CULTURE: Kin Art, Culture, and Writing

Information about how Matope works, as well as story details that will allow you to participate and RP.
Post Reply
User avatar
Matope
Owner
Owner
Pebbles: 509.00 Pebbles
Posts: 1253
Joined: Wed May 08, 2019 9:12 pm

CULTURE: Kin Art, Culture, and Writing

Post by Matope »

Education and Higher Knowledge

Mathematics: Kin do not have a written numerical system, but are capable of both recognizing quantities and actual counting, although it is not a skill that often comes in handy, and so some Kin actually never learn to count above twenty or so. They find comparative numbers--"more" and "less"--more useful than actual numerals. As a species they have grasped the concept of zero, but again, it finds little actual application. Complicated mathematics are not useful to Kin , and so very few find themselves learning anything more than basic addition and subtraction.

Astronomy and Astrology: Of the movements of the Motherfather's fleas and ticks (see below in section on folklore) the Kimeti have made an interested study. Only in very recent years have any definite developments taken place, although named constellations have been in existence for some time. The Kimeti have a zodiac, since spread to the other Swamp-dwelling Kin, originally created by Gaia user Owlied, which can be found in the tenth post. Kimeti are aware that their world is round, because the sun and the moon are round, although whether it is a sphere or a disc is a matter of some debate. In a world with few spaces of open sky and even fewer horizons, this is a difficult study to make.
Last edited by Matope on Tue Feb 11, 2020 12:12 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 222
please do not send anything via PM to the mule; no one checks this account.
User avatar
Matope
Owner
Owner
Pebbles: 509.00 Pebbles
Posts: 1253
Joined: Wed May 08, 2019 9:12 pm

Re: Kin Culture

Post by Matope »

Writing

Kin do not have much of a written language, being blessed with a memory and a culture conducive to the passing on of oral histories. However, they do have a few markings which can be scraped onto tree trunks or smeared in clay. These consist of only a few words:

A pair of slanted lines "\\" indicates "belongs to." A pair of slanted lines "//" indicates a safe, neutral area or a pre-arranged meeting spot. Every tree ringing the great marsh where Ghost Thistle's mound is located is marked with this symbol. A circular "O" marking indicates a good fishing hole or optimum hunting spot, and is as much an act of kindness to the next traveler as it is a refresher for memory. An "X" indicates an area that is for whatever reason unsafe: sinkholes, crocodile breeding grounds, and areas protected by mere superstition are marked with this symbol.

Additionally, some Kin make rudimentary signatures, typically when marking a cache or honoring the dead (see above). These are highly symbolic, simplified interpretations of a Kin's name. See below for examples:
Image
Walks-Between, Cicadasong, Carrot Flower, Falling Bird
Because these are scratched with horn or nose, they are by necessity simple. To differentiate them from a mere drawing, they are always drawn below the following symbol:
Image
which is representative of a Kimeti, with a head, a tail, and four legs. Other species might have their own version of this glyph. Here are some options originally created by Lural:
Image
Because this is not a definite written system and some symbols will not be the same from Kin to Kin, these symbols are mostly used among friends or family.

Writing is arranged top to bottom:
Image
"This fishing hole belongs to Cicadasong"
Last edited by Matope on Tue Feb 11, 2020 12:12 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 291
please do not send anything via PM to the mule; no one checks this account.
User avatar
Matope
Owner
Owner
Pebbles: 509.00 Pebbles
Posts: 1253
Joined: Wed May 08, 2019 9:12 pm

Re: Kin Culture

Post by Matope »

Culture

Art: While the idea of realistic interpretation of a scene or object is unfamiliar to Kin (they wouldn't see the point), abstract designs and symbols are popular for scratching into surfaces or painting with mud or juices onto stones or even their bodies. Loose forms of sculpture also exist, clay being nudged into shape with noses. These usually take the form of large plains of clay sculpted into a pleasing series of ridges and valleys, rather like Asian zen gardening on our Earth.

Agriculture: The swamp provides. All the same, some Kin feel pleasure in growing their own food. Small orchards are not uncommon, and neither are carefully constructed dams of nudged clay used to herd small fishes into concentrated breeding pools.

Drug use: There are hallucinogenic frogs and herbs in the swamp, if one knows where to look, and these are occasionally used recreationally, or, more frequently, in a fevered attempt to gain insight into troubling dreams. Additionally, two bucks named Mirebeat and Walks-Between recently pioneered a technique of turning fallen fruit into an intoxicating beverage by fermenting it in a giant turtle shell. They aren't sharing their secrets, but are open to bartering... ladies.
Last edited by Matope on Tue Feb 11, 2020 11:42 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 200
please do not send anything via PM to the mule; no one checks this account.
Post Reply