The Juathuur
The word ‘juathuur’ means ‘true wanderers’. It is a name applied to a race
of people on the world of Fianna who all have a certain set of god-gifted
powers. There are approximately 20 distinct tribes of Juathuur active in
different areas of Fianna during the timeline of the comics. These tribes are
governed autonomously but share a common culture and magical lore.
Juathuur Ranks
The Juathuur employ an inner ranking structure which is used for military
purposes and also to track important life stages and professions.
Danei - lowest rank, associated with indoctrinatiion into
adult Juathuur culture. Usually the rank held by 15-18 year-olds.
Ronei - the second-lowest rank, associated with Juathuur who
are ready for self-directed teaching and to become full-fledged members of the
tribe. Usually held by 18-23 year-olds. In order to become full Ronei, Danei
must pass the Ronei Finals, also called waterdances, where prospectives engage
in mock battles.
Vethanei - mid-rank status, associated with veterans who are
ready to become leaders and teachers. No particular age limit.
Thuunei - high rank status given to Juathuur who show
particular promise or leadership skills. Not all Juathuur attain the rank of
Thuunei but those that do are automatically considered part of the tribe concil
of decision-makers.
Thuunei Elder - a Thuunei with extensive experience who the
other Thuunei recognize as the tribe leader.
Dodon - specialized warriors assigned to important
missions
Jerun - healers
Uthaen - Mediators/Diplomats
Theren - Teachers
Juathuur origins and genetics
The Juathuur were originally a tribe of normal humans who lived in the
remote Heshu isles of Fianna and were called the people of Wa. The legend goes
that one day some children of the tribe stumbled across a cave where the god
Merlu was sleeping and accidentally woke him. Merlu took an interest in the
tribe, who at that time were struggling through a hard winter, and taught them
some of the ways of the gods. As a result of his experiments, the descendants
of the tribe developed strange powers. These powers are passed down genetically
- Juathuur have Juathuur children about 97% of the time even if the other
parent is non-Juathuur.
Birth and Upbringing
Traditionally, only a small portion of Juathuur interbreed within their
tribe - the rest pair with non-Juathuur or Juathuur of different tribes. Their
nomadic and warrior style lifestyle often makes child-rearing a difficult task
so it became the norm for children to live with their non-Juathuur parent until
they were considered old enough to join the tribe as an adult (at around age
15). However children of particularly important unions, such as those who were
the product of powerful members of the tribe, were raised within the tribe as
children of certain priviledge, trained early to take over the tribe's elder
positions. When Meidar founded the Raft, her tribe broke from these traditions
somewhat and many more children were raised on the Raft than would have
normally been the case, regardless of parentage. Therefore, in her generation,
Faevv was something of an anomaly to have been raised by her non-Juathuur
mother.
Marriage and Relationships
The Juathuur do not practice an institution of marriage, even though
marriage is common amongst most non-Juathuur of their world. Partially this is
due to the difficulties inherent in integration with families and cultures
outside their own, and because Juathuur do not claim ownership of property or
individual posessions, legal unions are not particularly necessary. Instead,
Juathuur are encouraged to form lifelong traveling partnerships. These
partnerships may or may not include sexual relationships - often they are
extensions of deep friendships formed in warrior squads. The Juathuur
recognize a particular kind of godmother/godfather relationship where
squad-mates will often adopt the children of a deceased comrade.
Death Rituals
For the most part, the Juathuur take a practical approach to death and
favour cremation. There are however, a few important rituals tied to death,
especially if it occurs in the field. Squad-mates are responsible for the care
and handling of bodies and any funerary gatherings are usually small and
private affairs unless the deceased is an elder. The Luduuth
Lois an old Dodon ritual whereby squad-mates honour a deceased comrade
by refraining from violence and especially any acts of revenge for nine
days.
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