Bodily Adornment
As with Homo sapiens, Nowans practice a great deal of
bodily adornment. However, the symbolism attached to it varies
greatly from the Hs model, at least those of Western
Civilization. Much of this discussion concerns the styles of
southern Nowapan where the great majority of the people live.
Bodily adornment is primarily divided into five areas; clothing,
jewelry, hair styles, body paints, and armor. Nowans as a group
select particular patterns and materials to display status and
affiliation. This is especially true of married women who in
older times might wear a substantial part of a family's wealth
when they went out in public. Fashions have in the past and
continue yet today, to change very slowly. The gulf that extends
between our two species removes much of the allure that western
culture has held for other civilizations around the world.
Like Western Civilization, Nowans recognize both a public and
a private mode of dress, the latter being defined as within the
household. The public mode is the topic of the body of this
paper but a brief mention must be made of the private mode.
Nowans of both genders and all ages typically go nude within
their own households. Even casual guests may remove their outer
clothing if they are going to be visiting long enough. Nowans
claim this removes all pretense within the home. There, everyone
is known, it is not necessary to proclaim either wealth or
affiliation. Further, it would be rude for a casual visitor to
parade greater wealth/power than his/her hosts. The only
exceptions to the above practice are estral women (who wear a
garment called bdi.lut, described below) and of course,
children who are not yet toilet trained.
Clothing
As noted above, Nowan clothing has very different symbolic
attributes than in Western society and totally lacks certain
aspects. It is, for example, lacking in sexual significance.
There exist no high heeled shoes, no erotic lingerie, no fetish
wear, no swimsuits, no brassieres and even neckties are lacking.
Hats
are very rare too except in those climates where they are
necessary. Until puberty, children of both genders dress alike,
usually in a loincloth-like garment and sandals, adding other
clothing only as the weather dictates.
Clothing usually marks both caste and clan affiliation with
standardized motifs being worked into the designs.
Nowan women rarely weave their own cloth anymore and usually do
not make their own garments either. Now one typically buys plain
clothing, d�.hen, usually in monochromatic colors
and embroiders it with clan/caste designs. Such needlework can
be a center of interaction between the women of a clan as they
gather in groups of 10-20 and even the ma.k�m's
join in. As a general rule, Nowans prefer natural materials;
cotton, wool, hemp, fur, down, leather, feathers, etc.
Some units of clothing;
- longskirt lut.y�n:
- The longskirt is the typical outdoor wear of Nowan women.
Materials vary, but depending on the climate, false silk, cotton,
and muskox wool are all common. The skirt is loose and
approximately ankle length.
- estral skirt: bdi.lut
- Usually a short wrapped skirt that combines the functions and
coverage of skirt and bdi.tt�m. It is usually made
of soft cotton.
- trousers ptung.d�:
- Trousers are worn by males only. They are usually somewhat
loose and typically are made of wool, cotton, hemp, or leather.
- shirt y�m.d�:
- A cool weather garment. Both men and women wear them. They
are usually knit material, cotton or wool, and may be either long
or short-sleeved.
- vest y�m.pt'�:
- A warm weather garment for women but often worn year round
for men. That of women is shorter, generally ending just above
the navel. Men's might reach to the waist or just beyond.
Material varies with temperature but is typically wool, silk, or
cotton. Both genders' vests are usually worn open and there is
usually no provision for buttons or fasteners.
- tunic t'�.y�m:
- Generally only worn during cooler weather. This is usually
long-sleeved and reaches to the knee for women and mid-thigh for
men. Those intended for the coldest weather have an attached
hood and may have a handwarmer pocket in front. Material varies
with the weather. In very cold environments, it may be lined
with fur.
- loincloth bdi.d�:
- Worn by children in warm weather, a length of cloth, secured
by a piece of cord around the waist. The cloth covers the
genito-anal region and drapes over the cord in front and rear.
- underwear bdi.tt�m:
- Worn by both genders, it consists of a rolled piece of cotton
cloth, it is wrapped around the waist and down over the
genito-anal region.
- diaper bdi.qong:
- The typical diaper is a soft cotton material into which a
quantity of absorbent, powderized k'o.r� bark is
placed.
- boots kam.rom:
- The adult male's footwear in all but the warmest climates.
Made of heavy leather, trousers are usually tucked into the top
which rises to mid-calf.
