THE VIGROTH OF ERDE

Ahllie's American on-line friend, Ferret, once commented to her that she thought she understood what being Vigroth might be like. Ahllie's response was to ask Ferret a few questions:

"Is it possible for people what find it dif'cult ta commit for life ta one single person ta fully unnerstan' bein' committed for life ta seven or eight people like in my Cord?"

"Is it possible for you 'Mericans what disdain the idea a 'fixed' marriages ta fully 'preciate a arrangement that finds a person committed ta such a relationship for life right from birth?"

"Is it possible for a people whose morals differ from one person ta the next ta fully unnerstan' a moral system what's universally accepted by everyone n passed down from generation ta generation without question?"

"N Ferret, is it possible for you, who love youth n for whom survival is rarely questioned... can you fully comprehend life where survival is in doubt on a daily basis n death is your closest neighbor?"

When Ahllie speaks of survival, she is not speaking of the survival of herself, although that is important to the Vigroth. She is speaking in the strictest sense of the survival of her people. The entire Vigroth culture is survival centered, from their family pods called Cords, to their village life, to their religion called Circle. A Vigroth person sees the self not as an individual but as a part of a greater whole. First, as a product of their parents, then as a part of their Cord, finally as a part of the Vigroth people. These parts, all separate and distinct, form the whole. The final commitment is always to the whole. Each day when the sun rises Ahllie faces it and repeats this mantra:

"Hok onum Ahllie                   "I am Ahllie.
Hira tza Gilrrie n Jalleli         Daughter a Gilrrie n Jalleli.
Hok onum Lobot                      I am Wolf.
Hok lona ranish                       I will survive.
Horum deskes lona ranish       My people will survive.
Lec hojasoc"                             We are one."

 

Survival as an Individual

The very first lesson given Vigroth children teaches them how to focus. They hone this ability to concentrate so keenly that they can see a rock move. It is this ability to focus, along with the trust handed down from parents to children through action, story and song, that equips a Vigroth child to understand and execute the ritual of DeepChat. This remarkable process helps them to understand the self in the eyes of others, to remain confident in the face of personal defeat, to remove self-doubt from their minds. It confirms who they are and their importance in the scheme of things. It gives them courage to make instant decisions in life and death situations without questioning their abilities or what someone might think of them. A Vigroth adolescent passes into adulthood fully validated, knowing they are loved, knowing that their life has meaning, and knowing that the are valuable, significant, and integral to their parents, their Cordmates and to their tribe.

 

Survival as a Family Member

The Vigroth concept of family is quite different than our own. If you take the Biblical concept of two being stronger than one and a strand of three cords having great strength, you begin to understand the survival thinking behind the Vigroth Cord system. At birth, the Village Elder proclaims a babe to be of a certain Cord. All told, there could be between 5 to 9 members of a Cord. Cord members are usually about 1- 3 years apart in age. The same Cords seem to crop up every twenty to thirty years or so after the last Cordmate dies. The unusual thing is each Cord always has the same amount of members every time they are reestablished.

From age four, Cordmates begin to train together. By age eight they are living together in their own Cordstead. They will remain together throughout their individual lives. Although they may couple-off according to their DeepChat partners, the commitment is to the whole Cord and not between individual members. Therefore a female Cordmate could father children with any male member of her Cord. Love, affection, commitment, and affirmation are always sought within the Cord, never outside it. Because of the closeness that builds between members, a strong bond is created that is reflected in an equally strong awareness of the physical situation between Cordmates. If one were physically cold the others could feel it, even at great distances, and they would respond to their Cordmate's need. The same is true if one Cordmate were hurt, the others would immediately respond without hesitation. Cordmates stay together from birth to death.

This is the great strength of the Vigroth Cord System. Through it, the Vigroth survive as a people. Through the Cords, each individual stands a better chance for survival as well.

 

Survival as a Village

The Vigroth people are master camouflagers. This is true individually as well as collectively. Their villages are set deep within the southern rainforests of the Great Weald. High walls surround the village and these butt against the trees of the forest so they cannot be seen from as little as a bowshot away. The canopy of the rainforest stretches over the village itself, making the clearing almost invisible to the eye. Paths are strewn with various leaves, flowers, and berries to keep the collective smell of the village hidden. Fire may only be used during daylight hours and a mixture of certain plant leaves is burned on them to eliminate smoke from rising.

Vigroth buildings, or steads as they are called, are raised on poles about four to six feet above ground levels for two reasons: First, to keep the village above flood waters that occur during the rainy season and second, to give archers the advantage of height if the village is located and invaded by neighboring tribes.

Every Vigroth man, woman, and child is trained in the art of personal camouflage. They learn through games such as "seek," "go-find," and sprawl. Combined with their vigorous physical training, the art of camouflage makes them almost invisible in the rainforest. However, these skills also are transferable to OutSider villages beyond the Great Weald. Their language skills are exceptional as are their ability to notice and copy personal traits of other races that inhabit lands surrounding their own.

Each village Cord takes its turn acting as the "Eyes of the Forest." These groups are a kind of First Alert System for their fellow villagers. Survival of the Village is everyone's responsibility. Through their focus of survival, the Vigroth people have existed for thousands of years. Neither nature nor their enemies have been able to subdue them.