Tangaran people

Tangaran People

Tangara Tagata
Tangaran dancers performing a traditional vala'au taui damce in Taulavai Village, Helena Territory.
Total population
~60 million (2020, est.)
Regions with significant populations
Meridon	52,686,992(2020 census)
Languages
Tangaran
Religion
Tangaran folk religion

Tangaran people are an ethnic group, mostly prevalent in Meridon, where they are native to, however they have far-flung communities across islands in the Marinan Ocean. In Meridon, they make up nearly a fifth of the population.

The Tangaran people originated from TBD sometime from 6,000 to 2,000 BCE by the means of highly advance maritime implements, including outrigger canoes, celestial navigation, and crab claw sails. The Tangaran people were the first Ordic peoples to cross such large distances of water accurately. Tangarans pride themselves on their maritime traditions, and were considered outstanding sailors and navigators so much so that their skills were highly sought after through the late 1800s.

Tangaran people lived in tribal and sometimes national communities across Meridon and other islands, occasionally interacting with other tribes through raids, trading, and diplomatic events. Tangaran tribes, often lead by those mistrusting of colonial settlers, engaged in the Colonial Wars as an effort to reduce or remove colonial influence on the Meridonian islands. Despite being unsuccessful in all 3 ventures, fierce resistance and spirit enabled tribes to survive as entities. They were integrated into Meridonian society in the aftermath of the First Meridonian Civil War, and remain one of the largest ethnic groups in the country.

Tangaran culture is rich in tradition, seamanship, dance, and art. Tangaran dance is a key visible part of their culture, as it is performed for a number of traditions and rituals.

(tangaran= people of the trees)

History

Origins

The Tangaran people first migrated to the Meridonian archipelago in

Culture

Tangaran culture is steeped in millenia of tradition and varies widely between tribal, regional, and even familial groupings. Various aspects fall in common across groupings, such as a generally shared tradition of seamanship and tight-knit familial bonds. The Tangaran have deeply rooted warrior traditions that translate into all aspects of their life.

Traditions

Siva

Siva (lit 'dance') or siva vaega ('group dance') is a grouping of ceremonial dances performed by Tangaran groups, generally above the family level. It has a multitude of uses but generally is part of a challenge or greeting. Its origins come in the welcoming of guests to a tribe, performed by its warriors. If the guests came in peace, the display was to reassure them of their protection, if they came in bad faith, it was to display the resolve of a tribe's warriors. It would also be performed prior to and after battles, and is performed upon the death of a warrior. Tangaran tradition prohibits mothers and children from participating in siva, as it is traditionally a ceremony reserved for warriors- certain siva are only permitted to be witnessed by warriors, particularly those for the funeral of a warrior. It may be performed with or without weapons and has been adopted and adapted for use in the Meridon Defense Forces. Tangaran units like the Taumako Rifles perform traditional siva in certain circumstances, and many regular units perform alaga taua (war shouts) in order to promote camaraderie and espirit de corps.

Other, more common forms of siva exist, including those performed for entertainment, celebration, retelling stories, and mourning.

Language

Main article: Tangaran Language

Religion and Beliefs

Main article: Tangaran folk religion

Tangaran religion is polytheistic and highly devolved, with many of its traditions passed down orally and with no centralized or formal structure. While beliefs can vary wildly from tribe to tribe, there are certain figures whose general aspects are held in common. Commonly held at the highest level of their religious structures are Lani (lit. Sky) and Honua (lit. Earth), the sky mother and earth father, from which all life and creation are born. Tradition holds that Lani and Honua together imbue their essences in all matter, the most of which are concentrated in living beings all in equal amounts. From them, various different classes of god exist- the senior of which being the hānau mua or first-born of Lani and Honua, which are a wide variety of aspect gods. Common iterations include Afikalapu, the god of war, seamanship, fire, and stars; Tinaloto, the goddess of home, fish, mothers, and children; Hauman, the god of the wind (from where Meridon takes its Tangaran name, Haumanwhe); and Makuava, the goddess of the night, of nature, and of volcanoes. Beneath them are various deities that fall into three categories- the fa'afaatua or the 'deified', humans or animals who are elevated to a status akin to a demigod, the agaga or 'spirits' who act as aspect gods or patron gods of certain places, families or objects (and include the collective spirits of the dead), and the aiga fetu or 'star children' who are believed to descend from the procreation of the hānau mua' or in much rarer cases from Lani and Honua.

Sacrifice is a common facet of Tangaran religious tradition, and included human sacrifice in certain cases until it was outlawed in the face of the Third Colonial War. Offerings include food, clothing, animals, and other objects of significance. At the beginning and end of each day, it is common for Tangarans to sacrifice small items such as beads, portions of food, or other possessions as a form of thanks to the gods- this can be done individually or as a family unit, and is typically done by either casting items into the sea or by burning them- most modern Meridonian homes come with a small, dedicated fixture for burning offerings and disposal. Sacrifices of live animals and historically humans were conducted as part of larger ceremonies or for more significant events- fish is a traditional sacrifice for Whetuhau. Sacrifices are also regularly done in hopes of academic, career, or romantic success. Some cultures hold that specific items please specific gods sacrificially- fruit, for example, being a common sacrifice during weddings and timber during funerals.

Notable persons

Main article: List of Tangaran people