Entry #344721, added on 05-02-05 @ 9:42 am EDT
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| Lappet Symbolism | Entry #344721 |
Lappets are an odd topic when it comes to the Apsiu, simply because they are so important, yet the exact reason behind their importance is unclear.
When a Kana (warrior Apsiu) is made Moru (slave) on account of injury to his wings, or as punishment for a crime or as public humiliation, not only are his wings slashed, but his lappets are frequently slashed as well. Even though the slashing of lappets does NOT mark one as a Moru, still, it is taken very seriously, and any injury to these pieces of colored cloth is treated with great shock and humiliation, almost as if the wings themselves had been injured. This symbolism is so strong that even when they strip naked, Apsiu very, very rarely remove their skullcaps (to which the lappets are attached), and removal of the lappets when one is fully dressed is considered a terrible embarrassment and debasement of one's Kana status. (As expected, the Moru, who also usually wear lappets, are not nearly so worried about how theirs are treated.) Failure to wear one's lappets can even get one in trouble with the law, as they are an important identifying device, and in a society where the caste system is so strictly enforced, wearing the wrong lappets is a crime that can be punishable by relegation to Moru status--the greatest punishment aside from death.
All that having been said...I still have no answer as to WHY the lappets are regarded as so important. The lappet system is already in place when the Apsiu first appear in Osiris, so it seems to have been ingrained into their culture for some reason. One could guess that the lappets are symbolic of the wings, but this is just a guess, and likely does not apply all the time. I'm supposing the real original meaning behind this piece of clothing will always be a mystery.
The origins/meanings behind the color code system used on lappets are not fully known, either. The colors used are:
Purple--general; highest rank, only one Kana within a tribe may wear these (the sole exception being when Set wore the purple lappets as king, and his military leader, Kusef, wore them as general)
Red--captain; second highest rank
Blue--lieutenant; third highest rank
Black--sergeants and privates--lowest ranks (also may be worn by Kana children not in training yet)
White--physicians/healers and priests/mystics
Gray--scribes
Brown--merchants and tradesmen (e. g., blacksmiths, Moru traders, tavernkeeps, etc.)
Green--farmers/hunters/gatherers
Undyed--unspecified; usually worn by Moru, females, and children (though black may be substituted for Kana children, depending on the will of the parent/guardian)
In addition, markings upon the lappets denote the name of their bearer, his rank and/or profession, his "house" (usually the father's or guardian's name), and his tribe and general. To give examples from the story:
* Great Red Tribe--General Mahakhi--House of Djetef--Lieutenant Elite Resikh (these lappets belong to Lieutenant Elite Resikh, son of Djetef, who serves General Mahakhi of the Great Red Tribe)
* West Oasis Tribe--Captain Pekhten--House of Nehekhi--Lieutenant Elite Tas'eta (these lappets belong to Lieutenant Elite Tas'eta, son of Nehekhi, who serves Captain Pekhten of the West Oasis Tribe (this tribe has no general))
(An interesting aside--Tas'eta's original lappets read "West Oasis Tribe--Captain Pekhten--House of Pekhten--Lieutenant Elite Tas'eta"--for until he traveled to the Great Red Tribe, Tas'eta, who had been raised by Pekhten, wore lappets which indicated that he was of Pekhten's house.)
* River Tribe--General Nahus--House of Tenna--Captain Elite Sut'khut (these lappets belong to Captain Elite Sut'khut, son of Tenna, who serves General Nahus of the River Tribe)
* River Tribe--General Nahus--House of Pedana--Captain Elite Yekh'ef (these lappets belong to Captain Elite Yekh'ef, son of Pedana, who serves General Nahus of the River Tribe)
* River Tribe--General Nahus--House of Yekh'ef--Lieutenant Elite Hesi (these lappets belong to Lieutenant Elite Hesi, son of Yekh'ef (the same as above), who serves General Nahus of the River Tribe)
(Another interesting aside are the lappets of Captain Elite Tas'hukh, who, having been disowned by his father, fails to name a house and instead indicates that he is orphaned or "fatherless" (hata'tai) upon his lappets. Tas'hukh could just as easily have placed the name of his sponsor upon his lappets in place of his father's name, his sponsor taking the place of his guardian. As mentioned in the story, Tas'hukh's decision to do this is considered unusual, and not only because his father is still alive.)
The lappets of military Kana do not list a profession, for their very rank and color are enough to indicate that they are "professional soldiers." This is not the case with civilian lappets. Though none are referenced yet, the lappets of a civilian would likely look something like this:
* Great Red Tribe--General Mahakhi--House of XXX--Sergeant First Class Shekhem'a, Blacksmith (these lappets belong to the Kana blacksmith Shekhem'a, who attained the rank of sergeant first class; he is the son of XXX (I have not named the father of this character yet, but you get the point), and serves General Mahakhi of the Great Red Tribe)
And those of a Moru (whose lappets are NOT always marked--in fact, judging by the difficulty tribes have identifying others' Moru in the story, I take it they are USUALLY not marked) might look something like this:
* Yellow Sands Tribe--General Nehara--Yekh'iet (these lappets belong to the Moru Yekh'iet, who herself belongs to General Nehara of the Yellow Sands Tribe--the "house" of a Moru is not given, for with Moru, lineage is not important)
The color of the markings upon a lappet (plain, silver, or gold) may denote their bearer's status; for example, a regular scribe will usually have plain markings, whereas a scribe to the general will have silver or gold. In the old days gold markings were reserved for servants to the king, but seeing as the Apsiu no longer serve a king, this no longer applies.
Just as flaying or cutting off/removing the lappets is considered a grave insult, leaving the lappets of an enemy intact is considered a gesture of great respect. Even though an enemy may be killed and beheaded, if his lappets (and wings) are not touched his skills and tactics in fighting are considered honorable, and it is deemed appropriate to show this respect for a fallen warrior.
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