#tribes in Mongolia

[atlaculture]

Hi! Do you have any thoughts on tea ceremonies in the Avatar universe or do you have any resources about tea ceremonies? It’s a massive rabbit hole and I can’t find a concise video on the social meanings (and admittedly long history) or an audiobook. (Is it silly that most of my info comes from anime and analysis of the Tale of Genji?)

Tea ceremony is definitely a field of study that is both expansive and deep. Unfortunately, it's not something I'm very knowledgeable about. I guess you could say it's not my cup of tea.

The best I can do is give you some general guidelines and details regarding tea ceremony:

Firstly, lets establish what tea ceremony is and isn't. We'll go with Wikipedia's definition: "Tea ceremony is a ritualized practice of making and serving tea (茶 cha) in East Asia practiced in the Sinosphere."

Other cultures (Mongolia, Tibet, etc.) also have very rich tea cultures as well, but it seems the emphasis in those cultures is on the context and ritual behind the serving of tea to someone, rather than the tea making process itself. I would distinguish these rituals as being more like tea rites. For the record, I just coined the term tea rite off the top of my head, and am making this distinction to narrow the research that needs to be done here. ^_^;;;

To clarify further, I would also say that wedding tea ceremony is really more an example of a tea rite than a tea ceremony, despite the name. Wedding tea ceremonies place emphasis on showing respect towards the parents, with tea-serving being the ritual that shows this appreciation. The focus is not so much on the brewing of the tea.

Tea ceremony traditions vary by nation and region. I would advise to pick a specific area's tea ceremony when integrating these practices into your story.

Chinese tea ceremony is known as gongfu cha (功夫茶) or "skillfully making tea". It's a sophisticated way of brewing and appreciating tea. This Wikipedia article details the steps of Chinese tea ceremony really well. It even details what materials should be used for all the tea accessories.

The Japanese tea ceremony Wikipedia article is also quite detailed. Compared to Chinese tea ceremony, Japanese tea ceremony seems to have a stronger religious/spiritual connotation, as it's very influenced by Zen Buddhism and Shintoism. There's more emphasis on what type of clothing should be worn and where the ceremony should be performed. Japanese tea ceremony is also unique for its use of "thick tea", powdered tea leaves brewed with a low ratio of water (matcha tea).

Last but not least, the Korean tea ceremony Wiki article. It doesn't seem to be as formal as Japanese tea ceremony, but it does seem to have a stronger religious connotation than Chinese gongfu cha, as many of the traditions developed in the Korean temples.

This video and its YouTube channel are great insights into the world of Chinese tea culture.

Also! Teapets are common in Chinese tea ceremony and they're really cute! You're supposed to pour tea over them for good luck ("feeding them") and they can be used to test the temperature of the tea.

As for how it could relate to ATLA, you could have the Earth Kingdom practice Chinese-style tea ceremony and the Fire Nation practice Japanese-style or Korean-style.

Air Nomads don't have tea ceremonies, per se, but Tibetan "tea rites" as I defined above.

The Water Tribe views tea more pragmatically, treating it as an herbal remedy.

So this is just my very surface-level, cursory knowledge of East Asian tea ceremony. I hope this post provides a bit more direction in your research journey. ^_^;

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

[mosertone]

A young woman belonging to the TSAATAN tribe in Mongolia, Central Asia, riding a deer. The Tsaatan are a tribe of just under 250 people who are considered the last reindeer herders in Mongolia.

[quotidianish]

ANOTHER human au art compilation! Here’s the first! More info about the AU and their cultures under cut ~

Groundwork:

-Abilities which stem from things inherent to dragon biology (fire, venom, frostbreath, gills, etc.) aren’t present. More traditionally supernatural gifts (mindreading, oracle, animus magic, etc.) are still present. In retrospect this makes the Nightwings completely op but shhh

-Each tribe is inspired off a mishmash frankenstein of different real-world cultures

-Dragons are an endangered species, just a hum in the background and nearly hunted to extinction. They’re hardly considered a threat, especially when most humans haven’t even seen one in their lives. Once the centre of each people’s culture and civilisation, they’re now nothing more than Bigfoot sightings or exotic pets.

Culture:

-Sandwings are the least homogeneous tribe and take inspiration from various cultures in the Indian subcontinent and Arab nations (most largely India and Palestine). Many subcultures exist within the larger Sandwing kingdom. Common identifies (not present in them all, but there will usually be at least one) include gold accented accessories, darker skin, and clothing with light, desaturated, yellow/orange tones. They’re renowned for their abundance of poison, excellent street food, musical talent, and stereotypically maliciously intelligent. Regardless of class there’s a nation wide pattern (you can find the reference for it by Qibli’s headscarf) symbolising trade routes, oasis waters and dunes. It’s a symbol of national pride (included on thorn’s dress, and ostrich’s headband/headscarf).

-Nightwings are, on the contrary, the most homogeneous tribe due to their small population. They’re based on Japan (spanning multiple eras). I like to think the Nightwings lost a lot of their culture after migrating to the volcano, for they were once the most religious tribe, worshiping the moon alongside the Icewings, which I’ll get to later on their cultural similarities. I promise it’ll make sense. By now, all their deeply religious traditions have been relegated to superstitions. It was said they were blessed by the moons, but the connection has been largely severed. Only old dresses follow the tradition of embroidering in the moons they were born under. Moonwatcher’s dress is something akin to a hand-me-down, as are her silver earrings, it’s by coincidence it lined up with her actual birthday. Moon’s family was an exception because she came from a long line of seers (or alleged seers) who have done their best to preserve a crumbling culture. Common identifiers include near pitch black clothing and skin as pale as the moon. 

