Proverbs of Tamriel Part 1: A Reachman saying

###Foreward:

Greetings reader! My name is Makes Great-Shadows, secondary advisor of economics for Emperor Optimus Mede, and I would like to show you some of the great, but lesser-known sayings from all around the Empire. We all know a few proverbs, like "never judge a book by its cover" for instance. But I'm sure you haven't heard all that the people of the provinces have to say. So these entries will (hopefully) serve to enlighten you on the wide and varied land that is the Empire!

I will be talking about one proverb per race or area, and give some background on the culture surrounding those words. Hope you enjoy!

##Part 1: A Reachman saying

"My child is dear to me, as the mountains are dear to the Reach."

Ah, the Reachman. Perhaps the most hated group of men in the entire world, looked down upon for their barbaric practices and brushed off as Daedra-worshipping savages. But I feel most people are way too quick to ignore the Reachmen. The fact is, they have a rich culture of their own, and it doesn't just involve cannibalism and mutilation. And this quote perfectly encapsulates this richness.

I found this gem while I was staying in Markarth, Skyrim during the summer of 154 (I was spending time with the Jarl to learn a bit about Nordic business practices). While Markarth is an impossibly beautiful city, you can't help but notice that most of the miners and poorer folk happened to be Reachmen whose families were ripped from their mountain homes generations ago, or they themselves were kidnapped to be used for what can essentially be called slave labor (the moral implications of these practices, dear reader, are a story for another time, however; please do not focus on this).

While at the Jarl's palace, I met a wonderful young man by the name of Cairin, who was much better off than most of his Reachmen brethren, having found a respectable job in Understone Keep. I asked him where he got his magnificent-sounding name (I am a poet at heart, after all; I have fondness for words that can roll off of my scaly tongue!). As it turns out, his name comes from the very quote at the top of the page: "cairin" means "dear" or "beloved" in Reachspeech, and it is a popular name because of that proverb, which he said to me in his native tongue:

"Ga perth beiit cairin gair tei, om cnossen beie Raich tei"

At first glance, this saying doesn't seem very special; of course someone's child would be dear to him or her, would it not? But comparison to the landscape is what makes this proverb purely Reachman. Think about how mountains relate to the land of the Reach itself (if you don't know, the Reach is very rocky and mountainous, with rolling valleys and large crags). The land of the Reach supports the mountains, and in turn, the mountains make the land rich and beautiful. In the same vein, a Reachman family is very tight-knit, as good parents always look after and support their children, but in turn, children must return their end of the bargain by acting respectful and loving, as well as making their parents proud in front of the whole village.

Mountains are also a part of the Reach; they are not necessarily separate, but not necessarily completely the same as the land either. Children are parts of their parents. As such, they never fully reach the "independence" that is supported in the Empire's Cyro-Nord culture. Reachmen may seem more controlling of their children to us, but to them, it is simply a fact of life that the parents get to decide much of a child's life. Considering the Reachmen are constantly living on the edge in the harsh mountainous wild, it is not much of a surprise that they don's have much room for independence.

This quote actually expands into family relations as well. Grandchildren are often referred to as "paites arbaich," or "little trees," by their seniors. Trees are on top of mountains, and mountains are on top of the Reach. It's a perfect tiered system!

The final interesting thing to note about this proverb is the second word: "perth" in Reachspeech doesn't directly translate to "child." Rather, it is more like "heir" or "protégé." This explains the close bonds that older Reachmen have to youngers who aren't even their close family, like apprentices and those that look up to the elders. Reachman culture strongly encourages role models and taking care of those who aren't blood-related to you; anyone in your village can be considered your "family," and all those younger than you your nephews and nieces. This is clearly in strong contrast to the Colovian and Bretonic view that "my family is better than your family." Perhaps this is simply because the Reachmen need to stick together for survival, while those in a city don' have to, but it's still hard not to admire how close-knit those Faux-Bretons are.

Next time you see a Reachman walking down the street, I hope that you won't just look at them in disgust and walk away. Every culture has good things and bad things, and it's always better to focus on the good things.

Originally written by Makes Great-Shadows, 5th of Morning Star, 4E 155