Cienie's take on Mandalorian Culture: God of Death as a mighty Beast
Kad Ha’rangir and mandalorian traditional weapons part 1 — part 2 — part 3 – part 4 — part 5 ||| Arasuum - stagnation as symbol of death, not sloth, renamed as Arasuum - the God of Death, not Sloth part 1 — part 2 — part 3 — part 4 ||| Original Mandalorians and Gai bal manda ritual ||| Hod Ha'ran, the god of visions, prophecies and magic
One of the most constant, recurring motifs seen in Mandalorian lore is the fight against dangerous beasts. The whole Taung culture was renamed in the honor of Mandalore the First, a legendary leader that is known for two specific things: finding and conquering a planet rich in beskar iron (Mandalore) and killing Mythosaur(s). The mammoth animal’s skull became a symbol of Mandalorians for the upcoming millennials while the New Canon even further mythologized the beast. For example, Bo-Katan seeing Mythosaur in the Living Water put her as the chosen leader to unite fractured Mandalorians.
Before, during and after the Mandalorian Wars, Mandalorians set their camp on Dxun moon, specifically known for its jungle full of dangerous beasts.
From The Old Republic game:
Galactic History 67: Mandalore the Ultimate
The Mandalorians had suffered not only defeat but humiliation in the Great Sith War. After their leader, Mandalore the Indomitable, crash-landed on Dxun and was devoured by wild beasts at the war’s end, a new warrior rose to take his place, later called “Mandalore the Ultimate.”
Deciding to bring in new blood, Mandalore opened the ranks of the Mandalorian Crusaders–once dominated by the followers of the ancient Taung, now fielding alien recruits. Calling themselves Neo-Crusaders, these warriors adopted traditional Mandalorian armor and training. Mandalore established a base on Dxun, testing his warriors against Dxun’s infamous predators. [...]
From Knights of the Old Republic: The Sith Lords:
Player: Why did you use Dxun?
Mandalore: Mandalorians have a rapport with this jungle. Every moment here is a struggle, all creatures gripped in a constant war for survival. The sole purpose of the weak is to feed the strong. We train here and learn the lessons of the jungle. The beasts also help us keep our edge.
and
Mandalorian Sentry: If you head out into the jungle, stay alert. Our patrols keep the area clear of the more dangerous beasts, but a lot of the smaller ones still infest the paths.
Player: What beasts are there?
Mandalorian Sentry: Mostly cannoks and maalraas. Deeper in the jungle, there's boma beasts, and they're a little more sport.
[...]
Player: What's a boma beast?
Mandalorian Sentry: Bomas are tough and fiercely territorial. Whenever we drive them off, they just come back to reclaim their grazing lands. We can handle them, but they may be too much for you.
Player: Aren't there zakkegs, too?
Mandalorian Sentry: How do you know of the zakkeg? We've seen signs along the paths. They are naturally armored and have foul dispositions. Mandalorian expeditions cleared them out of the area. But Dxun beasts never take kindly to losing territory. As soon as ship activity dies out around here we may hunt them again.
Player: I can handle myself.
Mandalorian Sentry: Even the bravest Mandalorians have fallen prey to this jungle and its beasts. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Here on Dxun in the previous military conflict the Mandalore the Indomitable fell to the native predators while after the defeat in Mandalorian Wars, warriors were united under the new leader’s banner. Warriors lived and trained in the safety of their camp located in old ruins, while those who wanted to prove themselves wandered into the jungle and if they did not report within a day, it was assumed they were killed there.
Kumus: You there. I... I am in need of assistance.
Player: Are you Kumus? Xarga thought you were dead.
Kumus: I am Kumus. And Xarga was not wrong in thinking me dead. We assume that any Mandalorian who does not report back within a day has been taken by the jungle. I still live... I am just in a difficult situation. [...]
Player: What are you doing up there?
Kumus: A patrol was sent to look for weapon caches in this region. They found three sites that looked promising. Xarga told me to prove myself by taking explosives to those sites and uncovering the caches, if they exist.
Player: So how did you get up there?
Kumus: This was the first site. After easily dispatching some malraas, I removed my pack and began to plant my charges along this ridge. When I finished setting the charges, I looked down to see cannoks swarming all over my pack. The pests were eating everything! I killed the cannoks, but then a herd of bomas arrived. I had no more ammo - the extra energy cells I had brought had been in my pack. So I have been up here, weaponless, for two days.
Player: Haven't you tried running?
Kumus: Even if I got by the bomas, there are too many beasts between here and the checkpoint. Bravery is commendable, but there is no honor in suicide. I thought I could survive until another patrol came by, and then return to camp with my brothers.
Those trying to earn respect of other warriors, could do it by killing the most dangerous beast - zakkeg:
Player: Why do you want to fight me again?
Davrel: I was too young to fight in the Mandalorian Wars. With our clans scattered there was no opportunity to prove myself. Years ago young Mandalorians would fly point in a Basilisk, laying waste to anything before them, at the forefront of battle! But this has been denied me. What little honor I have earned you stripped from me in the battle circle. This I won't allow.
Player: There must be other ways to prove yourself.
Davrel: There are no wars to fight, no great enemies to destroy. I wish this was a different age, where our armadas were a force to be feared.
Player: What about the zakkeg? I've heard they're a challenge even for a Mandalorian patrol.
Davrel: A zakkeg? Those are the deadliest beasts in this part of the jungle. Patrols are right to be cautious about them. I'll do what I must to prove myself to the other Mandalorians. But fighting a zakkeg would be a short-lived honor.
Player: I'm looking for the zakkeg. We could fight it together.
Davrel: What - Yes, I suppose that is... possible. We would both gain recognition from that battle. Your plan is acceptable to me. Together we will destroy the zakkeg. I will meet you there.
Hundreds years later, facing and killing deadly beasts is still a way to gain honor Mandalorians crave so much:
“I convinced Luth to come with me. I showed him we could no longer follow Vizla. We are warriors, we should be taking our fight to Zakuul, not the worthless machines on Darvannis. Vizla may be Mandalore, but Zakuul left no other challengers. Maybe this is her way of thanking them.
I know there are others who feel the same, who will come with me too. There is a king who will let us hunt on his world. It is swarming with beasts the mightiest of us could only imagine. We can finally meet worthy prey again. The fool king wants tribute from our quarry, to slay offworld creatures and bring them to him from time to time. In return, he will leave us to hunt in peace. The di’kut doesn’t understand that acquiring his “payment” will bring us the honor we crave.
When we leave, Vizla will say we are not Mando’ade, and those sheb’urcyin who have forgotten what that word means will agree with her. But if what she has made us is “Mando’ade,” then I want no part of it. I will be ash’ad. I will be someone else.”
–From the journal of Mirli Lok, leader of the Ash’ad [The Old Republic game]
From the same game, we learn:
Mandalorians tend to be renowned for their physical strength and stature. Legendary Mandalorians especially so–one could fill a dozen books with stories of warriors who wrestled beasts to the ground with their bare hands.
and
Galactic History 21: The Birth of the Mandalorians
The culture of the gray-skinned Taung species had always been defined by conflict, even before their days battling the Battalions of Zhell on Coruscant. For millennia, striking out from the world they called Mandalore, the Taung explored and conquered new worlds, seeking new opponents to test themselves against.
Over time their philosophy of battle grew and changed, and a new cadre of elite warriors emerged. Known as the Mandalorian Crusaders, these warriors were honed by years of battle and guided by a strict code of honor. Wild stories began to spread throughout the Outer Rim of soldiers who could disappear into forests, face terrifying beasts without a trace of fear or even capture an entire planet in a day.
These tales were the first time the name “Mandalorian” became widely known. Although the Taung themselves went into decline and eventually disappeared, they left behind followers trained as they were. Ever after, the Mandalorians were a people to be respected, and feared.
Similarly to ancient times, facing deadly beasts as part of training was still practiced by some modern Mandalorians, as could be seen in Star Wars: Blood Ties: Jango and Boba Fett
Boba: Why?? Why did you do that to me?
Jango: Because there are moments when you won't have time to be scared. You have faced the most terrifying thing in the galaxy. Now, no matter how long you live, no matter what you come up against -- you know the most fearful thing you will ever face is behind you. You have faced the Balyeg. You need never fear again.
The “Star Wars Book - Expand your knowledge of a galaxy far far away” provides information that:
Mandalorian clans are often identified by shoulder signets denoting a worthy kill or conquest.
Presented there sigils included:
Mythosaur’s skull - a common symbol used for all Mandalorians
Clan Kast & vexis (serpentine creature)
Clan Eldar - leonid
Clan of two: Din Djarin and the Child - mudhorn
From lore we also know that clan Vizsla is identified with predatory shriek-hawk, whose “eyes” are another mandalorian symbol recognized as a sign of honor between the warriors.
Which highlights again the importance of dangerous animals in their culture.
The lore noted that once Taung-Mandalorians treated war as a ritual of worship to their gods, before war became divine itself. There is little source material about Mandalorian culture before said religious reformation but during the events of Knights of the Old Republic games (first as mercenary and later as Mandalore the Preserver), Canderous Ordo said:
Canderous: Win or lose, as long as the fight is worthy, then honor is gained. The glory at having triumphed over impossible odds is what drives us. If there's nothing at stake – your possessions, your life, your world – then the battle's meaningless. We Mandalore take everything we are and throw it into battle. It's the true test of yourself – the battle against death… against oblivion.
or
Player: You seek death?
Canderous: All life dies eventually. A true warrior is one who can beat it down whenever it raises its head. But…
or
Player: Then what are you doing now?
Canderous: The days of combat and glory and cheating death at every turn seem to be over now… I take what I can.
and finally, after traveling together with Player and facing various challenges that forced Canderous to rethink his life:
Canderous: The way the Mandalorians - we - fought... it holds no appeal for me. To rape and ravage worlds for the thrill of battle... It gets old. Very old. Honor in battle. Cheating death. Comrades in arms. The code of the Mandalore. I think I'm something different now. Maybe more, maybe less.
As I was collecting data for my thesis that Arasuum was originally the god of death, not sloth, the recurring motif of facing and killing animal predators and Canderous Ordo’s words made me realize that Taung-ancient Mandalorians could present the said god not as humanoid person but as a deadly beast. Thus the myth of eternal war between Life and Death could be imagined as the battle between warrior and deadly creature - similar to our real life mythologies and folklore when a deity or mortal fought against a dragon or alike monster. And so whenever Mandalorian killed animals that potentially could take their life, they repeated Kad Ha’rangir’s deeds in ritual worship. They faced a worthy foe and survived to tell the tale.
This feeling is supported by Mandalore the Preserver’s way to describe death. Again, assuming that Arasuum was originally the god of death, we have two different interpretations. In modern times, The Death Watch Manifesto painted Arasuum as a Mandalorian-like figure,
with helmet/mask, armor (or at least, armor elements) and either holding a cane or weapon with blade turned down. According to this source, the god whispered lies, seduced Mandalorians and tempted them with soft life.
