#geuwudo headcanons

[ge-uwu-do]

on the gerudo's ancestry

personally i feel like trying to trace back ancestry of a large group of people to one single group of people (or single person) to be an exercise in futility. it's not that it's impossible, but the zelda franchise has a very weird obsession with bloodlines, deterministic fate as decided by ancestry, and a lack of consideration to... just the regular migration and intermingling of populations. i also strongly dislike the strict segregation of different ethnic groups in hyrule - such as in totk where the child of a hylian and gerudo is exclusively gerudo. and not also hylian.

that said i feel like there is not one single group that are the ancestors of the gerudo. the land has been inhabited for hundreds of thousands of years by different tribes, that collectively coalesced into the group known the hyrule as the gerudo. it can be likened to a nationality or an ethnic group - as the zelda franchise recognises different groups of humans, of which hylian is only one and gerudo is another. i do believe that there are different ethnic groups within the gerudo itself.

i think perhaps the highland gerudo are somewhat paler than their counterparts, but tend to have very dark hair and eyes. i liked to think that curly hair is common in central gerudo, and that gerudo in the valley are more likely to have eyes with an epicanthic fold from longtime relations with the faron region, where it's common.

like hylians, the gerudo are human and they don't have any particularly niche or special biology outside of the realm of being human.

[ge-uwu-do]

tumblr ate my post on gerudo clothing so im just gonna talk about smth else. gerudo food!

with a herding lifestyle, and as a result of the desert and highland climate, gerudo cuisine has a heavy meat presence. particularly seal meat and goat meat, although other animals such as the highland wolves will be eaten too.

most dishes will be a meat eaten with a rice, and many other dishes will be eaten with bread. the gerudo who herd goats will have a more dairy-heavy diet, with yoghurts and cheeses being particularly popular. elsewhere gerudo cuisine will be more spiced.

groundnut oil is the most popular cooking fat which imparts a wonderful nutty flavour to dishes, although other oils and animal fats may be used. i believe that the fruits such as hydromelon provide a valuable source of water and are popular fresh. other fruits can be eaten fresh, but dried fruits and fruit preserves will be found in any gerudo region. fruit jam is eaten with bread, yoghurt, and mixed into tea.

i like to think that mealtimes are fairly important and social. food can be served in communal dishes that are shared, and gerudo will eat with their hands where possible. a common courtesy in gerudo culture will to never turn away someone looking for a meal, to bring food over as a gift, and to serve a good meal to guests.

[ge-uwu-do]

gerudo headcanon time baby

this is a nice intro overview of the current gerudo that im imagining, which are a gerudo who are a series of nomadic groups!

i have three main groups based on the map of the gerudo region:

highland/mountain gerudo in the north-west

valley gerudo in the south-east

desert plains gerudo in the centre who are made up of the union of two historic plains groups (more on that later)

their lifestyle is specifically a nomadic herding lifestyle, where they raise and rely on sand seals for travel, trade, materials and food. seal meat is fairly nutritious and is often prepared by hang drying. because of the rocky landscape gerudo in the mountains herd goats. one of their local specialities is to make products with goat horns such as necklaces and drinking cups.

there are some settlements with some permanent and semi-permanent residents such as gerudo town, the oasis bazaar, a trading post about the gerudo labyrinth, and one just to the west of the entrance to the canyon towards the yiga lair. it's very useful for resting in between tackling the desert sands and the highland cold.

[ge-uwu-do]

gerudo clothing 1

my og post got got so lets try again.

there's a few ways that i imagine gerudo clothing to go, but in general

clothing is loose and covers most of the body. common fabrics are cotton or sheeps wool

near everyone uses some sort of head covering

most people had access to a large scarf. this can be used as a head wrap, wrap around the body (it gets very cold at night), to carry things in a sling, to cradle babies, and as fashion or decoration

embroidery and embroidered and woven cloths are very present in gerudo culture, and an important part of it. different areas will tend towards different embroidery styles - geometric styles in the valley, floral and nature inspired designs in the centre plains, and incorporating beads in the highlands

common everyday clothing might use cotton or wool but expensive clothing for occasions will use silk or velvet. silk is traditional for weddings for example. silk clothing can often be passed down from parent to child, so owning one isn't a clear indicator of wealth

[ge-uwu-do]

gerudo clothing 3

besides the tunic + trousers combo (for which there are multiple names but are often called salwar kameez) i believe that gerudo clothing also includes the saree. in real like there are tons and tons of regional wrapping styles for sarees with different effects. because i am envisioning the gerudo as a series of nomadic groups there are some specific historical style of draping that i feel would be most appropriate for them.

1. Kunbi Drape from the Goa

this saree is draped from the shoulder with the ends tied on top of the right shoulder. the draping style is convenient for working (such as in paddy fields) and are short enough to save the cloth from getting dirty

Source: Craftsvilla

2. Enki style of saree from Andhra Pradesh

this saree resembles a dhoti (cloth tied that resembles trousers) and works be being pulled over the shoulder and tucked into the waist. i feel like the lack of loose cloth might be convenient

Source: Kaushi Collection

3. Bootheyara style of Karnataka

this is just a style primarily for comfort and i think will be a perfect choice for comfort days, everyday chores, and such

Source: Border & Fall

4. Mohiniattam style from Kerala

this style was primarily worn by shepherds, which i feel is appropriate for the gerudo i imagine who are herding livestocks. it's used in the mohiniattam dance

i feel like you might find the nivi style in gerudo town, especially popular amongst the young ladies

[ge-uwu-do]

gerudo clothing 2

i made a part 1 for overall clothing ideas and now i am going to go into some more detail

i think a popular style of dress for gerudo is the firaq partug, which is a set of a loose tunic and trousers and cloth called a chador (worn on the head). the tunic is fitted at the waist so the bottom flows like a skirt and reaches to the knee. the trousers are loose and fitted at the ankles and the waist. some gerudo in the town like to wear a style of trousers that are skinny and fitted closely to the legs from the knee down.

for riju i think she would have some pretty everyday wear such as these

for her more formal outfits i believe she would have velvet dresses with golden embroidery thread like such

i like to think that riju has some ancestry in the highland gerudo and enjoys wearing beaded clothing to reflect that

[ge-uwu-do]

gerudo clothing 4

for anything i couldn't include in the other posts.

I think they wear dhoti in the north. a dhoti is a long unstitched cloth that is used for lower garments and can resemble trousers when worn. but it's more alike to a sarong.

the people of faron wear sarongs, and their relationship with the south-eastern gerudo has spread the practice, creating similar clothing from separate sources. northern gerudo and south-eastern gerudo trade different weaves of cloths to use, some of which are dyed with items native to their respective regions. since this kind of clothing isn't found in the centre plains, it's harder to find in the markets, and usually merchants from the north or east will have personal trade relationships between settlements or groups of people

people who live in the city favour a type of flat shoe called a jutti. traditionally made with leather, it is something that can be found with embroidery and decoration in various styles

as gerudo in the north herd sheep an accessory unique to them would be made with sheep horn, such as pendants like this

in a similar manner, metalworking would have its hub in gerudo city where there's a more permanent base for them to work from

[ge-uwu-do]

you know splitting the gerudo into 3 distinct groups is just a tool im using to introduce variety. of course there will be pockets of people who don't belong to any of those groups, and hybrid groups that form from intermingling, and so on and so forth. in my mind the biggest group comes from a historic merging of two separate plain groups, so i believe there are definitely central gerudo who would continue a cultural tradition unique to their own ancestors