Faction : Nomads Xiongnu

[Lion.Kanzen]

The Ger and the Sacred Circle

The ger, known in the West as the yurt, is the traditional dwelling of the Mongols. It is constructed of a framework of poles (uni) radiating from a center smoke-hole ring (tono), which is lashed to the top of a circular latticework wall. The structure is covered over with felt in Mongolia, although the gers of some Siberian groups are covered with skins. In Buryatia and in some other areas, an eight-sided wooden ger is made of logs with wood laid over the roof instead of felt. It bears a very strong resemblance to the hogan of the Navajo of the American Southwest. Also, many Siberian peoples, including the Tsatang and Urianhai Mongols, live in teepees. Gers and teepees (uurts) are designed to be easily assembled and taken down as required by the nomadic life of their owners; nevertheless, the imagery and meaning of the ger remain the same no matter where it is erected, and the orientation and symbolism of the ger is the same for all Mongolian groups.

The ger is not only the center of the universe but also a microcosm within it. In fact, it is a map of the universe at large, and the vault of the heavens is reflected in the arched shape of the interior of the ger roof. The entrance always faces south, since that is the front of the ger. The north side, called the hoimor, located behind the fire, is the most honored spot in the ger. It is here that the sacred objects, ongon spirit dwellings, and other religious images are place on a table. The sitting place next to the hoimor is the next most honored part of the ger and is occupied by elders, chiefs, shamans, or other respected guests. The right, or west, side is the male side and the sitting place for men and the storage place for men’s tools, saddles, bows, and guns. The left, or east, side is the sitting place for women, and cooking utensils, cradle boards, and other women’s objects are placed there. Since the south side is the least-honored spot, young people are usually seated there, to the left and right of the entrance.

Movement in the ger is “sunwise”, that is, in a clockwise direction. The reason why this is regarded as the path of the sun becomes readily apparent if one watches the track traced by sunlight shining through the smokehole during the day. Whenever a person moves inside a ger, it must always be in a sunwise direction. This same sunwise movement is also required in shamanic dances, worship, and ritual. The only exception is the movement of women between the door and their section of the ger, which is easier to get by walking to the right upon entering the door. This short counterclockwise path is contrary to sunwise and is called “the direction of the moon”.

 

The center of the ger is the most sacred place of all, the gal golomt, or place of the fire. It is the dwelling place of the daughter of Father Heaven, Golomt Eej, and is to be treated with the utmost respect. As the ger is the center of the world, so the place of the fire is the center of the universe represented by the ger itself. The vertical axis represented by the column of smoke rising from the gal golomt also represents the turge or World Tree that shamans ascend to the upper world, with the smoke ring (tono) corresponding to the gateway to the upper world. In some shamanic rituals, such as the initiation of shamans in Buryatia, a tree will actually be erected inside the ger, beside the gal golomt and passing through the smoke hole. Among some Mongolian groups, such as the Buryats, the shaman literally climbs the tree; in others, such as the Dagurs, the shaman drums at the base and only ascends with his spiritual being. As the shaman ascends the tree in his ecstatic state, he describes his journey to the upper world. Also, even in the absence of an actual turge tree, the shaman will still travel to other worlds after exiting through the smoke hole, often after his spirit has metamorphosed into a bird.

The ger, therefore, can be seen as a physical representation of the sacred circle orientated to the four directions and the universe at large. The circular pattern and alignment to the four directions are also retained in outdoor shamanist ceremonies, such as the walking and dancing around the sacred oboo cairnes erected to mountain spirits, or the yohor dance around a turge tree by which the dancers raise a spiral of energy to carry the shamans to the heavens. Sunwise circular movement is also used in the dallaga blessing ceremony and in all types of shamanist dances.

The Upper and Lower Worlds and the World Center

Throughout Siberia, as well as among many Native American groups, people believe that the universe consists of three worlds laid one upon the other. In some ways, ideas about the upper and lower worlds seem to imply a concept of parallel worlds, rather than that of three worlds stacked, literally, like layers of a cake. While the sky is believed to be infinite in depth, shamans nevertheless insist that there is a doorway to go beyond the heavens. In the same way, while the earth is believed to be deep and solid, there are many passages that allow spirits and shamans to penetrate into the lower world. Another view holds that the upper and lower worlds are similar to the earth, of middle world, in that they too have a sun, a moon, forests, and humanlike inhabitants. The dwellers of the upper and lower worlds are invisible in our middle world, and people traveling from here to those worlds are likewise invisible. The presence of such intruders will be betrayed by a sudden crackle in the fire, the barking of foxes, or by their being visible by shamans.

