Pramáti

I am Osaba of the Pramáti, and it is my honor to speak with you about my people. Within my people I am a mizera or a male. We live on volcanic islands called Maeter in the Pacific Ocean. We make our settlements in the lowlands of the tropical jungle. It rains often on Maeter and the temperature changes little through the year. There is a wet season which makes the islands streams gorge. The highlands of the islands are sacred places of spirits waiting to be reborn. Our people number around 600 hundred with almost three women to every man. Most villages consist of about 50 people scattered across 12 settlements that represent the twelve daughters of the first mother Matka. Matka brought us to Maeter to save our people from the venom that consume mizera. We are taught that across the seas men have power and are cruel and violent, and no one is reborn. Here the Pramáti live in peace with žena, or women as you call them in power. When Matka first arrive she learned the secrets of the jungle from the jaguar spirit. The jaguar told her as long as we remain here our spirits will reborn into future generations. The žena that lived the most honorably would be reborn as jaguars for a time before returning to human life, and the mizera would live as snakes between lives.

            The žena are our hunters and fishers. The hunt monkeys, birds, rodents, frogs, lizards, and the most prized and dangerous being boars. Most fish and game are kept among women. Only during special ceremonies are fish and game shared with men. No Pramáti should ever kill or eat a jaguar. Punishment for such an offense is exile from the islands to drift in the sea until death where ones spirit will be trapped in the depths. Women are also forbidden to eat snakes as they are believed to be harmful to ingest, but may freely kill snakes. Snakes are one of the few animals mizera may kill and eat without permission from žena. Men also eat insects, and there is no harm associated with women eating insects it is just considered less desirable then meat. The žena hunt with obsidian tipped spears called kopí. Men are forbidden to touch or use obsidian and kopí they are beyond our place. Game and fish is shared between a group of hunters or fishers that work together, which they in turn trade to one another or barter for other goods such as canoes, jewelry, and other surplus.

            We mizera grow dalo which you know a taro. We use stone axes to clear jungle and work fields. We also collect plantains, coconuts, mangos, nuts, and edible flowers. A portion of all we grow and collect is tribute to the žena. Only during certain ceremonies do we get to eat meat and fish. We kill snakes because they are dangerous, and eat them to make us stronger. This also releases their spirits so they may be born again.

            We understand all žena are related to Matka, however žena are most closely related to their mothers and sisters. A mother and her daughters will live together in a chata. The chata construction may vary slightly from island to island, but usually consists of straight narrow sticks lashed together with a conical thatched roof atop. The chata mark a family’s personal space consisting of mothers, daughters, and sometimes grandmothers. Males live together in one large communal chata. Males are related to their mothers and sisters, but never their fathers even if he is known. The žena value baby girls and baby boys are sent to live in other villages in the chata of the mizera in that village. There are no family bonds between fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, or between mates. All men that live in a chata together consider themselves brothers. We Pramáti lack the word ‘father’ as you understand it. Mizera are mates to žena not fathers to žena. Women have mobility between villages by marriage, so every žena line has a mark which is scared onto boy’s backs this prevents incestuous mating between mizera and their žena offspring.

            All mizera are relatively equal, but nothing marks their transition into adulthood other than facial hair.  However young žena are not considered adults until they complete the rites of the huntress. When the jaguar spirit spoke to Matka she told her that she was worthy, but that her daughters would need to prove themselves as huntresses. All the žena that begin their first menstruation during a year are brought togather to prove themselves as huntresses. They are explained the virtues of a huntress power, grace, and sisterhood. After oaths to the jaguar spirit, family, and Matka are given the young žena are sent to the jungle high land to test themselves against the wild and free roaming spirits. They spend three nights before, during, and after a full moon. They are not permitted to leave the high lands until they are finished. It is rumored that Matka had a thirteenth daughter who was disloyal and lazy that did not pass the jaguar spirit’s test, and that she wanders the highland seeking those unworthy. They call her Tuchal. When the young women return at dawn after their last night in the highlands they are regarded as lovkyně or a huntress.

             A žena that has become a lovkyně can marry if she chooses. Marriage between lovkyně is recognition of exclusivity of sex between women. Sex is encouraged between women as they are considered ideal lovers. Sex with a mizera is simply for procreation, it is highly ritualized, and considered somewhat dangerous. Marriage is considered a partnership. Unwed žena may have sexual relations with any similarly unwed females. Wed lovkyně are often first cousins unless they wed outside their village. Generally the younger woman goes to the older women’s village or whoever is best able to provided. A new chata is built for the newly wedded lovkyně if neither already has their own. The ceremony is celebrated with feasts. The lovkyně places their hands over each other’s hearts and swear oaths of loyalty and sisterhood. If they have daughters the ritual is repeated until every member of the new family is bond to one another. Daughters brought into a marriage should be treated as daughters born into the marriage. You are considered a bad lovkyně if you don’t love your partners daughters as your own.

