Donorian - Ethnicity

Donorians are the people of the Donorian species who come from the planet Donora. This article also pertains to the culture of the donorian colonies outside of their homeworld. 

Donorians historically were made up of many different cultures and ethnic groups, with the dominant culture being that of the Gamto river basin where the planet’s capital Neburn and most influential people are located. For simplicity this dominant culture is referred to as the Gamto Basin culture.

Donorians are also an empathic species able to sense the emotions of those nearby, this has also affected their culture making it more focused on harmony, mediating conflict, and working together as a community.

Social structure

Kinship

For more info see: WIP

Donorian kinship is based around the core nuclear family who make up each individual household, with nearby -often neighboring- relatives also taking part in everyday activities like childcare. Bilateral descent is the norm, and oftentimes the families of a couple will become very close and intertwined with adults both sides taking part in the rearing of children and handling family situations. Members of the same generation in a family -like siblings or cousins- are exceptionally close, often growing up together and spending many important events together.

Weddings & Courtship

For more info see: Donorian Weddings

Due to donorians being an empathic species and therefore hold feelings in high regard, marriages are rarely arranged. Time for a couple to get to know each other is considered the most important part of courtship, with introducing each other to their families being a sign of a very serious relationship. 

Donorian weddings are very big celebrations, with lots of color, family, and partying with ceremonies taking place over the course of multiple days.

Pregnancy & Infanthood

For more info see: Donorian Pregnancy & Infanthood

In Donorian society, pregnancy and infant hood are very important milestones in one's life both for the child and for the parent. Midwives are the most common form of medical carers when it comes to Donorian pregnancies, with home births being common and hospitals and emergency intervention being used for difficult cases.

There are also certain traditions associated with pregnancy and infanthood, such as the practices surrounding the naming of the baby and introduction to the rest of the family.

Gender

Gender on Donora is seen as more of a gradient with some people falling on one end or the other, and some people falling somewhere along the middle. The Empathic powers of the Donorians have made them see every person as a unique individual with each person having a different relationship with gender as well as other aspects of life.

Sexuality

Sexuality is very open in Donorian culture, mostly due to their empathic abilities making it able to tell when someone is attracted to or in love with someone. As such there is little discrimination and difference between same-sex or different-sex couples or marriages.

Architecture

Donorian architecture tends to focus on single buildings with covered walkways or porches branching off. In simpler houses this typically means a single multipurpose building with the outside of the house being surrounded by a porch or walkway shaded by the roof. In larger houses or housing complexes individual buildings for the kitchen, living area, and bedrooms may exist with all the different buildings being connected by porches or hallways.

Roofs are typically hipped, taking on the shape of the building, sometimes with a change in angle towards the bottom resulting in a flared look. Donorian architecture typically also shies away from square or rectangular buildings, with buildings often incorporating octagonal or hexagonal shapes into their design. Multistory buildings are common for offices, apartments, and other urban buildings, and are also used in large houses. In larger houses this often includes a tiered setback design to the multiple stories, with walkways surrounding the upper floor, similar to the ground floor.

Most traditional and historical buildings -especially in tropical areas and the Gamto Basin cultural sphere- were built out of wood and many modern buildings still are -at least partly- or are made to look like they are.

Fashion

For more info see: Donorian Traditional Fashion

Donora has a wide variety of cultures and biomes on the planet, however due to the influence of the dominant Gamto Basin culture, many of those fashion elements are found across the planet. The most obvious of these elements is the presence of wrapped garments, often fastened at the side of the wearer.

Typical outfits include a wrap style top with the bottoms being loose trousers or skirts; a halter-top like undershirt is also commonly worn. 

Other elements like traditional headwear, chunky jewelry, platform sandals, etc. are also part of Donorian fashion and are still seen on the planet.

Farming & Pastoralism

While not known for being an agricultural planet, Donorians still produce some food on their planet, with farming communities being located in mostly rural locations. In the cities and urban areas, household and community gardens are still a common sight.

In wet tropical areas, paddy farming and terrace farming is often practiced with Rin-Lin and Obdome being the main crops. In other more temperate regions Dreye Pine and Donorian Tea Plants are commonly grown mainly for their byproducts of tea and sap.

