Difference between revisions of "Gruenberg"

Revision as of 17:27, 4 August 2005

Gruenberg

Flag of Gruenberg
Motto: Kab-sez Schialnach Brachtrauron ['There's Nothing Wrong']
[1]
Region	Malibu Islands
Capital	Flurthwel
Official Language(s)	Rukialkotta
Leader	His High Holiness Grand Sultan Gardab Woltzten IX
Population	Unknown
Currency	Opst
NS Sunset XML

NATIONAL IDENTITY

LANGUAGE

Rukialkotta

Rukialkotta is the state language of Gruenberg. It was officially instated as such under The Formalisation of Language Act, passed in The 651st Year by decree of Polrak I. Up to this point, official documents had been issued in a haphazard mixture of tribal languages, and costly webs of translators were needed at every juncture of state business. The startling inefficiency of the system was easily reason enough to press for a common language. However, many have privately speculated that there was a further, less noble motive.

At that point, the only remaining obstacle to total Court supremacy was the traditional power-base of the tribal system. The distinct variations in language made this virtually impenetrable, and whilst there was little active dissent in Naffarron by this time, the possibility of such action remained. Furthermore, Polrak's reign was characterised by an obsessive desire for absolute power. The idea that in forcing upon Gruenbergers a new language free of tribal or historical associations he in fact sought to remove the final significant source of opposition is not only plausible: it is highly probable. The strenuous denials of such (perhaps predictably, treasonable) 'slanders' by the Court has done little to dampen the flames of the rumours.

Today, Rukialkotta is spoken by around 60% of the population as a first language, and an estimated 75% of the adult population are fluent in Rukialkotta. The blip in the statistic is the Gelzien Nub, where resistance to 'Rukialkottisation' has been more forceful. All state documents are released in Rukialkotta, over 80% of all printed media is published in it, and all lessons in all educational establishments from primary schools through to graduate colleges are taught in it. Rukialkotta looks set to spread further and wider, and the recent decision by over 200 overseas diplomats, businessmen and tourists to take part in a week-long crash course run by the GSLI has lent hope to the idea of it becoming genuinely exportable.

For details of Rukialkotta's history and structure, a brief guide to its grammar, and a selection of helpful and common words and phrases, please see its specific page in the Languages section.

Bazhtan

Bazhtan is the Court language of Gruenberg, and the holy religion of Wenaism. As such, commoners are strictly forbidden from hearing or speaking, or reading or writing, the sacred language. Fewer than 100,000 citizens are entitled to speak it: of these, the majority are not of 'high blood', but are in fact monks and priests.

The language employs pictograms, each representing a different word, or part of a word. They are reportedly extraordinarily intricate. The structure of the language is completely unknown, but it doubtless differs substantially from modern languages: Bazhtan has had no major linguistic evolution in hundreds of years. Pronunciation is said to be complex and guttural, with correct pitching of vowel sounds crucial to understanding.

At Wenaism ceremonies, priests must chant the ancient scriptures in a sound-proofed antechamber, to avoid having commoners hear the sacred language. The offence is taken most seriously: last year, there were 18 executions for those suspected of trying to read it, with an estimated 400 prisoners currently serving sentences relating to attempts at accessing Bazhtan texts.

Tribal Languages

The legacy of Gruenberg's many tribal languages is gradually fading as many ancient dialects wilt under the force of the country's rapid conversion to Rukialkotta. At one point, the distinctions between tribal dialects were so distinct that people living 50km apart would be completely incapable of understanding one another. Today, less than a third of the population speak traditional tribal languages as their first language. This figure drops year on year, and in The Census Of The 731st Year, over 450 languages were reported to be extinct that were in use 10 years previously.

Gruenberger tribal languages have certain common characteristics, to a point. Most are based on pictograms rather than Greek-style lettering, and most are hard for non-natives to pronounce. Beyond that, there are substantial differences that mean it is difficult to draw many comparisons: centuries of separate evolution have driven the dialects to almost unrecognisable poles.