In ancient times however, when Canderous Ordo talks about death, he attributed to it animalistic trait (“A true warrior is one who can beat it down whenever it raises its head”) and acknowledged that it was Mandalorians who actually needed to cheat death at every turn not the other way around. Which illustrates well ancient mandalorian philosophy of “constant war for survival” where “the sole purpose of the weak is to feed the strong”. Because no matter how mighty their warriors were, even the bravest Mandalorians will fall prey to the beast as ultimately, Death is the apex predator. A warrior may face it and cheat by surviving the impossible odds for years but not forever. Death on another hand won’t change and will be always lurking at every corner. This sentiment seems to survive to modern days, as members of Children of the Watch heard from Armorer this:
"When one chooses to walk the Way of the Mandalore, you are both hunter and prey."
To sum up my observation-turned-into-theory, I think in original Taung-Mandalorian mythology,
the god of death was presented as a beast
the Eternal War Between Death and Life was imagined as a battle between warrior and deadly creature
facing and killing mighty beasts was originally a ritual form of worship to gods (emphasis on plural form).
Seeking a worthy opponent and later, waging war dominated mandalorian mindset but it never fully supplanted the position of the beast in warrior culture.
For Bo-Katan Week Day 5, Mand’alor
Characters: Axe Woves, The Armorer, Bo-Katan Kryze, Original Mandalorian Characters (background)
Pairings: Bo-Katan Kryze/The Armorer, Bo-Katan Kryze & Axe Woves, Axe Woves & The Armorer
Warnings: none
Notes: Look, listen, I’ve been reading nonstop between American government books, and everything I can find about the Taungs and old Mandalorian ruling structures. But, keep in mind, I am not a wise man. And my pen ran out of ink during all my notes, so I had to just. . . stop taking notes because I have no other pen, and I can’t concentrate without handwritten notes lmao. Maybe this counts as more of a character study. And it’s a little shorter than I’d like, but I think ending it where I did is the best option right now
Word Count: 1,929
AO3 Link: Here!
“She does not stop often, does she?” The Armorer questioned to one of the few who held the title of the Mand’alor’s most trusted. The mug of pot soup was passed towards Axe Woves as she lowered herself into a seat beside him.
Bo-Katan had been moving nonstop as of late, between sitting through the many different politics required of a new world leader, expanding the new rule to the rest of the Mandalore system, and ensuring her people were still given an equal amount of her time, between training, to rebuilding, and even just to aid them in small errands, Bo-Katan Kryze was a blur of near constant movement. They only had nineteen hours in a cycle in the system, and yet, she was often busy for nearly fifteen hours each day.
“It’s how she’s survived,” Axe surmised, taking the offered food with quiet thanks. His gaze did not move from the woman in the middle of the small arena, how she walked the younglings and even some of the children of the watch through a training exercise, stopping often to fix posture and offer words of encouragement between them all. “Kriff, might as well be in her DNA,”
The light that filtered into the cavern from the green hued crystal above highlighted the yellow in her eyes, irises seemingly caught in an illuminated glow as she looked towards her two spectators with a small smile puling at her lips.
“Would you elaborate?” The woman requested as she settled herself in, nodding her head in acknowledgment of a youngling that seemed excited by her presence.
“It was always a rumor, that some of the oldest clans may have descended from the Taungs, our Progenitors,” The next time the Mand’alor glanced at them, her eyes seemed a warm amber, than the illuminated yellow they had been. “Their songs have been sung for eons, though much has been lost to history,”
“The Taungs used warfare as a personal honor, but also to appease a god,” His gloved hand brushed over his stubble as he racked his brain for the name.
“Ka Ha’rangir,” The Armorer supplied. The Children of the Watch did not have as much information as many of the Niteowls who had lived their history on the front-most lines, their convert had followed in the paths that were laid out by Mandalore the first themself.
“Yes, and like with most religions based on an omnipotent being, there is a clearly defined ‘good’ and ‘bad’, for the Taungs, they strived to remove themselves from Arasuum’s temptation of stagnation and idleness. This was not a trait that died with the Taungs,” He gestured to the redhead that was now rolling on the floor with one of the children of the watch, giving a visual for how the moves she’d just taught would be used in combat.
“Under Mand’alor the Ultimate, when the Taungs truly started to accept other species among their ranks, cross breeding was frequent, though many humans had been, supposedly, unable to survive the birth of a Taung, even if the child was only half Taung. Not all of our oldest clans have survived from those days, it was mainly Riduuroks that kept bloodlines alive as well, so, while unlikely to have found a Mandalorian descended from the first,” When he gestured to Bo-Katan again, it was to the woman wrapped in a headlock, before her sharp teeth pierced through the flight suit and arm of her opponent, until they’d released.
“Even with less than a percentage of genetics that may have been passed down, they showed much more prominently in Bo-Katan, than they had in The Duchess Satine,” Axe had seen them both, and compared to Mandalorians’ they were obviously a different breed, in their own way. Even the Vizsla’s hadn’t been able to hold a flame to the traits of the Taungs that had stood out sharply in Kryze genetics.
“It is safe to assume that these traits have clung so tightly through the bloodline, that she is simply hardwired like a Taung,”
“She is still human though, is she not?” The Armorer finally questioned, watching as Bo-Katan helped put bacta on the Mandalorian’s arm she’d bitten, who she’d sent off for water before jumping back into the lesson.
“Without a doubt, and that has always been one of her flaws,” Axe shook his head “Worship and belief of Ka Ha’ragnir and Arasuum fell out of favor long before our time, though, with the way our lives, hers especially, have been led, I can understand some kind of base decline to the instincts of the Taungs. We have our songs, our ancient recordings, but we also have the behaviors passed from generation to generation about how our lives were to be lived and how to react.”
It was no secret that they’d all done unimaginable things in the name of survival, and their culture. It had always been written off as their bullheadedness and their way of life, though many had forgotten that it had once quite literally been in their blood. “Her flaw is not that she is human,” The Armorer’s voice was slow, steady, trying to ensure that she’d heard him correctly, while making sure her own point was known.
“No, no. That isn’t her flaw, but the activity is. When she… for lack of a better term: forgets that she’s human. The Taungs may not have needed to rest as often, and that may have been a leading factor to their belief and devotion to Ka Ha’ragnir and their pursuance of growth and change that she’s chasing subconsciously,”
“You seem to have given this a great deal of introspection,” The Armorer noted. “We have not had a great deal of resources about our earliest ancestors, aside from the creed and the moments in history w have found that had defined a need for our existence as well,”
“Being home has granted me more than my share of time to learn. We are all given an opportunity our ancestors had not, to be good at something other than war,” It was an echo of Bo-Katan’s own words. Axe was becoming a scholar and a rather skilled diplomat, now that they had access to records from the New Republic, and the old records from the Imperial Academy on Mandalore as well. He finally had the time to sit down and stimulate his brain with history, over battle strategies and espionage. “Lady Kryze has quite the extensive knowledge as well, more so about the more… dry aspects of our history. She has not limited herself to the governing past, or the past of warfare, but has extensive details about our prior trade, exports, and many other details I am sure had sparked her interest before the New Mandalorian rule had her splitting off.”
“What are we talking about?” Bo-Katan questioned as she dropped herself into a lower level of seating in front of the two, armored back pressed into both of their legs as she leaned back and actually sat for the first time all day.
“You,” The Armorer provided, a gloved hand reaching to smooth out loose strands of sweat slick hair to calm any rising thoughts she could see gathering beneath a furrowed brow.
“Why are we talking about me?” The redhead questioned as the convert member shed bitten earlier brought over an extra canteen of water, receiving a quiet thanks as the rest of the class let out, either back to the surface, their mentors, or their duties.
“You are a big part of Mandalorian history,” Axe pointed out, when Bo-Katan’s lips parted to argue the point, he was quick to continue. “Think about it, Bo. For the first time in our history, Mandalorians are not at war, not with each other, not with the dar’jetti, and not with the republic. Our people are united under a common banner, and for the first time since our Progenitors, the Mythosaur is back, and has revealed itself to only you, You have wielded the dark saber on more than one occasion, and yet, you have proven that a successful Mand’alor does not need to hold a weapon to be successful. You’ve led us to a new age,”
Bo-Katan shifted uncomfortably against their legs as she drank and wiped sweat away from her brow. “That’s a lot,” The woman shed her gloves and reached to scratch at the back of her neck with sharer than usual nails. “But I didn’t do it alone, and I never would be able to do any of it, without either of you, and without Din Djarin, or without Paz.” There were many among their ranks that had given much more than her, had sacrificed more of themselves than her in the pursuit of their home.
“That does not exclude your leadership and influence through it all, however,” The Armorer reminded, causing the redhead to nod as she processed.
“This is true, I supppose,” A pause, and a small smile. “Mandalorians are becoming something new,”
“Like those who were formed directly from the Taungs,” Axe chimed in, bringing an excitable expression from the Mand’alor.
“That’s actually so true,” There was a knowing smirk on Axe’s lips as he forced his elbow into The Armorer’s side, as their Mand’alor went into an extensive tangent about their similarities to the first Mandalorians, and the fall of the Taungs that had secured their system, how, in regaining their planets and moons from Imperial control, they were almost like the crusaders of old. It was almost comical, the way the woman of near fifty standard years could turn into an excitable teenager the moment their history was mentioned. It was a side that he’d never seen much of until they came home, but one he enjoyed nonetheless, as he’d always find something new to learn from her.
Koska joined the trio some time later, her arm draping around The Armorer’s shoulders as she dropped her chin on Axe’s shoulder, listening as the Mand’alor spun the stories of their people with excited hand gestures and the like.
Truthfully, it was the most down-time Bo-Katan had given herself since the most recent bout of hyper-activity. She kept herself leaning on The Armorer and Axe’s legs, one arm tossed back to rest on The Armorer’s thigh as she explained the Taungs’ last stand, and the different ways their culture had branched off since the split.
Their history was sprinkled with the hazards and the costs of war and destruction, even her sister, who’d done all she could to do better by their people, had not achieved such a feat. Many of the prior Mand’alor’s held titles that would have them remembered for eons, such as Mand’alor the first, Mand’alor the Indomitable, Mand’alor the Ultimate, and Mind’alor the Great.Bo-Katan would be remembered as the World Strider, the Mandalorian who brought their people back to a life like under the rule of Mand’alor the Uniter.
Their system found safety and security under her rule, and they found a boom in hundreds of those oppressed by the Empire to create new clans, searching for a people and a purpose among their ranks.
Mandalore was thriving once more under their rule, because it wasn’t truly hers alone, no matter who they’d allowed to hold the title, they had each poured themselves to get to this point, and as long as she was standing, Bo-Katan would ensure their songs would never be lost, that they would be seen not as just another soldier in a war, but as the foundation of their rebirth.
