Raven discusses three cultures, Namerican, Lochlanna and Gwydiona. According to him:
a Namerican, given a job to do, just tries to get it done, whether or not it is really worth doing, then tries to get his recreation done, "'...both with maximum bustle.'" (p. 565);
a Lochlanna tries to work and play to some sort of ideal and tends to give up completely if he fails;
the Gwydiona do not separate work, play, art, private life or life in general but see everything as "'...one harmonious whole.'" (p. 566)
This third group combines food-gathering, pleasure and art as follows:
fishing boats have "'...elaborately carved figureheads and painted designs...'" (ibid.);
every detail is multiply symbolic;
fishers are accompanied by musicians!
For other Andersonian comparisons of fictional cultures, see:
Solarians, Nomads, Erulani and Alori in The Peregrine II;
a fifth culture, Stellamont, in Conflicting Cultures;
Solarian, Nomadic and Alorian arts in Arts.
Andersonian scholarship now includes future historical cultural studies. This post represents the Technic History whereas the three linked posts represent the earlier Psychotechnic History.
3 comments:
Namerica and Lochlanna are human cultures; the Gwydionans are something different. Their culture is built on a different foundation of instinctual orientations and patterns, and so takes forms our type of human being couldn't do.
This is the problem the Namericans and Lochlannach face on Gwydonia; they think they're dealing with a profoundly alien culture, and they are.
But they're also dealing with a different -species-, and don't know it because the locals -look- like humans, and that's what makes it so hard for them to comprehend the differences.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And the Gwydiona DESCENDED from the "old" human stock. Somehow, the human colonists became genetically addicted to the bale flower plant on Gwydion, making them become insane once a Gwydion year.
Sean
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