Songhese (People)

Songhese
ᠰᠴᠦᠨᠭᠬᠡ᠋ (Squ'nghe)

Total population
200,000,000
Regions with significant populations
Songha	175,720,000
Albrennia	3,060,000
Amandine	3,920,000
Bansunay	1,260,000
Languages
Songhese ᠰᠥᠨᠭᠬᠡ᠋ᠰᠺᠡ᠋ {Song'Ske')
Religion
Seungism, Perendism (Outside of Songha)

The Songhese People are an ethnic group, native to Continental Songha, where they comprise roughly of 92% of the population. The name "Songhese" is derived from the Proto-Songhese word "Songhe", meaning "Tribe of the Faithful". The nation of Songha derives its name from the same origins. Across Levilion, estimates hover around 200 million Songhese people, inhabiting every continent, but especially Isuan. The Songhese diaspora are known as Twahiqe' (᠍ᠲᠣᠠᠬᠢᠴᠡ᠂), and can face discrimination both in their nation of residence, as well as in Songha if they return. The Songhese People are the largest ethnic group in Isuan, and one of the largest in all of Levilion.

Distribution & Diaspora

Songhese people inhabit every continent in Levilion. However, over 90% of Songhans live in Isuan, while the remaining <10% live mostly in Auressia and Marceaunia, where communities of Songhese migrated primarily in the early to mid 20th Century. Within Songha, Songhese people make up an overwhelming majority in Continental Songha (>98%), while in the northern Ta-Puia Region, they are a lesser majority, living alongside significant Loka populations.

Culture

Songhese Elders partaking in a local ceremony

Songhese Culture takes on a very faith-based identity, with Faith in the Gods, Spirits, Songha, and in the Seung Family being of utmost important to many Songhans. Songha is further divided into Regions governed by local Tmwang (ᠲᠮᠣᠠᠨᠭ), or Cadet Branches, of the House of Seung. As of the 21st Century, there are 7 Tmwang officially recognised by the House of Seung, the most recent added in 1980.

Songhese Music has played an enormous role in Songha's history - from its rituals and faith, festivals and theatre, and in military tradition; and this role has continued into the modern era. In the 21st Century, Songhese music is largely split into traditional music, contemporary non-popular music, and Song-Pop - a genre that has gained a large following internationally.

Art in Songha has mirrored the longstanding tradition of Music - influencing every aspect of Society for thousands of years, with an international influence. It's thought common architectural trends across Isuan may have originated in Songha, alongside popular art trends in pottery, painting, calligraphy, weaving, alongside others.

It's common for Songhans to be quite distrustful or suspicious of Auressians and Albrennians, owing to Songha's history of colonisation, and the ongoing Cold War between Albrennia and Songha. Otherwise, Songhans are very welcoming and friendly to foreigners from elsewhere, but especially Kâaona, Palchaeans, and Amand people.

Language

Songhans usually speak the Songhese Language as their first language, especially those residing within Songha. Songhese is in the Polynesian Language Tree, but has an indigenous script used for writing. Early, rudimentary examples of this script are dated back as far as 5200 BC, while a more comprehensive, widespread and commonly used version of the script is believed to have developed about 300 BC. The script was further modernised and standardised with governmental reform in the 17th and 18th Centuries, with its modern look being taken on following the Second Great War. There are some, especially in rural or Northern areas, who still use older, traditional scripts that are less recognisable in the modern era. Outside of Songha, or in more diverse areas of Songha such as Ta-Pu, Jiasing, or the Southeast, it is more common to be bilingual.

Religion

Golden Heavenly Temple in Jiao'zi, Songha

Seungism and Songhese Folk religion share many key aspects. These include their belief in two worlds - `Ttayalqqul (᠍᠋ᠲᠲᠠᠶᠠᠯᠴᠴᠦᠯ), literally "Ttayals Door", and `Ttayalbaha (ᠲᠲᠠᠶᠠᠯ᠋᠍'ᠪᠠᠬᠠ), literally "Ttayals Gift". `Ttayalqqul is belived to be the Afterlife, a domain governed by the creator of the universe, `Ttayal, and was once believed to be deep beneath the ocean. `Ttayalbaha, on the other hand, is the universe itself; the world all humans inhabit. It is also believed humans continually pass through these worlds in a cycle.

Both religions believe in multiple deities. However, they differ in that Seungism places equal importance on both `Ttayal and `Padmer, the ancient Divine founder of Songha, while in Songhese Folk Religion, `Ttayal is the Supreme Deity. However, Songhese Folk Religion is not uniform in its position on `Padmer herself; Some practitioners pay homage to her as a lesser deity, while others reject her divinity entirely, stating she was merely a Woman. Similarly, Seungism and Songhese Folk Religion diverge on their beliefs of the deity of passed members of the House of Seung, with Seungists venerating them as deities, while Folk Practitioners nearly uniformly reject their divinity as heresy.

Seungism is the State Religion of Songha, with over 95% of the Songhese population professing it, while people openly professing to follow Songhese Folk Religion are uncommon. The Songhese Folk Movement is centered in Albrennia, where the Songhese expat community formed their own unique religious identity after leaving Songha; expat communities in other Marceaunian and Auressian nations largely followed their lead, though there is a growing Seungist Community within the Songhese diaspora.

There is also a significant Songhese Perendist community, both in Songha and abroad. Tens of thousands of Perendists live in Songha, concentrated most strongly in Jiasing, Liu-Hu, and Ta-Pu. Their practice is relatively tolerated by the Government, though Priests who speak out against the state have been known to be arrested, and missionary activities are prohibited. The Perendist Community dates back to 17th Century, when Rythene established an occupation of Northeast Songha and Ta-Puia. Additionally, a growing number of overseas Songhans have converted to Perendism, sometimes recognising the Perendist God and Songhese `Ttayal as one and the same.

Finally, a community of Irreligious Songhans almost exclusively live overseas, as Irreligion is banned in Songha, and public displays of dissent against Seungism are cracked down on harshly by the Government.

Sub-Groups

While the Empire of Songha regards all Songhese People as one group, there is academic debate about the Subgroups of the Songhese. The Loka ethnicity in the Ta-Puia Archipelago once occupied the entire area, as well as parts of the Northern Songhese coast. Modern Song-ified Pila generally tend to identify as Songhese, however, their genetic markers are often more similar to people identifying as Loka, and it's common for Northern Songhese to be darker in Skin Tone than those from Central or Southern Songha.

Similarly in the south, the small minority group of Pila People has had a noticeable effect on the Songhese People in the area. While the difference is less noticable than the issue of the Pila in the North, there is some uniqueness to the genetics of Songhans from the South, and especially to the East of Guaizihu, to where Southern Songhans visiting other parts of the country are sometimes mistaken as Baha'Nbu' (ᠪᠠᠬᠠ᠋ᠩᠪᠦ᠋)(literally "White Afflicted").

Mixed Songhans, usually Half-White "Baha'Nbu'" (ᠪᠠᠬᠠ᠋ᠩᠪᠦ᠋) are Songhans descended from one traditionally Songhese parent, and one White parent. They are most common in the Songhese diaspora, and may identify either as Songhese, White, or Mixed, depending on their country. In Songha, they are found in Jiasing, Liu-Hu and Ta-Pu, but are very uncommon in other areas.