have a tendency to be broad of shoulder and narrow of hip. Their features fine and narrow. With hair that ranges from light brown to blonde, with black a rarity.
Ruritanian women are slight and often of petite build. Typically slender or athletic of frame throughout their youth and adulthood. Sharing the men's tendency toward narrow, fine features and with full-bodied hair of auburn, ginger, flaxen or platinum and rarely brunette or black.
Rurtanian complexions also tend to be fair. Light or golden tanned, with a marked tendency away from browning. Though freckles can and do occur.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Astrid, Birgit, Elsa, Ilsa, Heidi, Ingrid, Liesel, Ottilie, Sigrid, Wendelin
Masculine names
Berthold, Conrad, Dirk, Ernst, Gerhard, Jürgen, Klaus, Niklas, Oskar, Ulrich. Wolfgang
Family names
Strelsau, Octavian, Siegrfied, Hofferman, Klink, Stonecypher, Merriwendle, Freidereich, Stranz
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
They are a highland pastoral and alpine folk. Herders and drovers, of sheep, swine, oxen and horses. Who as a rule maintain small farms for the provender of family rather than till and steward vast tracts of cropland as lowlanders do. They often regard grazing land as public and the property of all neighboring folk as opposed to owned land by the right of a single individual or family. Though the gentry and nobility of baronies, counties, dukedoms and so on do legally own the land as inheritance and by title, vassals and commoner alike enjoy its resources. Blessed with a bounty of great and diverse forests, their are industrious woodsmen, carvers, and huntsmen as a rule. And even the children can be surprisingly adept with bow and sling and musket.
Shared customary codes and values
The national temperament is mild. With an abiding, enduring character. Not easily upset by foreignness or the strange of appearance. Their proximity to significant Fairy kingdoms discourages an overreaction to the unusual. As the wondrous and magical are often just around the corner. As a rule, a Ruritanian is honest, cleaves closely to his or her word, is trustworthy, dependable and forthright. They are rarely the instigators of a conflict but battle bravely and stoically when pressed.
Average technological level
Ruritania, as is the contient of Westphalia that it is situated in, is in the midst of its Age of Discovery in which extensive overseas exploration emerged as a powerful factor in Westphalian culture.
It benefits from a diverse series of cultural developments that occurred over several hundred years in the kingdoms of Westphalia and it ante-cedes the transition from late medieval civilization to the opening of the current Baroque period. In the visual arts and architecture, and music of the period we see parallels in earth's Renaissance and Baroque eras. Similarly, philosophy is divided between Renaissance philosophy and the later ideas of The Enlightenment.
Mercantilism is the prevailing royal economic policy. The crown's desire is to maximize the trade of the nation and the accumulation of gold and silver, as well as resources. It is the birth of Guilds and merchant lords. The Empire promotes royal regulation of each vassal kingdom's economy for the purpose of augmenting Westphalia's power at the expense of rival kingdoms abroad. This royal celebration of mercantilism is aimed at accumulating monetary reserves through a positive balance of trade, especially of finished goods with foreign empires.
Common Etiquette rules
Ruritanians are not given to verbal insult or disparagement as a rule. And a Ruritanian insulted, is more likely to be bewildered that someone would stoop to such low behavior as they are to take umbrage. A not-unheard reply by puzzled Ruritanians might follow, "Why would you say such things when you know that I will kill you for it?" with a tone of disbelief.
Common Dress code
By Earthen standards the dress of Ruritania might be at times risque, dangerously sexualized, and wildly bold. The lack of cultural taboos against immodest dress, as a result of a complete lack of oppressive religions countering the genders advances in fashion and the sciences of attracting the opposite sex, have resulted in a completely laissez-faire attitude toward fashion and appropriate dress that respects individual tastes and mores moreso than established limitations.
That having been said, modesty is considered to be an advantage in the interplay of genders and despite there being no specific prohibitions against revealing attire. Much of the population considers it to their advantage to leave things to the imagination and to adopt a practical mode of dress that is appropriate to the rigors of Alpine life. Especially the chill. Leaving the skimpy and revealing outfits to those Genovians down at the seaside and their sun kissed beaches and whitewashed, stuccoed villas.
Art & Architecture
It is a Baroque period of highly ornate and often extravagant style of architecture, art and music that has followed the Renaissance style that swept, along with new ideas and inventions through the kingdoms in the last two centuries. Their baroque style uses contrast, movement, exuberant detail, grandeur and surprise to achieve a sense of awe. It is evolving into an even more flamboyant variant, called rocaille or Rococo, which appeared in the Imperial seat of Westphalia and radiates relentlessly outward to all Westphalian kingdoms with inexorable aplomb.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Their cuisine is reflective of their geography. Highland Ruritanians, such as the folk of Westfell and Karpathia are known for their delicious mutton and venison dishes, often accompanied by cabbage, carrot and potatoes. With Beef and Pork a close second. And chicken more rarely enjoyed as a food of finer tables.
