Bawa/The Hui'leia

The Hui'leia is the most populus, but least central Bawa culture. Their large population has little central control, mostly existing as smaller, independent fleets of Bawa. These are most densely concentrated on and around the Hui'leian Islands

Hui'leia Culture
The Hui'leia are the dominant Bawa cultural group, unified by language, religion, shared history and common species identity (though other species may sometimes be adopted/married into the culture). The word Hui'leia means People of the Water in the Hui'leia language. It is pronounced (Huu - ii - lee - ah).

Clothing
The Hui'leia generally prefer clothing that is non-restrictive, colorful, and easy to remove quickly for swimming. Almost all clothing is made from fabric decorated with shells and fish scales fashioned into beads.

Traditional female clothing consists of fitted shorts, (with or without) a breast binding wrap, and a colorful rectangle of fringed fabric worn as a wrapped skirt and held in place with a metal pin.

Traditional male clothing consists of fitted undershorts, and a rectangle of cloth worn by wrapping the fabric around the waist, stretching it away from the body and twisting into a knot. The knot is then pulled between the legs and held in place with a decorative metal or leather belt. The overall effect is of loose, billowy, knee-length pantaloons.

Both of these fabric pieces are removed for swimming, leaving the simple undershorts and breast bindings in place.

Tattoos
The tattoo is considered a method to fetch spiritual power, protection and strength as well as display a person's spiritual connections in a physical way. Tattooing is a sacred ceremony in Hui'leian culture and tattoos can only be applied by highly trained shaman masters of the art who know the correct spirit patterns, and can combine these patterns in meaningful ways. Sea creatures are very common symbols. Each of them has a meaning related to its spiritual nature and embodies the meaning by tattooing it on to the body. Tattoo designs tend to be geometric and symbolic, and are only applied in a grey ink that stands out sharply against the Bawa's dark skin.

Tattoos are placed on the arms, legs, chest, back, and face. The back of the hands are only tattooed on married couples, and only shamans have cheek tattoos.

A Hui'leian will generally get his or her first tattoo (a sleeve that travels from the elbow and across the pectoral/breast on the right side) when he/she reaches maturity (around 16-17 years of age) and the process is considered a rite of passage, since great pain must be endured before the tattoo is complete. Finishing the first tattoo is cause for celebration and feasting as the young man/woman is accepted into society as an adult.

Accessories
Arm bands and ankle bands made of gold, silver, pearl, shells, beads, and sharkskin are worn by both genders. Neck bands are exchanged and worn by married couples. Loose or excessively dangling jewellery is almost never worn. Due to webbing between the fingers, rings are never worn. Stud piercings of the nose, brow and ears are common.

All working Hui'leians carry a long, flat, diving knife with a blunt/flattened tip. The blade (called a Rahj’agaga, literally “Serpent’s Tooth) is worn in a sheath attached to the leg or forearm. The knife has a serrated edge (for cutting line), and a slightly curved plain edge (for prying open shells, gutting fish, cutting food, and defense).

Hair
Hair is worn in many styles, and females generally wear longer styles than males. Braiding and dreading of the hair is common, and most styles can be tied tightly back to avoid getting caught in lines or other rigging.

Nudity
Bearing of the chest is common and accepted in the Hui'leian culture. Complete nudity, while not exactly taboo, is frowned upon in public settings.

Entertainment and Arts
The Hui'leia have a rich oral tradition of storytelling and song, but no written language. They are excellent craftsmen and women, and are adept at making jewelry and carvings, as these are typical pastimes while out at sea. They are particularly well-known for their musical ability, and have readily adapted the instruments of other cultures. They often paint their vessels in bright colors, and favor more geometric and symbolic shapes rather than realistic shapes in their artwork and clothing.

Gender Roles and Sexuality
Male and female Hui'leians enjoy relative gender equality, with roles defined more by personality than by sex. Females are held in slightly higher regard, due to their natural connection with the Mother spirit. Females generally take charge of trade and the handling of expenses, while males are in charge of fishing and repairs.

Sex itself is seen as casual and natural, though married partners are expected to remain monogamous, and unmarried partners are expected to practice birth control when possible. If a child is born outside of marriage, it will be raised with the mother's side of the family.

Homosexuality is not taboo, and same sex couples are allowed marriage and the opportunity to adopt children, but cannot be considered for shaman leadership positions (as they do not mirror the gender dichotomy of the Mother and Father spirits). Homosexual couples are valued highly, since they will not produce children of their own, but can assist with the rearing of the rest of the family's children.

Theology
The Hui'leia practice a religion that combines animism with panthesism. Their beliefs attribute spiritual essence to non-sapient objects, such as the ocean and animals, but also stress the connection of these elements to each other through a shared, common spiritual origin.

