A Basic Guide to Honorifics - Revision history

Maloncanth at 03:27, 15 July 2013

2013-07-15T03:27:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:27, 14 July 2013
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	The following may or may not be correct historically in the real world but then again, [[Why Amahara is Not Japan\|~~Amahara is Not~~ Japan]].		The following may or may not be correct historically in the real world but then again, [[Amahara]] is [[Why Amahara is Not Japan\|not Japan]].

	Also, random information that doesn't go anywhere else!		Also, random information that doesn't go anywhere else!

Maloncanth: /* Shrine Classification */

2013-07-14T20:18:29Z

Shrine Classification

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:18, 14 July 2013
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	'''-ja/-sha/-ya'''<br>		'''-ja/-sha/-ya'''<br>
	Appended to names for shrines of any physical size, indicating a shrine of lesser prestige that received a portion of divinity from a more important shrine.		Appended to names for shrines of any physical size, indicating a shrine of lesser prestige that received a portion of divinity from a more important shrine.

			'''-ji'''<br>
			Appended to name for Buddhist temples.

	'''Gongen'''<br>		'''Gongen'''<br>

Maloncanth: /* Apostolic Order of Succession */

2013-07-14T20:16:22Z

Apostolic Order of Succession

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:16, 14 July 2013
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	'''Mukyu''' (1541-???)<br>		'''Mukyu''' (1541-???)<br>
	???<br>		???<br>
	'''~~???~~''' (2003-???)<br>		'''Mutsumi''' (2003-???)<br>

	[[Category:Amahara]]		[[Category:Amahara]]

Maloncanth at 19:48, 14 July 2013

2013-07-14T19:48:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:48, 14 July 2013
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	Also, random information that doesn't go anywhere else!		Also, random information that doesn't go anywhere else!

	=Social Class and Rank=		==Social Class and Rank==
	==Nobility==		===Nobility===
	'''Samurai'''<br>		'''Samurai'''<br>
	The samurai class is the basic level of nobility in Amahara. The original samurai clans of the classical era were landed families that trained as armoured horse archers in support of shrine maidens. In those days, a holy noble clan - that is, an ancient family claiming shared ancestry with the hereditary apostolic line and produced shrine maidens - would have extra male members branch off with an allotment of land to found a samurai family with this reduced position. These samurai families served the main family and both its male and female members would be samurai. Although the apostolic line ended with the shogunate era, this system of nobility was more or less preserved during the reign of the Watatsuki except that the samurai families were ultimately the ones running the country. In Takamachi times, shrines controlled by holy nobility adopted daughters of samurai nobility as "hostages". While there remained distinction in terms of how each clan distributed its offspring (samurai vs. shrine maiden vs. political hostage vs. marrying them off, etc. etc.) the two tiers of nobility eventually merged into a single pool of nobility. Among properly landed samurai and shrines, this remains the system currently in place.		The samurai class is the basic level of nobility in Amahara. The original samurai clans of the classical era were landed families that trained as armoured horse archers in support of shrine maidens. In those days, a holy noble clan - that is, an ancient family claiming shared ancestry with the hereditary apostolic line and produced shrine maidens - would have extra male members branch off with an allotment of land to found a samurai family with this reduced position. These samurai families served the main family and both its male and female members would be samurai. Although the apostolic line ended with the shogunate era, this system of nobility was more or less preserved during the reign of the Watatsuki except that the samurai families were ultimately the ones running the country. In Takamachi times, shrines controlled by holy nobility adopted daughters of samurai nobility as "hostages". While there remained distinction in terms of how each clan distributed its offspring (samurai vs. shrine maiden vs. political hostage vs. marrying them off, etc. etc.) the two tiers of nobility eventually merged into a single pool of nobility. Among properly landed samurai and shrines, this remains the system currently in place.
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	Daimyo are the heads of Great Clans that are subordinate directly to the shogun. This can be unilaterally declared by any clan that believes they can get away with it. Generally, only clans with significant land holdings and very credible military forces would be recognized by their peers however.		Daimyo are the heads of Great Clans that are subordinate directly to the shogun. This can be unilaterally declared by any clan that believes they can get away with it. Generally, only clans with significant land holdings and very credible military forces would be recognized by their peers however.

