Kohorunan (Culture)
The tropical isles of Kohoruna are bright, warm and colourful, and serve as home to one of the longest surviving cultures on Gyrraholm, the Kohorunan. This culture, comprised predominantly of Toa'ana and Honu'ata, is defined by it's proximity to nature, of both the land and sea, as well as their commitment to (and reverence of) their ancestors and their history. Most villagers find themselves living and dying in the same community, such is their commitment to continuing and preserving their cultural story, but their closeness to both the waves and the jungle depths instill a subtle curiosity in them, so it's not uncommon to find Toa'ana and Honu'ata far from their island home, exploring the vast horizons and expanding the reach of their histories.
To them, life is one long story, and stories are made to be told so, whether within their villages or across the seas, their stories will be told, through words, sculptures, and even their own inscribed skin.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Folk within Kohorunan cultures often serve as a living record of sorts, for both their tribes and the world around them, and as such often receive names that reflect people, locations and events that are relevant at their time of birth, and may continue to gain names throughout their lives. Alternatively, their birth name may be derived from a quality desired by the parent(s).
Examples of feminine names, and the potential meanings behind those names, include: Waimere (named for a fortuitous event), Moana (named for the prominent sea), Ahikotiro (named in the wake of a great fire), Koeke (named for a great downpour), Whetuhinga (named for a shooting star heralding their birth), Ataahua (named in hopes that the child will be a great beauty), Toahine (named in hopes that the child will be a great warrior)
Masculine names
Folk within Kohorunan cultures often serve as a living record of sorts, for both their tribes and the world around them, and as such often receive names that reflect people, locations and events that are relevant at their time of birth, and may continue to gain names throughout their lives. Alternatively, their birth name may be derived from a quality desired by the parent(s).
Examples of Masculine names, and the potential meanings behind those names, include: Toatane (named in hopes that the child will be a great warrior), Nui Pa (named for a prodigious haul of fish), Kakaitiaki (named in hopes that the child becomes a warden of nature), Parekura (named in the wake of a destructive force), Poha Nui (named in the wake of a great wanderer whose name might be unknown).
Family names
Surnames in Motu Tangata culture are derived from the names of ones parents, often using an amalgamation of both the mother and father when possible, and using either or in cases where one of the parent's names are unknown. In the case of having neither parents name, surnames are usually derived from the village that takes a child in, or the location in which they're found.
Examples of family names include: Raana (A combination of Rangi and Moana), Kakiri (A combination of Kakaitiaki and Kiri), Parehine (A combination of Parekura and Hine) and Wāhiraki (The settlement in which an orphan was raised).
Other names
As mentioned, all Kohorunan are likely to accumulate names as they progress through lives, often describing accomplishments or events that they, or their tribes/family, were intimately affected by, or were the driving force behind. Tarakaipatu, for instance, might be a title assumed by a Toa'ana or Honu'ata (Tortle) after they slew a dragon, while someone with the name Hohōpara might be known for exploring the deep places of the world.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Kohorunan culture is one steeped in history and the respect of that history. Comprised of two of the oldest living "humanoid" species on Gyrraholm (namely the Toa'ana and the Honu'ata), it's no surprise that their cultural memories stretch back farther than most, but their method of recording and relaying that history to one another, and to outsiders, is unconventional to most other cultures. Very little Kohorunan history is written down, rather events and people are immortalized in carvings, many of which adorn their ships, their homes and their village boundaries, as well as the sacred art of Ta Moko, or sacred tattooing. Such a reverence for their history and people often leads most Toa'ana and Honu'ata to never stray far from their homeland, but their close association with the water, and the interactions thereof, can inspire some to follow the waves to new horizons, where new histories can be recorded.
Shared customary codes and values
As the oldest humanoid inhabitants of Gyrraholm, the Kohorunan people value their peoples stories and histories above most else. This shared value is displayed through everything from their names, which grow and evolve with each major event that they're involved in, to their bodies, which they inscribe with images representing great people and events that they encounter or take part in. In the case of the Toa'ana, these sacred tattoos grow more vibrant with age as their own bodies grow more dim, while the Honu'ata inscribe their shells, which will linger on, far beyond their body decomposing after death.