Cienie's take on Mandalorian Culture: Arasuum, the God of Death, not Sloth #3
The Funeral Rites of Taungs and later Mandalorian Warriors. <> Kad Ha’rangir and Mandalorian traditional weapons (part 1 — part 2 — part 3 – part 4 – part 5) <> Arasuum, the God of Death, not Sloth (part 1 — part 2 — part 3 — part 4)
Mandalorians: People and Culture was written as a handy guide - as I was proving in the previous part, some elements of the mentioned article do not fit well with widely understood Legends lore. I dare to say, it was never perfect source material even back in 2006, but it is still an important piece overall and the origin of Arasuum presented as a sloth god, albeit with no further details about the Mandalorian creation tale.
Chronologically wise, the next source material expanding our knowledge about Mandalorian mythology and religion comes from The Essential Guide to Warfare, written by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart and published in 2012. In contrast to Mandalorians: People and Culture, this source book presented vital information about Mandalorian history in the form of in-universe academic text: Excerpted from “Industry. Honor. Savagery: Shaping the Mandalorian Soul” keynote address by Vilnau Teupt, 412th Proceedings of Galactic Anthropology and History, Brentaat Academy, 24 ABY
From the formal description alone we can establish some potentially additional context. Like:
⤿Brentaat is one of Core Worlds and as such was part of the Empire. This is an important detail as we need to remember that the imperial education system was pro-human and thus incredibly biased against alien cultures. As the Empire lasted more than 20 years (19BBY - 4ABY), we can’t cross out the possibility that some falsified history or, alternatively, deliberately concealed data influenced the current state of academic knowledge as at least one or two generations of human and similarly long living humanoid researchers earned their grades and academic titles under the Galactic Empire’s regime - a regime that was responsible for vast numbers of genocides and intentional destruction of non-human cultures but also everyone opposing Palpatine’s rule. Because of that, there is a great chance that modern scholars:
unconsciously based their academic research on incorrect data or
had no chance to examine the original written sources and archaeological finds because those were irretrievably destroyed or suitably hidden during the Empire era. Like what happened with Jedi Archives (available to scientists from various fields during the Republic era, confiscated by Emperor Palpatine) or Aldeeraan and Mandalore (intentional destruction of the planets).
⤿the “412th Proceedings of Galactic Anthropology and History, Brentaat Academy, 24 ABY” suggests a long academic tradition. Even if the recurring event continued through the Empire era, its roots date back to the times of the Old Republic. However, as mentioned above, two decades is enough time to influence academic environment.
⤿ the academic text was presented after Empire Fall. If we look at timeline from the perspective of Legends, the proceeding happened about a year before Yuzhaan Vong Invasion and after many political conflict between New Republic and Imperial Remnants. If we go with Disney New Canon, then Mandalore should be already rediscovered and recolonised after imperial genocide of the Mandalorian people (as seen in The Mandalorian TV series). In the case of the latter, it would make sense for the author to “celebrate” renewal of almost destroyed culture especially as a keynote address during an academic event dedicated to anthropology.
“Industry. Honor. Savagery: Shaping the Mandalorian Soul” discusses the period of time from Taungs leaving ancient Coruscant to the Clone Wars era (understandably not addressing the events from the final The Clone Wars season which aired in 2020). And so we have:
“After being driven from ancient Coruscant, the Taungs relocated to Roon and then wandered the Outer Rim, leaving hints of their passage in various species’ chronicles and histories. But they attracted little notice until they conquered Mandalore around 7000 BBY.
At that time Mandalore lay beyond the galactic frontier - but close to the Republic’s outlying trade routes. Soon, rumors reached the Republic of worlds ruled by ferocious warriors. They served the god Kad Ha’rangir, whose tests and trials forced change and growth upon clans he chose to be his people. In opposition to Kad Ha’rangir stood the sloth-god Arasuum, who sought to tempt the clans and drag them down into stagnation and idle consumption. By waging war in Kad Ha’rangir’s name and according to strict religious laws, the Mandalorian Crusaders defied Arasuum and showed themselves worthy of favor.”
As Vilnau Teupt pointed out, the first information about Mandalorians and their religion reached the Republic in the form of rumors. Author does not specifically point out who brought such information, but we can assume the news travelled with the traders, smugglers or brave adventurers who for some reason wandered beyond Republic’s outlying trade routes. We have no idea if those people met in person with Mandalorian warriors (thus retelling their personal experience) or did pass second-handed information coming from the mentioned conquered worlds. This is especially interesting, as previously established lore suggested that Taungs (early Mandalorians) were rather set on whole destruction of those who weren’t able defeat them in the battle:
“The label of Mandalorian Crusader is misleading. It’s thought that the Crusaders’ forefathers were a religious warrior society with sophisticated laws that devolved into the Canons. But following the Mandalorians’ epic clashes with insectoids of Nevoota, war, once a ritual form of worship to Mandalorian gods, became itself divine and reverential. Henceforth, any campaign promising a holy carnage was regarded a “crusade”.
This mentality led the Crusaders to eradicate entire species like the Fenelar, Tlӧnians, and Kuarans. Thousands of years later, the Ithullans too would suffer the same fate. In fact, the only species to survive a full-fledged Mandalorian onslaught were the neighboring Mandallian Giants. These fierce combatants not only repelled Mandalorian attacks but earned enough respect to later fight beside them. [The History of the Mandalorians, from Insider #80, 2005]
In the next paragraph, Vilnau Teupt himself mentions the destruction of Fenelars and Tlӧnians
[Mandalorians] raided Fenel, a powerful, isolationist world known for its shipwrights and technologists, culminating with the Fenelar’s extinction by the 6700s BBY. Armed with Fenelar technology, the Mandalorians then turned their attention to the Tlӧnians, a vicious arachnoid species known for their poison-sacs na habit of preying on ships foolish enough to stray beyond the frontier. Tlӧn was depopulated and incinerated by the 6100’s BBY.
but also adds:
Other words were spared: The Jakelians, for one, welcomed their new Mandalorian overlords, as did knots of worlds populated by humans centered on Concord Dawn and Gargon. Those worlds - along with the likes of Hrthging, Breshig, Shogun, and Ordo - became part of Mandalorian Space.
While again, claiming that during Mandalore the Ultimate’s rule:
[...] the Crusaders would no longer simply pillage worlds and move on like some terrible storm. Now they would hold territory they conquered, creating an industrial society based on warrior codes. Warriors would rule, supported by farmers, artisans, and manufacturers who accepted their place in the Mandalorian hierarchy, with slaves and those without the honor below them.
This creates a potential conflict with the older lore, as Mandalorian warriors (Taungs) were prone to destroying encountered species, holding in respect only those as brave and mighty as themselves. Why in times before Mandalore the Ultimate, would they spare those who willingly give up on their independence? Why would they even bother to be overlords, when ancient Mandalorians were nomads, travelling from one world to another? Cassus Fett, a right-hand of Mandalore the Ultimate even called this the “nomad’s curse” [Knights of the Old Republic comics series, issue #23, 2007]:
Gormer: [...] We’re the Mando’ade! We don’t have systems?
Cassus Fett: Oh, we have systems -- we just never keep them for long. It’s the nomad’s curse. We move on before we’re finished.
Of course, agricultural planets like Concord Dawn could be useful for providing food and other needed goods or services to their overlords, as a sort of tribute which in return could allow warriors to focus on honing their battle skills without worry for mundane tasks. The problem again lies in the nomadic ways of ancient Mandalorians (Taungs), as we need to remember that A) space travelling was much more primitive and limited than in modern times and B) the crusades took the warriors into far corners of the galaxy for long periods of time, and they needed a secured access to provisions. Which raises a question about the logistic nature of transporting large food supplies far away beyond Mandalorian Space and if it would not be easier for Crusaders (Taungs) to simply take the needed goods from conquered worlds (as author himself noted!) than rely on their human subjects? If people of Concord Dawn or other conquered worlds travelled with their masters, some could adapt the warrior culture as their own though officially non-Taungs were allowed to join Mandalorian ranks as equals under Mandalore the Ultimate’s rule. If Crusaders did not stay too long on one planet, would people of conquered worlds have time to fully understand their religion, culture and custom to become a reliable source of knowledge for the Republic?
If indeed before Mandalorian Wars, Crusaders (Taungs) spared some planets from destruction and ruled over the human populace, we may assume their social structures were more complex than it is believed to be. The division between warriors - lords - and the subjected population could also influence Mandalorian religion. If Kad Ha’rangir was the main deity of Mandalorian Crusaders, then those who did not pursue warrior’s life and continued to be farmers, miners, blacksmiths or fulfill any other mundane occupation, the Arasuum’s “idle consumption” may be redirected on the lower part of society now. In that sense, a warrior successfully tempted by Arasuum would give up on fighting, settle down and become a farmer themselves, losing the high social position.
Another thing that differs from the mentioned History of the Mandalorians is the claim that Taungs-early Mandalorians served one god (Kad Ha’rangir)[1] and waging wars was a necessary act to defy Arasuum. Which suggests that Arasuum’s power over Mandalorians was believed to be a real danger, if warriors needed to prove their worth in Kad Ha’rangir’s eyes. Frankly, this religious division reminds me more of god vs satan-tempter dynamic than any ancient religion, albeit with an ironic twist, as the “good god” is called the Destructor while the “tempting to evil” deity is connected to peace and idle consumption. Looking at our real-life geopolitical situation, I imagine a great number of people would actually want to fall under Arasuum’s rule to finally have some sense of stability and prosperity. Which on one hand illustrates well how different the morality of Mandalorian Crusaders was from our real world and in-universe Republic. However this academic text demonizes Arasuum, in the sense, his status of god is not acknowledged as he plays more the role of “devil”. In contrast, the History of the Mandalorians paints a different picture, one in which early Mandalorians (Taungs) saw "war as a ritual form of worship to Mandalorian gods". Understandably, said gods were not named yet, but if we agree this statement now includes Kad Ha’rangir and Arasuum, we could assume that latter played a more vital role than just being the enemy - especially since he was part of Creation Tale known as Akaanati’kar’oya (The War of Life and Death), mentioned by Mandalorians: People and Culture. If a war was seen as a ritual form of worship and ancient Mandalorians interpreted the myths as literal supernaturalism (as stated by Mandalorians: People and Culture), then any battle could be seen by ancient Crusaders as symbolic reenactment of events from a well-known myth. Thus Arasuum would be an important figure no less than Destructor himself. Because if Kad Ha’rangir identifies life, then Arasuum logically should represent death. Which fits what Canderous Ordo said in Knights of the Old Republic game (2003) when prompted by the player:
Player: The Mandalorians destroy worlds for honor?
