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Wanderlust in culture

posted by Kinsa

Kinsa
Posts: 29
Wanderlust in culture 1 of 3
March 1, 2024, 7:48 p.m.

As the title says, I'm curious how wonderlust, a desire to travel and adventure and see new places is viewed. Historically, the Golden Age of Islam had a number of major explorers, most notably Ibn Battuta, so I'd assume there's a place for recorded exploration in the Sirdabi Caliphate at least. 

I'm also curious about cultures who are most inclined towards wandering, and those who might spurn wanderers-- there's some obvious examples of nomadic (and diasporic) peoples being subject to discrimination irl, I'm curious how much that is true here. 

March 1, 2024, 7:48 p.m.
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Mistsparrow
Posts: 119
Re: Wanderlust in culture 2 of 3
March 14, 2024, 4:12 p.m.

How are wonderlust, a desire to travel and adventure and see new places viewed?

Wanderlust and curiosity about other lands and peoples are viewed very positively in Azadi culture. Both the culture of the Sirdabi Caliphate and its material prosperity are centered around wide-ranging commerce, and this has created a mindset where knowledge of other places -- gained firsthand where possible -- is greatly valued. Beyond that, learning about other places and cultures is actually enshrined as one of the six fundamentals of the Azadi faith: Seeking the Song. But although both faith and commerce suggest travel for a particular purpose, in practice many of the peoples of the caliphate simply love travel for its own sake and for the sake of learning. Of course, not everyone really does get to travel the world, and there are plenty of people who are happy enough to stay at home, but even these people often enjoy the accounts of world travelers and fanciful tales of fantastic journeys.

What are attitudes towards wandering peoples?

Because Sirdabi culture is ancestrally rooted in the nomadic lifestyle of the desert tribes, "wandering" peoples are viewed with far less prejudice in the caliphate than elsewhere. Even among the urbane residents of large cities, the lifestyle of the desert nomad is exalted and romanticized, and in many ways these people are viewed as purer and freer than those who live a settled life. On the other hand it is city life that is generally held up as the ideal way of living for modern men and women, and more pragmatically there is always a tension between nomadic and settled people.

Villagers and farmers especially are not very fond of their wandering neighbors, just as the nomads are not very fond of the villagers and farmers, but there is at least a grudging acceptance that they need one another. Local and provincial governments feel some irritation at not being able to readily collect tax revenues from the more mobile parts of society, but since nomadic pastoralists are considered an essential part of the economy rather than just backwards anachronisms there isn't the really intense prejudice against them that tends to be seen in the modern real world.

Those Avarian cultures that have the least tradition of pastoral nomadism in their past, and have the most reliance on settled agriculture, tend to be least favorably disposed towards wandering nomads. In the Sirdabi Caliphate, these more settled peoples would be the Razmani, Amunati, and Irzali.

Ruveran culture on the other hand, with its strong agrarian roots and long history of sedentary settlement, is far less accepting of wandering peoples. There isn't any modern sort of conception of vagrancy, though, and there is even some virtue in wandering where it is done for one's faith -- going on pilgrimage, for instance, is a perfectly accepted reason to wander even if the pilgrim is poor enough that they must partly beg their way to their destination. Pilgrimage is in fact important to both Azadi and Kalentians, and is a major reason for both to travel.

Ruverans do tend to fear and dislike the rootless Rovara, who are not only wanderers but tend to be pagans to boot. Azadi feel some suspicion towards them as well as a little superstition, since Rovara everywhere are rumored to have strange and mystical powers, but overall they're tolerated. The Yehani are also viewed with varying degrees of mistrust by both Kalentians and Azadi, though this is more for various cultural and historical factors than simply because they're "homeless". 

What cultures are most inclined towards wandering?

Again, any culture in the Sirdabi Caliphate tends to be more positively inclined towards the idea of wandering than most Ruveran cultures. Within the caliphate itself the Sirdabi and Salawi tend to be most inclined towards travel, while Razmani and Amunati are somewhat more inclined to stay put, and Tessouare and Irzali fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. But obviously these are just rough generalizations, and you can find both inveterate wanderers and incorrigible stay-at-homers within any heritage or culture.

March 14, 2024, 4:12 p.m.
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Kinsa
Posts: 29
Re: Wanderlust in culture 3 of 3
March 15, 2024, 9:47 a.m.

This is a very thorough answer, exactly what I was hoping for! I've got a soft spot for travelers, wanderers, and nomads, so I'm glad that you put some good thought into it. Thank you very much!

March 15, 2024, 9:47 a.m.
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