Of the languages still in common use in Gruenberg, the most common are Salsaffron (which 8.9% of Gruenbergers speak as a first language), Malhiati (6.2%) and Deshpatt (5.3%). The majority of smaller tribal languages are spoken in the Gelzien Nub, which has been significantly slower to take up Rukialkotta.

Below is an example of the differences in tribal languages: the character representing the word 'cat' in Salsaffron, Deshpatt, Roga (a Gelzien language), and Myraschwagi (from the south-eastern plains of Naffarron), with attempted transliterations also shown.

'Mipadu' (Salsaffron)'Bibliotta' (Deshpatt)'Klakla' (Roga)'Chipithlon' (Myraschwagi)

English and other languages

Gruenberg has no colonial past, and as such foreign influences on its languages have been very limited. As such, modern foreign languages are barely spoken in Gruenberg. However, English is being encouraged as a second language, and is commonly taught in primary and secondary schools, although as yet its study has not been made compulsory. Many Gruenbergers will understand and be able to converse in very basic English.

RELIGION

Wenaism

Wenaism is the state religion of Gruenberg.

Tribal Religions

Christianity

Other religions

NATIONAL FLAG

Name

Frek Niawaf Rambutan (lit. 'The Guiding Eye') is the Rukialkotta name for Gruenberg's state flag. The name derives from a nickname first applied to the very first national flag. This in turn comes from the traditional name of the constellation depicted on all Wenaist flags, thought to have been coined by early explorers who used the stars to aid their navigation. The name was only formally adopted in The 651st Year under one of the provisions of The Formalisation Of Language Act.

Components

There are three distinct components to Gruenberg's flag, each significant in its own right.

The eight purple circles are common to all Wenaist flags. They show the star sign that, in mythology, was created by the Four Sages casting sacred stones into the sky. Purple circles are to be found everywhere in Gruenberg, and the symbol has been used on every flag Gruenberg has ever had.

The dark green background has traditionally been another common feature of Gruenberg flags over the years. The colour has no religious or political significance, but is unofficially acknowledged by many to be the 'national colour'. Most national sports teams wear dark green, and the colour has been incorporated into all military uniforms.

The red and gold bands that occupy the top left quarter are the official standard of the Woltzten house. Their incorporation into the state flag has been more recent, although at one point they were featured more prominently. Their symbolism is unknown.

History

When the formation of The Grand Duchy of Naffarron was first announced in The 63rd Year, the flag chosen was simply that of Wenaism, in recognition of the nation's arrival as the first fully Wenaist country. The flag showed the 'Guiding Eye' constellation on a white background. However, it did not last long, as the need for some form of national, rather than solely religious, emblem became apparent.

The first flag of The Grand Duchy of Naffarron

For some time, a variety of different flags were tried out. Many of the designs have since been lost. It also appears that there was far from universal agreement about any particular 'official' flag, and that more than one was used concurrently. Below are some of the known emblems used during Gruenberg's second century. The origin of the colours and patterns is unknown.

The two key points to note from these early designs are the increasing prominence of dark green, and the orientation of the circles, at that time still angled over. Perhaps understandably, a natural choice emerged. This version remained the national flag from its institution in The 192nd Year through to around The 350th Year, and can still be seen on many old buildings and temples. For some reason, the decision was taken by Grand Duke Flonde to introduce a flag with a vertical alignment of the holy constellation. This new version remained the symbol of The Grand Duchy through to its demise in The 436th Year.

In The 436th Year, the War Of The Age Of Reawakening began. The powerful Woltzten house led their followers to a swift and decisive victory, and declared the birth of a new nation: Gruenberg, a Sultanate to be led by the chief of the Woltzten house. Keen to quickly establish their authority, the new Court naturally sought a new flag. Their solution, to superimpose the symbol of Wenaism on their own red-and-gold band emblem was not well-received, but was kept in place for thirty years. Finally, after realizing that their attempt to unite the nation behind them was being turned into a weapon by their opponents, the Court gave way, and introduced a panel of dark green into the top left, this new flag being brought in under Garbab IV in The 467th Year.

The first Gruenberg flag The modified version introduced thirty years later

Over the next two centuries further versions were tried. None lasted long. The three known examples are shown below with their approximate dates of use.

