Exotic and interesting customs

[Bloodstone Mage]

Kudos to everyone on this thread! Great topic, and I'm already gonna use the ideas here.

This is something from Star Wars, but it could be used for D&D. The Tusken Raiders never reveal their true looks except after their wedding to their spouse. To everyone else, they wear the Tusken Raider outfit. The males have a different outfit from the females. When a couple has a child, the child wears a unisex outfit and they do not wear a gender-specific outfit until they hit puberty or are ready for courting. This is from what I've heard, so it may not be 100% accurate, but it is interesting.

Cheers!

 

[Amrynn Moonshadow]

-when sleeping, cannot sleep facing west, must face east, with the rising sun

-must never ever remove a sacred ornament, to lose said ornament is a fate worse than death

-men are not allowed to do any heavy lifting or work, and all spend time with domestic issues and child rearing

-very lazy/unmotivated people, no grand cultural acomplishments. not even enthusied about sex, married couples must attempt to make love once every 5 years in order to sustain the population

-as soon as child reaches past puberty, they attempt to kill and replace their parent of the same sex in the family (not just for royalty either)

-it is the gravest of insults to compliment someone (compliments are akin to open indications of ones' lust or desires. if you tell someone they have a nice boat, you want to steal it. if you say 'you have a beautiful daughter' you wish to have her)

-only women are allowed to be educated / know how to read

-no one sleeps above the floor/earth, to do so is to say you are higher than the earth mother

-it is improper to cook food, must be fresh

-wives are allowed to divorce their husbands, but husbands cannot divorce their wives

-the succession of kings is determined by a drinking constest

-the first born child must be donated to the church

-priests are allowed to kill anyone they see fit

-wealth isn't how much you have, it's how much you spend, the greatest regarded people are many many thousands of gold pieces in debt

-magic is all. the inability to perform the art is a reason for state sponsored murder / population control

-also, if you are "too good" at magic, you are also killed

enjoy . . .

 

[babomb]

Have you ever seen <i>Star Trek</i>? The Klingons have an entire culture based on warriors. Change some of the names and it works.

The Ferengi have an interesting culture centered on money (similar to the dwarven culture mentioned above). They frequently quote "Rules of Aquisition," a large number of aphorisms about wealth. For example, "Latinum (money) lasts longer than lust," "Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies," and "If it gets you profit, sell your own mother." It is said that the first Grand Nagus (ruler), Gint, wrote the first one, but called it Rule of Acquisition #162 to create demand for the previous 161 Rules. Also, for a long time, Ferengi women were not allowed to wear clothes or make profits, until it was realized that if women wore clothes, they would have pockets, and they'd want to fill those pockets with money. The workforce and consumer base of the Ferengi planet virtually doubled overnight.

It's mostly a language thing, but another race called the Children of Tama speak only in terms of cultural and historical references. For example, to refer to failure, they say "Shaka, when the walls fell." "Temba, his arms wide," refers to giving. It's like if we said "Juliet on her balcony" to refer to love.

Here's one from real life, based on the island of Yap in the Caroline Islands around the early 20th century. The currency of Yap is (or was) the <i>fei</i>. <i>Fei</i> were thick stone wheels varying in diameter from saucer-size to about 12 feet, with larger stones being more valuable. The smaller ones were handed about in exchange for goods as you might expect. Large stones could be quite heavy, so for the rarer large transactions, there was simply an acknowledgement of the change of ownership, while the <i>fei</i> never moved. One family claimed ownership of a <i>fei</i> that had sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Supposedly, one of the family's ancestors had been pulling it on a raft behind his canoe, when a storm arose. The stone sank to the bottom of the ocean, but he survived and told everyone how big it was. Nobody doubted him, so he was considered to own that <i>fei</i>, just as much as if it had been on the island. When Germany bought Yap from Spain, it wanted to make proper roads on the island. The locals refused to do it. Then, the German government went around marking most of the large, immobile <i>fei</i> with black crosses, signifying ownership (as a fine of sorts). The people, suddenly very poor, began work on the roads, and when this was complete, the Germans removed the crosses and the people got their money back. (This is paraphrased from <i>The Power of Gold: The History of an Obsession</i>, by Peter L. Bernstein.)

Some societies used salt for money, particularly around the Sahara, where it was rare.

In Japan, when you go to a baseball game (for example), you might applaud, but you certainly don't yell and so on like in America. When the game is over, you pick up your trash and file out, row by row (or so I've heard). Also, it is rude to start eating unless everyone is at the table. It is less prevalent now, but even as late as World War II, suicide prevented one from bringing dishonor to one's family. (Besides the <i>kamekaze</i> [lit. "divine wind"] pilots, I have heard stories of whole regiments of Japanese troops killing themselves with hand granades rather than suffer the dishonor of being captured.) One last story from Japan: on the cooking competition TV show <i>Iron Chef</i>, a group of chefs who advocated more traditional Japanese cuisine frequently challenged Iron Chef Japanese, who was something of a poster child for innovative modern Japanese cuisine. In one such match, the judges gave a tied verdict. The battle went into overtime. The Iron Chef won in overtime, but by very little. In America, we might have said, "Well we did our best, and it was close." The poor challenger's boss said, "Next time, I'll bring one with more stamina."

