Sefdaanian Ethnography Chapter 16 - Economics

Local economy (ðę̋a ðamnı̋ða)

• The local economy of three of the four herding Peoples (taðle̋uðu) (Ethrans, Pyrans, Humans, Lithans) is based on a combination of farming and animal husbandry.

The Ethrans

• In their mountaintop citadels, The Ethrans put their pterantelopses to grazing and farm fields of buckwheat. Their vegetables are grown in hothouses. Flocks of geese graze around the citadels.

The Pyrans

• The Pyrans put their reindeer to grazing, farm fields of rye, and grow assorted vegetables in their home gardens. Every home possesses a sloe tree somewhere on the property. As items of trade, they make leather goods and clothing of reindeer wool and dog fur. They are also skilled potters and weavers. In a good season, a homemaker will have hard cheese to trade.

The Hydorans

• The Hydorans are fishers/gatherers, eating whatever they can catch in their home waters and glean from the shores. They offer woven rush mats for trade. Those who live along the Black and Caspian seas offer dried fish for trade.

The Humans

• The Humans put their horses to grazing, the only one of the Peoples to practice seasonal transhumance. They cultivate large fields of lentils around the ce̋iɱo. In gardens within the ce̋iɱo they grow other vegetables. Surrounding the ce̋iɱo is a ring of cherry plum trees. They, too, make trade items from horse hide, horse hair and dog fur.

The Xylans

• The Xylans have no economy to speak of. They wander where they will, living on the fat of the land. However, they are fine carvers of wood and one will sometimes have a carving for trade.

The Lithans

• The Lithans put their yaks and turs to grazing on the mountain slopes and in the valleys. Mushrooms are cultivated in the mountain caves. Either on terraces or on the valley floors they grow hemp and fodder for the animals. Vegetables are grown in gardens around the homes. As miners and smiths, the Lithans also make artifacts for trade. Annually caravans descend from the mountains with goods to trade for local products. The Lithans also mint coins (dőþlo) which may be used in these transactions.

Coinage (doþı̋ȝo)

• In the beginning, when the Lithans began mining, they discovered that, along with other uses of metal, they could make small metal discs. They realized that these would work well as a medium of exchange. The Ethrans noticed this creative process and decided that these coins should be made available to the other Peoples as well. And so a process of standardization was instituted. Through a lengthy time of bartering, the Peoples’ goods in exchange for the coins, they introduced the coins to the other Peoples. These coins are used extensively among the Lithans, not so much among the other Peoples, who continue to use both coins and barter in the exchange of goods.
• After much experimentation, the Lithans settled upon two types of coin. Both coins are of the same size, 25 mm (0.9843 in) in diameter and 2 mm (0.07874 in) thick. These coins are made with a round hole, 5 mm in diameter, in the middle for ease in carrying.
• The edges are not milled.
• The more valuable coin, the kı̋to (so-called from the image of a tur’s horns (kı̋te) impressed thereon), is made of a silver alloy, which may be copper, nickel, tin, or zinc.
• The less valuable coin, the na̋no (so-called from the image of a flower (na̋no) impressed thereon), is made of bronze. Although six is the Sefdaanian mystical number, the counting system is vigesimal. Therefore, there are twenty na̋nos in a kı̋to.
• On the obverse (ṅopa̋nto) of the kı̋to is impressed a set of tur’s horns affrontee. On the obverse of the na̋no is impressed a stylized apple blossom.
• On the reverse (suka̋nto) of each coin is inscribed the date minted and an abbreviation of the location of the mint:
  • þ for the Carpathian Mountains (þífmǫnı̋ȝo, Far Mountains)
  • ɱ for the Balkan Mountains (ɱésmǫnı̋ȝo, Western Mountains)
  • ȝ for the Caucasus Mountains (ȝusmármǫnı̋ȝo, Intersea Mountains) and
  • v for the Ural Mountains (v̌ęþse̋lko, Earth Spine).
• These coins may be minted only at officially sanctioned mints (doþde̋mo). There is an Ethran council, the Council for Just Mintage (ȝűsa pįnųra̋s ᵹóma muþı̋ȝu - YPM), made up of one Ethran from each citadel (ðų̋no). This council includes and is headed by one assigned by the office of Ȝumɱaltu Armaitu, the mage in charge of earth sciences, and one assigned by the office of Ȝumgovtu Amertatu, the mage guardian of the Lithans. At every summer solstice, this council visits each of the four mints to check the mints for accuracy. There is no slivering in Sefdaania. To do so is to incur the same penalty as is meted out to minters who make unauthorized coins. The Council of Just Mintage also inspects the communities to make sure that there are no illegal mints in operation. This council also determines how many coins are to be in circulation at any one time.

