Federation of Bana: Difference between revisions
no edit summary
No edit summary |
|||
Line 193:
Bana—Mikubana in particular—is a net exporter of electric power. Since 1995, all of Mikubana’s electricity has come from either nuclear or hydroelectric sources, and Mikubana’s power generation capacity far exceeds its internal demands. Mikubana Energy Corporation, known as MBEC, is one of the country’s wealthiest companies, and it exports power not only to the other states in the Federation but also to other countries, primarily [[Ni-Rao]].
==Culture==
The three nations of the Banian people, despite sharing a common origin and having been in various forms of social, political, and economic union for more than a thousand years, each retain unique cultural identities. The New Ranites are also a unique cultural group, distinct from their Raonite forebears. The Constitution of 1963 placed a special emphasis on preserving and promoting Banian culture as a way of bringing the country back together after the Civil War while still celebrating the unique distinctions of the different peoples of the country, including immigrants.
One of the central cultural identifying factors among the Banian peoples is language. The Constitution states that “the first and primary national language of the Federation shall be Banian,” a clause meant to emphasize unity. While in the modern day Banian is indeed considered to constitute a single language, Mikubana and Okunbana both have distinct dialects that, in some cases, can even be unintelligible to speakers of other dialects. The dialect of the Lokobana people in particular is noted in Bana to be hard for outsiders to understand. Famously, Babatunde Azikiwe, who became the first person of Lokobana descent to serve as President of Mikubana in 1983, was so hard to understand by others in Mikubana that subtitles were used when he spoke on television and an interpreter regularly accompanied him to events. Since 2005, the State of Mikubana has required secondary school students to learn and demonstrate “basic proficiency” in the Lokobana dialect, in an effort to promote mutual understanding and preserve the unique Lokobana culture.
===Mikubanian Culture===
Mikubana is noted for its culture of hospitality. The country’s significantly higher elevation, and therefore harsher weather, compared to Okunbana has inculcated a sense among Mikubana people that homes should always be open to travelers who need a place to get out of the elements. In traditional Mikubana hospitality, guests are encouraged to sleep in the beds of the home’s residents, who themselves sleep on the floor. Both breakfast and dinner in a Mikubanian home are major events for guests; the residents of the home typically make grand morning meals in the traditional Mikubana style of cuisine, and for dinner, the residents will prepare a meal in the tradition of the guests, if they come from another culture.
Mikubanian hospitality is such a strong tradition that even Tavari visitors can expect warm welcomes. In 1974, at the height of tensions between the two countries regarding Banian claims of Tavari military planes violating Banian airspace, a plane carrying the Tavari Ambassador to Ni-Rao had to land in Oloro due to a major storm. Despite the bitter dispute between the two countries, the mayor of Oloro welcomed the Tavari ambassador into his home and famously prepared sevišala, the Tavari national dish, for dinner. The Tavari ambassador offered to cover the costs of the dinner, noting that the seafood required for the dish was expensive and hard to come by in Oloro (whose elevation is higher even than that of most of the Danvreas) but the mayor refused. “Regardless of what may be happening between our governments, my ancestors would shun me if I dared charge a guest for a meal in my home,” the mayor said. The Tavari ambassador noted that honoring one’s ancestors was a hallmark of Tavari culture as well. News of the incident was warmly received in both countries, and in recognition of the event, a Tavari flag still flies at the home in which the ambassador stayed in the present day.
===Lokobana Culture===
[[File:Spiti River Kaza Himachal Jun18 D72 7232.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Loko River high in the Raonite Spur of the Danvreas Range.]]
The Lokobana nation, while today considered a constituent part of Mikubana, are a distinct cultural group who trace their origin to one of Bana’s harshest environments—the high peaks in the country’s far east, where the Loko River begins. The area is essentially uninhabited in the modern day, after the Loko migrated northward into Miku areas in the 12th century CE. The migration is believed to have been caused by an extended period of particularly harsh winters. Lokobana people are, on average, the most religious people in the country. While all three nations have their own religious traditions, in the modern day, a majority of Banian people consider themselves religiously unaffiliated. In contrast, 79% of Lokobanians consider themselves active members of their religion, which they call “Aṣa Afẹfẹ,” or “Way of the Winds.”
Banian religious traditions are highly [[wikipedia:animism|animist]], considering many things in nature to have powerful spirits within them capable of affecting the world around them. In Aṣa Afẹfẹ, the most powerful of these spirits are the Nine Winds. Eight are directions (“north,” “southwest,” etc.) while the ninth is “No Wind.” Each Wind is said to have a distinct personality and control over a different part of life. For example, winds moving to the northeast are said to be an omen of wealth and good fortune, while winds moving to the west are considered an ill portent. Lokobana people, unlike other Banians, typically have two forenames, with their second forename being that of the wind that was blowing at the time of their birth.