The lower world is basically similar to this world exempt that its inhabitants have only one soul, rather than the three possessed by human beings. (The three human souls are the suld, ami, and suns souls). The ami soul, which causes breathing and warmth in the body, is lacking, so lower-world dwellers are cold and have dark blood. Furthermore, some of the dwellers in the lower world are actually the suns souls of human beings awaiting reincarnation. The sun and moon of the lower world are not as bright as in this world; the Samoyed say it is because the sun and moon of the lower world are actually half, rather than full, orbs. The lower world has forests, mountains, and settlements, just like this world, and its inhabitants even have their own shamans. The ruler of the lower world is Erleg Khan, son of Father Heaven. He has authority over the disposition of souls, when and where they will incarnate. Shamans must often appeal to him when recovering souls that have prematurely wandered away to the lower world before the body has died. Outside of these situations, people from the middle world rarely enter the realm of Erleg Khan, except after death.

[Lion.Kanzen]

@Alexandermb

we have to work...

Edited September 30, 2017 by Lion.Kanzen

[Alexandermb]

16 hours ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

@Alexandermb

we have to work...

Ese es el tipo de textura que te mencione que ni la menor idea de como lograrlo.

[Lion.Kanzen]

me es familiar... dejame investigar...

[Alexandermb]

1 minute ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

me es familiar... dejame investigar...

Tu lo publicaste en la página 3-7 si no me equivoco, eran mongoles pero es la misma vestimenta

[Lion.Kanzen]

Si... parece cuero de caballo

 

[Alexandermb]

Estoy intentando algo que parezca  como un campo de entrenamiento y a su vez hogares, planeo animar lo mejor posible dos unidades peleando en el centro o como lo hice con la barraca nórdica practicando con los muñecos de practica.

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

interesting.

[Alexandermb]

Barracks

Spoiler

Whole buildings set
 

Spoiler

 

Edited October 1, 2017 by Alexandermb

[Alexandermb]

i need sketches or ideas for the shields, already did the small circle one for the spearman also the wood one, but they need variants for B-A-E ranks

[niektb]

Looks nice! The only thing I'd say is that the tent texture looks a bit glossy (probably because of a too strong specular map?)

[Lion.Kanzen]

On ‎01‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 5:18 PM, Alexandermb said:

i need sketches or ideas for the shields, already did the small circle one for the spearman also the wood one, but they need variants for B-A-E ranks

I need research but... you can add some Chinese or Scythians... but not Greek influenced...

[Alexandermb]

7 hours ago, niektb said:

Looks nice! The only thing I'd say is that the tent texture looks a bit glossy (probably because of a too strong specular map?)

i was thinking about that too, i'll make grey or black specular.
 

6 hours ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

I need research but... you can add some Chinese or Scythians... but not Greek influenced...

i will make some Scythians then for blacksmith/barrracks props so i can keep them as place holder

[Lion.Kanzen]

Ok

[Lion.Kanzen]

[Alexandermb]

This counts as hun or works as xiongnu?

[Lion.Kanzen]

The helmet is very hunks, you know is metal non lamellar or scales , probably made by contact with western nomads or civs.

[Lion.Kanzen]

Look like this.

[Lion.Kanzen]

Spangenhelm (iron), Migration Period - Museum of the Cetinska Krajina Region - Sinj, Croatia

The name Spangenhelm is of German origin. Spangen refers to the metal strips that form the framework for the helmet and could be translated as braces, and -helm simply means helmet. The strips connect three to six steel or bronze plates. The frame takes a conical design that curves with the shape of the head and culminates in a point. The front of the helmet may include a nose protector (a nasal). Older spangenhelms often include cheek flaps made from metal or leather. Spangenhelms may incorporate mail as neck protection, thus forming a partial aventail. Some spangenhelms include eye protection in a shape that resembles modern eyeglass frames, and are thus sometimes called "spectacle helmets". Other spangenhelms include a full face mask.

The spangenhelm was an effective protection that was relatively easy to produce. Weakness of the design were its partial head protection and its jointed construction. It was replaced by similarly shaped helmets made with one-piece skulls (nasal helms), kettle hats and eventually the Great helm or casque

Sarmatian warriors with Spangenhelms, Trajan's Column (around 110 A.D.)

The spangenhelm arrived in Western Europe by way of what is now southern Russia and Ukraine, spread by nomadic Iranian tribes such as the Scythians and Sarmatians who lived among the Eurasian steppes. By the 6th century it was the most common helmet design in Europe and in popular use throughout the Middle East. However, helmets of the spangenhelm type were used much longer. Some of the Nasal helmets depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry from the 11th century appear to be built as a Spangenhelm construction. The same is true for illustrations of the Morgan Bible from the 13th century.

[Alexandermb]

[Lion.Kanzen]

Yes exactly like that.

[Alexandermb]

3 minutes ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

Yes exactly like that.

Then we finaly have the warlord

[Alexandermb]

Tried my best to make it similar, now i'm going for the neck guard and test it with helmet

[Alexandermb]

Edited October 11, 2017 by Alexandermb

[Alexandermb]