Culture of Urcea: Difference between revisions

Garán people, sometimes also called "Carolines", are the people native to the lands of [[Carolina]], now split into the provinces of [[Lower Carolina]] and [[Upper Carolina]]. During the collapse of [[Great Levantia]], many [[Gaelic people]] were pushed south into modern Carolina by advancing [[Gothic people]], overwhelming local Levantine authorities and creating a large demographic shift away from previously [[Latinic peoples|Latinic]] majorities, especially in the cities. Despite their common heritage, the Gaels in Carolina resisted the advance of [[Gallawa]] until they were overwhelmed and added to the new [[Holy Levantine Empire|Levantine Empire]] in the 8th century. Carolina became the center of the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]], when it earned its name. The establishment of the Kingdom saw an influx of foreigners from throughout Levantia as the territory was divided into fiefs, creating a large landowning class primarily of Latinic and Gothic people among others. The noble classes eventually integrated with the mostly-Gaelic peasant class, evolving into the unique Garán culture. The Garáns spoke varieties of [[Lebhan]] and [[Julian Ænglish]] until their incorporation into Urcea after the [[War of the Caroline Succession]]. Many Urcean people relocated to Carolina before and after the war, creating yet another blend of traditions and cultures. The similarity between the Garáns and Urceans lead to a kinship that transcended the loss of the territory during the Second Caroline War, and many locals welcomed the final annexation of the territory into Urcea during the Third Caroline War. Unlike many of the other post-Great Levantine cultures in south Levantia, the Garán retained a mostly Gaelic identity rather than that of a mixed identity or a Latinic identity, despite their common Latinic heritage.

Gassavelian people are descendants of Uzdehzani people, [[Audonian Christianity|Audonian Christian]] refugees who fled from [[Audonia]] during the rise of Islam and the [[Oduniyyad Caliphate]]. The relatively small group of refugees founded the Principality of [[Hištanšahr]], establishing themselves as the small ruling caste over the indigenous majority, a mix of primarily Gaelic and Istroyan people with a few Latinic settlements to the northwest. The [[Kingdom of Gassavelia]] succeeded Hištanšahr, incorporating the area into the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] and breaking down the boundaries of intermarriage between the Uzdehzani and the local gentry and peasant classes. The mixing of these three primary cultures established the Gassavelian people, who, like the Caenish people and Carán people, are considered by some to be related to the Urcean people with a unique Audonian influence. The Uzdehzani people gradually faded away by the sheer weight of demographics, but their influence - and, in some cases, family lineage - remain to this day, giving the Gassavelian people a distinct culture from their neighbors. Urcea acquired the western half of the Kingdom of Gassavelia following the Great Confessional War in the 1500s. Given some autonomy behind local Dukes, the Gassavelians nonetheless were partly integrated into Urcean culture, adopting the Julian Ænglish language of their new Kingdom and abjuring their previous Protestant faith to embrace Catholicism. The integration of [[Urcean people|ethnic Urcean]] [[Ómestaderoi]] within Gassavelian cities during the {{wp|Industrial Revolution}} also played an important role in the cultural interchange that lead to the Gassavelians being viewed as part of the wider Urcean nationality. Gassavelians have held positions of prominence in Urcean society since, and Gassavelia is one of the largest subdivisions of Urcea.

Lebhan is still considered to be the cultural language of Urcea despite its widespread use in some areas of the historical [[Holy Levantine Empire]], so much so that some foreign scholars occasionally incorrectly refer to it as "Urcean". It has since been primarily replaced by Julian Ænglish. Many historians and scholars once believed the language came to Urcea during the High Middle Ages and especially during the Saint's War through the influence of mercenaries, merchants, and the neighboring realms of Angla - this model was called the "Replacement Theory". Modern scholarship, however, has indicated that some form of proto-Ænglish or Ænglish hybrids were in use in rural parts of Urcea well before the Saint's War. The majority of modern historians have replaced the "Replacement Theory" with the "Organic Theory" - namely, that Ænglish and Lebhan "grew up together", so to speak, in different parts of the country, and that increasing social and economic integration lead to the formation of Julian Ænglish, which is unique because of the distinct influence Latin and Lebhan had on the language relative to other versions of Ænglish. Whichever theory may be the case, in time, the Ænglish language became the default language of commerce for traders to use, particularly in regards to trade with the other states of the Holy Levantine Empire. The further reign of the [[House of Ronan]] and the influx of Ænglish refugees following the [[Nordmontaine War]] accelerated the acceptance of Ænglish as the government language of the Kingdom. It is the primary language spoken today, though some pockets of Lebhan still remain, especially in the [[Ionian Plateau]].

The family in Urcea is usually group consisting of a married pair of a woman and a man (adults) and their children (one or more). These so-called "Nuclear families" typically center on the married couple; the nuclear family may have any number of children. The familial definition in Urcea includes blood children, adopted children and step-children in certain circumstances; for tax purposes, the reason for the annulment of the previous marriage or if it was a separation via death is considered. The family structure of a married couple and their children were present since the 6th century, influenced by church and Royal governments. Outside of the nuclear families exist bonds with extended family, including those within the Estate system. Family is considered the fundamental cornerstone and "basic unit" of society. Extended families consisting of multiple nuclear family units often feel close bond in Urcea especially within the context of their shared [[Estates of Urcea|estate]]. Emergent {{wp|Housing_in_Urcea#Exurban|exurban housing attitudes}} have lead to extended families increasingly living in close proximity, increasing the importance of these bonds in the 21st century.