512-540 540-612 612-678; introduced to celebrate the conquest of the Gelzien Nub

The flag in its current form was first designed by Grand Vizier Hochtep Swimmen, then chief advisor to Polrak II, in The 679th Year, and instituted a year later. Pushing the Woltzten colours to the corner produced murmurs of discontent, but represented a much more acceptable compromise to the people at large. The flag has not been replaced since. Its proportions are 99x70.

The current Gruenberg flag

Miscellaneous Information

In The 612th Year, Gruenberg finally won the War Of Righteous Enlightenment, and claimed conquest of the Gelzien Nub. In celebration, a new flag was introduced (see above). However, as news of atrocities committed by Gruenberger troops against Gelzien natives filtered back home, student radicals at the University of Flurthwel launched a massive demonstration march, culminating in the symbolic burning of some 200 flags. The Act Of Incineration was immediately passed by Court decree, and flag burning became illegal, punishable by being burned at the stake. In The 731st Year, there were 31 convictions, 4 up from the previous year. Defacement of the image in any way is a criminal offence. It should also be noted that the flag has never incorporated any aspect of the Gelzien emblems into its design.

The flag appears on all Court offices and buildings, as well as in every temple, classroom and lecture theatre. It features on everything from notes and coins to military and sporting badges. Patriotic Gruenbergers often fly it from their homes. Students begin schooldays by saluting the flag.

In The 729th Year, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the current design, 4,000 students wearing coloured uniforms joined together in the Kampfert fields outside Flurthwel to form a giant 'human flag'. Aerial photographs were taken, and commonly appear on celebratory memorabilia and postcards.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

History

Kab-sez Schialnach Brauchtrauron has only been Gruenberg's national anthem since The 660th Year. However, it is effectively a Rukialkotta version of an ancient Wenaist hymn of praise of the same name, naturally embellished for propagandist purposes (the third verse in particular being an especially clunky addition).

Before The 660th Year, Gruenberg had no official national anthem, although various hymns and folk tunes were regularly sung at national events: these included Rak Tak Bazhta ['Rak The Holy'], Fein Escheklar Wena ['Glorious Mother Wena'], and Sliptdern Magwein Fromblet ['To Sing In Praise Is Great'].

Today's anthem was produced as a result of Polrak I's decision to introduce a standard national song that the military could easily memorise to sing on special parades. He commissioned several poets to adapt the folk-song into something more regal, but was displeased with their efforts (two, Baschten Ron and Klars Verfarrat, were in fact imprisoned for treason and blasphemy as a result of their compositions; the latter, whose song-cycle 'Long Green Land' gained popularity in the underground resistance movement that flowered in the wake of Polrak Woltzten II's clampdowns on civil liberties in the Gelzien Nub in The 682nd Year, was later boiled alive).

Finally, he decided to write it himself. (Many believe that Hochtep Swimmen, then assistant to Grand Vizier Clibold Mahu, in fact wrote the words, although spreading this rumour in Gruenberg is a treasonable offence.) No known extant copy of this original version, written either in the original tribal language of the folk-song, or more probably Bazhtan, remains. His words were then translated into Rukialkotta by three Wenaist scribes, and doubtless adapted further (the fourth verse in particular seems distinctly at odds with Polrak I's violent and cruel temperament).

The music came a year later, after a national competition. The perhaps surprising winner was a 23-year old from the northern province of Karundulastan. Ashwal Patamari had had no formal musical training, and worked on his father's small farm, picking beans. However, his adaptation of the traditional folk melody won, perhaps chosen in part because of its simplicity - many of the offerings of more recognised composers had proved too difficult for soldiers to sing. He was invited to study composition in Flurthwel, and was awarded a prestigious Court scholarship, but died of cholera on route. (It is highly likely he was in fact assassinated to prevent his becoming a cult figure, as this was common practice under Polrak I, but no evidence exists to prove this.) A statue commemorating his achievement was erected twenty years later, in Woltzten Square.