-Icewings have some of the largest populations, however, are surprisingly homogenous. Most sub-cultural differences are as a result of class. They’re based on Mongolia and Manchuria. Like Nightwings they are also deeply religious, maintaining their beliefs through rigorous scholarship. Hair has intrinsic religious value as a gift from your family- therefore it cannot be cut. The same goes for ear piercings and any other physical alterations to your body. IceWing jewellery as a result is very distinct because of its lack of need for an ear piercing, hooking around the back of the ear instead. Common identifies include long/braided hair, and light, cool-colored clothing suited for the cold.

-Skywings are loosely Scottish inspired, and I do not have a lot to say about the rest of the tribes. Most of their clothing have feathered accents. The peregrine is a sign of luck and wealth, with their feathers being adorned on the upper classes. Geese and chickens, being common farm animals, are found adorned on working classes. The second richest tribe, employing silver, gold, lazuli, and about any gem they can find in their clothing. Common identifies include curly orange/red hair, taller statures, feathered accents, a tartan like pattern, and clothing ranging from yellow to magenta.

-Seawings are loosely based on various Polynesian cultures, most prominently that of the Māori. The sea has an intrinsic religious value to them, with all children learning to swim, sail, and/or fish. They live off the sea’s resources, rarely consulting the surrounding land for supplies. On rare occasions albatross birds and seagulls are plucked for headdresses. These are reserved for high ranked royalty. Their clothing is loose and well adapted for the warm beach setting. Common identifiers of Seawings include ta moko like tattoos, olive skin, and clothing ranging from lime to purple.

-Rainwings are loosely based on Thai, Indonesian, and Cambodian cultures. They’re colourful and have the second largest poison reserves (bested by sandwings). Having once been a trade centred tribe, now they’re isolationist, albeit not intentionally. They have many history records, almost as detailed as that of Icewings, but the art has been lost to a changing cultural atmosphere. Once too religious, now their intrinsically religious practices are more cultural. Their clothing is similar to sandwings in the fact they cover as much of the body as convenient but remain loose and breezy. Common identifiers include bronze tan skin, vibrant pigmented clothing, and flower motifs. Nightwing villages don’t follow that guideline, they build on the ground as a tribe with a focus on hunting. I’m assuming everything in this universe is made proportional to dragons, hence why the trees are so large. This assumption is based off that specific panel of Bandit in the book six graphic novel eating a blueberry as big as his head. 

-Mudwings are sooo underdeveloped in my au (following in the steps of Tui herself) but they’re based on southern Chinese and Vietnamese cultures! They live in cities akin to Chinese floating villages, Vietnamese floating markets, and Tulou (architectural style of the Chinese Hakka) made of mud bricks. They're a very agricultural based people. Many of their villages are isolated communities- their emphasis on family extending to their towns. Common identifiers include umber skin, straw conical hats, and practical clothing in shades of brown.

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Stone Turtle of Karakorum, Mongolia, c. 1235-1260 CE: this statue is one of the only surviving features of Karakorum, which was once the capital city of the Mongol Empire

The statue is decorated with a ceremonial scarf known as a khadag (or khata), which is part of a Buddhist custom that is also found in Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. The scarves are often left atop shrines and sacred artifacts as a way to express respect and/or reverence. In Mongolia, this tradition also contains elements of Tengrism/shamanism.

The city of Karakorum was originally established by Genghis Khan in 1220 CE, when it was used as a base for the Mongol invasion of China. It then became the capital of the Mongol Empire in 1235 CE, and quickly developed into a thriving center for trade/cultural exchange between the Eastern and Western worlds.

The city attracted merchants of many different nationalities and faiths, and Medieval sources note that the city displayed an unusual degree of diversity and religious tolerance. It contained 12 different temples devoted to pagan and/or shamanistic traditions, two mosques, one church, and at least one Buddhist temple.

As this article explains:

The city might have been compact, but it was cosmopolitan, with residents including Mongols, Steppe tribes, Han Chinese, Persians, Armenians, and captives from Europe who included a master goldsmith from Paris named William Buchier, a woman from Metz, one Paquette, and an Englishman known only as Basil. There were, too, scribes and translators from diverse Asian nations to work in the bureaucracy, and official representatives from various foreign courts such as the Sultanates of Rum and India.

This diversity was reflected in the various religions practised there and, in time, the construction of many fine stone buildings by followers of Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity.

The prosperous days of Karakorum were very short-lived, however. The Mongol capital was moved to Xanadu in 1263, and then to Khanbaliq (modern-day Beijing) in 1267, under the leadership of Kublai Khan; Karakorum lost most of its power, authority, and leadership in the process. Without the resources and support that it had previously received from the leaders of the Mongol Empire, the city was left in a very vulnerable position. The residents of Karakorum began leaving the site in large numbers, until the city had eventually become almost entirely abandoned.

There were a few scattered attempts to revive the city in the years that followed, but any hope of restoring Karakorum to its former glory was then finally shattered in 1380, when the entire city was razed to the ground by Ming Dynasty troops.

The Erdene Zuu Monastery was later built near the site where Karakorum once stood, and pieces of the ruins were taken to be used as building materials during the construction of the monastery. The Erdene Zuu Monastery is also believed to be the oldest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia.

There is very little left of the ruined city today, and this statue is one of the few remaining features that can still be seen at the site. It originally formed the base of an inscribed stele, but the pillar section was somehow lost/destroyed, leaving nothing but the base (which may be a depiction of the mythological dragon-turtle, Bixi, from Chinese mythology).

This statue and the site in general always kinda remind me of the Ozymandias poem (the version by Horace Smith, not the one by Percy Bysshe Shelley):

In Egypt's sandy silence, all alone,

stands a gigantic leg

which far off throws the only shadow

that the desert knows.