In some cases rural areas -typically found in areas that still practice subsistence agriculture- will have an area of common land shared by the community, these can include grazing lands, forests, and agricultural fields or paddies. This also includes community water sources. This communal ownership encourages community collaboration and sustainability, something further encouraged by donorian spirituality.

Food

Donorian food mostly consists of plant material, with leaves, roots, or stems being found in almost every dish. Fruits and meats are secondary ingredients, mostly used to add flavor or extra nutrients. Obdome and Rin-Lin grass are two very common vegetable ingredients; amphibious or reptilian animals are often used for their meat and eggs in Donorian cuisine, with the occasional large animal like the Donorian Marshwalker also being hunted or raised for its meat.

Most Donorian food is cooked through boiling, steaming, or frying with other methods like baking being less common. Donorian food consists of a lot of side dishes and separate servings that when combined make the meal.

Notable Dishes Include:

Sui’rrul - Boiled Rin-Lin stalks that are served in a spiced broth, may also include meat and vegetables.

Donorian Toad Legs - Donorian Toad Legs that are cooked and served. They are most commonly served fried and may be battered or non-battered depending on the cook and region. The meat from the frog legs may also be used in other dishes as well.

Obdome Skewers - Obdome sliced, spiced, pan or grill fried, and served on a skewer. This is a popular snack and street food.

Donorian Dumplings - dumplings made of dough, stuffed with filling such as rin-lin grass, meat, or obdome as well as spices. They are then fried and served. They tend to be a quick snack or a side dish as part of a larger meal.

Donorian Tea - a common herbal brew made from the leaves of the Donorian tea plant. There are also mass produced versions sold in supermarkets.

Spirituality

For more info see: Donorian Spirituality

Donorian spirituality and religions often focus on maintaining harmony, achieving and reflecting on spiritual enlightenment, as well as many traditions that revolve around placating spirits or nature and the dead.

Modernly, most of the philosophical aspects of donorian spirituality is still practiced -especially the idea of achieving a more understanding state and maintaining harmony with nature and others- however, the worship of individual spirits and deities has become less common.

The Arts

Music

For more info see: Donorian Traditional Music

Donorian Music focuses a lot on rhythm, with many of their instruments being used to provide beat and rhythm to storytelling performances like singing and dancing. Singing is often very chant-like and rhythmic, with solo singers being typical.

Most traditional folk music developed out of accompaniment for traditional performances like dance and storytelling, as well as traditional celebration music.

Dance

For more info see: Donorian Traditional Dance

Donorian traditional dances are typically very dynamic and emotional, with the performers embodying stories and characters similar to theater actors. Feminine characters tend to be portrayed with more swaying and twisting movements with masculine characters tending to be more angular and sharp. 

Donorian dance styles, especially those like the Surik Story Dance, are often quite theater-like and many are performed on stages and in theaters for entertainment.

Traditional Crafts

Traditional arts and crafts are also a big part of Donorian culture, with many being used to make decorations as well as more traditional tools and objects. Many methods have begun to use modern machinery and materials, but in some areas -especially rural areas- more traditional methods and materials are still preferred.

Donorian wax relief dying is a traditional method of adding a pattern to fabric. Traditionally methods like using a canting -a pen-like tool used to draw in molten wax- or stamps to create the design are used. The motifs created on the fabric are typically nature motifs with lots of florals, fish, and birds. This fabric making method has mostly been replaced by faster mass production methods, with the traditional method really only being used for very expensive fabric and works of art.

Other crafts -such as basketry and traditional weaving- have for the most part stopped being produced by hand, although many are still practiced using modern machinery but are very costly and mostly used to create expensive show pieces.

Activities & Sports

Nyudha

Nyudha is a form of popular martial arts in Donora. In its more combative forms it involves a lot of kicking and striking with emphasis on using the knees, elbows, and palms. There are also many grapples, and tosses used with the ultimate goal being to grapple the opponent in some sort of joint lock.

Modernly this martial art is used as a form of athletics, keeping the body busy and active, rather than being used for actual defensive or martial actions. There are often competitions in the martial art, with the winner being the one to grapple or pin their opponent.