Kohorunan often hold nature in high regard as well. After all, what could be so entwined in their histories as the seas they traveled and lands where they made their homes? This closeness to the land and sea stems from their relationship to the Mana Atua, the pantheon of god-like Monumentals that created them, and the pantheon's leader, Moawhaea the Mother of the Ocean. This reverence translates into a proficiency with watercraft, and a subtle curiosity to see where the waves lead (though for most, their values of family and history keep them from straying too far).
Common Etiquette rules
Formal occasions may call for a small welcoming ceremony of sorts, called a Powhiri, wherein guests are met with songs, dances and speeches before being granted entry into a home or, more commonly, a meeting house (or Marae). Less ceremonial greetings often consist of a hongi, where common handshakes are accompanied by a touching of noses/foreheads, though these greetings are still reserved for more formal, infrequent occasions.
In every day life, most etiquette revolves around items and locations of great importance or sacred value, referred to as tapu. More often than not, these locations and artifacts are off limits, unless a ceremony has been established to remove (or even suspend) it's status as tapu.
Common Dress code
Due to the tropical conditions that the Kohorunan people call home, it's not uncommon to see folks wearing very light, and very little clothing. Flax skirts, and other flax woven garments are common, though cloth garments common across the rest of Gyrraholm are also available (though usually worn when an individual requires greater protection, and warmth). Even these garments feature a distinctly Kohorunan aesthetic, often adorned and supplemented with flax, as well as feathers that are typically used elsewhere for use in cloaks.
Art & Architecture
Kohorunan buildings and sculptures were generally based in wood carving, and often heavily featured reference to, or recordings of, historical events or notable figures in Toa'ana and Hnu'ata history. While most of these carvings and structures featured a reddish hue, from the treatment processes used on the Totara timber used in construction, it was not uncommon for these structures to feature additional visual flourishes, from paint, to cut greenstone and paua shells.
The mundane material used for most carving differs greatly to that of the Matotara, the sacred and faintly arcane timber source used in the construction of mighty ships and weapons, though memorial structures are often considered to be important enough to be carved from this hardy, long lasting material.
Coming of Age Rites
Most Kohorunan people aren't considered to have come of age until they receive their first Ta Moko, or tattoo, meaning that the actual age at which they're considered adults varies from person to person. No matter what, any Toa'ana or Honu'ata living in Kohorunan society will receive a tattoo before their 21st year, usually a pattern or symbol denoting their current role within their village. Between the ages of 14 and 21, however, children are encouraged to experience the world (or at least their island home), in hopes that they may experience or accomplish something worth inscribing into their personal history.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Funerary customs vary between Toa'ana and Honu'ata members of Kohorunan society. Toa'ana tend to lose their gemlike luster as they age, and even if they pass prematurely, their skin begins to dull quickly. For a week after their death, Toa'ana remain laid in state at the village Marae, where loved ones and acquaintances are encouraged to say their goodbyes and celebrate the lives of the deceased.
After a week, the bodies are buried, the site of which is usually marked by a stylized sculpture of the deceased.
Honu'ata, receive much the same funerary treatment, though their deceased forms do not experience the same dulling as their Toa'ana cousins. Their graves are also marked by replicas of their heavily inscribed shells, as opposed to stylized sculptures of themselves.
Common Taboos
Kohorunan culture, with it's great focus on history and ones ancestors, is not without some superstitions and taboos, especially when it comes to matters of the afterlife and the various expressions of their recorded history. Burial grounds are treated as tapu, or sacred, at all times outside of the actual burial process, and defacing sculptures or other representations of ones cultural story are as great an offense as can be caused. For instance, mutilating ones tattoos is seen as a sickening disregard for ones life and history.
Common Myths and Legends
Most myths in Kohorunan culture revolve around nature and the dangers of abusing the land and sea, as well as the Monumentals, and the gifts they provided. The heroes of these myths are often cunning, as well as strong, and they act with the betterment of their people in mind, and as these myths are are large part of Kohorunan history, they're often represented in many carvings.
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
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