Religious activities among Aṣa Afẹfẹ believers are often very musical. Singing is seen as an activity that brings glory to the spirits of the winds, as breath leaving the body is a way for mortals to create wind themselves. It has been a tradition at every Presidential inauguration in the Federation era for the National Choir of Lokobana to sing after the President takes their oath as a way of blessing the incoming Presidential administration and guiding the whole country to prosperity. Aṣa Afẹfẹ practices also include a particular style of meditation that features a regimented, careful way of breathing called “Centering Breath” that is designed to be relaxing and thought-provoking. Centering Breath is commonly taught across all of Bana as a stress relief technique, even by medical doctors.
===Okunbana Culture===
The Okunbana people were the first among Banians to urbanize, and their culture emphasizes closeness, both emotionally and physically. The Okunbana Ministry of Culture has even issued advisories to tourists from foreign countries that they may be startled by “differences in understanding of personal space.” Okunbanians are often very open about their feelings, sometimes to the point of bluntness. There is a saying in Bana, “Never ask an Okunbanian a question unless you want to hear the answer.” However, Okunbanians are also considered by others in Bana to be easy to make friends with, with another saying noting “For an Okunbanian, every friend is a best friend.”
The Okunbanian preference for closeness is reflected even in their architecture, with rooms tending to be smaller and cities populated more densely than elsewhere in the country. In recent years there has been an uptick in Banian exports to [[Mexregiona]], where the local “kicsi culture” has recently also come to emphasize compactness and smallness. Banian consumer electronics, furniture, and even cars have become popular exports to Mexregiona.
As Okunbania is the agricultural heartland of the country, food is a central part of Okunbanian culture. Traditional Okunbanian restaurants serve food “family style,” with large entrees placed on the table for everyone in the group to share. Okunbanian cuisine has many traditional dishes—baked yams served with bananas are common as both street food and in formal restaurants—but another central part of Okunbanian cuisine is fusion, with recipes inspired by foreign cuisines very popular in the state. Bana, the capital of Okunbana, has long claimed to have “the most diverse restaurant selection of any city on Urth,” though the claim is difficult to verify. It is not unusual in Okunbana for a meal to consist of a hearty Asendavian stew made with Okunbanian goat, spiced with Ayaupian peppers, with Vistari chocolate cake for dinner and soft drinks from the Kelamí League to drink.
===New Ranite Culture===
[[File:Loom to weave patola.jpg|thumb|left|300px|A New Ranite loom.]]
Life in New Rania is often described as “slow,” which is a negative for some but quite positive for others. Since New Rania was admitted to the federation in 1974 it has become a popular vacation destination, with its broad areas of almost untouched wilderness appealing to people who want to “get away from it all.” While the city of Ranisport has rapidly modernized, the out-country in many ways remains very much like the way it has been since the New Ranites moved there in the 18th century. There are several villages that do not even use electricity. While this is sometimes ascribed to New Ranite religiosity, there is no such restriction—it is simply the case that many rural New Ranites simply don’t see a need for electricity.
Artisan, hand-made goods are very important to New Ranites, many of whom define themselves by their trade. New Ranite furniture has become very popular across all of Bana, and barrels made by New Ranite coopers are used by winemakers and whiskey distillers across the entire world to store and age their product. And while New Rania’s economy is known primarily for factory-made, mass produced textiles, the arts of traditional weaving, dyeing, sewing, and embroidering are all still widely practiced in the state. Even in urban Ranisport, it is common for residents to wear handmade clothes, and a common stereotype is that of the elderly, kindly New Ranite grandmother who gives handmade clothes as birthday gifts. In the modern era, traditional gender distinctions have begun to fade, and it is no longer rare to find male weavers or female carpenters.
New Ranites still predominantly follow their historic religion, Orinism, for which they were exiled from Ni-Rao in the 18th century. In Ranisport, it is becoming more common for people to identify as religiously unaffiliated, while in the outcountry, rates of regular attendance at weekly church meetings still regularly exceed 90%. Younger people are more likely not to identify as Orinist compared to older people. While the stereotype of Orinists is that those who are not followers or who leave the Church are shunned, this has never actually been common. Orinism places great emphasis on personal liberty, and one cannot become a full member until they become an adult and choose to pledge themselves to the Church of their own volition. While the Orinist tradition maintains that access to the highest afterlife, closest to God, can only be attained by those who follow the traditions of the prophet Ori, the religion is one of the few on Urth that emphasizes that all religious traditions provide at least some method of knowing the divine.
| |||