"I am great OZYMANDIAS," saith the stone,

"the King of Kings; this mighty city shows

the wonders of my hand."

The city's gone —

naught but the leg remaining

to disclose the site

of this forgotten Babylon.

We wonder —

and some Hunter may express wonder like ours,

when thro' the wilderness where London stood,

holding the wolf in chace,

he meets some fragment huge

and stops to guess

what powerful but unrecorded race

once dwelt in that annihilated place

Sources & More Info:

University of Washington: Karakorum, Capital of the Mongol Empire

Encyclopedia Britannica: Entry for Karakorum

World History: Karakorum

[cityzenshark]

Full draft for Book Two: Unity | Firsts to Grow Up

May or may not change the outline.

.

1 – Happy Birthdays: Celebrations

The Malto Terrans have been training for months to prepare themselves to travel the globe. Before the day of departure, the family and town celebrate Twitch & Thrash’s first birthday. But the party is being targeted by a mysterious new Terran who has a shard of the Emberstone as his spark.

.

.

.

2 – Happy Birthdays: Farewells

Suspecting Meridian is well and active again, Hashtag changes her mind about travelling. She gets unexpected help from Skyfire while her siblings meet their travel guides, Powerglide and Inferno.

.

.

.

3 – Kindle & Ember of Sunlight

Twitch flies to Peru with Powerglide, an Autobot who is on the fence in joining G.H.O.S.T for years. They meet a tribe who cares for twin Terrans name Kindle and Ember with the help of Slingshot – who supposedly to have died in the war.

.

.

.

4 – Kite Flying

Nightshade and Bumblebee travel to the freezing deserts of Mongolia. The Terran who resides there have trouble speaking after nearly getting taken by “monsters” if it were not for Clobber, a Decepticon outcast.

.

.

.

5 – Icy Shields

Jawbreaker braves a vicious snowstorm to confront the giant ram Terran who had attacked their G.H.O.S.T guide, Inferno, and stole Thrash’s shield.

.

.

.

6 – The Math on Spitting Fire

Back home in Witwicky, Hashtag messes around with Twitch’s modified drone only for it to be scanned as an alt-mode for the new Meridian Terran. Meridian does not drink enough coffee to handle the mess caused by ... his Terrans. Ugh!

.

.

.

7 – Hiding in the Dark

Agent Bagheri faces familiar troubles with her new station when a man-sized leaf mantis kept playing with the computers. Surprisingly, the troubles point a lead to a strange object hiding on the Earth’s orbit.

.

.

.

8 – Hiding in Plain Sight

While trying to convince Aftermath and Spitfire to leave Meridian, Hashtag and Mo stumble upon a strange creature lingering at the destroyed Emberstone cave. Terratronus feels threatened by it.

.

.

.

9 – Irony of the Creator: The First Terrans

The Terrans gather at Terratronus’ Core and learn about the early generations of Terrans born thousands of years ago that was wiped out by their “cousins”, the Quintessons.

.

.

.

10 – Irony of the Creator: Quintesson

Conflicted over Terratronus’ wish, the Terrans split into two groups: one wants to keep the Emberstones intact while the other respects Terratronus’ wish to destroy them. Meridian and his Terrans cease the opportunity to steal the relics. Unbeknownst to the three, they are being observed...

.

.

.

11 – Conjoining

In meaning & literally. Twitch faces a reflection of herself through Kindle after Ember’s injury, Thrash eases Ice Mirror’s wildness, Hashtag and Nightshade help Kites with her speech, and Jawbreaker accidentally unleashed a freaky ability on Aftermath. Spitfire wishes she can drink alcohol, driving the Megatron crazy.

.

.

.

12 – Not a Happy Birthday

The Malto farm and their guests prepare to celebrate the triplets’ first birthday before Hashtag’s departure. Terrible heatwaves kept changing the party’s plan, and Ice Mirror’s erratic behaviour causes Jawbreaker’s patience to snap.

.

.

.

13 – As Dark as a Starlit Sky

Hashtag, Twitch, and Skyfire head for the island of Borneo to meet the mantis Terran and the Terran who swims with the Bajau Tribe. Stardeep shows Hashtag the beauty of underwater to ease her anxiety. Back home, a guilt-ridden Jawbreaker accepts the Meridians’ offer.

.

.

.

14 – A Family Team

The town searches for Jawbreaker who is spending time in the Meridian Lair, realising that despite their rough behaviour towards each other, Meridian, Aftermath and Spitfire truly care for each other and only wanted to save Earth.

.

.

.

15 – Float & Sting like a Mantis

Twitch, Leaflet and Ember sneak into the Meridian Lair to rescue Jawbreaker. They then discover the Quintessons are targeting the Meridians with the help of Croft.

.

.

.

16 – Planet Traitor

At G.H.O.S.T Prison Base, Schloder is alarmed by the prisoners that his men were suddenly, mysteriously replaced by droids without his knowledge. Croft has betrayed G.H.O.S.T and has bargained with the Quintessons to wipe out every Transformer-kind on Earth by whatever means necessary.

.

.

.

17 – Choices

At Terratronus’ Core, the remaining Terrans and doctors from Witwicky discover the possible cure to energon poisoning via Emberstone freshwater. Not wanting a chance for humanity to perceive the Terrans in a good light, Croft takes the town doctors hostage, forcing the Terrans to choose them or the Emberstones.

.

.

.

18 – Arriving Threat

G.H.O.S.T Autobots discover a functioning Spacebridge beneath the memorial, swarmed by the Quintesson legion led by the Executioner who had taken over Meridian’s body along with his formulas to mind control and eradicate energon-based lives.

.

.

.

