Féinem
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 5 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Template:Country data KIR Kiravian Federacy | 1,527,830 |
| Languages | |
| North Levantian Gaelic | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism (historically Celtic Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Fiannrians, Ardmoreans, Fhainn | |
The Féniem are a traditionally Gaelic-speaking ethnic group of mixed Celtic and Coscivian ancestry found primarily in northern Great Kirav and in certain Kiravian colonies. The Féniem trace their origins to the last remaining Celtic peoples living in what is now northern Faneria, who migrated to the frontier of the Confederate Republics of Kiravia after being evicted from their forest homes by the advancing Kisti.
The Féniem settled primarily in marginal forest areas and along the northern coast, mixing with the quasi-Celtic Ĥeirans and other Coscivians, usually matrilineally.
Though rural-dwelling Féniem tend to live in remote, insular communities, Féniem living in towns and cities are well-integrated into Cosco-Kiravian society. 55-70% of Féniem speak a Coscivian language (usually Kiravic) at an advanced level, with around 20% speaking it as their native language.
Culture
The Féinem have a decentralised, individualistic social structure based on nuclear families grouped into larger patrilineal septs (Gaelic: sliocht, Kiravic: dóntra) sharing the same great-grandfather. Kinship, however, is considered secondary to friendship, and Féinem culture is replete with proverbs, fables, and songs extolling the values of friendship and loyalty. Like the Ĥeiran Coscivians, the Féinem are notable for their high degree of gender parity and have a long tradition of female participation in community politics, religious life, and even such conventionally masculine activities as hunting.The traditional Féinem lifestyle of subsistence farming in isolated mountain and forest areas with poor soil has left Féinem culture with a strong admiration for rugged individualism and the forces of nature.
Historically, the Féinem practiced a form of Celtic Christianity in isolation from the wider Christian world, and came to deviate in certain aspects of ritual and practice from their relatives on mainland Levantia and even further from the rest of Christendom. Today, most Féinem are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church and practice the Modern Celtic or Insular Rite, though a significant minority belong to the Insular Apostolic Church.
Distribution
Féinem live primarily in Northern Great Kirav, having been among the first Kiravian settlers to move west of the Aterandic Mountains into southern Arcvera and Hiterna, where sizeable populations remain to this day. Large numbers of Féinem remain in their traditional homeland on the eastern slopes and forested valleys of the Aterandics in the Far Northeast, though many more now live in the urbanised areas of Fariva and Serikorda. Three Manaskan townships have Féinem majorities, as do two villages in Trinatria.
Féinem were active participants in the Federacy's overseas expansion, often serving as the vanguard of colonisation in areas with similar climates to the upland Northeast. Today, significant Féinem populations can be found in Tæritha, Hemibórea, Cèuvara, Eregula, Varova, the Scotchpine Republic, and Jackpine Territory.