Miscellaneous Information

The song's title gives rise to the national motto. As the eminent historian of Gruenberg H.D. Welch noted in his seminal essay, 'On The Rise Of The House Of Blood', he observed that "tempting as it may be to search for a note of irony in the choice of motto, such efforts would be misplaced...one can be assured that for the Court, and indeed for all loyal Gruenbergers, there really is nothing wrong, however bizarre such an observation might be in the face of crippling depression, ridiculous social imbalance, and oppression almost beyond comprehension."

The anthem is sung at the start of all sporting encounters, at every military procession, and at the start of every school day. One verse is played on the hour, every hour, on state radio, and it is often requested in full on call-in music programmes. The song also accompanies Court television broadcasts. All royalties go to the Court.

Several parodies of the song exist. One, a humorous tribute to grandparents, was in fact released as a single by the Children's Choir of Gruenberg, and reached No. 18 in Radio Gruenberg's Hit Parade. Other versions are less affectionate, and looked on with much less tolerance by the Court: Bobatob Onaha, a popular singer-songwriter who played a witty parody of the anthem entitled Kab-sez Turp Rasch Yurk Brauchtrauron ['There's Nothing On My Plate'], lampooning Gardab XIII's obesity, was shot dead in the street (allegedly by angered patriots, although secret agents of the Court were more probably to blame), whilst an unknown guitarist who circulated a feedback-drenched punk version, complete with bitterly obscene lyrics, among the students of the Moroschwegen Agricultural College was reportedly dismembered in the infamous Gru-Kap prisons in Gevenis.

NATIONAL ANIMAL

The Moon Ram

The moon ram is Gruenberg's national animal, and is known in Rukialkotta as Tak Blomberdun Kassafanion. It is a protected species, and there are fewer than 10,000 specimens left in the wild. Hunting the ram is a capital offence, and crimes as seemingly slight as snipping off clips of wool (thought by some to possess magical charms, moon ram wool, horns and bone are highly-sought after lucky charms, and precious commodities - on the black market) can carry jail sentences. Once prevalent throughout Gruenberg, diminishing numbers and the relative isolation of the majority of the animals to the far north is usually attributed to over-hunting.

However, many zoologists believe the government expansion of industrial agriculture in the late seventh century of the Gruenberg calendar may have played its part. The insecticide Reptacil (4,4,4-trichloromethyl benzyl thioniafrol) was widely sprayed. It is harmless in its own right, but when mixed with other common ammonium-based fertilizers is intensely toxic. Reptacil continues to be used, but in smaller doses as more efficient substances are developed.

The moon ram (ovis lunar) is in fact the male of the moon sheep species, and although ewes are not held in sacred regard, are extended the same legal protection. Its wool is thick and off-white, but can appear pale blue in darker light. Larger and more aggressive than normal rams, it is thought to be unique to Gruenberg. It is a herbivore, eating mainly grasses and bracken, but is also thought to eat a variety of fruit and berries. Its dung, which commoners are legally allowed to collect (providing they avoid harassing the animal), consists of dark, hard pellets, and is largely tasteless and odourless. Loosened with water, it is used to paint decorative religious tokens, or incorporated into jewellery.

History

The moon ram is believed to have inhabited Gruenberg for thousands of years: a number of references to it are purportedly made in the sacred texts of Wenaism. Its population was estimated at around 40,000 during the third century of the Gruenberg calendar. With tough meat and coarse wool, it is hunted mainly for spiritual reasons.

The moon ram's importance in Gruenberg is mainly on account of the Fable of the Shepherd. In The 192nd Year, two of the seven sacred texts still remained lost, and many believed they would never be found. Then, Gulgon Vonderbat, an impoverished widower who tended moon rams high on Hatash Myari, stumbled into The Holy City with two vast clay urns, inside which were found the ancient scripts. His story was that, tracking down a moon ram, he had come to the thin valley pass where the Four Sages had encountered their first vision of Wena. At that point, the spirit of Wena came down and entered the moon ram, guiding him to a concealed tunnel where the Sages had hidden the final two texts. Ever since then, the animal has been given holy status in Gruenberg. (In an unfortunate epilogue, Vonderbat was executed for attempting to read the Bazhtan writing.)