19 – Battle for the Emberstone – Part 1

The Quintesson ship crashes in Wiwicky’s mountains, preventing any life from leaving or entering its dome. Having captured Aftermath and Spitfire, using the shards in their chests as a beacon, they mind-control G.H.O.S.T Autobots to hunt down the remaining Terrans and the last Emberstone. The Terrans and humans turn to the closest available yet most distrusting people for help: the imprisoned Decepticons.

.

.

.

20 – Battle for the Emberstone – Part 2

The Terrans join hands to save every life on Earth, energon-powered and tainted, to foil the Quintesson’s plan for conquest forever.

       (Twitch and Thrash die as they are at the point of the blast; AM and SF are barely alive from spark strain | The Terrans gather round the combined Emberstone and powers it up | Emberstone power infused with the rain, reviving the dead bots, heal every injury and cured people with energon poisoning. | Twitch & Thrash revives and they got upgrade, twice the size than their original bodies)

[wrenaliases]

Cookie Run Kingdom AU : Light of Acceptance

What is the lore about?

This may follow up with the recent events of the cookie run kingdom lore[latest event is Burning Spice Cookie with Golden Cheese Cookie]. This AU is about a forgotten Sixth Soul Jam that was erased from Earthbread.

Starting Point:

The soul jam is also known as a 'false' soul jam, meaning it wasn't created by the Witches but a human teen who discovered the power of the Witches. Being inspired by their craft, the human created her very own soul jam, calling it the Light of Acceptance.

The human created many of the cookies with life powder and only gave one cookie the soul jam: Garuda Sovereign Cookie. He was tasked to be the true leader of the cookies under him and are one of the many leaders that were created by the human.

However, the cost was a few leaders and himself, were turned to stone, alongside with the souljam under Garuda Sovereign Cookie's hands.

However, everything turned South and darkness overtook the land. With Garuda Sovereign Cookie having to fight until his last breath, he casted the darkness into the soul jam, saving everyone affected by the darkness.

Many years passed and soon, everything flourished in the Kingdom of Garuda. New tribes and towns were made nearby and newly formed alliances were created to protect the peace they held long.

What is the AU based on?

The AU is inspired from a region of Southeast Asia, collecting inspiration of a few other Asian culture aspects[Mongolia, Bhutan, etc] for some cookies and locations. I may make drawing concepts of how it may look like.

The biomes are going to be based on Vietnam, Indonesia and Mongolia's biomes. Fortunately, I would also give way for new biomes from other countries too.

Whole Grain Association

An association of many Kingdoms and tribes that is created for a variety of reasons such as: trades, defense training, land possession, etc.

They are unaffiliated with the Kingdom of Garuda.

Kingdom of Garuda

Kingdom of Garuda is situated in a rainforest, citizens are called Bimas. They are known for their arts in architecture and intricate designs in any art. Music, paintings, you can name it all.

They also have the five original soul jams implanted in some of their tattoos and clothes for their hopeful peace treaty with the other ancients.

Their current owner is Po-Li Sovereign Cookie, younger brother of Garuda Sovereign Cookie[former]. There are currently 10 cookies who are related to Po-li Sovereign, some changed their names to avoid conflict with those who are against the Kingdom of Garuda.

That is all for my rambling of lore. If you want some more lore of this AU, you can comment or give an ask. Any questions? I'm free to answer but it may take time.

The AU is still new so changed might occur during its development. This AU is formed by art and writing. Comics and doodles may be made if I have time.

See ya mates.

[chlobliviate]

Wolfstar Microfic - Stronger

Words: 627

@wolfstarmicrofic

This was written as a response to multiple people asking what Remus did in fourth year after the Moon-Grumpy fic (https://archiveofourown.org/works/58156276) but it can also be read as a stand alone!

🌙✨🌙✨🌙

The first time Remus tried firewhisky, he hated it. It was stronger than he expected, and within half an hour he was good and tipsy, and tipsy Remus liked to talk.

James, equally tipsy, found this fascinating. He was so used to Remus holding himself back. It was like getting to see a whole new side of him, and it was so endearing.

“What are we doing for Hogsmeade next week? I need to go to Honeydukes. Need.” Remus said, lying on his bed with his eyes closed. Pete had gone to throw up, and Sirius had been dared to sit on Marlene’s lap for fifteen minutes, half an hour ago.

“You not going with Em?” James was propped against his trunk, grinning.

Remus laughed softly, “No, I’m not.”

“Is she busy?” James asked. “Too busy for you?”

“Nah.” Remus paused, “We broke up.”

“You what?!” James yelled. “When did this happen?”

“About two hours ago.” Remus wanted to curl up into a ball, roll off the bed and roll away into the distance where James wasn’t about to interrogate him about his failed relationship.

“Moony! What the fuck?” James crawled across the room to sit next to Remus’ bed. “Are you alright?”

Remus shrugged, “Yeah, I think so. I didn’t see it coming, but I’m also… I don’t know. I thought I’d be more bothered.”

James studied his face, “So, what happened?”

“Oh, we just… drifted apart, I guess.” Remus wished he was having this conversation sober. It would be so much easier to lie sober.

“Well, that’s bullshit, because she was up here reading with you last night.” James continued to stare at him. “So what really happened?”

“She noticed something about me, and it bothered her. When she asked me about it, I didn’t deny it, so she broke up with me.”

“Is this— Moony did she— She dumped you because you’re a werewolf?”

Remus spluttered and sat up, “No, of course not! Jesus Christ, Prongs! She dumped me because I’m in love with Sirius.” James blinked at him, as the realisation of what he’d just said dawned on Remus’ face. “Oh. Oh no, no. Wait—”

“You are?” Remus didn’t know what he’d expected, but it wasn’t James looking at him like he’d just announced the birth of a child. He said nothing. “Moony?”

Remus nodded slowly, “I think so.”