 

[Kichwas]

Government is run by a counsil of wise men - chosen by and based upon the social ranking and good graces of their mothers (mom can kick you off your position if she so chooses). (Iroqoi)

The society has a fully developed constitutional government complete with the seperation of powers into three branches... but it is oral and memorized by tribal sages and bards rather than written (Iroqoi).

Enemies captured in war (male, female, old and children) are ritually tortued to death while they scream curses at you and your family to ensure their honor and yours in the afterlife (Iroqoi and Huron).

If you've lost a family member to war, you can demand the warriors who bring back captured enemies give you one of them. It is then your right to decide if that person will be ritually tortured to death to avenge your family, made a slave, or be adopted to replace your lost family member and from that point on live their life as if they had been born into your family. (Many natives in the Northeastern USA and Canada)

All male members of a losing tribe in warfare are killed - even the babies. The females are taken as wives and can even then rise in status in the tribe (many dark ages northern european tribal societies - as well as their classic age ancestors).

To keep land from being split, brothers will marry the same woman (Tibet).

Clothing is unheard of as we know it, but members of the society tattoo or scar themselves to denote position and fashion (some amazonian and african groups - possibly others as well in hot climates).

Nobody talks back to or challenges the old women who were/are mothers (seen in many urban hsipanic and black communities in the USA).

A woman without a husband or male relative has no legal rights to property, wealth, or even food (some plains Indians as well as pre-industrial age Anglo-cultures (USA for example - save for the right to life)).

The bodies or some part thereof of the dead are eaten by the relatives (common in many traditional cultures, still done in Madagascar today if I remember correctly).

When a person dies the body is left out in the home for three days while every subordinate family member able to reach the place in time must come and sit watch without sleep until the time has passed. During this time everyone gets stone drunk, chants, or dances about (modern Korea, in a form - very interesting when my neighbors in Songtan did this).

The culture has no idea that sex leads to pregnancy. They think it is merely a gift from the gods (at least one African tribe I studied in an Anthro class at Berkeley).

A woman of upper class birth never leaves her home during her entire life except for the period when she is transferred from her father to her husband (Chosun Dynasty Korea which ended in 1910, and classic age Athens for Athenian women - foreign women could move about freely).

The door to a home never faces north - for that is the direction of ill fortune (China and Korea, maybe Japan as well but I don;t know on them).

It is more important to make everyone feel comfortable when communicating than to speak truthful - true meaning is kept in the inuendo (Korea's concept of Kibun).

When a subject or question is uncomfortable, ignore it and don't respond or speak of something else (Korea).

Individualism is the root of immoral behaivoir, a good person seeks to ensure group harmony (Korea dna Japan).

Male children between upper caste members of society and untouchable lower caste women are abducted and raised by the father's family, but it is forbidden to speak of this (parts of India and Pakistan - unknown custom until DNA tracing discovered it and deniability became impossible).

-You should always remove your shoes when indoors (Sweden and Japan)

This is common in much of Asia, and is growing among sanitary focused Californians as well

 

[Mean Eyed Cat]

I can't remember off the top of my head exactly which tribes, but in some Native American tribes, people would point to objects with their lips.

This could get really interesting particularily coming from American culture where we equte protruding lips with the sleazy pick-up guy's "kissy face."

/me picks up nearest cultural anthropology book-

Here's some more (remember these are from a college textbook and not necessarily my personal experience):

Touching- some cultures are more comfortable with touching than others. An example used is the subway in London vs. Paris where Londoners assume rigid posture, avoid eye contact, don't acknowledge each other (a low touch culture). The French subway, on the other hand, one is more likely to see people leaning on other people (a high touch culture).

Eye contact - some cultures avoid eye contact while other's maintain it. Japanese avoid eye contact. Arabs look each other in the eyes with an intensity that makes even Americans uncomfortable.

Food taboos are interesting. (Particularily in a fantasy setting where the food can get exotic).

Caste societies, like the Hindu system, with the Untouchables (impure members where the the other four legitimate castes avoid all contact with them).

 

[Dirigible]

In one of my campaigns, there was a kingdom of humans ruled by an elder dragon. The poplulace was inordinatly pround of their monarch, seeing him as a symbol of the nation's invulnerability. This served as an axis around which I could hang various cultural ideas (in the same way as Dune's 'no water' trait).
* The people judged other kingdoms by the personal power of the monarch, before other concerns (like wealth, military strength, religion etc). "My king could take you king with both foretalons tied behind his back !"
* Concepts such as rights of sucession had to be reworked. After all, the kingdom had had the same king for 2,500 years. COmplex laws of primogeniture, bastardry etc seem pretty pointless next ot that.
* Some common phrases changed, eg 'the Horde' instead of 'the Throne'.