	==Commoner==		===Commoner===
	'''Peasant'''<br>		'''Peasant'''<br>
	They work the land!		They work the land!
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	Very intimate and dimunitive form of address.		Very intimate and dimunitive form of address.

	=Shrine Classification=		==Shrine Classification==
	The first part of a shrine's name is the ''meisho'' – usually one or more of; the location of the shrine; the enshrined kami; or the family controlling the shrine.		The first part of a shrine's name is the ''meisho'' – usually one or more of; the location of the shrine; the enshrined kami; or the family controlling the shrine.

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	Usually translated as Great Shrine or Grand Shrine, these are the largest and most important shrines of Amahara. This is the most prestigious category of shrine. A taisha may venerate a terrestrial ''or'' a celestial god (so either a jinja ''or'' a jingu of sufficient importance may be a taisha). There are few enough of these in the country that many people can readily list them all and, depending on the branch of Shinto, will do so in more or less the same order. Among the highest ranking taisha are of course ''Aki Taisha'' in which the person of the apostle herself is the ''honden'' enshrining Kaguyahime, and ''Yakumo Taisha'' where all kami are said to meet once a century.		Usually translated as Great Shrine or Grand Shrine, these are the largest and most important shrines of Amahara. This is the most prestigious category of shrine. A taisha may venerate a terrestrial ''or'' a celestial god (so either a jinja ''or'' a jingu of sufficient importance may be a taisha). There are few enough of these in the country that many people can readily list them all and, depending on the branch of Shinto, will do so in more or less the same order. Among the highest ranking taisha are of course ''Aki Taisha'' in which the person of the apostle herself is the ''honden'' enshrining Kaguyahime, and ''Yakumo Taisha'' where all kami are said to meet once a century.

	=Random Information=		==Random Information==
	===Apostolic Order of Succession===		===Apostolic Order of Succession===
	The count always begins on the first full year of reign.		The count always begins on the first full year of reign.

Maloncanth: /* Apostolic Order of Succession */

2013-07-14T19:43:17Z

Apostolic Order of Succession

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:43, 14 July 2013
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	'''Mukyu''' (1541-???)<br>		'''Mukyu''' (1541-???)<br>
	???<br>		???<br>
	'''~~Mukyu~~''' (2003-???)<br>		'''???''' (2003-???)<br>

	[[Category:Amahara]]		[[Category:Amahara]]

Maloncanth: /* Random Information */

2013-07-14T16:11:42Z

Random Information

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:11, 14 July 2013
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	=Random Information=		=Random Information=
			===Apostolic Order of Succession===
			The count always begins on the first full year of reign.

			'''Mikohime''' (660-561BC)<br>
			???<br>
			'''Kumo''' (999-1031)<br>
			'''Uhime''' (1033-1035)<br>
			???<br>
			'''Kansho''' (1312-1331)<br>
			???<br>
			'''Mukyu''' (1541-???)<br>
			???<br>
			'''Mukyu''' (2003-???)<br>

	[[Category:Amahara]]		[[Category:Amahara]]