“Since when?” James looked way too happy about this. Remus had so many regrets. He wondered if there was a nomadic tribe in Mongolia that would accept a werewolf. Probably not. They’d never trust a wolf around the sheep.

“Maybe since forever. I don’t really know.” Remus rolled his eyes as James let out an excited yelp. “It doesn’t bother you?”

“That you fancy Pads and not me?” James grinned, “Well, there’s no accounting for taste, mate.”

“Tosser.” He muttered, “No, that I’m … queer?”

“Oh, that? No, of course not.” James tried to stand up unsuccessfully.

“And you won’t tell him, right? You won’t tell anyone?”

“I reserve the right to tell this story on two occasions. When you start dating, and when I’m the best man at your wedding. The two of you have to duel to see who gets me.” James managed to hold onto the bedpost and was finally on his feet.

“When?”

“Pads could do a lot worse than you.” James shrugged. “And you could do a lot better than Pads.”

“Thank you?” Remus squinted at him. “Firewhisky is fucking lethal.”

At that moment, Sirius burst into the room with a purple hickey blooming on his neck. “Good evening!”

James looked at Remus sympathetically before turning to indulge Sirius in whatever bullshit he was about to announce. Remus sighed, back to pretending.

[sgiandubh]

Cait has been to Nepal as model for a photoshoot and saw the Everest. What she did say she'd want to visit is Mongolia. As for Sam, the Everest movie is dead. What he's looking to do is narrate an Everest documentary. Problem is, it's been done very well before to be worth it except to sell to his most ardent fans who buy everything he sells.

Dear Everest Anon,

She saw the Himalayas, from the lower mountain zone in Dhulikhel - not the Everest. That would be exactly the same thing as me pretending to see Mycenae from my terrace in Athens - same distance -, albeit I'll give you this: different topography.

And yes, you are correct - still nasty, though - she has been to Nepal and found that watching the sun rise over those majestic mountaintops was a 'deeply spiritual' experience.

It's all in that January 2022 High Life magazine interview, while she was promoting Belfast, by the way (https://bahighlife.com/stories/outlander-actress-caitriona-balfe-reveals-her-favourite-travel-memories):

I didn't have that quote seared in my brain, though and I remembered it just as I referenced it: a dream/bucket list destination, which is - mind you - exactly what her answer suggests.

As for Mongolia, which I suspect must be a very abstract place to you, this comes from an answer on X, back when she was still doing those cute #AskCait Q&A improv sessions:

It took me five minutes to find it and I remembered it vaguely - Central Asia is a space I know very, very well.

The closest I have ever been to Mongolia - probably way closer than you - was on my Silk Road solo trip, in 2010. Ever since, Switzerland could never compete with the magic of Kyrgyzstan, especially when you wake up in your yurt in Tash Rabat to this view:

This being very much akin to a Mongolian landscape, by the way. Serene and graceful and very, very quiet. And the people are warm, generous and have a wonderful sense of humor. It's only normal to dream of such a place, for a dream it is and nothing less.

So yes, your comment reads like globally correct, although I think your tone could have been more polite: we haven't been properly introduced, you and me.

But then you can't help yourself and spoil it all with your tribe's mandatory and gratuitous S hate moment. Many things have been 'very well done before' and yet they are still being presented, over and over again, just because life and the world change all the time: I suppose you are familiar with the concept?

You know what? Why don't you go to the Himalayas and do your own documentary project on it, Anon? Traveling will do you a hell lot of good and I will be your most ardent promoter.

Until then, which is probably never, I'll just watch his documentary or whatever he would choose to make out of it with great pleasure. You will still be in your armchair, at Clacton-on-Sea, or Weston-super-Mare, or wherever.

[paganimagevault]

Symbols of the Xiongnu, Sarmatians, Scythians, and Alans from various branded objects 2nd C. BCE - 2nd C. CE

"Starting in the 1950s, the source base for the study of the branding of cattle has substantially broadened. One of the Sarmatian burials of the lower Don contained a unique instrument for branding an animal (Raev 1979, pp. 207–08, Fig 3.9; Yatsenko 2001, p. 12, Fig. 1.1). A male burial of the last quarter of the 1st century CE not far from the village of Porogi near the Dniester yielded a silver cup with a handle in the form of a horse with brands on the right shoulder and left flank [Figs. 3.1, 6.2]. In this same complex was a gold torque with ends shaped like horse heads. One of the heads has a brand on the cheek (Simonenko and Lobai 1991, Fig. 16.1,2; Simonenko 1991, p. 316, Nos. 154, 157). One should include here a long-known gold bracelet accidentally discovered on the shore of the Bug estuary. Its ends, analogous to those of the torque from Porogi, also are shaped like horse heads, on one of which is a brand (Solomonik 1959, pp. 131–32; Voroniatov 2013, Fig. 1.2). Additional evidence regarding the tradition of branding Sarmatian horses may be found in numerous examples of Roman-period ceremonial horse harness, whose decoration includes Sarmatian tamgas (Voroniatov 2013). S. A. Yatsenko’s idea (2001, p. 13) that details of horse gear can duplicate or imitate a real brand on the body of the horse merits close attention.

As unusual as the buckle from Mongolia is the depiction of a bear on a wooden harp [Fig. 6.3] from the interesting complex of the end of the 1st–beginning of the 2nd centuries CE not far from Olbia (Simonenko 1999, pp. 111–14, Figs. 2, 3; Simonenko 2004, pp. 209– 21, Abb. 7). In toto there are 32 tamgas on the harp, six of which are incised on the figure of the bear. A.V. Simonenko emphasized (1999, p. 112) that the tamgas are placed in the same locations as the signs on the figure of a horse which served as the handle for the silver cup from Porogi [Figs. 3.1, 6.2].