Some real world ones
* It's rude to belch after a meal
* It's polite to belch after a meal
* Moving head left to right means yes
* Moving head left to right means no

Where would we be without diversity

* Certain objects are taboo, and must never come into contact with a non-taboo things, such as human feet, heads or bottoms.

 

[Kichwas]

Touching- some cultures are more comfortable with touching than others. An example used is the subway in London vs. Paris where Londoners assume rigid posture, avoid eye contact, don't acknowledge each other (a low touch culture). The French subway, on the other hand, one is more likely to see people leaning on other people (a high touch culture).

You can have a -LOT- of fun with this one. Just a realworld case in point:

Korean and I suspect Japanese men touch , hold hands, hug, lean on each other, and maintain very close contact among friends in both public and private. This tends to confuse the heck out of male western tourists and expats who think all the Korean men are trying to -pick up on them-, and then seriously confuses the Korean when the westerner gives a very innapropriate response such as reacting violently or -taking them up on the offer-.

In fact Koreans don't have a concept of -personal body space- and people will casually stand right in your face to were they are rubbing up against you and talk or just be there. They don't think twice about it and are not even aware, but it tends to put every red flag an American has on alert.

Likewise, in walking in public, you don't have to keep saying 'excuse me' every 2.3 seconds like you do in the west -you can just plow through the sea of bodies and push people out of the way just enough to squeeze through. Everyone just ignores the inconvenience and goes on.

It's also considered rude to introduce people who don't know each other if two persons meet in public and have others with them who have no reason to be introduced to each other. The reason for this is simple - once you're introduced to someone you have a social burden to place yourself into the right ranking relative to them and take on a number of pieces of ettiquite. If you haven't been introduced you don't exist to them and they don't exist to you so you can be comfortable in your own skin - they aren't really there yet. So the best thing to do when your companion runs into someone is to stand to side for a few moments while they go through the proper motions of excusing themselves from that person who they have some social obligation to aknowledge. Then you all move on and if you desire you can find some way to ask to be introduced later at a proper time and condition.

That brings me to one more found in all confuscian based societies: equality as a sin. It is considered extremley base and low class to treat anyone as your equal. Everyone is ranked by age, gender, class, career, exploits, and a variety of other factors. The first thing you do upon meeting someone is size each other and find your proper place. The lower person then switches to the dialog used to speak up to someone, and the higher person switches to the dialog used to speak down to someone. A person who ignores this protocol is a social pariah wether they do it to their betters or their lessers - both will find it insulting to be put in the wrong camp. The very idea of equality is seen as something that will destroy the fabric of society and lead to chaos.

In such a society diplomacy and sense motive are vital skills - as you have to generally dictate to your lessers but at the same time do so correctly, meeting their needs and keeping them satisfied. Many of the behaivoirs given to bluff however could land you in trouble.

 

[Samloyal23]

Wow... This thread is a goldmine of idea...

 

[Samloyal23]

Planesdragon those are great - I think my next group of dwarfs will be like that!

Another one IMC Gnolls value food

The biggest insult for Gnolls translates as "I will eat the contents of your stomach!"

Related to this insult - When two gnolls meet they open their arms wide and distend their stomachs (inviting the other to attack and rip open their stomachs)

Gnolls greet each other by sniffing each others armpits (the other option is perhaps a bit too much and thus avoided)

Never show your teeth if you smile at a gnoll - this is intepreted as a threat (ie saying I will eat you) and will result in attack

If a Gnolll chews a peice of meat, spits it out and then offers it to you - this is a sign of great affection (female gnolls chew the meat of their young). If you refuse the Gnoll will be offended and attack!

Gnolls eat their dead (and anything else dead or even half dead for that matter)

Rotten food is a delicacy (Yummy! look at the maggots in this beef Mavis - delicious!")

uncooked Liver is a token of respect amongst gnolls and is often left outside the door of females being courted

The Songs of a Gnoll Bard
"My Bitch your stink is like fresh killed meat
hung up above the door.
Many contend for your affection,
they attack me but they are weak!
I will rip them with my claws
I will eat the contents of their stomachs
I will tear out their liver and lay it at your door
You and I shall have many whelps, a mighty pack
and together we will feed!"

I am stealing some of this for my gnolls, it just makes sense given the nature of hyenas in the wild. Not the armpit sniffing, that you can keep...

 

[Andor]

As one of my anthropology professors observed once, Motherhood is a fact, Fatherhood is an opinion.

Some cultures respond to this by segregating women and non-familly men. In some others the response to ensure wealth and position descends to a blood relative is that ones heir is the oldest sisters oldest son.

Lots of fun to be had dispoing of the deceased. Burial. Cremation. Air Burial (chopping up the body and feeding it to vultures.) Sea burials. Mummification. And in D&D all sorts of magical wrinkles are likely including revivification, reanimation and reincarnation. Consider how many of the great buildings of the world, past and present, are devoted to the dead and the care of souls.

People are nuts, and that's before they started hanging out with dragon, elves, fairies, illithids, orcs and displacer beasts.