Maloncanth: /* Shrine Classification */

2013-07-14T15:15:16Z

Shrine Classification

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:15, 14 July 2013
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	'''Taisha'''<br>		'''Taisha'''<br>
	Usually translated as Great Shrine or Grand Shrine, these are the largest and most important shrines of Amahara. This is the most prestigious category of shrine. A taisha may venerate a terrestrial ''or'' a celestial god (so either a jinja ''or'' a jingu of sufficient importance may be a taisha). There are few enough of these in the country that many people can readily list them all and, depending on the branch of Shinto, will do so in more or less the same order. Among the highest ranking taisha are of course ''Aki Taisha'' in which the person of the apostle herself is the ''honden'' enshrining Kaguyahime, and ''Yakumo Taisha'' where all kami are said to meet once a century.		Usually translated as Great Shrine or Grand Shrine, these are the largest and most important shrines of Amahara. This is the most prestigious category of shrine. A taisha may venerate a terrestrial ''or'' a celestial god (so either a jinja ''or'' a jingu of sufficient importance may be a taisha). There are few enough of these in the country that many people can readily list them all and, depending on the branch of Shinto, will do so in more or less the same order. Among the highest ranking taisha are of course ''Aki Taisha'' in which the person of the apostle herself is the ''honden'' enshrining Kaguyahime, and ''Yakumo Taisha'' where all kami are said to meet once a century.

			=Random Information=


	[[Category:Amahara]]		[[Category:Amahara]]

Maloncanth at 15:14, 14 July 2013

2013-07-14T15:14:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:14, 14 July 2013
Line 1:		Line 1:
	The following may or may not be correct historically in the real world but then again, [[Why Amahara is Not Japan\|Amahara is Not Japan]].		The following may or may not be correct historically in the real world but then again, [[Why Amahara is Not Japan\|Amahara is Not Japan]].

			Also, random information that doesn't go anywhere else!

	=Social Class and Rank=		=Social Class and Rank=

Maloncanth: /* Social Class and Rank */

2013-07-13T23:26:40Z

Social Class and Rank

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:26, 13 July 2013
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	=Social Class and Rank=		=Social Class and Rank=
	==Nobility==		==Nobility==
			'''Samurai'''<br>
			The samurai class is the basic level of nobility in Amahara. The original samurai clans of the classical era were landed families that trained as armoured horse archers in support of shrine maidens. In those days, a holy noble clan - that is, an ancient family claiming shared ancestry with the hereditary apostolic line and produced shrine maidens - would have extra male members branch off with an allotment of land to found a samurai family with this reduced position. These samurai families served the main family and both its male and female members would be samurai. Although the apostolic line ended with the shogunate era, this system of nobility was more or less preserved during the reign of the Watatsuki except that the samurai families were ultimately the ones running the country. In Takamachi times, shrines controlled by holy nobility adopted daughters of samurai nobility as "hostages". While there remained distinction in terms of how each clan distributed its offspring (samurai vs. shrine maiden vs. political hostage vs. marrying them off, etc. etc.) the two tiers of nobility eventually merged into a single pool of nobility. Among properly landed samurai and shrines, this remains the system currently in place.

			Since the Rouran Invasions, the samurai class has become vastly more varied owing to drifts in economic status, upraisings of common soldiers and the increased complexity of genealogies making forgery easier. With actual fighting now endemic throughout the country, whether a person wears two swords and has the bluster (and perhaps even skill) to back them up is much more important than genealogy when considering samurai status. Many samurai have ''only'' their swords to their name, living otherwise in poverty, floating between masters whenever possible. Others are commoners who join the hosts of lords fighting nearby as cheap and unreliable mercenaries; those that looted two swords off the battlefield could easily present himself as a poor ronin. With constant warfare in the Sengoku period, whether one is a samurai has become quite the seller's market and as a result the legal opinion is that a person claiming to be a samurai who has a set of two swords should be considered and given the courtesies of a samurai unless proven otherwise. In practical terms however, there will be an enormous difference in wealth, equipment, education and political opportunities between the scion of a major clan and a peasant with two swords.

			'''Clerics'''<br>
			The religious class can be defined as a subset of nobility or as a career path. When referring to a class, it usually refers only to the holy nobility - original founding clans of the Dominion of Amahara who share Mikohime, the first apostle, as a common ancestor. It may or may not extends to branches formed by extra daughters who go out to take over or found a new shrine. Many shrines, be they vast and wealthy or fallen on hard times, are managed by a single hereditary family and genealogy can be more important. From the perspective of a clan, the only difference between them and samurai clans is that most samurai clans will only send a single daughter every generation or two to be shrine maidens as a token while religious clans would have all their daughters be shrine maidens. Clans whose practice lies in between exist as well. Such daughters are still part of the religious class and respected because of their career but their families are not traditional religious nobility. Girls of common birth adopted into shrines - as has been increasingly done in recent centuries to staff an ever-increasing number of shrines - are granted the same courtesy in theory.