I would propose that the depiction of a branded wild animal (a bear) on Alano-Sarmatian materials is related to the depiction of a fantastic animal with a brand in Xiongnu antiquities. It is possible that the meaning attached to signs specifically on such creatures relates to something other than the pragmatic tradition of branding cattle. This phenomenon, on which I will not dwell in greater detail, requires special study. I would merely note that early medieval depictions of wild animals and mythical creatures with a brand are attested in the territory of Inner Asia and Asia Minor (Boardman 2010, Fig. 19; Samashev and Bazylkhan 2010, p. 311).

In discussing the tradition of branding cattle along the northern Black Sea littoral, E. I. Solomonik (1957, pp. 215–17) provides information about this practice in archaic Greece, a practice which might well also have existed in the Greek Black Sea colonies. Clearly horses and cattle, branded with Sarmatian tamgas and, correspondingly, their depictions appear in the steppes of the northern Black Sea littoral and in the Bosporan region with the arrival of a new wave of nomadic tribes in the first century CE.

The objects examined here in the three categories demonstrate not only the similarity of several types of tamgas of Inner Asia and Sarmatia but also suggest common features of ritual practice among the Xiongnu and the Alano-Sarmatians. All three categories of objects have characteristics which are not merely the inherent qualities found in artefacts of daily life.

The astragalus with a tamga found in the burned layer of the Bosporan fortress of Artezian [Fig. 5.5] also has been interpreted as a cult object (Vinokurov 2007). In addition to the astragalus with a tamga, in the same layer of the Liubimov settlement on the lower Dnieper [Fig. 5.3] was a whetstone inscribed with three tamgas. Scholars have attributed a cultic and magic purpose to unusual whetstones of the Scytho-Sarmatian period and specifically to whetstones with tamgas (Griaznov 1961; Anikeeva and Iablonskii 2012, p. 52; Voroniatov 2012)."

-Sergey V. Voroniatov, State Hermitage Museum - Connections between Central Asia and the Northern Littoral of the Black Sea: Evidence from objects with tamgas.

[whencyclopedia]

Bayan I

Bayan I (reigned 562/565-602 CE) was a king of the Avars, a confederation of heterogeneous people who migrated from the region of Mongolia, north of China, in 552 CE and came in contact with the Eastern Roman Empire c. 557 CE. Bayan I is considered the greatest king of the Avars for his military and political skills. He not only protected his people from the Gokturks, who pursued them from Mongolia after the fall of the Rouran Empire (known as the Rouran Khaganate) in the east, but he led them in a series of successful campaigns to defeat the Gepids of Pannonia, outwitted the Lombard king, Alboin, for control of the land, and challenged the supremacy of the Eastern Roman Empire. He founded the Avar Empire in the region of Pannonia, establishing his capital at the same spot that Attila the Hun had claimed as his own, and expanded that empire to encompass territory far beyond the original borders of the Pannonia they had first arrived in. After Bayan I's death in 602 CE, the Avar Empire began to decline until it was finally conquered by the Franks in 796 CE, and the Avars ceased to exist as a distinct cultural and political entity.

Bayan I & the Eastern Empire

Bayan I first enters history with the migration of the Avars to the region of the Pontic Grass Steppe (an area corresponding to modern-day Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan) from Central Asia after the fall of the Rouran Empire. They were pursued by their enemies the Gokturks, who had toppled the supremacy of the Rourans in Mongolia and, as refugees, they were seeking a secure homeland they could settle and then defend. The historian Erik Hildinger describes Bayan's initial rise to power following the Avar's migration: "Shortly thereafter, in 565, Bayan ascended the Avar throne as Kaghan, or Great Khan. The Avars were the first to use this term, which would persist thereafter among the steppe peoples. Bayan was the greatest of their leaders" (76).

The historian H.H. Howorth states how "The Avars were at this time led by a chief whom, if we knew more of, we should probably compare with Attila and Genghis Khan. His name was Bayan" (732). Bayan I is the first recorded king of the Avars and, like Attila, was the leader who unified and empowered his people. He raised the Avars from a band of refugees fleeing their oppressor to the dominant people of the region of Pannonia.

Regarding the origin of the Avars and their flight to the west, historian Peter Heather writes:

, and arrived on the outskirts of Europe as political refugees, announcing themselves with an embassy that appeared at Justinian's court in 558. (401)

Although, as Heather claims, "we know more about than about the Huns", we know considerably less about Bayan I than Attila. After leading his people to the west, he almost immediately made contact with the emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Justinian I (482-565 CE) agreed to hire them to fight against other tribes in the region as mercenaries and sent them on their way. The Avars ruthlessly massacred the enemies of Justinian I and expected that their relationship with the empire would continue but, should it not, tried to find a region they could settle in.

Although they were now employed by the powerful Byzantine Empire, they still needed their own homeland where they could feel secure from the pursuing Turks. Bayan I tried to lead his people south of the Danube River but was prevented by the Romans. He then led the Avars north but encountered resistance from the Franks under their king Sigebert I. They continued as nomads in the service of Rome until the death of Justinian in 565 CE. His successor, Justin II (c. 520-578 CE), canceled their contract and, when the Avar embassy asked for permission to cross the southern Danube, it was denied. They again sought to break through to the north but were repelled by Sigebert's army. Bayan I then turned his attention to Pannonia or, according to other sources, was invited to go there by Justin II to displace the Gepids.

Continue reading...

[dracocheesecake]

Hi hii thats me again reflexing on your Kai headcanons yayy

How do you think could Kai have identity crisis at some point due to him being a 'halfbreed'? Yeah I understand that kfp is a world of anthropomorphic animals and nations don't really work in our sense but still xd I mean, (back to one of your writings) in childhood he used to be not treated well because of his mongolian roots. Later I think he could have struggled a little if the side he choose to fight (on?by?with? -m not native srry) is the right one. His ancestors from both sides have been historical enemies for generations, Kai probably had a lot to think about

I have a lot of headcanons and thoughts about this specific topic, so I'll try to summarize it as best as I can: to answer it straight: yes and no- it depended on context.

Warning: racism, some foul language

In my headcanons Kai joined up with the Immortal Army (what the Qin state army called themselves), at one point trying to put an emperor Candidate named Lord Bohai into power.

They fought against not only enemy mongolian tribes, but also the huns and the other Chinese states with their armies and emperor candidates, as well as various warlords attempting to seize power at this tumultuous period in history.

Khaltmaa's herd wasn't apart of the coalition of clans that attacked China- they were just traders, a family of nomads moving place to place- they actually left Mongolia to escape the fighting that was going on at the time, and came to the Qin state because it's immense military strength made it relatively stable; however, because they were Mongolian, they were treated only a little better than the enemy clans- “painted with the same brush”, you know how ignorant people are.

Kai received a lot of discrimination and abuse in the army because of this, and they actually blamed his bloodlust and sadism on his mongolian blood, which filled Kai with shame, knowing his mother and her family were peaceful, kind, civilized people from a rich culture; but Kai rose up the ranks quickly to escape the abuse, and flaunted his heritage as an act of defiance. He and Oogway bonded over their foreign backgrounds, because Oogway also suffered similarly, especially from General Jiahao, who never missed an opportunity to make remarks:

To Kai: “Your father must have either been desperate or a sick kind of pervert, to mix good Chinese blood with that of a savage whore; and look what such an ill-fated mating created.” 

And for Oogway:

"What islander dribble are you speaking, now? You came all the way over the seas from your speck of dirt in the ocean, and you can't learn how to speak our language properly? Are all the tortoises where you come from slow in mind as well?"

It didn't help matters when they actually went to fight those mongolian clans. There was talk of Kai joining in with his "breathren", or feeling guilt for cutting down his "cousins" in battle; Kai had no relations in these clans, but it wouldn’t help to explain it. Of course, once Kai and Oogway became warlords, they never heard such talk again.

[centrally-unplanned]

Since you mentioned it anyway... Ghengis Khan VOR?

Ghengis Khan does require a grain of salt, given our lack of strong historical evidence for his life and inner workings. But still, given what we have, his story is one of endless setbacks before his incredible victories. He is left destitute after the death of his father, kills his half-brother over a fight over hunting spoilers, is imprisoned by rival tribes multiple times, and spends several years as a slave later on of the Jin Dynasty after his early armies are defeated. A lot of his VOR comes from the fact that he was the one to do it at all; he shouldn't have even lived, let alone come back to forge an Empire.

Past that, the Mongolian steppe was in a constant step of flux of political (dis)unification, but even when unified was never built for sustained conquest. Meanwhile the Jin Dynasty had just had a string of victories imposing tribute on the various tribes - it was not the case that the Mongolians had this inherent "nomadic cavalry" military advantage that, if unleashed, bordering nations could not compete with, they got wrecked by them all the time. Re-unifying China as a successor kingdom, for example, is something of a given at some point, its inherent dynamics lead to that - for Mongolia that was not the case. Genghis just has this miraculous ability to get coalition partners into his camp, and all the way in, ride-or-die in, over and over and over.

Finally, he is a pretty tireless-but-flexible operational commander, combined with institutional innovator. His siege of Xongjing fails due to poorly constructed earthworks on their dam attempt, then a second siege of Xijing also goes poorly? We build an entire siege corps built out of captured and defected engineers of our Jin dynasty enemy that we then integrate into force structure and fling about as far as Persia. Next stab at the Jin Dynasty runs out of steam penetrating too far into their territory, so our army starts starving? Go back, build a new logistics & supply requisition system that we have never had before to extend campaign duration, and repeat. These might sound 'obvious" but no Mongol commanders really did these before - they instead would sign a peace treaty, take some tribute, and go home. This is a huge VOR - a demonstrated track record of asset-building where others simply settled for the equilibrium.

Finally he has many moments of "consensus bucking" - in particular on peace and restraint, funnily enough! It was very common - the first siege of the Jin capital & the planned invasion of north India come to mind - where his commanders would recommend pushing forward, Genghis would go "hold up", then retreat, sign a temporary peace, then come back next year or choose a new target and win for real. These you do have to be skeptical of - classic literary tradition, to portray the Great Leader as the wise one out of a sea of idiot advisors. But still, its attested enough to be worth noting.

So yeah, tremendous VOR - one of the few leaders in history who, if absent, could result in their empire simply vanishing from the record, never occurring at all.

[flyingsassysaddles]

One of my favorite ideas for Mongolia is him constantly talking about his grand empire and just casually leaving out like ALL of his other Mongol representatives that existed along side him bc they pissed him off and also it suits his ego to think he was the most important one out there

Like bud, you weren’t more important than the personifications that ran the other part of the empire. You’re just the one that survived

Reading a sentence like ‘Mongol Empire conquered China/Persia/Central Asia/Russia/Anatolia’ makes me giggle because it’s as if Mongolia were an octopus. You know, eight hands for eight people in eight different directions!!

But he didn’t do all that alone. He gave it a preliminary go and it was then completed by his descendants. And at some point the new Khanates also wanted to be known as they were, not just piggybacking on Mongolia’s name and roots. It is fair because they weren’t only Mongol/Mongolized, I think. That’s why I made the Khanates, including Yuan, their own personifications. They’ve gone away from the Mongol center and into their own vision of the future that’s maybe different from Chinggis Khan’s vision. They carried on proud Mongol lineage, but in the end weren’t purely Mongol themselves.