Of particular importance is the concept of “Mother Water” and “Father Land”, the creator spirits who are said to have given birth to the Bawa species and all other living things. These two spirits are complementary opposites. Each living thing (plants and animals) is known to have a piece of both the Mother and the Father spirit within it, making up its soul. The Hui'leia themselves believe that a much larger part of the Bawa soul comes from the Mother, which is why they live on the water.

This shared soul origin binds all of creation together in solidarity, and the soul is free to reunite with the Mother and Father when the physical body dies.

External spirits also exist as separate entities, and contribute (along with the Mother and Father pieces) to the spiritual soul of living things. For example, a bird might be said to have a piece of wind spirit within it, which helps teach it to fly; while a Don'Rahj might be said to have a piece of storm spirit within it, which causes it to be destructive and dangerous. The Hui'leia believe that sapient beings also have many spirit pieces making up their soul, giving them unique character traits and talents. Hui'leia are encouraged to discover which totem spirits or animals contribute to their personal spiritual essence, and will often tattoo symbols related to their favorite spirits onto their bodies.

Hui'leians also believe that external spirits can influence fishing activities and weather, grant good luck/favors, or punish them by causing anything from bad luck to major catastrophe. Many of their rituals appeal to these spirits for help and guidance, or are intended to cleanse and protect against evil spirits.

Beliefs
The Hui'leia believe that the Mother and Father created all of existence, bringing the spirits and living things out of emptiness and disorganization into a time of life and order. In Hui'leian mythos, the spirits live alongside the physical world, directly influencing and impacting living beings.

Ethics and morals are influenced by the belief that doing harm to one will directly or indirectly cause harm to the whole. Since all souls are considered connected, it is very important to the Hui'leia to treat other living things with respect, since treating someone badly is the same as treating yourself badly. Care is taken to minimize negative impacts on other living things. The Hui'leia are careful to kill prey quickly and cleanly, and to thank the prey’s soul for its sacrifice. Killing without just cause, causing intentional, undo suffering, as well as rape or other violence is considered highly abhorrent and against the natural order.

The Hui'leia believe that someone who constantly does harm during their lives will cause irreparable damage to their spirit, rendering it unrecognizable and unable/unwilling to return to the Mother and Father after death. Instead, the soul will be trapped in the physical world (and become an evil spirit), or be sent back to the emptiness and chaos that existed before time-- never knowing the connection and bliss of being part of the whole, and losing its chance to be reborn.

Structure
Worship is not highly structured, but each tribe has a male and a female Shaman (usually, but not always, a married couple) who are both the spiritual and political leaders of the tribe. They represent the Mother and Father Spirits during rituals, and are responsible for leading festivals, organizing the tribe, and keeping order. Since all Hui'leia believe that they can interact with the divine, Shaman leaders are chosen not for their supposed connection with the spirit world, but for their wisdom and years study.

Elderly Shamans will select a young couple who they train for a number of years before passing on the leadership responsibility. During their training, this couple is given the title of “little shaman” and may be asked to fulfill secondary roles during rituals.

Shamans capable of applying tattoos require separate and more extensive training before they are allowed to perform this ritualized task. A tattoo shaman usually selects a promising apprentice at a young age and trains him or her for many years to reach a high level of skill and deep understanding of the symbols.

The Hui'leian religious tradition is completely oral, and stories, prayers, songs and ritual language must all be memorized and passed down. Most of the prayers and appeals to the spirits are preformed in song form, and can happen at any time of the day, depending on the mood and desired outcome. Hui'leians can often be heard singing to the wind, waves, and fish as they work. The prayer songs tend to be lively and contain call backs, drumming, and rhythmic slapping of hands and feet against the deck.

Practices
The Hui'leia have 3 major holidays each year where flotillas meet up for celebration, competition, feasting, and ritual. These holidays celebrate the Mother, the Father, and the Spirits, and occur in the early summer, midsummer, and winter. Each holiday involves meet ups of many Hui'leia tribes at set locations for a period of 4 days. Groups of over 1,000 individuals may come together at once.

Often many weddings, tattooing, and naming rituals will occur during the festivals so that joyous events can be celebrated with otherwise difficult to reach distant relatives.

Competition and play factor strongly into these festivals, with the best of each tribe competing for honors in diving, surfing, swimming, dance fighting, and hunting events.

Smaller holidays occur at monthly intervals, and are led by the male and female shamans of the group. These holidays are used to give thanks to the spirits and ask for good weather and plentiful fishing.

Other specific rituals honor weddings, where a couple can become bonded as partners for life. The couple must present themselves to their Shaman leaders, who will oversee the binding of their spirits in front of guests and the rest of the tribe. As a loving couple, the union symbolizes the connection between the spirits, and is considered sacred. This connection cannot be broken without great consequence. Unions like this can be performed for homosexual couples as well. The couple then exchange matching neck bands, receive matching hand tattoos, and decide whose flotilla they will live with. The union ceremony is followed by feasting, dancing, and giving gifts to the couple.

