Amotekun Kyi Le Me
Picture by Ork de Rooij
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| Status:
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One Time Only
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Events:
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Sonsbeek Live 2008
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| Race:
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Human
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| Class:
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Duel Master
Fighter Monk
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Group dynamics
The Eniyan are a peaceful people who live in the mountains overlooking the savannah. They believe in balance and that every person must find perfect balance in life. Koriko Dbang-Sa, Amotekun Kye Le Me, Eranko Chu, Akiti Shing and Anayaku Isaks have been chosen to respresent their people at the Holy Place. Their task is to work together and so please the Gods with rituals, as a balance between the Gods and their people is the basis of their daily life. Many rituals small and big are devoted to the gods during the day. From a drop of water spilled for the spirits of harvest to the tribe moving in complex choreography to honor the way of the immortals who have been part of their intricate culture for many centuries now.
The Eniyan are mostly known for their numerous and complex rituals surrounding daily life. Gestures have meaning, food is eaten in silence, and even battle is a ritual in itself. And so it is that the five representatives of the Eniyan could only have been chosen by complex rituals to ensure that not only the most worthy were chosen but also that they would form a complete balance as a group.
For an unbalanced group would never be able to preform the proper rituals and would therefore cause the Eniyan to be rejected and ignored by the Gods until a new group of chosen ones would perform the right rituals and be accepted by them. In the past, the Eniyan have spent several hundreds of years without any attention of the Gods and this time they practised their rituals to achieve balance.
This new group of chosen ones will in all probability succeed at pleasing the the Gods because
The Eniyan People
History
Many generations ago, the first of what were to become the peoples were nomadic. In need of guidance, a small band undertook a pilgrimage to Sonsbeek, the place where all life started. The band was small, only five, but they returned enlightened, bearing gifts and new insights. Together they moved to faraway moutain and savannahs and named themselves the Enyian, being true people.
The fivefold ways of the band were ingrained in their culture and thinking, as the customs of the band were taken in. Every enyian would have the name of one of the elements that the first band held.
Life
The life of an Enyian is a simple one. Raised in village where all are considered family they live their lives hunting, foraging and farming. Religion, rituals and meditation are a core tenet of the Enyian way of life, giving these people a pondering and accepting outlook on life as it comes. Their society is highly ritualized, giving meaning and grace to small activities ranging from eating and hunting to crafting and fighting. The Enyian attempt to appease the gods in all that they do, so they may be able to continue living as they do now, in spiritual and physical wellbeing, fearing that one day their people might have to become nomadic again and no longer be true people.
Names
All children of the Enyian have an element chosen with their name. This name decides the role the child is to play in the tribe. One with the element Me or fire would be destined to become a warrior.
After reaching a certain age, an Enyian will undertake a rite of passage, finally coming of age and shedding his or her child-name for that of the animal which guides them trough the rite lasting several days.
Sa earth
The first band leader chose earth as his element, for he gives ground and supports the others.
Me fire
The first duel master chose her element to be fire, for it is the flame that both both warms and burns, a danger and a protector at the same time.
Chu water
The first archivist chose her element to be water, for knowledge and stories flow everywhere as water shall flow when it touches the world.
Shing wood
The first herald chose his element to be wood. As the leader was the earth, he would be the tree, whose gentle strength would keep the soil together in wind and rain.
Isaks metal
The first ritual master choose his element to be metal, for it is the unmoving mind of the ritualist that can envision and shape the ways one adresses the spirits and the immortals, much as a craftsman forges.
Sonsbeek
Every generation, a new band is formed out of adults whose names resemble the elements of the first band. These peers are sent to praise the immortals for their guidance and wisdom and show them that the Enyian tribe is and still deserves their grace.
Customs
The Enyian have several customs which were derived from the first band:
- One hand is used for giving, one for recieving. No Enyian will give nor take with the wrong hand.
- During meals a portion of the food and drink will not be consumed, but left in honor of those not present during the meal. This can be for ancestors, friends and missed ones but also for the spirits and immortals. This food is referred to as the meal of the "unexpected guest".
- The Enyian share their food among their groups. Eating alone is considered impolite.
- The Enyian do not openly bear weapons. Duel masters are tasked with the carrying of the weapons. Furthermore, weapons need to be adressed with respect when presented.
Lastly, the band of Enyian that returns to Sonsbeek shall wear the signs of the first band, to show the immortals they are still the same people as they were when they became the Enyian.
The Eniyan at Sonsbeek
Amotekun Kye Le Me : Duelmaster - Fighter monk (panther)
Eranko Bi Oya Chu : Archivist - Scavenger/storyteller (raccoon)
Ayanaku Isaks : Ritualist - Monk/priest (elephant)
Koriko Dbang-Sa : Band leader - Diplomat (wolf)
Akiti Shing : Herald - Quartermaster/advisor (monkey, the mother figure)