- sandals xh�.q'�:
- The usual warm weather footwear for most of the population.
Styles vary regionally but are typically made of leather straps
and a rubber sole.
- gorget pim.xh�:
- An elaborate neckpiece worn by women. Designs vary greatly
but usually include displays of wealth and affilition.
- headress/mask z�.xh�:
- Worn by both genders on ceremonial occasions. It may vary
from a simple headband to an elaborate mask covering the nose and
eyes and extending down the back.
Typical Public Dress
Warm weather, women; short vest, long skirt, sandals,
jewelry.
Warm weather, men; long vest, loose trousers, boots or
sandals, dagger (since the revolution, previously only for the
upper classes.)
Warm weather, children: loincloth, sandals
Warm weather, pubescent girls: skirt, vest (optional),
sandals
Warm weather, pubescent boys: trousers, vest, sandals
As the weather cools, all will add gender/age appropriate
shirts, short jackets, hats, cotangans, heavier skirts or
trousers, sweaters, fur coats, mittens, tunics, etc. Children
switch from loincloths to smaller versions of their parents'
wear.
Jewelry
As a group, Nowans across the island like and wear jewelry.
Gold, silver, precious stones, enamels, and precious feathers are
the most common materials used.
Most people pierce their ears and long, dangling earrings are
common. In some castes, Tt�hanpir,
Tt�w�, for example, men reserve their wear
for ceremonial or public displays due to the inherent dangers
associated with dangling jewelry and their caste occupations.
With the exception of Nordland, it is common in most parts of the
country for both genders to pierce their septums, usually wearing
a simple gold ring in it. Nipple piercing is common for
unmarried women for whom it signifies the lack of children to
nurse. Once married, the nipple rings are removed although some
mak�m return to wearing them after their marriage family
breaks up. It is very uncommon for any other body parts to be
pierced and those which are pierced are usually only subject to a
single piercing.
Rings are worn by both genders with silver and gold being the
preferred materials. Precious stones are becoming more common
but elaborate metal work is still considered more attractive. A
wealthy married woman may have rings on each of her fingers and
thumbs. Some will even wear the occasional toe-ring. Males
rarely wear more than a total of 2-4 rings, some of which have
dual purposes, being for fighting as well as for display.
Necklaces and elaborate gorgets are common and moreso than any
other form of ornamentation, may contain large amounts of
precious materials. Beyond these, bracelets, armbands, ankle
bracelets and waist chains are all common (the latter two only
for women.)
Body Paints
The westerner's first encounter with body painting can be
disconcerting. While Nowans, used to using scent as well as
facial features, can easily discern identities, westerners may be
at a loss. Face painting is particularly common for both
genders. Typically, designs cover from brow to eyes. It is more
elaborate in women and girls. In summer, unmarried girls may be
painted from waist to hairline. For adults, colors and patterns
often have symbolic importance. They may indicate age, caste,
family, or some other group affiliation. For young people, the
designs are often rather fanciful. Men often wear rather simple
designs. The famous Last Emperor Q�t'� wore
only a 2 finger wide black stripe across his eyes. Among the
Tt�hanpir, rank is often indicated by standardized designs
that are found even among active duty military personnel.
Hair
Unmarried people of both genders tend to wear their hair long
and loose. Married people and males of some castes braid their
hair as a sign of betrothal in the first instance and for
convenience in the second. Styles as such are far less variable
than in many modern human cultures. Both genders may braid
bright strings, feathers, or even bells into their hair. Even
the unmarried may have small braids incorporating these features
even
if the rest of the hair is loose. Elaborate stylings have never
been common. The nature and texture of Nowan hair works to
discourage the practice.
Face masks/headress
The z�.xh� is primarily worn on
ceremonial occasions. It blends the concepts of mask and
headdress and may emphasize either aspect. It is typically
constructed of a mix of precious metals, feathers, brocade, often
with a trail z�.k�n that may reach to the
waist. The z�.xh� often embodies animal or
mythological motifs. They may extend down to the eyes or nose
but it is more common for them to just cover the forehead.
Armor
Armor was once very elaborate and was a major means of wealth
and status display for men of the higher castes. Since the
revolution, it has almost disappeared from use and is very rarely
seen outside of museums or on display in Men's Houses.
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&169; 2001 Brad Coon
Revised August 29, 2001
URL:www.geocities.com/nowapan