Category:Yamatai

YAMATAI The Land of Samurai The lands of Yamatai represent a group of islands scattered in the Eastern Ocean not far from Khitai and Kambuja. The nation and whole archipelago is named after its most famous kingdom, Yamatai-koku, though there are other de-facto independent principalities that rival the power of Yamatai.

People considered to be Yamatai by foreigners actually call their land Wa, but the word Yamatai became so common in dealings with other countries, that it was accepted by locals as name for the whole nation and not just the largest kingdom on the islands of Wa. Khitans call the insular kingdom Yamatai guo. The culture of Yamatai is influenced by ancient and medieval Japan.

Description
The ancestors of current nation of Yamatai arrived to the islands of Wa from Khitai after civil war, fleeing the persecution by authorities and certain death. Several dozens of noble families with numerous household landed on the largest, central island and burned their ships as sign of finding new homeland. There they encountered local population of Lemurians who were not exactly happy to see the intruders.

After long years of wars, the newcomers gained the upper hand in conflict due to constant influx of Khitan exiles from the continent. The Lemurian populace on the central island was absorbed by the Yamatai, losing its independency. The more conservative part of the Yamatai people, however, considered Lemurians inferior and abhorred the idea of mixing with them. They left the central island and settled on the smaller and less hospitable western and northern islands, still paying tribute to the kings of Yamatai-koku.

The islands of West and North had other native populace of Pictish origin, wild worshippers of Jhebbal Sag, Jhil and Jullah. Yamatai regarded them as beasts and evil spawn created by malevolent demons-oni. Using better weapons and tactics, Yamati burned Pictish villages and slayed their inhabitants, forcing the few survivors to retreat deep into the swamps of the West and snowy mountains of the North-East.

In the West, several Yamatai warlords created a confederation of small principalities of Tatsumi, famous for their fast ships and superior swordsmen. In the North, a large principality of Kunu appeared from the ashes of burned forests, building mighty castles on the mountain peaks, guarded best archers and fighters with naginata in the realm. In Yamatai-koku agriculture and numerous crafts flourished, numerous populace of the largest island providing thousands of pikemen when needed.(edited)

At some point the ruling dynasty of Yamatai-koku accepted local Lemurian tradition of being ruled by women, their new female monarch, Himiko, taking the title of Witch Queen. That caused a major controversy in relations with other principalities of Wa.

Their rulers, who hailed from the original noble families of settlers and remained true to the ways of their ancestors, refused to bend their knee to a woman. Now the civil war is raging on the islands, with two strongest enemies challenging the power of Yamatai and legitimacy of its Witch Queen.

The northern self-proclaimed kingdom of Kunu secretly gets support from Khitai, while the western principality of Tatsumi uses its connection to Zingaran traders to acquire funds and superior steel for forging weapons.

Clothing
Much like in Khitai, the people dress in long straight-lined robes with attached collars and long, wide sleeves, and embroidered trousers. The nobles dress similarly but their dress is made out of more elaborate materials. Silk and cotton are common materials for clothing. Nobles wear ceremonial articles and personal ornaments of exquisite craftsmanship, usually in designs such as coiled dragons, trumpeting elephants, charging tigers and crouching bears.

Darker colours are preferred to lighter shades, so the main colour of high-ranking and ceremonial clothing tends to be dark with bright, elaborate tapestry designs and ornamentation used to offset the darker colours. Lighter colours are worn by the common people and peasantry but sometimes by the higher orders household use. The Yamatai associate certain colours with specifi c seasons: green represents spring, red symbolizes summer, white represents autumn and black symbolizes winter.

It is common for Yamatai warriors to wear Demon masks, or Oni-masks, when going to battle. According to the Yamatai the Oni (demons) possess a dual nature, i.e they can be evil or good, and by dressing up as one will protect you from evil by scaring the Oni/bad spirits away, it's also said to bring good luck.

Religion

 * Zingaran pantheon of mitra (only in Tatsumi)
 * Yun, khitan pantheon
 * Tsukuyomi (Cheng Ho)
 * Ancestor worship
 * Spirits
 * Demons

Yamatai, hailing from Khitai and strongly connected to Khitan culture, has some important differences in its pantheon and religious practices. The main deity for the Yamatai is Tsukuyomi, goddess of moon and dawn, known in Khitai as Cheng Ho, one of the lesser deities. Tsukuyomi guided the ancestors of Yamatai to the islands and gifted them the new homeland. The short transition from night to dawn is regarded as the only time when Tsukuyomi can appear to mortals. Therefore, pious Yamatai sometimes call themselves the Seekers of Dawn.

Kami - Spirits The Kami can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, as well as beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the spirits of venerated dead persons. Original local gods and spirits of Lemurian and Pictish origin were reduced to be multiple lesser kami.