Canderous: Win or lose, as long as the fight is worthy, then honor is gained. The glory at having triumphed over impossible odds is what drives us. If there's nothing at stake – your possessions, your life, your world – then the battle's meaningless. We Mandalore take everything we are and throw it into battle. It's the true test of yourself – the battle against death… against oblivion.
or
Player: You seek death?
Canderous: All life dies eventually. A true warrior is one who can beat it down whenever it raises its head. But…
or
Player: Then what are you doing now?
Canderous: The days of combat and glory and cheating death at every turn seem to be over now… I take what I can.
Again, the “stagnation and idle consumption” could be treated literally or could be a metaphor for unchanging death and the “peaceful homestead” offered in afterlife. Additionally, since “Industry. Honor. Savagery: Shaping the Mandalorian Soul” in-universe was presented in 24 ABY but Death Watch Manifesto (included in Boba Fett’s Files) fell officially into Rebels’ hand after bounty hunter ended in Sarlacc’s pit, as was seen in The Return of Jedi (4 ABY). An official rapport mention that Fett’s personal items found on Slave I were “examined prior to archiving"
so we can’t cross out the possibility that once the Empire fell and the Rebellion transformed into the New Republic, historians and researchers got access to those files. Thus there is a chance the “Industry. Honor. Savagery: Shaping the Mandalorian Soul” represents a take on Arasuum influenced by Death Watch Manifesto - about which I will talk more soon.
Another paragraph important to our understanding of Mandalorian religion mentioned shift in perception of gods:
“The final years of the fifth millennium BBY brought a Taung religious reformation. Instead of worshipping Kad Ha’rangir, the Taungs elevated war itself as to the pinnacle of their cosmology - to make a war was effectively to be divine. The reasons for this momentous change are imperfectly understood, but Mandalorian legend holds that the clan leader known as Mandalore the Indomitable had a vision while on the mysterious world Shogun, returning to the clan with world of the revelation he’d received.
Soon after this reformation, the Crusaders raided the galaxy’s central systems. In 4024 BBY they attacked the planet Nevoota in the Colonies, exterminating its species during a three-year campaign.”
One one hand, as a source author lists a Mandalorian legend - although that alone does not provide a historical context[2] of when said legend originated. Is this an ancient source preserved in written or electronic form? Or some folklore tale passed through generations and growing in additional details alongside? One way or another, we are provided an example that Mandalorian religion A) was not a stagnant matter and B) the important change influenced the warrior society and C) most of Republic knowledge about Mandalorian Crusaders comes from times after the reformation (The Sith War, Mandalorian Wars and forward) but as author pointed out, the “reasons for this momentous change are imperfectly understood”. Which suggests that the Republic academic environment has limited understanding of Taung mentality.
It would definitely help if the author provided more sources on which this academic lecture was based on. At the same time, all the deviations from widely understood lore can be easily explained as the author's limited knowledge due to factors beyond the control of scholars (destroyed or fragmentary sources, growth of legends around ancient events, impossibility of verifying data). The society of Taung (ancient Crusaders) is much more complex and if indeed they kept conquered worlds like Concord Dawn in which farmers were supporting the ruling caste of warriors, this experience may influence their religious understanding of Arasuum’s idle consumption and laziness.
Bounty Hunter Code: From The Files of Boba Fett was co-written by Daniel Wallace, Ryder Windham and Jason Fry. Similarly to The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force (2010), Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side (2012) and Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide (2014) this is a reference book presenting events from the perspective of characters and not an all-knowing narrator. Each book also contains additional notes written by certain characters who at some point read it and for this or another reason were motivated to add their own commentary. What provided us both the in-universe knowledge and often a counterargument coming from a different “point of view”.
Death Watch Manifesto, in mandalorian language known as Ba'jurne Kyr'tsad, is supposedly written by Tor Vizsla. As author claimed, the content of the Manifesto was meant for Death Watch members chosen among other things to train and educate recruits:
You are reading this because you have been chosen as a Rally Master, charged with training recruits, preparing Watchers for operations and commanding them in battle. Like Cassus Fett's Rally Masters of ancient times, you must educate and inspire our warriors, so they understand their heritage and will sacrifice their lives for it."
The Ba'jurne Kyr'tsad at some unspecified point of time fell into Jango Fett’s hands and was passed down to his son, Boba (thus included into titular files of Boba Fett). Jango himself questioned the authenticity of the author:
I wonder if Vizsla really wrote this. He was a thug. Sounds more like Priest, or Reau. Maybe the younger Vizsla. That one likes speeches - JANGO
But as Fett noted down the Manifesto sounds as something certain Mandalorians could say. Going so far to name Pre Vizsla, Isabet Rau or Dread Priest as examples and two of those mentioned characters were working for him as Mandalorian Training Sergeants on Kamino. So whoever the author truly was, we have no reason to doubt the Death Watch Manifesto was written by Mandalorian for Mandalorians and the presented here political statement could be even shared beyond the Death Watch group. We also have a rough time frame for better analysing the source - it was written after the Battle of Galidraan (44 BBY) and if Tor Vizsla indeed was the author, before his death in 42 BBY.
As was already said in “Kad Ha’rangir and Mandalorian traditional weapons, part 2”, analysing Ba'jurne Kyr'tsad is not an easy task, as we need to tread between historical data and the author's subjective opinion. Among other things, author described repression that happened upon the traditionalists, such like exile to Concordia and intentional destruction of their culture:
“Seven centuries ago, their craven, hut’uune warships and Jedi bombarded our worlds. They incinerated Mandalore’s farmland and forests, leaving much of our homeworld a forsaken desert of fine white sand, and then occupied our worlds. They killed, exiled, or disarmed our warriors and suppressed our ancient codes.
or
“Our secret operations on Mandalore and Concordia are producing more and more beskar, but Mandalorian armor remains hard to find - and the New Mandalorians treacherously destroyed many heirloom suits of beskar’gam.”
and
“Some of our warriors were exiled to the moon Concordia. Others - myself included - slipped away to resume the ba’slan shev’la”.
If we agree it’s true that the warrior culture was systematically erased for centuries within Mandalorian society[3], then we must ask a question: how truthfully is the knowledge provided by the author? [4]
Our best chance to determine how well information is presented here, is to look at additional commentary provided by Jango Fett. Mentioned above Jango’s comment was written on the margin of the fifth page (sixth, if we count the author's introduction as starting point) and was his first note addressing the content of presented text. The manifesto was written with a certain political message - thus with no doubt is not an objective source material - yet a great chunk of the information up to this moment is about Mandalorian history and culture from ancient to modern times. Fett did not polemize with historical knowledge contained in the book while most of his comments are in fact about Jaster Mereel (modern times), weapons or remarks about Tor Vizsla and Death Watch. So either, Jango
had no sufficient knowledge about the ancient times to question author’s claims
did not notice anything suspicion in provided data
didn’t care about the history aspect thus did not bother to comment on it.
Although Jango was not a fan of reading, he was raised by Jaster Mereel, the leader of True Mandalorians whom Montross accused of forgetting Fett was not his son. As we know from various sources, both True Mandalorians and Death Watch were once part of the same Mandalorian Mercs group, so if historical knowledge was passed between warriors, then Jango had a great chance to learn it from Mandalorians (Jaster) who took him into their ranks when he lost his biological family. As Fett did not critique the historical data provided by author and even commented the arguments and/or rhetoric sounds more like something his own people may say than Tor Vizsla (whom he considered to be just a thug), I think it is safe to assume the historical knowledge of Death Watch is similar to those passed down within True Mandalorians.
Thus for the lack of proper counterarguments, I will assume the historical aspect of Ba'jurne Kyr'tsad reflects the knowledge of modern Mandalorian warriors. Establishing that, let’s take a closer look at the Arasuum and Mandalorian religion.
One of the most important things in which Ba'jurne Kyr'tsad differs from Mandalorians: People and Culture is the certainty about Mandalorians’ origins. Here, there is no doubt about the connection between modern culture and the now-extinct Taungs, whom the author calls his people’s ancestors even if they have never shared the same blood.
THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE MANDALORIANS
Our history begins with the Taung, the Shadow Warriors we honor as our Progenitors. They originally dwelled on Coruscant, but their enemies drove them into the Outer Rim. Their clans traveled from planet to planet on orders from their war chief, who interpreted the will of their now-extinct gods: Kad Ha’rangir, the all-seeing creator of tests and trials; Hod Ha’ran the trickster, agent of fickle fortune, and Arasuum the god of sloth, an enemy whispering and seducing with promises of peace [...].
Author pointed out the religious nature of Taung and later, early Mandalorian culture (supported by various tie-in source material) in which the war chief interpreted the will of gods. Interestingly, all three main deities known to us - Kad Ha’rangir, Hod Ha’ran and Arasuum were included as those influencing the life of ancient Mandalorians.
The additional graphic presenting said gods adds that “ancient Mandalorian deities were led by the all-seeing Kad Ha’rangir”, so although there was hierarchy between gods, Arasuum is part of the pantheon and not a minor god himself [5].
Arasuum is here called the “enemy whispering and seducing with promises of peace” but considering how the author segregates Mandalorians into two categories: the “faithful” followers of old (warrior) traditions and “faithless” who rejected it, we should ask: is this an accurate mythology role the god fulfilled in the ancient times, or is it solely the author's political allegory reflecting the conflict between Death Watch and New Mandalorians?
As was mentioned before, Death Watch Manifesto is as much about passing knowledge to their members as upholding a specific ideology. So on one hand, we have an old symbol of Crusaders that author described as:
The ancient symbol of the Mandalorian Crusaders is a ring adorned with shape points. The points represent the weapons of warriors, while the ring symbolizes the cycles that govern life - birth and death, conquest and defeat, and the promise that new warriors will arise to carry the traditions of the departed.
If the ancient Mandalorians (Taung) believed life is a cycle, in which birth and death, conquest and defeat follow each other, then logically war and peace were inextricably linked too - even if the time between “official” wars against Republic or Sith was used for preparation for another attack, as happened after The Sith War (rebuilding forces under Mandalore The Ultimate) and after Mandalorian Wars (Canderous Ordo’s Mandalorian Outpost on Dxun).
Looking at the mando’a language, the term of “peace” has connection to words like “healing” and “rest”,
while the Mandalorians: People and Culture mentioned a “permanent, peaceful homestead” located in traditional afterlife, in which wives and children were living[6], defended by warriors who joined the army of the dead. So we could draw a connection between the ancient Mandalorian concept of peace, healing, and even “permanent” resting (death).
If Arasuum originally was the god of death, then “seducing with promises of peace” could as well be a metaphor for giving up on life. In that sense the epithet of “god of sloth” makes sense, as being Mandalorian meant constantly facing danger and hardship and overcoming the odds. Thus those who lost their will to fight (staying alive) could be considered by the community as “lazy”.