Lowland and coastal Ruritanians are known for their breads and fowl and seafood dishes. Pheasant, Quail, Grouse, Turkey, Dove and Chicken being very common in their soups and sausages. The yield of their golden fields of wheat and barley and hops made into fine flours and beers and ales.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Close to the manifest spirits of their land, they are a people who enjoy many blessings. Their respect for their lands and the spirits that inhabit them are reflected in the profusion of shrines at roadside and throughout towns and villages. Aside fields and rivers, at forest trail-heads and the foothills of towering peaks, can be found numerous offering tables, altars, shrines and small temples often cared for and upkept either communally or by clerics and druids who serve the community.
Common Taboos
Do not vex the fairies. For the Unseeie court is inscrutable and quick to anger. And the Seelie court is capricious and given to jest in frightening consequence. Never disrespect a fairy.
Common Myths and Legends
The Battle of Queen Valoria's Rest – At the end of the time of King Gláorunghë, the forces of light were beaten back once more by the Nachthorde of Glaurung ( Westphalian designation )
Historical figures
Viktor von Jägermarke of Ruritania - The Champion of the Hunter's Mark, of the Kingdom of Ruritania. Many legends are told of this ancient hero.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Fair hair and pale skin is prized. Blue and Green eyes are considered attractive among Ruritanians. A petite frame is desired by maidens and considered an advantage in seeking a husband.
Among men and youths, short hair is considered handsome, or long hair well kept and tied out of the way. Broad shoulders are a quick way to catch the eye of Ruritanian eligible maids, but accompanied by a trim waist.
A strong but not overly pronounced jaw is considered desirable in both men and women.
Gender Ideals
In Ruritanian culture, courtly manners are expected to be observed in interactions between the genders. The ample capability of the feminine gender is recognized among these people and women enjoy a largely equal status of social influence and position as men.
In the home, it is most often women that marshal the domestic resources, care for children, feed and tend yard livestock and tend the family garden. Often women possess the culinary skills to create complex or baked dishes while men are adept at butchering and dressing meat, broiling and roasting , and other hunt-related food preparation.
In trade and craft the genders enjoy a fairly even distribution. With men tending to dominate physically grueling trades such as stonemasonry and blacksmithing and Forestry. Women amply command the majority in trades and crafts and mercantile professions such as tailoring, hospitality and restaurateur, as merchants and provisioners, and the high trades of leather and woodcraft such as cobbling, woodcarving, bookbinding, and so on are undertaken my either gender without majority.
Courtship Ideals
In Ruritanian courtship the decision to engage in marriage lies squarely with the female to be betrothed. It is almost unheard of for fathers to evidence more than a passing notice of the relationship, unless particularly taken with the suitor. It is customary for men to entreat women for their hand. It is also considered that a maiden will consult her mother and aunts and possibly women among the community elders who are unrelated before rendering their decision. It is also peculiar to Ruritanian custom that associates and friends of the prospective groom will accompany him to the asking of the proposal. And while unusial in other regions, this is considered totally acceptable among Ruritanians, and is not regarded as a private moment between the two. Often sisters and close female companions may be present on the would-be brides side as well.
Women are expected to be courteous and respectful in their reply even if declining the proposition. Men are expected to accept the decision stoically and without protest, which is regarded as a weakness if given.
It is customary for associates of the rejected groom to take him off and assist/enable him to drink to a stupor, where any sort of commentary may be made on the situation, and all is left forgiven and unspoken-of in the days following.
It is customer for the Bride and her immediate circle to judiciously stay far away from that gathering while it occurs. And is considered very bad form to appear there or interrupt the proceedings.
Relationship Ideals
In the eyes of Ruritanians, a good marriage is marked by the evidenced happiness of the couple. "Love is as plain as the nose on your face" is a common saying. A partner should enable and encourage their significant other to be their best. Supporting and promoting their striving. Helping where they can to make the best of an endeavor. Each should be at the other's counsel. Each should be a pillar at the other's side. "Each woman a Shieldmaiden. Each man a Hunter" the saying goes.
To be seen as burdening the other in a relationship, either socially, in the eyes of others, or personally, in the regard of your spouse, is considered repellent and distasteful to Ruritanians. Such relationships quickly end.
Diverged ethnicities
Related Organizations
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments