Notes on dealings with the Panchayyah In general the legacy of being a barter based society still exists, and they much prefer immediate and proportional transactions. This is less common in nobles and merchants. the most common exception to this tendency is between groups that have intermarriages, where balance can be shifted over a longer term because of the union. intermarriage is a respected tradition in Panchayyah culture. particularly when men of import can afford more then one spouse. all must have fewer brides then the grand chief . If a man takes more wives then he can afford, the families of the women will consult with a leader, and typically the man will be painfully sterilized for abusing his power. children are held in value by all, and are considered the blessing and obligation of the community as well as the family in a polynesian style. large roving packs of children run around each village. A husband offers goods to the wife's family in the prospect of future children. If the union does not bear children, the family is expected to return the money in proportion to the number of children and payment that was agreed upon. The Husband will then receive a necklace given to him by the matron of the household with beads and tokens that indicate the payment and number of children that the husband wears to indicate his marriage. The husband also gives gifts to his wife's family upon the day a son reaches manhood. The husband gives his wife a necklace, and in some cases a tattoo some marriages are political in nature and may not require the traditional gifts, With the extremely long life-spans of the people in general, and the even longer life-spans of the powerful, intermarriages are very common. versions of counting coup are the preferred method of warfare between tribes with many intermarriages. The Panchayyah are naturally open minded and curious, and will be aggressively friendly to strangers who do not appear hostile or threatening. However there is a distinction drawn between people who know the land and outsiders. outsiders are seen as more likely to cause disruptions in the land, and the areas in which they will be excepted are limited. They pelt new comers with many questions, but answer few. Outsiders are grouped into several categories, those who have walked the trade trails, those who have enter walked the steps to the meeting center of a village, those who have walked the steps into the capital city. invitations to stay for a long term in interior villages are very rare, and outsiders must prove themselves. Marriage unions with Panchayyah women are seldom offered to outsiders unless they have performed a great service for the tribe, and have the approval of two temples. However offering a outside bride to a male as tribute (or trade) is looked upon favorably. Tribal alliances marriage unions are all but required in tribal unions, but there are different levels of tribal unions with increasing levels of benefits based on the level of personal and culture connections between the tribes. this is known as "following the laws". There are the big laws, the medium laws, and the small laws. The large laws number 20-30 and lean towards ten commandment level cultural universals, and do little to define punishment. the medium laws deal with commerce between tribes, define some major punishments for major crimes, the placement of sacred stones, allow for free passage for representatives of the 7 temples as well as the minimum requirements for honoring the land. medium is the standard alliance agreement. following the small laws means a deeper adherence to the 7 temple path, and requires several marriage unions. this is the level of the core tribes. tribes that follow the small laws pay less tribute and receive a greater proportional share from the spoils of war based on troop commitment to battles. A Belly of Snakes : a Panchayyah folktale There once was a woman, Pixxevel, she was the most beautiful women in many tribes, and she was honored by her new husband who paid for her family in advance for many honored sons. When she would look in the river she did not see the power of the water that brought life, but only her reflection. when she was with the marriage's first child she did not honor her husband, and bond the child to him by rubbing her swelling belly against his legs, as has been the way of the tribes from the beginning. The serpent king saw this and grew angry. Her belly continued to grow for a season after a child would normally have been born, and grew so big she had to be carried. when she give birth she did not give her husband a son but innumerable serpents that swarmed throughout the house. they killed the husband for indulging his wife too much, and they carried the wife away into the jungle after ruining her beauty. In exchange for taking the workers from the village, the serpents trails on the dirt floor of the couples hut complex provided a guide to plant crops more effectively when the local shaman properly read them. To this day this tribes use this knowledge, and Pixxevel must wander the jungles and serve as a warning to women who do not honor the land or their husbands ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