At the same time, the short description of Mandalorian gods mentioned Hod Ha’ran as the trickster, yet the author completely omits his role. All the “tricking” is moved on Arasuum alone. And so according to author, the deity seduces Mandalorians “with promises of peace” or in general the unfortunately for Mandalorians ages are assigned to happen under Arasuum’s rule:
After Ani’la Akaan, weak Mandalores led the clans, and our honor ebbed - these were the years of Arasuum, The Stagnation.
Unsurprisingly, author attributes Arasuum’s negative traits to Republic, Jedi and New Mandalorians:
The Annihilation birthed the evils we now fight against. To rule us, the Republic installed puppets who had sought a foolish peace with the Senators and their Jedi. In the centuries since the Annihilation, this line of Anti-Mandalores - leaders of the self-styled New Mandalorians - have forfeited our honor, buying us soft lives of sloth and dependence.
Weary of war and deluded by lies, many of the Mando’ade accepted the Anti-Mandalores and the illegitimate rule of the Faithless, as we call the New Mandalorians.
or
Meanwhile, centuries of New Mandalorian lies had left the Mando’ade weak and soft. One of my kinswomen, the Duchess Satine Kryze, had been sent offworld as a child by her father, a mighty clan warlord, and she fell prey to the lies of the Jedi. After her father perished in the Great Clan Wars, she betrayed his memory by becoming the leader of the New Mandalorians. Aided by Jedi tricks, she became the newest Anti-Mandalore, whereupon the exhausted Mando’ade flocked to her banner.
Adding to this all paragraphs mentioning how the Faithfull Mando’ade faced and overcame hardship (deliberate destruction of warrior culture) that made them stronger, there is no doubt that the author is using extinct gods as metaphor for political conflict: the Mandalorians keeping old faith are those tested by Kad Ha’rangir, those accepting pacifism are deluded by lies of Arasuum[7].
Thus Death Watch Manifesto can’t be treated as an objective source on which we could base the reconstruction of an extinct religion. On one hand, modern Mandalorians must be somehow aware of who Kad Ha’rangir and Arasuum were to read between the lines of what the author is trying to imply here. On another note, the short introduction at the beginning of Ba'jurne Kyr'tsad may be what the ancient gods were already reduced to - a symbol in the centuries old fight between two opposite ideologies. At the same time, it supports Mandalorians: People and Culture’s claim how modern Mandalorians treat old mythology “as parables to illustrate a deeper philosophical meaning rather than literal supernaturalism”.
As was mentioned before, there is a chance that Ba'jurne Kyr'tsad became available as a historical source for academic use. Thus could influence how modern (post-Empire) scholars interpret ancient culture of Mandalorian Crusaders.
After examining three different sources - Mandalorians: People and Culture (handy guide), Excerpted from “Industry. Honor. Savagery: Shaping the Mandalorian Soul” (in-universe academic text) and Ba'jurne Kyr'tsad (in-universe half guide, half political manifesto) our knowledge about religion of Taung-ancient Crusaders is still limited to the point, it is hard to tell for sure what is an accurate knowledge and what is modern reinterpretation of old myths.
Because of that, the next part will focus on widely understood Mandalorian culture and what the characters and narrative can tell us about the original warrior religious dogmas.
SIDENOTES
[1] Additionally, The Essential Guide to Warfare includes an in-universe translation of the best-known section of Dha Werda Verda that presents the ancient battle between the Zhell and the Taungs. Here it is revealed that pre-Mandalorian society of Taungs believed in supernatural being called Maker, which may be a totally different deity than Kad Ha’rangir. Or alternatively, the Maker has evolved into Kad Ha’rangir.
[2] Source material doesn’t agree when the religious reformation happened. The Essential Guide to Warfare attributes the change to Mandalore the Indomitable, while The Old Republic’s lore entry suggests it happened before said leader rose in power.
The Old Republic game’s Galactic History 42: The Nevoota Extinction codex
Lore Entry:
This datacron holds unheard of power and knowledge collected by an ancient race. You access its power and discover writings which are clearly only one small piece of a massive galactic history: Some years before the Old Sith Wars, the Nevoota–a species of insectoid aliens from the Balmorra system–found themselves facing an army of disciplined warriors in distinctive armor. The warriors were Mandalorian Crusaders, testing themselves against the galaxy’s deadliest species. However, the Nevoota were a challenge even for the Mandalorians. Possessing superior numbers and utterly disdainful of death, the Nevoota fought a four-year campaign under the cunning warlord Ithcharaka–but finally the Mandalorians hunted the Nevoota to extinction. This conflict had a profound effect on Mandalorian culture. The Mandalorians began to see war itself as an end, not just a means of conquest. Through war, Mandalorian society found its highest expression. When Mandalore the Indomitable eventually rose to power, he led a people who demanded nothing less than the greatest challenges the galaxy could offer.
[3] Repression aimed at warriors were implied by The Clone Wars: The Mandalore Plot episode, in which Prime Minister assured Obi-Wan Kenobi that their warriors were exiled and died out decades ago:
Almec: I welcome you as a servant of the people, but I am troubled by the false rumors that brought you here. Mandalore would never turn against the Republic. The Duchess Satine values peace more than her own life.
Kenobi: I'm aware of the Duchess' views.
Almec: Master Kenobi, Mandalore's violent past is behind us. All of our warriors were exiled to our moon, Concordia. They died out years ago.
[4] According to Ba'jurne Kyr'tsad, the ancient tradition was passed in secret for ~700 years to uphold customs that warriors should consider sacred. Logically then, after such a long time Tor Vizsla or whoever wrote the Manifesto under that name may simply repeat already whitewashed “history lessons” that for ages fitted “Faithfuls’” needs. In that case the author himself may not lie on purpose and simply presents the incomplete or twisted knowledge passed through generations between traditional Mandalorians.
At the same time there is the possibility that the author deliberately presents information in a way that fits the Death Watch’s rhetoric to manipulate/encourage readers to his case. This doesn’t automatically mean the author is lying about events per se, as the Sith War, Mandalorian Wars and Republic attack on Mandalore did happen and have confirmation in different sources, however the manner of presenting is clearly non-objective.
Of course, those two options don’t exclude each other and may easily co-exist, as the author operates on knowledge passed down to him while presenting it in a favorable way to supporters of Death Watch.
[5] The importance of Arasuum is supported by the Creation Tale known as Akaanati’kar’oya (The War of Life and Death), mentioned by Mandalorians: People and Culture.
Additionally, Arasuum was presented on the picture in the outfit looking the richest of all Mandalorian deities; the red cloak, golden-like plates with some gems brings to mind luxury that ancient Taung and Mandalorians didn’t seek or hold in great regard. But if this deity represents “idle consumption” and sloth, we should ask, how did he become so rich in the first place? This reminds me how some real-life chthonic deities connected to death and underground like Greek Hades or Slavic Veles had also strong ties to prosperity and wealth. As beskar is the most important Mandalorian wealth, I wonder if there could be a link between beskar and the potential deity of death, if Death Watch Manifesto mentioned the concept of non-Taung vassals who were serving Mandalorian clans as metalsmiths. The blacksmith knowledge was held in high regard and was one of the most well guarded secrets, so one’s skills could be respected (and well-paid?) while the person in question didn’t need to be warrior.
[6] As I mentioned in previous part, the traditional afterlife’s gender division doesn’t fit what we know about Taungs and early Mandalorians, however author of Ba'jurne Kyr'tsad provided insight into old social structures, in which Mandalorian warriors were supported by vassals responsible for various tasks, like blacksmithing:
The Progenitors saw hand-to-hand combat as the warrior’s highest calling. Their helmets resembled their own faces, and each suit was custom-made for its wearer, with the armor of venerated ancestors melted down and reforged to equip a particularly valorous war chief or clan leader. Some forged their own armor, while others left that task to metalsmiths serving their clans as vassals.
or
Under the Uniter and strong Mandalores who followed him, our homeworld became the protector of many star systems and the center of an honorable civilization. Warriors ruled, protecting the artisans, manufacturers, and laborers who supported them and who were supported in turn by vassals and servants.
So maybe the traditional afterlife was not divided by gender and age in which women and children were delegated to peaceful homestead but into souls representing warriors and non-warriors? The first continued their fight as part of the army of dead. The letter, like ancient vassals, supported said army by providing food (farmers), armors (blacksmiths) among other things?
[7] This way the author can critique the “faithless” Mandalorians without actually demonizing them - they aren’t bad Mandalorians, but ones “seduced” by the Arasuum’s promises of peace and sloth. Which makes sense, as the author himself noted how divided is the modern mandalorian society.
This division between the Faithful and the Faithless split every clan: members of the Ordos, Fetts, Kryzes, Awauds, Priests, Gedycs, and yes, Vizslas belonged to both sides in our long struggle.
Cienie's take on Mandalorian Culture: Arasuum, the God of Death, not Sloth #2
The Funeral Rites of Taungs and later Mandalorian Warriors. <> Kad Ha’rangir and Mandalorian traditional weapons (part 1 — part 2 — part 3 – part 4 – part 5) <> Arasuum, the God of Death, not Sloth (part 1 — part 2 — part 3 — part 4)
The first part was an introduction to my theory that Arasuum is not the god representing laziness, but death. I based my reasoning on the Mandalorian language that distinguishes between stagnation and laziness, as one word is not derived from another but also pointed out a visible correlation between gods names and their roles, in which laziness does not fit what the sources provided so far for Mandalorian gods. Thus laziness as Arasuum’s attribute seems to me more like modern interpretation than the original meaning behind the myth.
Establishing those two important nuances, it is time to look closely at the source material and their nature. In advance, I must warn that this part is focused on examining the sources as much as the religion itself, as text critical analysis is a natural part of widely understood research.
Keeping in that mind, let’s talk about source material.
Ancient Mandalorians were presented as religious society that once worshiped many gods before the war became a divine itself - the claim dates at least to “History of the Mandalorians” from Star Wars Insider #80, 2005. From 2005 to current day, there are three main sources that influenced fandom’s idea of Arasuum and his role in mandalorian mythology:
Mandalorian: People and Culture [Star Wars Insider #86, 2006]
Industry. Honor. Savagery: Shaping the Mandalorian Soul [The Essential Guide to Warfare, 2012]
Death Watch Manifesto [The Bounty Hunter Code, From Files of Boba Fett, 2013]
The Star Wars Insider’s article was written by Karen Traviss, whose Republic Commando book series shaped and popularized the modern Mandalorians[1]. This piece was published on February 21, 2006, which chronologically predates Republic Commando: Triple Zero, released on February 28, 2006. A lot of presented here ideas were either already part of the author's previous work (Hard Contact book and Omega: Targets short story) or will be exploited more in further novels. Understandably then, Mandalorians: People and Culture is more of an introduction to the world of Mandalorians than an ultimate guide - though a great chunk of presented in article material built the ground for writing of other authors and fans alike, it is hard to miss how it contradicts itself on some vital matters.
