Almost nothing is known about the Ranian people before just over a millenium and a half ago. There are remnants of similar languages to modern-day Ranian found in parts of the Ural mountains, but these are inconclusive, and since they are now dead, Ranian is a language isolate. During the great migration of people which took place after the fall of Rome, they, among other tribes who would later constitute the Uralic nations (Finnish and Estonians), travelled south and after a long period of migration, settled in present-day Rana Myat.
The Ranians were a partial democracy - tribal rulers were appointed by the people and could (and often were) overthrown if they failed in this capacity, but they were presided over by a chieftain, who was not elected and was often chosen by a private council. The earliest and most well-known of these chieftains was Hochin Myalař (d. 641), who defeated an attempted invasion of the nation by the Khazars and Poles, and in doing so began the tradition of warlike cunning that allowed the Ranians to maintain sovereignty for so long.
For the next millennium, the dense swamplands of Rana Myat were mostly abandoned by foreign powers - not just because they had little to offer, but because the Ranians were able to defend their homeland against any invaders. They used a variety of unique techniques, reminiscent of modern-day jungle wars - for example, during the Northern Crusades in the 12th century, a military fleet travelling through the swamp on rafts were attacked by "a great falling log, sharpened to a lethal point, undoubtedly placed in the trees by the native scoundrels and released on our fleet ... with just one blow, three rafts were partly sunk, and those who were thrown off in the chaos were killed by an unseen attacker with bows and arrows". The most feared warriors were the "reedmen" - trained fighters who would remain underwater for hours at a time, breathing through concealed straws, capsizing enemy boats and killing the escaping crew - and the "bandits", who would conceal themselves in offerings of food (sometimes they would place adder venom in the food instead) and attack ships from within. These techniques worked so well they were used up until the Second World War.
Eventually, most powers abandoned the thought of conquering what was seen as a useless region, and simply classified it as a region of Lithuania, and later Poland. It was not until the 1600s that under the reign of John II that Poland attempted another offensive on the marsh. This time, a peace was met before there were heavy losses on either side - the Ranians accepted Christianity as their religion, agreed to accept Polish rule and in exchange they would not be taxed. At first, many were sceptical, and there was almost a civil war between the groups, but in the long run, this arrangement became beneficial to both sides.
Rana Myat was mostly ignored by Napoleon, and accepted Russian rule under essentially the same conditions as the Poles. However, in 1858, the Tsar allowed nobles to develop large regions of the marsh into personal retreats. This move resulted in the displacement of many communities and ultimately caused the Ranians to support the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution - although ironically, one of the largest areas reclaimed from the marsh became the site of the country's current capital, Kosibol.
In 1914, the First World War began, and Germany saw a chance to use the nearby Ranians to their advantage. At first, this plan worked well, with a large native force using their ingenuity to turn on Russian troops. However, when news of mistreatment and abuse of Ranians by their German "allies" came out, they quickly turned to the goal of achieving independence.
Three years after this, in 1917, Imperial Russia was toppled by the Russian Revolution and resulting Civil War. During this period, the majority of the Ranians assisted the Bolshevik forces, believing that under socialism, they would be freer. After the Russian Civil War ended, the Ranians quickly changed their minds and attempted to declare independence. However, the threat of German invasion, under the new Nazi government, soon took priority.
Since Rana Myat bordered East Prussia, it was one of the first regions of Russia to be invaded. Hitler, believing the nation to be weak and primitive, intended simply to burn down the forest and exterminate the Ranians from their homeland. However, the Ranians, with assistance from the Soviet partisans, fought back, by using strategically placed clearings, partially obscured mines and even makeshift war rafts, which proved incredibly effective against the Germans, who were unaccustomed to the environment. As many as a third of the nation's population - just over a million people - gave their lives in the Second World War, and played an important role in the invasion of East Prussia (now Kaliningrad, present-day Russia). As recompense for their actions, the Ranians were permitted more autonomy than any other SSR, and had some of the highest living standards of the Soviet Union.
After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Rana Myat became independent, still under a largely socialist government. Today, it is democraticallu ruled from a Parliament in Kosibol - the current President is Qanzhuk Raval, leader of the Ranian People's Democratic Party. Its currency is the "alnazh", to which the exchange rate is 0.29 pound sterling per "alna".
Most people in the country still live in basic settlements, built around the bases or tops of trees. There is electricity and motorised boats, which transport people, medicine and other supplies, but few navigable roads across the entire country. Many still inhabit "chelegizh", traditional houseboats used for transport around the marshes.
The Ranian education system is very successful - students begin lower schooling at 6 years old, advance to an intermediary school at 10 years and enter higher schooling at 15 years. Despite there being very few universities in the country, up to 70% of the population go on to university at home or abroad. This academic success is attributed to the calm pacing of education and the lack of emphasis on singular exams.
There are a number of religions in the country - 36% of the population follow either Catholic or Orthodox Christianity, but 41% follow native beliefs and traditions. The remaining fraction is mostly, non-religious, although there is a significant Muslim minority, left over from historical trading networks with the Arabs. The native religion of Rana Myat is formally known as "Ranian ancestral beliefs", and is similar in form to Finnish paganism, observing a number of festivals:
- Atapryumawj (Атапрюмаы) - The festival of Atapryu, the spirit associated with darkness and death. It is held on the first lunar week of December, although if there is a death in the family, it is held immediately afterward instead. It is a solemn time, for contemplation and remembrance, and is also, essentially, a prolonged funeral, where offerings are made to the deceased and a tree is felled in their memory (usually, this is one tree per settlement)
- Utigmawj (Утигмаы) - The festival of Utig, the spirit of time and life. It is held around the end of January, and is somewhat akin to Christmas - celebrating the start of early spring. It is also the start of the New Year in the Old Ranian Calendar - families often give each other gifts at this time. Lately, it has become more commercialised, treated as a Christmas-like enterprise by foreign companies. There is a ceremony performed towards on the last two days of the week - the adult males of the village will sail on an overnight hunting expedition, and will immerse themselves in the nearest freshwater pool.
The biggest non-religious holiday is 7 April - in 1672, this was the day the Great Treaty was signed, opening the Ranians up to cultural influence from the Poles and Russians, in 1917, this was the day of the Kosibol Rebellion, where a public demonstration against the German occupying force in Kosibol successfully established a communist government, and in 1945, this was when the last German garrison in the country surrendered. It is called "Tolvenuih" (Толвенуих), a name that roughly translates to "Victory Day".
Another major secular festival originating in recent times is Soldier's Day - it is held on September 18, the birthday of Yateb Hawawjni (Ятеб хаьаыни (1902-1974)), one of the most famous servicemen in the Ranian military. During the Russian Civil War, he trained as one of the last remaining reedmen, learning the ancient military tactics of the Old Ranian tribes. During the German occupation in the Second World War, he led multiple raids - by hiding in a bushel of grain offered by a village, he successfully sunk a ship carrying an important military commander; he founded the country's first air squadron and liberated a concentration camp on the Ranian border with just 8 men. After the war, he became a politician, and was the country's ambassador to Britain from 1967 until his death. A statue stands in Myalar Square to celebrate his life.
In terms of politics, Rana Myat is a social democracy, of a mostly socialist constitution. There is a national healthcare service, and all schools are paid for by the government. It is still allied with Russia and Belarus, but has expressed concern over their imperialist policies in recent times.
No comments:
Post a Comment