Meridonian literature

Meridonian literature is the written or literary work produced within Meridon or by Meridonians. Though a majority of works, especially contemporarily, are written in the Seurian langauge, Meridonian literature includes contributions from Arcadian, Almyrian, Cervan, and Terminpan writers; as well as translated and transcribed works provided from Tangaran writers and oral histories.

Tangaran literature

Tangaran stories and histories, with the exception of the few tribes such as the Natui who developed formalized systems of writing in the 11th to 14th centuries, were primarily passed down orally.

Interbellum and 2nd Civil War literature

With the conclusion of the 1st Civil War, Meridonian society was exposed to sweeping changes at every level. The Great Displacement continued to aggressively alter a traditional pluralistic Meridonian society, and the deconstruction of traditional political and societal barriers between citystates allowed for the first seeds of the establishment of a national Meridonian identity. Much of the work of this period of significant change explored themes of nation, society, and culture as many historical sources of these ideals were altered and shaped by the forces of the time.

Especially during the late 17th and early 18th century as the First Union's government was able to consolidate its governance and begin to expand its operations, thoughts on what should define a Meridonian nation and how and what it should govern were a vibrant part of a national discussion. Étienne-François de Montclair's Traité d'une nouvelle confédération (Arcadian for 'Treatise of a New Confederation') was particularly influential among the existing upper social and economic classes, in which he argued in support of a government that operated in the advancement and by the consensus of the mutual interests of its constituent member-states. It was this work that coined the term navire d'état, or "ship of state", which became common parlance for the overall actions and 'course' of a government. de Montclair argued that as participation in society; particularly in a frontier such as Meridon, was an option and obligation, so too should be participation in a national government.

Penned in direct opposition to this treatise was Richard Stratford's Foundations of States, a document directly attributed with influencing the writing of the Articles of Federation. Stratford likened de Montclair's ideals of voluntary association to the construction of a house in the sand. Borrowing Montclair's 'ship of state' argument, Stratford wrote that the construction of a nation was an obligation and required its citizenry, like a crew, to commit their own resources to its creation and upkeep; and that in doing so allowed the existence of an entity greater than the sum of its parts in an effective nationstate. A ship, like a nation, required a leader; one ultimately beholden to its citizenry, but able to plot its course in their best interests.