The article starts with the opening quote from in-universe “Mandalorians: Identity and Language”, published by the Galactic Institute of Anthropology:
In five millennia, the Mandalorians fought with and against a thousand armies on a thousand worlds. They learned to speak as many languages and absorbed weapons technology and tactics from every war. And yet, despite the overwhelming influence of alien cultures, and the absence of a true home world and even species, their own language not only survived but changed little; their way of life and their philosophy remained untouched; and their ideals and sense of family, of identity of nation, were only strengthened. Armor is not what makes a Mandalorian. Armor is simply a manifestation of an impenetrable, unassailable heart.
This passage gives us a sense of what the Mandalorians are - or rather how they are seen by the unnamed author(s). But this is a very romanticized if not outright idealized description, based more on wishful thinking than a “facts” (lore) itself.
For one, Mandalorians’ way of life did not remain untouched, as they changed from independent military force (Mandalorian Crusaders and Neo-Crusaders) into people mainly engaged in mercenary work due to lost Mandalorian Wars (3976-3960 BBY) and if we include much later New Canon, they changed from warriors to pacifist (738 BBY). Majority of Mandalorians’ inner conflicts were in fact about what Mandalorians should be, because there was no common, universal identity all people could cling to anymore. And yes, the majority of (Legends) Mandalorians saw themselves as warriors, but that was not enough to avoid schisms and civil wars.
To name the major examples, the first real friction happened just before and during the Mandalorian Wars, between traditional Crusaders and the New-Crusaders whose philosophy and purpose deviated from the universally accepted norms. Among those “oddities” was establishing color-themed armors and using them as official ranks or mass-forcing people into the Mandalorian army - something that more traditional Mandalorians like Mandalore the Ultimate or Gummig did complain about through the comics series of KotOR and spin-off sources. The Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide (2008) openly states that
The traditional Crusaders do not proselytize; rather, they attract others to their cause through the examples they set. Veterans see the later Neo-Crusaders movement, which actively converts outsiders in its hurry to conquer the galaxy, as a perversion.
After the war, a great number of Mandalorians became mercenaries and Canderous Ordo needed decades to rebuild the sense of warrior honor and reunite scattered Mandalorians under his banner. For his effort, he earned the name Mandalore the Preserver. And yet the discord between warriors following the old traditions and those turning into mercenaries or outright bandits preying on the weaker grew stronger. This cultural shift has never been fully merged back and so three to four centuries later, we have another ideological conflict between Mandalorians, this time those following Mandalore the Avenger (Shae Vizsla) and Heta Kol, the Field Marshal of Hidden Chain. The clash again came down to the mercenaries vs warriors/crusaders mindset that we could sum up with Heta Kol’s quote:
In Shae Vizla, I see only hypocrisy. She has driven out those who oppose her view, yet she has remade the Mandalorians into servants of anyone who pays her enough credits--no matter what they believe. Where is the honor in that?" [The Old Republic game]
Similar conflict happened decades before Clone Wars, between True Mandalorians under Jaster Mereel and later Jango Fett’s leadership and Death Watch led by Tor Vizsla. Depending on the sources, Jaster Mereel either saw Mandalorians just as highly paid soldiers (as stated in Jango Fett: Open Seasons) or brought reforms to bring Mandalorians back to the more honorable ways (as presented in majority of tie-in sources), while Tor Vizsla wished to bring back Mandalorians to their conquering galaxy roots[2].
If we include New Canon, the mandalorian conflict takes even more drastic shape, this time between exiled warriors and those who renounced their war culture for pacifism.
Which proves that in the main historic eras presented in lore, Mandalorians may share the same skills, be part of the same war culture, yet there is no “only right one” identity or philosophy that unites all people and during the inner conflicts, a great chunk of Mandalorians will consider their ideological opponents as “dar’manda”[3], or traitors regardless if they follow cultural norms or not. The Mandalorian style of life has changed and changed in a way that left their culture fractured and torn between seeking independence and rebuilding the Mandalorian Empire or accepting the life of mercenaries or even rejecting both ideologies for non violent, peaceful life.
A similar thing may be said about language, because the way people speak naturally evolves with passing time and is a reflection of their culture and historical period they lived in. For Mandalorian language to remain the same for such a large period of time - five millenia, as quote states - its speakers would need either to die out or at least live in isolation, cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Which in both cases we know is not true.
We need to remember that the post-Mandalorian Wars era is a time in which the original Mandalorians (Taungs) died out, replaced by human and non-human people adopted into culture before and during war. As then-current Mandalore the Ultimate noted himself, Mandalorians faced problems they never before had, including the new wave of recruits and not enough time to teach them their culture:
“So many new recruits. Different species, different armors, different languages - and not enough time to learn our ways”. [Knight of the Old Republic, #20]
Which is a valid reason to assume that original mando’a at some point was influenced by new recruits’ native languages, especially Basic. Because if there was no time or opportunity to teach a mass of people (often forced into the Mandalorian army against their will), then naturally all the gaps in linguistic knowledge will be filled by things “newcomers” actually knew and understood.
Going further, The Mandalorians: People and Culture provides information that:
Mando’a is predominantly a spoken language, and contractions and pronunciation variations occur much as they do among Basic speakers
and that
The infinitive ends in -ir, -ar, -ur, -or, or -er. Removing the “r” usually produces the stem, e.g.: jurir - to bear or carry.
Sometimes an apostrophe separates the terminal vowel, to indicate the slight glottal stop of some Mandalorian accents. This apostrophe, known as a beten, or sigh -- as in Mando’s -- can also indicate breathing, pronunciation, or dropped letters.
So ni juri kad (I carry a saber) or even ni jur’kad is a correct as ni juri kad in some communities.
or
Spelling and punctuation have optional forms so it’s hard to get it wrong. What other species might take for sloppy grammar, Mandalorians embrace as the right of the individual Mando’ad (son or daughter of Mandalore) to add their own touches to their language, much as they customize their armor.
If we agree that mando’a words can be pronounced however each Mandalorian feels like, then it is natural the language may vary from one speaker to another, and with passing time creating specific dialects for individual clans or even the whole region. For example, Concord Dawn is part of the Mandalorian Sector. The article noted
[Mandalorians] are still predominantly human, and a large percentage of the population shows genetic markers typical of the peoples of Concord Dawn and nearby planets. Although there is no true Mandalorian ethnic type, the prevalence of common gene clusters indicates that specific populations were either absorbed by the Mandalorians or joined them.
and yet, Concord Dawn, despite such historical and cultural strong ties to Mandalorians, has its own dialect[4] that is apparently still close enough to mando’a to be understand by Mandalorians however it has its own distinct words that make communication difficult.
“It wasn't Mando'a, but it was close enough for any Mandalorian to understand”. (Republic Commando: Order 66)
&
Commander Bacara was originally trained by one of the few non-Mandalorian instructors, an ex-Journeyman Protector named Cort Davin from the Concord Dawn system. [...] Bacara found it difficult to converse in Mandalorian with his brethren as he learned the peculiar dialect of Concord Dawn, which used words like “tat” instead of “vod” for “brother”. (Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic, published in Star Wars Insider: 84)
The moon of Mandalore, Concordia, apparently also has its own dialect[5], as mentioned by The Clone Wars in The Mandalore Plot episode:
Satine Kryze: He was speaking in the dialect they use on Concordia, our moon.
A dialect that the Duchess of Mandalore recognized easily and was capable of understanding and speaking it(?).
Additionally, the Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia’s entry for mando’a states:
At its core, Mando’a was a spoken language, because many different groups spoke it with enough subtle variation that writing it down became problematic [...].
As much as I agree it is impressive for Mandalorians to cultivate their culture for millenia despite many historical setbacks (including devastating military defeats) that influenced their political-economic standing in the galaxy, saying that language did not change for such a long period of time is both wrong and surprising for an in-universe academic claim officially published by the Galactic Institute of Anthropology.
I assume the author’s intent was to praise Mandalorian’s unshakable sense of identity. However, looking at it from the perspective of time and expended lore, this statement puts into question not Mandalorian history but the Republic (galactic)’s knowledge about the Mandalorians. It does not help that we have no time frame in which the in-universe academic text was written, as in how out-dated could be the source.
The main part of the Mandalorians: People and Culture is not free of inconsistency and some parts contradict each other within the same article. This is the most seen with gender norms, a topic to which we will soon come back in regard to Mandalorian religion.
At the start, the article points out unknown origin of Mandalorians
[...] they’re probably not even the original Mandalorian race. Anthropologists disagree about their roots; did they begin as humans or, as a few academics still claim, a gray-skinned non-human species? Whichever theory you find most convincing, they became a species of predominantly human nomadic warriors
while the “as a few academics still claim” statement sounds dismissive toward original Mandalorians (Taung species) and the connection between them and now predominantly human Mandalorians[6]. A connection that is confirmed in lore since at least 1995. This uncertainty of historical background acknowledged by the author puts into question further information about their religion.
Let’s take a look at the paragraph of Mandalorian religion:
Mandalorians were once intensely religious but disillusionment with the old fanaticism and worship of war itself gave way to a far less supernatural belief system among modern Mandalorians. They now regard creation tales, such as Akaanati’kar’oya (The War of Life and Death) as parables to illustrate a deeper philosophical meaning rather than literal supernaturalism. The stars were mythologized as fallen kings of Mandalore, and there are tales of the mythosaurs, but the pragmatic and skeptical Mandalorians look for allegory in these stories.
The manda - best described as a combination of the collective state of being, the essence of being Mandalorian, and an oversoul - is not viewed as a literal heaven. Traditionally, the Mando afterlife is seen as a plane of spiritual energy in constant conflict between stagnation, and the opportunity for change brought about by destruction - a parallel with modern theories of cosmology. In Mandalorian myth, this conflict is symbolized by the eternal war between the sloth-god Arasuum - the personification of idle consumption and stagnation - and the vigorous destroyer god Kad Ha’rangir, who forces change and growth on the universe.
Every Mando warrior who dies is said to add to the army of the afterlife, defending wives and children living in its permanent, peaceful homestead - the only place Mandalorians believe they can ever reach a non-transitory state of existence.”
The change from deeply religious society to less concerned with gods and religion feels like a natural order of things, especially when we remember that the original Mandalorians died out around four thousands years ago and their legacy was influenced by many factors since then. However, the aforementioned uncertainty of historical background for Mandalorian culture forces us to ask, to whom and which era refer to the term of traditional belief? By “traditionally” does the author here mean the already predominantly human Mandalorian culture or consider it as something passed down by “unknown” predecessors? Should we see the faith in Arassum and Kad Ha’rangir as the original religion practiced by Taung!Mandalorians or something that was created by an influx of human and other alien species that dominated the culture at some point? And it is not just a question related to Arasuum and Kad Ha’rangir, who to this day are the most prominent gods we know about but also to the concept of afterlife itself.
