Bog Men

Bog Men

Bog Men of the Tremmelings

The Bog Men of the Tremmelings are a paleolithic hunter-gatherer culture which inhabits the deepest recesses of the tropical mangrove swamps, bayous, and jungles of the Tremmlings. They are a very sparse and secretive people, so not much in known of them. They seem to travel in hunting-gathering bands, perhaps small families in their far-ranging quest for forage. These bands avoid each other at all costs, only crossing paths at rirtually appointed times, such as a yearly lunar Festival of Spirits. This is when these bands trade goods, brides, and children. If these bands cross each other outside of this ritually pure period, they are required to annihilate each other, unless a ritually direct connection can be established. Bands may talk for hours before fighting breaks out, trying to establish the last time that a bride or child was adopted or exchanged between the bands. This is often difficult, because the Bog Men speak at least 30 separate languages, which can be broken down into hundreds of familial dialects. They often communicate through ellaborate ritualized dance and sign language. They observate a very ritually complex spirituality centering around the veneration of place spirits (especially Locii) and forces of nature. They especially venerate the Bog Spirits, which inhabit the deep recesses of the Tremmeling mangrove swamps. They are believed to manifest as willow-o'-whips. Even though they are materially the least advanced of the Three Peoples of the Tremmeling, they are religiously the most complex.

They move over wide ranging areas, building makeshift shelters, with no permanent territorial claims. Bands are lead by a Mother and and Father. The Father serves in fuctions similar to a chieftain, shaman, and priest. The Mother co-serves in the same capacity. Both men and women fight, hunt, and gather. There is little difference in the role of men and women. Lineage is reckoned matrilinerally.