Beirhamin

The eastern and western Beirhamin steppes, broken up only by the lakeland of Heriz, are home to a myriad of horse-nomads and pastoralists. Though united by their way of life and at least a dialect continuum of Beirhamin languages, the members of these tribes see themselves as first and foremost members of their respective tribes. Subsisting off their vast herds of sheep and horses, the Beirhamin have historically had complicated relationships with their neighbors. Alternatingly trading their wools and furs for the products of city-dwellers and raiding those same cities, they have often been considered a hostile and dangerous power on the periphery of civilized peoples.

Nomads living on the saddle, Beirhamin tribes can call a substantial portion of their population to arms, each warrior mounted and armed with a composite bow. Such armies have menaced the Runberi and other settled peoples in the past, and though the Beirhamin are far past their heyday, the horse archer is still a fearsome foe on the battlefield. Consequently, the Runberi frequently employ these warriors as mercenaries despite generally disdaining the Beirhamin as barbarians.

Religion

The Beirhamin believe that there are three worlds: the world they inhabit, the celestial world, and the fallen world. Though all of these worlds are inhabited by spirits, the celestial world in particular is an object of reverence. Inhabited by good spirits, and the central sky god Tenrisi, the celestial world is mirrored by the evil spirits and deities of the fallen world. Said to be connected by a tree of worlds which has branches stretching through each of these realms, the shamans of the Beirhamin are said to be able to visit the tree of worlds in their dreams and commune with these spirits directly.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Nazenin, Nonna, Xanim, Syriyya, Ilkay, Etiqad, Ayla, Canan, Merve, Vyfa

Masculine names

Zaman, Ilkin, Xylil, Gokay, Akboga, Tanju, Ethem, Sabir, Caner, Karan

Family names

The Beirhamin generally identify by a given name, a patronym, a matronym, and a clan or tribe name. For example, the full name of a Beirhamin tribesman might be Zaman Nagi Inna Sabir.
Some of the current prominent tribes are Sabir, Kyrim, Guler, Beren, Suura, and Ilnare. Often, tribes are named after a prominent founder figure.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

Largely nonliterate, the Beirhamin have written little but have a rich tradition of songs, dances, and poetry. Though less colorful in their dress than many of their neighbors, everything the Beirhamin wear is elaborately patterned.

Common Myths and Legends

Though the Beirhamin have a vast oral tradition of legends and stories, in most cases they are strangely blase about these stories. In the Beirhamin view, tomorrow is the same as yesterday, the legend of yesteryear will be forgotten and another legend will arise some time in the future, and any given slice of the history of the Beirhamin is much the same as any other slice. The life of the steppe is held as cosmically unchanging, differing in details but everlasting in everything that is important.
The conspicuous exception is the myth of the The Coming of the Sky God, a tale that foretells the end of the Beirhamin and their passing into the celestial world.

Diverged ethnicities

• Urban Beirhamin

Related Organizations

• Sabirid Empire