Trade caravans (ċoᵹsą̋þo)

• In the spring of the year, when the mountain passes are free of snow, the Lithan traders set off with their yak caravans (sa̋þo). They will be carrying whatever merchandise (fa̋ṙos) they have acquired during the winter. This could include coal; metal wares; jewelry; fabric or clothing woven from tur, yak or dog hair, or from hemp; dried mushrooms and apples; and skins of apple cider.
• The caravan consists of any number of wooden carts (ɱe̋ᵹo) pulled by a yoke of yaks. One of the yaks is ridden by a Lithan sitting on a saddle (xı̋ro) with panniers (d̬ik̬e̋so) and, in that way, directs the cart. The cart has only one axle (a̋ƶo) and is not on springs. The wooden wheels (re̋þo) have six spokes (ḳőgo) and the diameter is such that the felly (ɱı̋to) is higher than the cart itself. It is loaded from the back. The merchandise is covered by a leather cover fitted with a drawstring (paᵹpe̋no). The carts are painted with bright colorful designs. An especially long cart (piðɱe̋ᵹo) with two axles and pulled by two to four yaks is used to haul timber.
• Besides the carts of merchandise, there are three other carts in the caravan. One carries provisions (gǫlre̋iðno), including food and skins of water, and another carries fuel (feðtÿre̋iðno). The third cart is living quarters (ɱęsre̋iðno) for the two women who accompany the caravan to cook the meals and perform other necessary chores. This cart has a waterproofed fabric roof held up with brass hoops (bą̋o).
• The caravan halts just before the sun goes down, giving enough light to set up camp (vűta). The carts are drawn into a circle (vuþmődo) to give protection against predators, both loquent and animal. In the center a campfire (ᵶı̨̋bo) is built. The animals are hobbled and left outside the circle to graze. Once night falls, they are brought within the cart circle. Supper and breakfast are eaten from the provisions that are brought with them. This is eaten along with any game caught.
• Three animals are associated with the trade caravan. First, there are the yaks. They are harnessed and hitched to the shaft (ðı̋so) with leather traces (f̣ą̋los). Manure bags (kǫrma̋ko) are hung under the tail to catch the manure that can be used for fuel. *Then, tethered to the back of each cart (except the three mentioned above) is a gelded tur, the Lithan steed. These are brought in case there is need to defend the caravan. *Finally, one of their guard dogs accompanies each of the carts. These dogs stay with the animals when they are grazing in the evening.
• Each of the Lithan communities (kı̋lo) has its own established trade route (ċoga̋ta). As the caravan comes to each community, trading takes place. Items acquired by trade may be traded again farther on along the route.
• The Pyrans engage in trading, but only within a few days’ journey and mainly with other Pyran communities. The carts are drawn by reindeer. If there is snow on the ground, sleighs (a̋sko) are used.

Animal identification (taste̋va)

• Those Peoples who have flocks and herds need a way by which to identify their stock. Oftentimes the flocks or herds of a settlement are pastured together. Thus the several owners need to be able to identify their own personal livestock.
• The livestock involved would be the Ethrans' pteranthelops, the Pyrans’ reindeer, the Humans’ horses, and the Lithans’ turs and yaks.
• The identifying is accomplished by tagging. Leather tags (kǫṅőno tűsko) are used which are attached by a short leather strap through an ear. The leather is dyed a bright color to make it more visible. The desired information is burned onto the tags. On one side of the tag is the mark of the owner and the date of birth. On the other side is the mark of the settlement. The tags are attached to the left ear of males (including geldings) and the right ear of females.