I think Mongol Empire (on its own = just Mongolia) is also exaggerated at times? But I get it lol, I was there. Mongolia is actually a guy with an ego as big as the sun so I like it when he’s knocked down a peg or two, haha! I made him different from the Khanates born from him so that he wouldn’t always claim their success as purely his own, hoho. In the end, I guess I doubt the claim that the (core, real) Mongol Empire was That huge and great. It might not be. But that Mongol Empire has an extensive legacy, is true.

But this is just my opinion lol. I’m no historical Hetalia person myself. I’m just whatever-makes-me-happiest Hetalia.

[mintaikk]

I'm making list of the Human names and races I think CRK characters have, and I need help.

Ik that the Dark Cacao Kingdom is Josean-Era Korea. I don't have a problem with them, but I'm having trouble figuring out what race the Milk Tribe, Coffee Tribe, and Licorice Tribe would be. For milk Tribe, I'm leaning with Mongolia, but what do you think the Licorice or Coffee Tribe would be?

[rigel-kentauruus]

~*Decendents*

It has been 26 years since Mulan and Baatar fled China and returned to the steppes in Mongolia, where they began a life together. Baatar returned to take his place as Shan Yu, the leader of his Hun tribe and Mulan as his left hand, their queen. Together they formed alliances and became a clan of great influence and respect for its allies. Both united in marriage had 3 children: 👦🏻🧒🏻👶🏻

Amgalan (older), Kublai (middle) and Ulaan (younger)

9 - 8 - 3

*Tender childhood for the three brothers where everything was jokes and games

13 - 12 - 7

For older children, responsibilities begin with puberty and for younger children, interest in new things.

21 - 20 - 15

Power struggles, competencies, guilt, fears, discrimination and the weight of their roles create a lot of friction for siblings. And finding their own paths.

Amgalan - 24 years old: He's very similar to his father when he was young, but thinner. Is blind in the left eye after being attacked by a bear in an attempt to save his siblings when they were children's. He is unable to perceive depth on many occasions, but he makes up for it with his combat and leadership skills. His biggest concern is the safety of his restless siblings.

Kublai - 23 years old: Physically he is more similar to a Han than a Hun, thin and a head shorter than his older brother. Of the 3, he is the one with the shortest hair, after he lost a bet against Amgalan and he cashed in by cutting his hair. When he gets into trouble in his search for recognition and adventure, he usually comes armed and prepared for any incident.

Ulaan - 18 years old: Like his second brother, he looks more Han than Hun. He's thin and the shortest of the three and doesn't have the characteristic golden eyes of his father, but rather the dark eyes of his mother. He likes to go out exploring with Kublai, read and learn new things is his passion. Careless and confident that his brothers will get him out of any trouble, which is why he is not afraid of getting into trouble with Kublai.

[cityzenshark]

Draft for "Firsts to Grow Up: Book Two - Unity"

1 – Happy Birthdays: Celebrations

The Malto Terrans have been training for months to prepare themselves to travel the globe. Before the day of departure, the family and town celebrate Twitch & Thrash’s first birthday. But the party is being targeted by a mysterious new Terran who follows the name Meridian.

.

2 – Happy Birthdays: Farewells

Suspecting Meridian is well and active again, Hashtag changes her mind about leaving Witwicky. She gets unexpected help from Skyfire, meanwhile her siblings meet their travel guides.

.

3 – Kindle & Ember of Sunlight

Twitch flies to Peru with Powerglide, an Autobot who is on the fence in joining G.H.O.S.T for years. They meet a tribe who cares for twin Terrans name Kindle and Ember with the help of Slingshot – who supposedly to have died in the war.

.

4 – Kite Flying

Nightshade and Bumblebee travel to the freezing deserts of Mongolia. The Terran who resides there has trouble speaking after nearly getting taken by “monsters” if it were not for Clobber, a Decepticon outcast.

.

5 – Icy Shields & Ripples

Jawbreaker braves a vicious snowstorm to confront the ram Terran who had attacked their G.H.O.S.T guide and stole Thrash’s shield.

.

6 – The Math on Spitting Fire

Back home in Witwicky, Hashtag messes around with Twitch’s modified drone only for it to be scanned as an alt-mode for the new Meridian Terran. Meridian does not drink enough coffee to handle the mess caused by ... his Terrans. Ugh!

.

7 – Leaflets

Agent Bagheri faces familiar troubles with her new station when a man-sized leaf mantis kept playing with the computers. Surprisingly, the troubles point a lead to a strange object hiding on the Earth’s orbit.

.

8 – Hiding Plainly

While trying to convince Aftermath and Spitfire to leave Meridian, Hashtag and Mo stumble upon a strange creature lingering at the destroyed Emberstone cave. Terratronus feels threatened by it.

.

9 – Irony of the Creator: The First Terrans

The Terrans gather at Terratronus’ Core and learn about the first Terrans born thousands of years ago that was wiped out by their distant “cousins”, the Quintessons.

.

10 – Irony of the Creator: Quintesson

Conflicted over Terratronus’ wish, the Terrans split into two sides: one wants to keep the Emberstones intact while the other respects Terratronus’ wish to destroy them. Meridian and his Terrans cease the opportunity to steal the relics. Unbeknownst to the three, they are being observed...

.

11 – Conjoining, in Meaning & Literally

Twitch faces a reflection of herself through Kindle after Ember’s injury, Thrash humbles Ice Mirror’s arrogance, Hashtag and Nightshade help Kites with her speech, and Jawbreaker accidentally unleashed a new ability on Aftermath. Spitfire wished she could drink alcohol, driving Megatron crazy.

.

.

Please note that these are very rough drafts. There are 3 more OC Terrans that have yet to be introduced.