Naming ceremonies are also big events, and occur during a child’s 4th year of life. During this time it is more certain that the child will survive into adulthood and become a member of the tribe. The naming ceremony officially gives the child a tribal surname, and also assigns them a totem spirit or totem spirit animal which will be their personal guide. The naming ceremony is followed by feasting and celebration.

Funerals are also celebratory affairs, where the spirit of the dead is encouraged to return to the Mother and Father. It is important for the Hui'leia to show the recently departed spirit that everyone is happy for them, so that it will not linger in the physical world or worry about leaving. The dead are celebrated for their deeds in life, with much story-telling and joke telling at their expense. Stories about the Mother and Father are reiterated for the spirit, encouraging it to move on. Grieving family members speak with the spirit, resolving any conflicts they may have had in life, and making sure the spirit knows that it was loved and will be missed.

At the end of the ceremony the body is wrapped in linen with weighted stones sewn in, then dropped into the ocean.

Architecture
The Hui'leia tend to build their cities on the water, using stilt houses and docks. In shallow areas, they utilize sealed, underwater living spaces. Small trading and refueling posts, called Yams, are used by traveling vessels to take on fresh water, gather new supplies, and exchange information.

Boat building
The Hui'leia are experts at the manufacture and use of watercraft. They are well-known for the craftsmanship of their ship builders. The original Hui'leian craft was a large catamaran style vessel, built for speed. Their

Medicine
Hui'leian medicine is a combination of herbal use and shamanistic ritual. The Hui'leia utilize many medicinal plants (both aquatic and terrestrial plants) native to their area to reduce fever, halt infection, and help cure specific diseases. They have also adapted some of the medical practices of the land dwelling sentient species. Rarely, the Hui'leia have been known to seek help from the HPHXOP, a race which they regard with a sort of reverent unease. It is thought that many of their more complex and skilled healing practices were taught to them by generous members of that species.

The ship's healer is able to care for wounds and broken bones with relative skill and ease, while complex disease (such as cancers, brain injury, or heart conditions) are not commonly cured.

Healers are typically trained from an early age in an apprentice-like fashion, and information and new ideas are shared readily between flotillas during meet-ups. Healers are also encouraged to study the methods used by other sapient species, even going so far as to live and study on land to gain more information.

Shamans will combine the treatment of injuries/illness with cleansing rituals to clear away evil spirits, and to help the patient's inner spirit heal faster, but their contribution is considered quite separate from the healer's work.

Military
There is no military, as the Hui'leia are decentralized.

Martial Arts
The Hui'leia practice a martial art that is more akin to dancing than fighting. It combines acrobatics, dance and music and is treated more as a game than an actual serious fighting style, though the movements themselves can be used offensively. It uses quick, complex, dynamic moves coupling power, speed, and leverage to execute high spins, kicks, and rolls. Many of the movements are based on trickery and rapid changes in balance to throw off opponents. “Games” between fighters are often both physical and mental as they attempt to trick each other into mis-stepping and leaving an opening for attack.

The style is useful when fighting while outnumbered, fighting a much larger opponent, or when at a technical disadvantage, and relies on near constant motion to prevent the fighter from being an easy target. Any opening is taken advantage of, and swift kicks to the face, vital organs, as well as leg sweeps and knee kicks are viable takedown methods. Once an opponent is down, he/she may be finished off with an elbow thrust or punch.

Defense consists of evasion rather than blocking, since the Bawa are small and almost all non-Bawa opponents are larger and stronger than they are.

The Hui'leia practice by playing “games” where combat is simulated between one or more opponents, often in tune to drumming and chanting. The game does not focus on destroying the opponent, but rather demonstrating superior skill. Kicks are often slowed down inches before hitting the target so that superiority can be enforced without actually injuring the opponent. The insulting term of “butcher” is given to a player who accidentally injures his fellow fighter during a game. Causing actual injury without intending to demonstrates lack of skill and control that is worthy of insult.

Games between two highly skilled fighters can become quite aggressive and dangerous and tend to be reserved for festival competition between masters.

Underwater fighting uses similar concepts of speed, mobility, evasion, rapid kicks and elbow thrusts. Rolls and twists are also used underwater, but tactics involve more sinuous movements, with the arms tucked tightly to the sides of the body, then thrown out to rapidly change direction. Underwater forms look even more synchronized and fluid than their land counterparts as the players weave around each other, mirroring each other’s movements until someone makes a mistake and leaves an opening.

Most Common Weapons
The Hui'leia use martial arts, diving knives, grappling hooks, spears, harpoons, nets and the slungshot (a maritime tool consisting of a weight, or "shot," affixed to the end of a long cord. The weight may be a ball shaped knot, or a round metal ball or stone. As a tool it is used to toss mooring lines between ships; as a weapon it can be used like a flail) as weapons. As technology advances, they will acquire and adapt to using more advanced weaponry, but will also maintain their traditional use of knives and slungshot.

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