Supernatural beings and demons – Yokai and Oni The Oni (demons) are generally malicious and destructive, hideous, gigantic ogre-like creatures that live in the mortal plane, inhabiting the islands of Yamatai. They have a single horn or multiple horns emerging from their heads, sharp claws and wild hair. The Oni possess a dual nature, i.e they can be either evil or good. However, they are unpredictable and often require sacrifices or tributes, or are at least apt to steal from you. The wicked ones are usually found preying on the flesh and blood of mortals, while others take on a a more protective and helpful function.

The Yokai is another type of demon ranging diversely from the malevolent to the mischievous. Yokai have spiritual or supernatural abilities with shapeshifting being the most common. A yokai can appear in different "true forms": human, animal, plant, object, or natural phenomenon. They often possess animal features, such as the bird-like Yokai-tengu. For example are the winged bird-like children of Jhil the Raven tengu-demons; sentient beings with both human and avian characteristics in the forms of birds of prey. Yokai that shapeshift between different forms are called bakemono.

Warding of bad spirits, ghosts and demons is an important practice among the Yamatai. This show among other things in their architecture with their curved roofs: spirits can only travel in straight lines, if they land on the sloped roof they will slide off and won't be able to enter. Buildings sometimes also include Oni-faced roof tiles called onigawara, which are another measure to ward off demons. Other superstitious practices such as the use of charms, made of holly-leaves and dried sardine heads, are other means used in repelling oni. Lining windows and doorframes with salt is another.

Sex Roles & Marriage
Following Khitan views, both men and women are seen to have magical forces within them that are counterpoints to each other and necessary for life. The female magical force is felt to be infinite within each woman, but the male magical force is considered quite finite. Thus, sexual relationships are seen as a necessary transfer of these forces to the other. However, since magic is restricted to priests, the idea of the exchange of those energies does not have much importance in Yamatai, unlike Khitai. Chastity is not highly valued, and married men often seek pleasure from courtesans.

The purpose of marriage is to produce children who will inherit the highest possible rank from the best-placed lineage. It is neither ceremonial nor necessarily permanent. Nobles exchange letters and poetry for a period of months or years before arranging to meet after dark. If a man saw the same woman for a period of three nights, they are considered married, and the wife's parents hold a banquet for the couple. Most members of the lower-class engage in a permanent marriage with one partner.

Prostitution in Yamatai is a common practice, despite some restriction by the authorities and low social status of prostitutes. There are male prostitutes (kagema), who cater to a mixed male and female clientele. Yamatai temptresses are known as geisha and possess great skills in entertaining their clients. Rather than a prostitute, a geisha is a woman trained in arts such as music and cultured conversation, available for mostly non-sexual interactions with her male clientele.

Samurai culture also has some form of age-structured homosexuality known as shudo, defining a relationship between young men before the age of twenty or the lower-class men and older men of high social rank. The older and higher-ranked partner (nenja) is permitted to take the younger partner (wakashu, chigo) as his lover. He teaches the chigo martial skills, warrior etiquette, and the samurai code of honor, while his desire to be a good role model for his chigo would lead him to behave more honorably himself; thus a shudo relationship was considered to have a "mutually ennobling effect".

Shudo is strictly role-defined; the nenja is seen as the active, desiring, penetrative partner, while the younger, sexually receptive wakashu was considered to submit to the nenja's attentions out of love, loyalty, and affection, rather than sexual desire. In addition, both parties were expected to be loyal unto death, and to assist the other both in feudal duties and in honor-driven obligations such as duels and vendettas. Although sex between the couple is expected to end when the younger partner reaches higher social status and older age, the relationship must, ideally, develop into a lifelong bond of friendship. At the same time, sexual activity with women is not barred (for either party).

Behavior and Oddities



 * The Yamatai brought Khitan culture to the islands of Wa, afterwards for centuries honing their traditions to the level of the almost absurd perfection. The Yamatai use the law system called ritsuryo adopted from their Khitan ancestors. Its criminal part includes five levels of punishment:

Caning: Depending on the severity of the crime, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 strikes on the buttocks. Public caning: Depending on the severity of the crime, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 strikes on the buttocks, performed in public, using a slightly thicker cane. Imprisonment: Depending on the severity of the crime, imprisonment for 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 or 3 years. Exile: Depending on the severity of the crime, nearby exile, semi-distant exile, or distant exile. Death: Depending on the severity of the crime, death by hanging or decapitation.


 * While Khitans believe most foreigners outside The Great Wall to be cannibals, the Yamatai went even further and refused to eat meat, instead turning to consume only fish and plants.


 * Concept of honor defines the ruling and the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class of Yamatai. This concept is known as Bushidō (“Way of the Warrior”). The idea of the code is a comprehensive system of moral principles which they are required or instructed to observe. In order to become a samurai this code has to be mastered. More on Bushido here.

Slavery
Slavery is allowed and accepted, with slaves (Nuhi) being mostly descendants of Lemurians and Picts. They can be sold or owned and are not allowed to have a registered family.

More Info
The Savage Sword of Conan, No194 – ”The Witch Queen of Yamatai” Savage Sword Of Conan, No 195 -1992 - "Thunder Beneath Yamatai "

(This has all been sourced from the CLA.)