Post by Beorn on Dec 4, 2006 11:50:14 GMT -5
The Beornings are mostly farmers and to a degree Breeders of Cattle who live in small villages and great farms. Although a part of this people due to their descend from the Éothéod eat Meat, a lot of Beornings revived the ancient tradition of living only from Honey, Milk and Bread or other Vegan food. Especially the Warrior Caste formed by Beorn live by this strict ritual way and reject to eat animals (except wild beasts which they themselves hunt of course). The strict refuse is probably out of religious reasons for the Beornings see themselves closely tied to nature and animals. They have a number of deities who are through their Contacts with Merchants from Gondor and Eriador identified with different Valar whom they call "the Brega" (Éo.:"Rulers"), for most Warriors love the God Magol (Éo.: "The Mighty") who appears a God of War and strength. He is often described as a tall, strong Man with red-blonde Hair and Beard who wears a Bear-skin, an Iron Glove and a Longbow. This War-God is often identified with Tulkas who also in few ancient records was depicted with a Longbow and closely connected with Bears. The other much beloved Deity is the Goddess Blostma who is connected with the Wild, the animals and Nature and whose holy animal is the Stag. Mostly because of the Stag and her connection with Magol she's seen as corresponding with Nessa even if there's also some resemblance to Yavanna. Magol is preferred by most Men who are Warriors and is closely connected with the few Beornings who are chosen to be Skinchangers (Éo.:"Fellwidhas"). These mostly male Beornings are direct descendants of Ancient Mountainmen who achieved the Gift of changing into Bears. This transformation is performed by the use of a sacred Bear-skin which is given of from Generation to generation. The Beorning takes off his clothes and covers his himself with the Bear-skin and concentrates on his animal instincts which rest deeply in every Beorning the Individual becomes one with the spirit of the Bear and wakes up in the shape of a hughe Bear , having all the animals instincts and strengths. The Head of the Fellwidhas is the Leader of the Beorning people and bears the title Waldend (Éo.:"Ruler") which means that he has the most importand voice in the Beorning Thing. This Thing is a large Meeting at a holy place , the Eorcnan-Stanas (Éo.:"Precious-Stones") a collection of three large Carrocks (Éo.:"Stones of Sorrow") where all Beornings who are in position to vote gather and hold court, select a new Waldend or introduce Young Men in the Communtity of Warriors. Carrocks are hughe stone Islands which tower up from the landscape and are considered holy places of sorrow and meditation by the Beornings. Every Fellwidha inherits to his magic Bear-Skin also a Carrock-place. While the Warrior-Caste which is so strongly connected with Magol consists mostly out of Men and is led by the Waldend who is the Leader of the Hafódmannas (Éo.:"Headmen") as the Beorning Chieftains are called , the Women who dedicate themselves to Blostma are led by the Megen-Môder (Éo.:"Great Mother") a kind of Head-priestess which resides at the Wîf-stede , the Place of Women where no Male is allowed to enter. The Megen-Môder theoretically is equal to the Waldend and has the power to block up his Word in the Thing by a veto but in general she does not take part at things and keeps out of matters of the Warrior-caste. The Greatest two Beorning settlements are the remnants of Framsburg, the ancient capital of the Éothéod were still a fortified place is uphold and the town of Methelburg (Éo.:"Market-Fortress") a fortified town in a valley of the Misty Mountains were the main Beorning Market-Place is. Smaller settlements are also at Waldendbaru, the Holy Grove were the Skinchangers use to meet, at Wîf-Stede, the place of Women and the Éorcnan-Stanas, were the Beorning Thing is hold up, most other Settlements are simply big Farms as Beornedor, Beorns parental homestead. The Beornings speak Éothéodan, the same language as the Rohirrim, but of course another dialect than that of the Riddermark, additionally to the normal speech Beornings know a sign language which they use in the Woods and which they refer to as Woldtacen. Woldtacen consists of a number of signs as for example a simple broken off branch or three acorns on the Ground which probably would not be identified as a secret message by a stranger but can mean a quite complex message to a learned Beorning Ranger.
Beorning clothes are usually of Wool or Deerskin, since the animals they hold at their farms are usually not eaten. Men wear tunics with short sleeves , narrow trousers and heavy Pelt Boots ,usually Wolf of Warg Pelt. Women tend to wear long gowns sometimes combined with a Coat. In the colder times of the Year pelt-wraps are worn, but only the Skinchangers wear heavy Wraps of Bear-Skin and the Bear is forbidden to be hunted.
Beorning clothes are usually of Wool or Deerskin, since the animals they hold at their farms are usually not eaten. Men wear tunics with short sleeves , narrow trousers and heavy Pelt Boots ,usually Wolf of Warg Pelt. Women tend to wear long gowns sometimes combined with a Coat. In the colder times of the Year pelt-wraps are worn, but only the Skinchangers wear heavy Wraps of Bear-Skin and the Bear is forbidden to be hunted.