For one, Arasuum and Kad Ha’rangir are said to be part of the same myth, the Akaanati’kar’oya that means The War of Life and Death. Since Kad Ha’rangir is connected to growth, change and vigor it feels natural to associate him with Life, as those attributes represent the nature of living. If we agree that this god represents Life, then it is logical to assume Arasuum’s connection should be to Death, the opposed force. Arasuum name literally means stagnation and from it comes the word arasuumir - to remain the same, so this is one attribute we have no reason to question about him. However, the author calls Arasuum also the personification of idle consumption, and at first look this may sound weird, as idle or not, consumption itself is part of living. That way, both gods are tied to an aspect of Life, while the myth supposedly presents them as opposites forces, the Life and Death.
But, as the paragraph explains, Mandalorians believed that afterlife mirrors their mortal life - wives and children are living in its permanent, peaceful homestead, defended by warriors. Thus we could theorize that Arasuum’s “idle consumption” may refer to those who after death became part of “homestead” and choose(?) peace over serving in the afterlife army.
At the same time, the text presents us two separate ideas of the afterlife. One, mentioned above, mirrors mortal life. The other is a concept called MANDA, “best described as a combination of the collective state of being, the essence of being Mandalorian, and an oversoul - is not viewed as a literal heaven.” As the article stated, at some point Mandalorian people changed from a deeply religious society to one disillusioned with supernatural beliefs and that modern Mandalorians regard mythology as “parables to illustrate a deeper philosophical meaning rather than literal supernaturalism.” A change that has reflection in their funeral rites[7]. Thus we can theorize that afterlife mirroring mortal life is older than the manda itself that may be even unknown to original Mandalorians (Taungs). What brings us back to the vital questions: what era and which historical Mandalorian people fall under the “traditional” term?
This is indeed an important question, because of Mandalorians: People and Culture’s inconsistency, especially with the gender norms. For example, in paragraph MANDALORIAN SOCIETY, article claims
There is no gender in the Mandalorian language. This mirrors the equal status of men and women and the general flexibility of societal roles, despite what appears to many to be a traditional division of tasks along gender lines.
yet
Men are expected to be warriors and to raise and train their sons to be the same. Women maintain the home wherever the nomads happen to travel, and raise daughters. But women also are expected to have the combat skills of a man in order to defend the homestead when men are away. Women also fight alongside men on battlefront. If they have no dependent children to care for, they're expected to share the responsibilities of defense and warfare."
or
If the first child is a son, parents may wait eight years before having another child so that the first is old enough to accompany his father and be trained as a soldier for five years until he reaches adulthood at 13. Then his father is free to train a younger son. At 13, both girls and boys undergo a rite of passage in military and survival skills that makes them legally adults.
If the firstborn is a girl, the couple may try for a son soon afterwards. A daughter will usually stay with her mother until she marries. But if a couple has only daughters, the girls will be trained as warriors by their father exactly as boys would be. Boys learn their earliest lessons from their mothers before the age of eight, so her fighting skills are critical; a couple pledges to raise warriors, and this is a joint commitment
which is far from gender equality (something mentioned by author also in her book series), as girls are treated as second-rated members of family compared to male descendants, while there is much more demanded from women than from men - to take care of children and train them nevertheless of their gender (while men should focus on sons first and foremost and may not be involved in their daughters’ training IF they already have a male descendant), maintain and protect home, be skilled a fighter with expertise in military and survival skills - even if it is boys that should be educated by both mother and father in combat, while girls may be trained just by mother and usually stay with her until marriage. A mother that is supposed to maintain the home (staying behind) while father takes sons with himself.
This statement[8] reflects traditional afterlife presented in the same article but makes little sense from the perspective of lore. Because we do in fact have a chance to see Mandalorian family dynamic during Mandalorian Wars, an era in which Taungs were still around. Knights of the Old Republic: War (2012) introduced us to Ko Sornell, a female Devaronian, who raided basilisk droid with her young son into battle
and who in general was deeply involved with ongoing military operations as warrior and comm specialist and simultaneously raising her children on frontlines
while there is no information about her husband's military position; we do see them together during mission - on one frame - standing arm to arm and that is all. As the couple together raised their children on frontlines, and Ko Sornell joined another mission instead of staying with her family in the detachment on Phaedacomm (thus being far away from the makeshift house for at least a few days)
until the comics again presents her with family (the last 5th issue),
it's logical to assume husband was the one that took care of their younger children[9] in the absence of their mother. Alternatively, children were under another clan member’s care when both parents were involved with a special mission on which they could not bring their kids.
What is even more interesting, Zayne Carrick - an outsider - upon meeting the Devaronian family pointed out that in the Devaronian culture, women stay at home with children while only males wander through galaxy.
and was assured by the Mandalorian family they indeed are fine with being nomads and raising children on the frontline.
This supports the statement of Mandalorians: People and Culture that “a couple pledges to raise warriors, and this is a joint commitment” but it undermines the division of adult responsibilities and the different treatment of children based on gender alone. Because a mother is not by default relegated to defending a homestead even though there are children under her care.
This is further backed up by Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide’s description of Mandalorian Crusaders
Mandalorians place great emphasis on the family, prizing chastity before marriage and fidelity thereafter. Children are trained from a young age, and all members of the family share an equal role in its preservation against enemies
and The Old Republic Encyclopedia (2012):
CLAN SOCIETY
Mandalorian society operates with a minimal and largely informal power structure. Every Mandalorian is a member of a clan, either by birth or recruitment. Although different clans often disagree and even fight one another, they treat their own members like family, regardless of whether they’re related by blood ties or oath. Other than the clan chieftain, members have no official ranks or positions unless organized into a fighting unit where chain of command has a valuable place. Each man or woman is expected to contribute however they can, with those who achieve great things gaining increased respect and new responsibilities. Although clans may have ties or rivalries with other clans, there is no formal hierarchy. All chieftains report directly to the Mandalore
The families of Mandalorians are close-knit and remarkably affectionate, despite the culture’s propensity for violence. Marriage is considered a lifelong commitment, and both biological and adopted children are raised with equal love. Sons and daughters are raised as warriors, as gender has little bearing in Mandalorian culture, so much their language hardly distinguishes between male and female.
If the Mandalorians in the twilight of Taung hegemony and relatively shortly after their extinction are presented as those who treat their sons and daughters as equally valued members of the community, then we should ask what caused such discord between this image and the one presented in Mandalorians: People and Culture. If we agree that the term of traditional Mandalorians from mentioned article is not about people from Sith Wars - Mandalorians Wars era and following conflicts but about those between the ancient and modern times, then once again we must determine how much the values of the original Mandalorians have been distorted through the millennia and how trustworthy is our narrator.
As the sources of widely understood lore were examined, let’s look again at the “traditional” afterlife and Mandalorian gods involved with the creation myth. As the article proclaims, “every Mando warrior who dies is said to add to the army of the afterlife”, thus we should assume it includes warriors of all genders. But then the army’s purpose is “defending wives and children living in its permanent, peaceful homestead” yet there is no information against whom the presumably non-combatant inhabitants must be defended. If said army takes part in the eternal conflict between Death and Life, an army of dead wouldn’t then serve Arasuum rather than Kad Ha’rangir, whose connection is to life and change?
There is no explanation why only wives and children are excluded, since children were meant to learn the art of war from their parents, thus logically should join their family in the ongoing battle from age of 8. We should also ask what about professions like blacksmiths or farmers who in life provided vital support for the army by making armors and weapons or producing food. Are they too enrolled into the army of the afterlife if they weren’t nomadic warriors or professional soldiers or allowed to stay in a peaceful homestead? What about those who never could become warriors due to physical or mental illness? Or the same-sex couples with their children? Article described afterlife as the “plane of spiritual energy”, but there is a gender division (women staying in safe homestead), age division (adults and children) and profession division (warriors and non-combatants/mothers/wives), wouldn’t that suggest that Mandalorians at some point believed that afterlife will to some degree mirror their mortal life? If the family bonds stay the same (marriage even in the death and children to take care of), it is not so difficult to imagine the army’s need for armor, weapons, maybe even food and clothes to continue the eternal battle.
Going further with that thought, Arasuum is the one that “remains the same”, while article adds “sloth-god, the personification of idle consumption” and the homestead located in afterlife is described as “permanent” and “peaceful” while the role of Kad Ha’rangir - the Destructor - is definitely much more aggressive in nature. I believe this could reflect the belief that life is a constant battle and struggle that every person at some point will lose, while death is the non-transitory state of existence that offers both a place of peace and an eternal army to join, thus fulfilling the religious purpose Mandalorians dedicated their life to.
Thus Kad Ha’rangir and Arasuum ties to each other may be more complex than we are led to believe because the sense of original mythology either got lost or has changed with Mandalorians over the millenia. Which is why I believe that Arasuum as sloth-god may be an effect of misinterpretation of modern Mandalorians who are disconnected from the original faith of Mandalorian!Taungs as they rejected religious fanaticism and worship of their predecessors.
It won't be an exaggeration to say that the Mandalorians: People and Culture is an important source that both helped popularize modern Mandalorians in star wars fandom during Prequels era and served as an useful introduction to their culture. However, from the perspective of widely understood lore and passing time, this article does not reflect the complexity of Mandalorian culture nor its religion. Arasuum and his opponent, Kad Ha’rangir, is only briefly introduced here but this introduction will influence other authors' take on mandalorian religion.
And those additional tie-in material will be the subject of the next part.
SIDENOTES:
[1] Karen Traviss popularized Mandalorians, however this faction was already expanded by tie-in materials in the past beyond Boba Fett’s character. Other Mandalorian human people for the first time were introduced in Star Wars 68: The Search Begins (1982), while the ancient Mandalorians (Taungs) came to life in The Sith War comics (1995), as part of Tales of the Jedi series. The game Knights of the Old Republic (2003) exploited Mandalorian Wars, and the post-war era, when Taungs died out and their legacy was passed on to the humans. Jaster Mereel’s True Mandalorians and Tor Vizsla’s Death Watch were introduced into lore in 2002, as a way to expand Jango Fett’s backstory for Attack of the Clones film, while the Death Watch name alone has been part of lore since 1989(!). Finally, the Republic Commando book series shaped and popularized the modern Mandalorians (2005-2009), before The Clone Wars animated series (2008-2020) explored the conflict between Death Watch and New Mandalorian, followed by animated TV series Rebels (2014-2018) and Disney made a whole mandalorian-focused TV series (2019-present day).