            Lovkyně can also preform the rite of prodigy called potomstvo. Marriage is not required. Often an unwed mother may stay with her mother and sisters who help raise any daughters. The principle of potomstvo is that a man’s venom (semen) enters a women and kills her just enough to allow a spirit to enter her womb. All bodily fluids of a grown man are considered venom. Before a man enters into a chata of žena he must be cleansed with water. The mizera is feed a special meal prepared for him this is said to state his inner snake spirit as not to be to potent, and insure a girl is born. A lot of time and planning go into preparing the meal recipes are often passed down from mother to daughter. After he has been cleansed and has eaten, the mizera will be covered in moist volcanic clay the color of greenish gray while incantations are spoken. This is to protect the Lovkyně from further envenomation than necessary. The Lovkyně imbibes zuta a plants whose roots provide a relaxation and somewhat intoxicating effect. The Lovkyně must entice the man’s snake spirit into his penis. After which she mounts him, and her family or marriage partner will chant to the spirits calling them down from the mountain side. The potomstvo is over when the male ejaculates. After which the mated Lovkyně is ritually cleaned. Potomstvo is only preform once a menstruation cycle for a female wishing to conceive, and she may choose different mates if she chooses. She has no specific rights to any mizera. A mizera may generally perform potomstvo once a day or night if he is popular among his Lovkyně.  

            Lovkyně also have the ability to take up the mantel of Purpose called záměr. There are three záměr. One is the porazit or best hunter. She is respected as the best hunter among her village, and often leads groups and teaches youth. In some villages the porazit may be held by the best fisher. Another záměr is lékař a medicine women or spirit healer. She advises people on spiritual matters, heals the sick, and is midwife to expectant mothers. A village may have multiple lékař, but only one is considered a záměr often the oldest, but sometimes is younger if she is considered the most powerful. The last záměr is called dozorce, they have two main responsibilities. One is to overseer the males, and the other is to mediate relations between villages. The dozorce is directly responsible for deciding the fate of mizera born into a village. She decides if the baby mizera is a worthy gift to a neighboring village. She is also expected to plan gatherings between villages typically held on moonless nights. She picks who may attend with her to another villages gathering. The záměr control each control their own sphere of influence. On matters of great importance, in settle disputes, or to bring disciple they may form a tribunal. A simple majority often decides the outcome, and their decisions are given as a whole with one voice. Their discussions are often private so to never alienate any one dissenting opinion.

This symbol shows the jaguar spirit that spoke to Matka. This symbol also is used to represent Lovkyně after they finish the rites of the huntress. It is important in that it encapsulates the ideals of the huntress power, grace, and sisterhood. As adults in their villages they have responsibilities. It is interchangeable with Matka, the jaguar spirit, the Lovkyně, and their ideals.

This symbol of the serpent spirit represents the Pramáti’s understanding of potomstvo. Mist, smoke, and steam are all associated with spirits. We believe that spirits spend most of their time in the highlands when not occupying either an animal or person. In order to be reborn a spirit must enter a womb, but only if the womb is between the world of the living and the spirit world of the dead. The snake symbolizes male’s role within Pramáti society and in the ritual of potomstvo.  The mizera are a crucial part of the cycle of rebirth. The water represents the limitation of Maeter to rebirth spirits away from the islands.

Dalo, or taro as you call it, is the symbol of záměr. It shows them as sheltering leaf protectors of the village. It symbolizes their mastery over men, spirits, and nature. Each notch in the leaf represents a different záměr, and serves to remind us they are not perfect. Rather than three different symbols it reminds us that záměr must work together in bonds of sisterhood, and speak with one voice. The dalo can also represent a village, and when multiple dalo are displayed together it means a gathering of villages. It is also important to know that when other resources are scarce the Pramáti can rely on dalo for substance. As they should rely on their záměr in time of need.

The hibiscus flower is the symbol of marriage among the Lovkyně. The stamen represents the two lovers joined together never to be separated. The petals represent the joined Lovkyně’s family and village which surround and strengthen the marriage. The Pramáti also believe the village and family should do their best to keep a marriage strong. This means not tempting either lover. The three leaves symbolize the three pillars of a huntress grace, power, and sisterhood.