Erithi poetry

Category: Races of Elanthia
Topic: Erithians
Message #: 950
Author: GS4-XYNWEN
Date: 4/12/2009 5:13:01 PM
Subject: Erithi Poetry

During HSN 2004, GM Jharra released the erithi style of poetry in the guise of NPC, Kavrajjuri. The log has circulated here and there. I've read it over several times, and I have condensed the info and added some insights where appropriate. The below can be considered official.

Individual erithi

It's not outside the realm of possibility for some erithi to not be drawn to this traditional poetry style and to write, read, and enjoy other kinds of poetry. Any claims that this non-traditional way is "all the rage in the erithi lands now" or any such claptrap is just that. The erithi style of poetry is alive and well and shows no signs of dying or being supplanted.

Purpose of erithi poetry

A social or political dialogue in a format that will not offend any listener

Key elements

Symbolism, assonance, alliteration, imagery, and consonance. Rhyme schemes are unimportant.

Poetry never refers to a living erithi by name. Typically, only elders are poetry masters, and not all erithi will "get" poetry or learn its language. Poets never write down their own poetry. They speak it and others write it down.

It could almost be considered a code or a riddle.

What it is not: It is not a haiku, a song, or a rhyme-driven poem. It is not like other poetry that might wax rhapsodic about a womans smile. If it is doing that, it is doing it for another reason.

Teaching the poetry

Kavrajjuri stated that the poetry was not actually taught, nor are there classes in understanding it. The poetry unfolds as you learn and study more of it. This, however, is a bias, per Chief Scholar Isienaka. There is a small group that feels you "lose" something if you teach it formally and adhere strictly to Kavrajjuri's statement. It can be assumed Kavrajjuri was learning poetry within a group of this bias. There is some truth to the statement, of course, as the best learning comes in time with effort, understanding, and wisdom. There are mostly informal studies on the poetry, and a few formal studies, on the poetry and its meaning.

Known Symbols

Note that not only is this list not comprehensive, but that each of these symbols might have different meanings depending on context and other elements.

Term	Symbolic Meaning
Back	outcasting, refusal, denial
Butterfly	Yichan Dai, beauty, art, playfulness
Dragonfly	Judgment, justice (can be divinely inspired)
Ears	perception of the world, words heard
Eyes	telepathy, soul, emotion, communication of emotion
Hawk	a happening of swift and sudden precision, typically modifies another symbol
Kiss	important to look at direction of the kiss (i.e. who kissed whom)
Lips	love, affection
Owl	Eloth Dai, dangerous knowledge, Fash'lo'nae
Salmon	Tichan Dai, faithfulness, journey, desire to return home
Shoulders	compassion, comfort
Vulture	cycles of life, redemption through transformation, the inevitable
Hands	act of creation
Wrists	guidance, instruction
Throat	one of the most important body symbols. Speech and words
Wolf	prophecy, fate, predetermination, Jastev, something Jastev sees
Raven	always represents an elder erithi, often someone with social or political power or the poet. Significant symbol because it helps provide context for the poems understanding
Yak	willingness to shoulder burdens
Fireflies	messages, news traveling
Harp	Elf (used to mean something else, changed in last century, previous meaning not released)
Tree branch or bough	often refers to a leader
Leaves	Peoples lives
Liabo	healing, compassion, blessings, honesty, or some combination thereof
Lornon	mystery, chaos, malice, revealed secrets
Tilaok	energy, physical motion, elemental magic
Makiri	(also known as the poets moon) creativity, inspiration, secret guidance
Mountain	tradition, honor, heritage, duty
Valley	sanctuary, peace
Ocean	danger, outsiders, intruders, or when a Nathala speaks might mean bounty and/or guidance
Drinking something	accept it fully, embrace it and make it part of you
Eating something	benefits from it while destroying it utterly
Colors	Colors in poetry are not a 1:1 correlation with colors in regular life, so wearing white doesnt have to have the same symbolism white in a poem would have
White	death, grief, funeral ritual (if person is alone)
White jade	receptiveness, youth, innocence
Jewels	Indicated that various jewels have meanings, so open for expansion here
Agates	soul, Lumnis (mother of agates), probably more
Agate, Beetle	industriousness (positive), bitter habit or lack of imagination (negative)
Agate, Nathala	bounty of the ocean
Fire	fear, hunger of soul, hunger of body
Mist	wisdom
West	continent of Elanith
Katana	masterwork, driving purpose
Sword (non-katana)	regret, honor, or both
Falcon	Valaka Dai, someone on a quest, a quest, freedom
Ram	Surath Dai, meaningless stubbornness (negative), determination, leadership of a small group
Silver	memory, the past, nostalgia, reminder of something lost
Aishan	loyalty beyond ethics, referencing aishan eyes always means inspiring fear

--Xynwen-- "The stars go waltzing out in blue and red, And arbitrary blackness gallops in"