Post by Lemur God on Dec 9, 2005 20:31:54 GMT -5
~The Air Nomads~
*NOTE: All of this is simply speculation, as we haven’t seen any Air Nomads in the show as of yet!*
The Air Nomads are nomads that wander three separate groups of islands. The first group being down by the South Pole, the second on the far west side of the fire nation, and the third on the east side of the Earth Kingdom. The bands that wander these islands hardly ever travel far from their own archipelagos, but even so, the culture among them remains as similar as it can, and there are things that are found from band to band.
The Air Nomads favor light clothing of oranges, yellows, whites, creams, and even some bands favor greens and golds. The Clothing is similar to that found in India, with the women wearing Saris and the men wearing loose pants and shirts. Veils and headdresses are not common however. Women also wear bhindis. All the clothing is woven out of natural silks, cottons, and wools.
The Air Nomads travel on flying birds, similar to rocs. As a very nomadic culture, great emphasis is put on the welfare of the band. Before the Fire Nation started its war and raids on the Airbender temples and the Air Nomads the Airbenders pulled their ranks from young children brought to the temples by their parents. Some of the monks also traveled to the different bands, taking small children that showed talent (with the permission of the parents, of course.) Boys went to the Southern or Northern temples and Girls went to the Eastern and Western temples. The Monks and Nuns were considered to be the spiritual guides for the Air Nomads, and sometimes, one would even leave the monastery and travel with a Band. (Hardly ever the band of their birth, though.)
These days, the temples are visited as shrines to the past, and what the Air Nomads feel they may never regain. Young children who show any Airbending talent learn early on to hide that talent, even among the band. Where bands of Air Nomads at camp once welcomed outsiders, they now pack up and leave at a moments notice. Their children are taught to fear anyone not of their own descent. This lesson of fear has been taught by the Fire Nation, who, for the past hundred years, has slaughtered any band it came across. Occasionally bands are still found, and people still murdered.
Air Nomads now live a life of constant vigilance. Even when two or more bands meet, the occasion of food, trading, song and dance can be cut short at a moments notice and they can disappear like they were never there, leaving signs only the most advance tracker could see before leaving the ground entirely.
In their own bands, Air Nomads are lovers of stories, song, dance and music. Children are taught their people’s history through these means. No dance, song or story is without meaning. Instruments are taught at a young age and most air nomad children learn how to play a flute before they can talk, and shortly after they learn how to walk, they are dancing.
Since the culture is nomadic, goods are restricted to that which can be easily carried, but bracelets, earrings and nose rings that are passed from grandmother to granddaughter are common. The bracelets can also be used to keep time, and anklets are also common among some bands.
The traveling bands look to their Elder for advice and guidance, and it is he (or she) who leads the band in times of trouble. Air Nomads travel with lemurs and they consider the animals to be sacred. Flying Bison and also considered to be sacred, the few that are left in the wild believed to be the reincarnated spirits of great air benders.
Air Nomads worship the spirits of the sky and the wind, and revere the temples, though the Northern temple is now avoided since it has become populated with people from the Earth Kingdom. The Air Nomads consider the temples holy ground and bring sick children there when seeking the blessing of the spirits they believe reside there.
Stories and histories are told through a combination of storytelling, dance and song, these are highly ritualized, and another position of prestige among Air Nomads is that of the band’s Bard.
Food is gathered from the set paths they wander and hunted and fished as well. Unlike the monks, they don’t practice vegetarianism on such a large scale, though they try to eat as little meat as possible.
Any Air Nomad traveling out side his or her band would be extremely skittish and fearful. Since the war started, they don’t mingle with other peoples unless the situation is dire.
*NOTE: All of this is simply speculation, as we haven’t seen any Air Nomads in the show as of yet!*
The Air Nomads are nomads that wander three separate groups of islands. The first group being down by the South Pole, the second on the far west side of the fire nation, and the third on the east side of the Earth Kingdom. The bands that wander these islands hardly ever travel far from their own archipelagos, but even so, the culture among them remains as similar as it can, and there are things that are found from band to band.
The Air Nomads favor light clothing of oranges, yellows, whites, creams, and even some bands favor greens and golds. The Clothing is similar to that found in India, with the women wearing Saris and the men wearing loose pants and shirts. Veils and headdresses are not common however. Women also wear bhindis. All the clothing is woven out of natural silks, cottons, and wools.
The Air Nomads travel on flying birds, similar to rocs. As a very nomadic culture, great emphasis is put on the welfare of the band. Before the Fire Nation started its war and raids on the Airbender temples and the Air Nomads the Airbenders pulled their ranks from young children brought to the temples by their parents. Some of the monks also traveled to the different bands, taking small children that showed talent (with the permission of the parents, of course.) Boys went to the Southern or Northern temples and Girls went to the Eastern and Western temples. The Monks and Nuns were considered to be the spiritual guides for the Air Nomads, and sometimes, one would even leave the monastery and travel with a Band. (Hardly ever the band of their birth, though.)
These days, the temples are visited as shrines to the past, and what the Air Nomads feel they may never regain. Young children who show any Airbending talent learn early on to hide that talent, even among the band. Where bands of Air Nomads at camp once welcomed outsiders, they now pack up and leave at a moments notice. Their children are taught to fear anyone not of their own descent. This lesson of fear has been taught by the Fire Nation, who, for the past hundred years, has slaughtered any band it came across. Occasionally bands are still found, and people still murdered.
Air Nomads now live a life of constant vigilance. Even when two or more bands meet, the occasion of food, trading, song and dance can be cut short at a moments notice and they can disappear like they were never there, leaving signs only the most advance tracker could see before leaving the ground entirely.
In their own bands, Air Nomads are lovers of stories, song, dance and music. Children are taught their people’s history through these means. No dance, song or story is without meaning. Instruments are taught at a young age and most air nomad children learn how to play a flute before they can talk, and shortly after they learn how to walk, they are dancing.
Since the culture is nomadic, goods are restricted to that which can be easily carried, but bracelets, earrings and nose rings that are passed from grandmother to granddaughter are common. The bracelets can also be used to keep time, and anklets are also common among some bands.
The traveling bands look to their Elder for advice and guidance, and it is he (or she) who leads the band in times of trouble. Air Nomads travel with lemurs and they consider the animals to be sacred. Flying Bison and also considered to be sacred, the few that are left in the wild believed to be the reincarnated spirits of great air benders.
Air Nomads worship the spirits of the sky and the wind, and revere the temples, though the Northern temple is now avoided since it has become populated with people from the Earth Kingdom. The Air Nomads consider the temples holy ground and bring sick children there when seeking the blessing of the spirits they believe reside there.
Stories and histories are told through a combination of storytelling, dance and song, these are highly ritualized, and another position of prestige among Air Nomads is that of the band’s Bard.
Food is gathered from the set paths they wander and hunted and fished as well. Unlike the monks, they don’t practice vegetarianism on such a large scale, though they try to eat as little meat as possible.
Any Air Nomad traveling out side his or her band would be extremely skittish and fearful. Since the war started, they don’t mingle with other peoples unless the situation is dire.