	'''Shogun'''<br>		'''Shogun'''<br>
	The shogun is a daimyo appointed by the Apostle on the Grand Chamberlain's recommendation as her chief military commander with authority over all temporal warfare. In practice, the ~~position~~ is hereditary and initially ~~appointed to a clan~~ on account of an army camped outside the capital. Since several centuries ago, the shogun has effectively ruled all aspects of the dominion besides strictly religious and ceremonial duties. The shogun is the penultimate link in the feudal heirarchy - he owes loyalty to the Apostle and all clan daimyo owe him their loyalty insofar as his military and political power can assure this. The shogun has the right to audience with the Apostle to discuss matters of state. In practice, this means meeting with the Grand Chamberlain in the presence of one of the Apostolic Regalia representing the Apostle's person.		The shogun is a daimyo appointed by the Apostle on the Grand Chamberlain's recommendation as her chief military commander with authority over all temporal warfare. In practice, the title is hereditary (until your dynasty falls of course) and initially granted on account of an army camped outside the capital. Since several centuries ago, the shogun has effectively ruled all aspects of the dominion besides strictly religious and ceremonial duties. The shogun is the penultimate link in the feudal heirarchy - he owes loyalty to the Apostle and all clan daimyo owe him their loyalty insofar as his military and political power can assure this. The shogun has the right to audience with the Apostle to discuss matters of state. In practice, this means meeting with the Grand Chamberlain in the presence of one of the Apostolic Regalia representing the Apostle's person.

	'''Daimyo/Great Clan'''<br>		'''Daimyo/Great Clan'''<br>
	Daimyo are the heads of Great Clans that are subordinate directly to the shogun. This can be unilaterally declared by any clan that believes they can get away with it. Generally, only clans with significant land holdings and very credible military forces would be recognized by their peers.		Daimyo are the heads of Great Clans that are subordinate directly to the shogun. This can be unilaterally declared by any clan that believes they can get away with it. Generally, only clans with significant land holdings and very credible military forces would be recognized by their peers however.

	~~'''Samurai'''<br>~~
	The samurai class is the basic level of nobility in Amahara. The original samurai clans were landed families that trained as armoured horse archers in support of shrine maidens. In Sengoku times, there is a much greater disparity in the variety of samurai owing to drifts in economic status as well as regular "official" upraisings of common soldiers to samurai status. Because actual fighting is now endemic throughout the country, whether a person wears two swords and has the blusters (and perhaps skill) to back them up is much more important than genealogy when considering samurai status.

	~~'''Clergy'''<br>~~
	The clerical class are a subset of the samurai class (though arguably the samurai were originally an extension of the clerical class) that also produce shrine maidens and were part of the old nobility. Many shrines are managed by a single hereditary family and genealogy can be more important. The idealized situation is a clan whose females go on to become shrine maidens while males become samurai.

	==Commoner==		==Commoner==
	'''Peasant'''<br>		'''Peasant'''<br>
			They work the land!

	'''Merchant'''<br>		'''Merchant'''<br>
	Merchants are considered the lowest social class in Amahara. In practice they are of course ~~are~~ much better off than the average peasant.		Merchants are considered the lowest social class in Amahara. In practice they are of course much better off than the average peasant.

			'''Artisans/Learned People'''<br>
			Respected even if they don't fight.