[2] It is worth keeping in mind that all information about Jaster and Tor’s ideology comes from Count Dooku’s narration. Death Watch has never stated their goals in the comics alone, while Dooku’s opinions were based on information delivered by Jaster & Jango’s allies (including Silas, True Mandalorian tortured by the Sith Lord for information about Jaster’s death). So though Jango Fett: Open Seasons with no doubt is not an objective in its narratives, it gives some credibility to Dooku’s claim about Jaster and True Mandalorians as he sought out Fett's allies in his research about Jango’s past.
[3] dar’manda means a state of not being Mandalorian - a person that is not an outsider, but one who has lost or given up on their heritage, mandalorian identity and the soul.
[4] The dialect was first presented in The Cestus Deception book (2004) as a Mandalorian language but Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic by Karen Traviss and Ryan Kaufman published in Star Wars Insider #84 (september 2005) retconned it as a separate dialect. The “mistake” made in the book is however easy to explain - Sheeka Tull knew Jango Fett personally, after he freed himself from slavery but between he went full into the bounty hunting profession. As she herself was not a Mandalorian and she and Jango met in the Meridian sector, she could mistake Jango’s native language for the mando’a. Fett, as a person born and raised on Concord Dawn could even mix his native language with mando’a. Understandably, Sheeka couldn’t see the difference if she had no other ties to mandalorian culture than one year of dating (post-Galidraan) Jango Fett.
[5] The Behind the Scenes section of wookiepedia’s page for Concordia dialect states that:
At least one Concordian phrase from "The Mandalore Plot"—specifically the line exclaimed by the Death Watch bomber before leaping to his death, and featured as this article's main quote—appears to have been drawn from a 2007 post on the Empire at War forum, in which a user had compiled a list of fanon words and translations for the fledgling Mandalorian language.
The aforementioned quote, "Calhava bru'chun dralshye'ran," was translated in the post as "Compassionate leaders will burn."
Although the translation would seem contextually appropriate to the episode's storyline, to date there has been no official confirmation that this is the canonically accepted translation.
[6] The part of article focused on language acknowledged the similarity between mando'a and the language of the Taung "from whom the original inhabitations of Mandalore were thought to be descended", yet still does call mando'a origins as unclear.
[7] There is a visible difference between ancient and modern Mandalorians in regard to their dead. Ancient Mandalorians took time to perform proper funeral rites for warriors killed in fight and even have special Death Ceremony for the most brave while modern people have less strict approach. Partially due to the nature of mercenary work (when sometimes the body of fallen comrade could not be brought back to home) and partially due to believing in Manda, in which soul is more important than the body.
[8] The presented idea of Mandalorian fathers training sons may in fact be based on Attack of the Clones Visual Guide (2002) and not be Karen Taviss' own invention. I think the presented informations in her article could be an attempt to keep lore intact. Below the AotC Visual Guide's description for comparison:
Like Father, Like Son
In Mandalorian tradition, fathers were responsible for training their sons in combat skills. At age 13, boys had to face the trials of manhood. Although these rites could be fatal, actual deaths were extremely rare because candidates were so well prepared. The close father-son bond, built on respect, trust, and discipline, produced highly capable and confident individuals.
[9] The presented frame with Ko Sornell's family forgot include the small baby presented in issue #2 (the frames as reference were included in the analysis). Considering the mentioned baby and how the daughter is much smaller than the son at least in the one frame we see the kids close-up,
I think it is safe to assume there were two younger children most likely left under father's care while Ko Sornell was raiding the basilisk droid with her son (and three kids to take care of when Ko was far away for at least few days).
Cienie's take on Mandalorian Culture: Arasuum - stagnation as symbol of death, not sloth
The Funeral Rites of Taungs and later Mandalorian Warriors. <> Kad Ha’rangir and mandalorian traditional weapons (part 1 — part 2 — part 3 – part 4 – part 5)
Mandalorians: People and Culture [Star Wars Insider #86, 2006] introduced Arasuum as the god of Stagnation and Sloth:
“Mandalorians were once intensely religious but disillusionment with the old fanaticism and worship of war itself gave way to a far less supernatural belief system among modern Mandalorians. They now regard creation tales, such as Akaanati’kar’oya (The War of Life and Death) as parables to illustrate a deeper philosophical meaning rather than literal supernaturalism. The stars were mythologized as fallen kings of Mandalore, and there are tales of the mythosaurs, but the pragmatic and skeptical Mandalorians look for allegory in these stories.
The manda - best described as a combination of the collective state of being, the essence of being Mandalorian, and an oversoul - is not viewed as a literal heaven. Traditionally, the Mando afterlife is seen as a plane of spiritual energy in constant conflict between stagnation, and the opportunity for change brought about by destruction - a parallel with modern theories of cosmology. In Mandalorian myth, this conflict is symbolized by the eternal war between the sloth-god Arasuum - the personification of idle consumption and stagnation - and the vigorous destroyer god Kad Ha’rangir, who forces change and growth on the universe.
Every Mando warrior who dies is said to add to the army of the afterlife, defending wives and children living in its permanent, peaceful homestead - the only place Mandalorians believe they can ever reach a non-transitory state of existence.”
This description of Arasuum was repeated in following tie-in sources:
Excerpted from “Industry. Honor. Savagery: Shaping the Mandalorian Soul” keynote address by Vilnau Teupt, 412th Proceedings of Galactic Anthropology and History, Brentaat Academy, 24 ABY [2012, published in The Essential Guide to Warfare]:
“After being driven from ancient Coruscant, the Taungs relocated to Roon and then wandered the Outer Rim, leaving hints of their passage in various species’ chronicles and histories. But they attracted little notice until they conquered Mandalore around 7000 BBY.
At that time Mandalore lay beyond the galactic frontier - but close to the Republic’s outlying trade routes. Soon, rumors reached the Republic of worlds ruled by ferocious warriors. They served the god Kad Ha’rangir, whose tests and trials forced change and growth upon clans he chose to be his people. In opposition to Kad Ha’rangir stood the sloth-god Arasuum, who sought to tempt the clans and drag them down into stagnation and idle consumption. By waging war in Kad Ha’rangir’s name and according to strict religious laws, the Mandalorian Crusaders defied Arasuum and showed themselves worthy of favor.”
and
Death Watch Manifesto [2013, published as part of The Bounty Hunter Code: From the Files of Boba Fett]
Our history begins with the Taung, the Shadow Warriors we honor as our Progenitors. They originally dwelled on Coruscant, but their enemies drove them into the Outer Rim. Their clans traveled from planet to planet on orders from their war chief, who interpreted the will of their now-extinct gods: Kad Ha’rangir, the all-seeing creator of test and trials; Hod Ha’ran, the trickster agent of fickle fortune; and Arasuum the god of sloth, an enemy whispering and seducing with promises of peace [...].
“The ancient Mandalorian deities were led by all-seeing Kad Ha’rangir (left), shown here beside the trickster god Hod Ha’ran (central) and the slothful Arasuum (right).
The mentioned above works associate Arasuum with laziness and stagnation, even though those two terms aren’t synonymous, nor even closely tied to each other. Stagnation is, basically speaking, a lack of change that may be conditioned by various factors. Laziness though is a choice a person makes - a choice to not work or use as little effort as possible[1].
Arasuum is constantly accused of being sloth. In contrast, Kad Ha’rangir, as Destructor and as god sending trials to test his people plays an active role in mandalorian mythology. However, the same as with Kad Ha’rangir, I think the sources - and with it, in-universe knowledge - may not be accurate. Or more precisely, the modern academics’ conclusions are based on incomplete sources whose true meaning perhaps was lost over the centuries.
For example, Kad Ha’rangir is treated as one of the most important, if not outright the main deity, but as I was proving in previous analysis, sword - in mando’a: kad - did not have any special place in the culture of the original Mandalorians (Taung), as they hold mythosaur axes in high regard. Which puts into doubt the prominent position of god named after a weapon clearly favored by human Mandalorians who replaced the now-extinct Taungs. It does not mean there was never a god-Destructor in original mythology but rather allow us to assume the mandalorian culture has undergone many changes with passing time. If the Kad Ha’rangir himself may be a god reshaped to fit the needs of early human Mandalorians and their descendants, then the same could happen with Arasuum.
Which is why I decided to analyze Arasuum and his role through the lens of three aspects:
Mandalorian language (Mando’a)
Official tie-in material
widely understood Mandalorian culture
Let's start with the MANDALORIAN LANGUAGE
For those unfamiliar with Star Wars lore, mando’a is an official mandalorian language. Initially developed by composer Jesse Harlin as part of the soundtrack for the 2005 video game Republic Commando, it was expanded into functional language by Karen Traviss, the author or tie-in Republic Commando book series. The glossary included in her books evolved into a full dictionary and grammatical guide published on Traviss’ official page (archived version can be found here).
In short, Mandalorian language evolved from a few songs into a functional dialect that fans adapted and to this day are still developing for their own use. Understandable, the original mando’a published by Karen Traviss is an artificially created language but because it was made by the same person that at time shaped Mandalorian culture, we have a reason to assume the meaning of deities’ names wasn’t assigned at random.
And so we have a role of Destructor assigned to Kad Ha’rangir - in which kad is a word for sword/saber
while ha’rangir is derived from ha’ran or rangir, two words related to ash/destruction & hell.
With publication of Bounty Hunter Code and The Essential Guide to Warfare comes Hod Ha’ran, another deity whose name and role correlate with similar meaning in mando’a:
The name of Arasuum brings an important detail - mandalorian language distinguishes between stagnation
and laziness.
As can be seen, there is no common element between those two words, as in: one word is not derived from the other, the way logically some meanings are connected.
If two names have direct correlation to gods’ mythological roles, why Arasuum wouldn’t be perceived by original Mandalorians the same as Kad Ha’rangir and Hod Ha’ran? And this is our first clue to understand Arasuum’s original role in mythology.
Arasuum, as his name suggests, remains the same. Is stagnant. In contrast Kad Ha’rangir is associated with vigor, the growth that happens to Mandalorian people. All three presented above source material associate Kad Ha’rangir with life (active energy), what from biological and symbolic perspectives is a constant change. Since both deities are part of the same myth titles as The War between Life and Death, logically thinking Arasuum, the unchanging god, should represent death as opposition to growth.
If we go with that logic, then facing and overcoming Kad Ha’rangir’s trials may mean surviving the hardship like fight (war). Each victory over death (stagnation) gives a warrior an unique experience that change them, though if the change is for better or worse may be secondary concern. Alive Mandalorian can’t stay the same, because those unable to grow will fail to survive another god’s trial and then will be lost to Arasuum.
And this is the base ground for my theory that stagnation from mythological point is symbolic metaphor for death and with that, Arasuum is the god of death, not laziness.
The next part will explore the tie-in source material, with special focus on Death Watch Manifesto and political symbolism of Arasuum.
SIDE NOTES:
[1] Just to be clear here: no, needing to rest after hard work is not laziness, the same as lack of will to take action due to depression or other psychological or physical illness.
