The most basic Ythrian social unit remains the family where there is equality between the sexes because both parents carry infants in flight. Each family requires territory for hunting. The family of Lythran and Blawsa has a compound on a plateau of Mount Fairview. The compound comprises:
a central stone tower for senior family members and their children;
lower wooden structures for unweds and for retainers and their families;
sheds, barns and mews;
amberdragon and starbells growing on the roofs of the lower structures;
braidbark, copperwood, lightningrod and jewelleaf imported from Ythri growing between the buildings;
flowerbeds of Avalonian janie, livewell, trefoil, Buddha's cup and harp vine;
in the tower, a dining hall where the adult but dependent Eyath ritually requests her parents' permission to leave so that she can spend time with the visiting Arinnian.
Blawsa grew up in a choth of the Sagittarian basin whereas Eyath will become betrothed to Vodan of her own choth, Stormgate. Marrying into another choth involves accepting different laws and customs but the culture shock is not as great for Ythrians as it would be for human beings because the former get around more. Vodan has launched a silvicultural engineering firm in partnership with young members of Stormgate, Many Thermals and The Tarns. Stormgate families will fly to a regional Khruath that will also be attended by other choths.
Thus, choth membership does not restrict marriage, business activities or democratic procedures.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
This sounds almost idyllic! But Poul Anderson being the kind of writer he was, he will soon shows us some of the drawbacks and downsides of Ythrian life and culture.
Sean
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