	=Honorifics=		=Honorifics=

Maloncanth: /* Shrine Classification */

2013-07-13T21:38:52Z

Shrine Classification

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:38, 13 July 2013
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	'''Hokura'''<br>		'''Hokura'''<br>
	Literally a "spiritual repository", hokura are shrines that are usually very minor~~, subordinate to a larger shrine by being on its grounds,~~ and/or have no regular human presence. Numerous hokura dot the countryside of Amahara, especially along roads where they protect travellers in exchange for offerings. They may be used for ancestor veneration. Under some interpretations, every gravestone is technically a hokura. ~~Large~~ shrines may ~~also~~ have numerous hokura of other ~~spirits~~ on their grounds (~~sometimes~~ branch hokura of other major deities) ~~– this~~ is treated as a courtesy of the kami of the major shrine.		Literally a "spiritual repository", hokura are shrines that are usually very minor and/or have no regular human presence. Numerous hokura dot the countryside of Amahara, especially along roads where they protect travellers in exchange for offerings. They may be used for ancestor veneration which, in theory, demands less ritual pomp than veneration of gods. Under some interpretations, every gravestone is technically a hokura. Finally, the term also applies to mini-shrines erected on the grounds of larger complexes. In addition to the main deity being venerated, large shrines may have numerous hokura of other kami located on their grounds (often branch hokura of other major deities). This is treated as a courtesy of the kami of the major shrine.

	'''Mikoshi'''<br>		'''Mikoshi'''<br>
	A divine palanquin or mobile temporary shrine paraded about during festivals or used to found branch shrines.		A divine palanquin or mobile temporary shrine paraded about during festivals or used to found branch shrines. In the latter case, the kami involved is first divided, a portion of divinity is placed in the palanquin and then it is transported to the new facility to be re-enshrined.

	'''-ja/-sha/-ya'''<br>		'''-ja/-sha/-ya'''<br>
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	'''Gongen'''<br>		'''Gongen'''<br>
	The term ''gongen'' was originally Buddhist and such establishments are essentially Shinto shrines (as opposed to Buddhist temples) that recognizes Buddhist figures. Since posthumous elevation of mortals to enlightened status is common under some schools, most shrines of significance that venerate historic figures are ''gongen'' built starting in the 6th century onwards.		The term ''gongen'' was originally Buddhist and such establishments are essentially Shinto shrines (as opposed to Buddhist temples) that recognizes Buddhist figures. Since posthumous elevation of mortals to enlightened status is common under some schools, most shrines of significance that venerate historic figures are designated ''gongen'' built starting in the 6th century onwards.

	'''Jingu'''<br>		'''Jingu'''<br>
	A shrine dedicated to a ''celestial'' deity or a figure related to Amahara's foundation or creation. ~~This~~ includes the shrines dedicated to ~~each apostle~~. The status of ''jingu'' is slightly more prestigious than a ''jinja'' but not as prestigious as a ''taisha''.		A shrine dedicated to a ''celestial'' deity or a figure related to Amahara's foundation or creation and is thus exclusive with the designation of ''jinja'' which venerate terrestrial deities and elevated mortals. The definition includes the shrines dedicated to demigod figures related to celestial deities, a few conceptual shrines, as well as all past apostles. The status of ''jingu'' is slightly more prestigious than a ''jinja'' but not as prestigious as a ''taisha''.

	'''Taisha'''<br>		'''Taisha'''<br>
	Usually translated as Great Shrine or Grand Shrine, these are the largest and most important shrines of Amahara. This is the most prestigious category of shrine. A taisha may venerate a terrestrial or celestial god ~~though there~~ are few enough in the country that many people can readily list them. Among the highest ranking is of course ''Aki Taisha'' in which the person of the apostle herself is the ''honden''.		Usually translated as Great Shrine or Grand Shrine, these are the largest and most important shrines of Amahara. This is the most prestigious category of shrine. A taisha may venerate a terrestrial ''or'' a celestial god (so either a jinja ''or'' a jingu of sufficient importance may be a taisha). There are few enough of these in the country that many people can readily list them all and, depending on the branch of Shinto, will do so in more or less the same order. Among the highest ranking taisha are of course ''Aki Taisha'' in which the person of the apostle herself is the ''honden'' enshrining Kaguyahime, and ''Yakumo Taisha'' where all kami are said to meet once a century.


	[[Category:Amahara]]		[[Category:Amahara]]