#hebitians

[respocked]

Ancient Hebitian illustration #2, also for @kitrin-blog2's Cardassian project

[spocks-kaathyra]

thoughts about the Cardassian writing system

I've thinking about the Cardassian script as shown on screen and in beta canon and such and like. Is it just me or would it be very difficult to write by hand?? Like.

I traced some of this image for a recent drawing I did and like. The varying line thicknesses?? The little rectangular holes?? It's not at all intuitive to write by hand. Even if you imagine, like, a different writing implement—I suppose a chisel-tip pen would work better—it still seems like it wasn't meant to be handwritten. Which has a few possible explanations.

Like, maybe it's just a fancy font for computers, and handwritten text looks a little different. Times New Roman isn't very easily written by hand either, right? Maybe the line thickness differences are just decorative, and it's totally possible to convey the same orthographic information with the two line thicknesses of a chisel-tip pen, or with no variation in line thickness at all.

A more interesting explanation, though, and the one I thought of first, is that this writing system was never designed to be handwritten. This is a writing system developed in Cardassia's digital age. Maybe the original Cardassian script didn’t digitize well, so they invented a new one specifically for digital use? Like, when they invented coding, they realized that their writing system didn’t work very well for that purpose. I know next to nothing about coding, but I cannot imagine doing it using Chinese characters. So maybe they came up with a new writing system that worked well for that purpose, and when computer use became widespread, they stuck with it. 

Or maybe the script was invented for political reasons! Maybe Cardassia was already fairly technologically advanced when the Cardassian Union was formed, and, to reinforce a cohesive national identity, they developed a new standardized national writing system. Like, y'know, the First Emperor of Qin standardizing hanzi when he unified China, or that Korean king inventing hangul. Except that at this point in Cardassian history, all official records were digital and typing was a lot more common than handwriting, so the new script was designed to be typed and not written. Of course, this reform would be slower to reach the more rural parts of Cardassia, and even in a technologically advanced society, there are people who don't have access to that technology. But I imagine the government would be big on infrastructure and education, and would make sure all good Cardassian citizens become literate. And old regional scripts would stop being taught in schools and be phased out of digital use and all the kids would grow up learning the digital script.

Which is good for the totalitarian government! Imagine you can only write digitally. On computers. That the government can monitor. If you, like, write a physical letter and send it to someone, then it's possible for the contents to stay totally private. But if you send an email, it can be very easily intercepted. Especially if the government is controlling which computers can be manufactured and sold, and what software is in widespread use, etc. 

AND. Historical documents are now only readable for scholars. Remember that Korean king that invented hangul? Before him, Korea used to use Chinese characters too. And don't get me wrong, hangul is a genius writing system! It fits the Korean language so much better than Chinese characters did! It increased literacy at incredible rates! But by switching writing systems, they broke that historical link. The average literate Chinese person can read texts that are thousands of years old. The average literate Korean person can't. They'd have to specifically study that field, learn a whole new writing system. So with the new generation of Cardassian youths unable to read historical texts, it's much easier for the government to revise history. The primary source documents are in a script that most people can't read. You just trust the translation they teach you in school. In ASIT it's literally a crucial plot point that the Cardassian government revised history! Wouldn't it make it soooo much easier for them if only very few people can actually read the historical accounts of what happened.

I guess I am thinking of this like Chinese characters. Like, all the different Chinese "dialects" being written with hanzi, even though otherwise they could barely be considered the same language. And even non-Sinitic languages that historically adopted hanzi, like Japanese and Korean and Vietnamese. Which worked because hanzi is a logography—it encodes meaning, not sound, so the same word in different languages can be written the same. It didn’t work well! Nowadays, Japanese has made significant modifications and Korean has invented a new writing system entirely and Vietnamese has adapted a different foreign writing system, because while hanzi could write their languages, it didn’t do a very good job at it. But the Cardassian government probably cares more about assimilation and national unity than making things easier for speakers of minority languages. So, Cardassia used to have different cultures with different languages, like the Hebitians, and maybe instead of the Union forcing everyone to start speaking the same language, they just made everyone use the same writing system. Though that does seem less likely than them enforcing a standard language like the Federation does. Maybe they enforce a standard language, and invent the new writing system to increase literacy for people who are newly learning it.

And I can imagine it being a kind of purely digital language for some people? Like if you’re living on a colonized planet lightyears away from Cardassia Prime and you never have to speak Cardassian, but your computer’s interface is in Cardassian and if you go online then everyone there uses Cardassian. Like people irl who participate in the anglophone internet but don’t really use English in person because they don’t live in an anglophone country. Except if English were a logographic writing system that you could use to write your own language. And you can’t handwrite it, if for whatever reason you wanted to. Almost a similar idea to a liturgical language? Like, it’s only used in specific contexts and not really in daily life. In daily life you’d still speak your own language, and maybe even handwrite it when needed. I think old writing systems would survive even closer to the imperial core (does it make sense to call it that?), though the government would discourage it. I imagine there’d be a revival movement after the Fire, not only because of the cultural shift away from the old totalitarian Cardassia, but because people realize the importance of having a written communication system that doesn’t rely on everyone having a padd and electricity and wifi.

[ziyalstan]

I love the idea of Cardassian religion, especially since the state is aggressively secular. according to the novels, the leader of worship wears a wooden mask resembling their god, Oralian, as a way of embodying them.

[bijoumikhawal]

A Rough Timeline of Cardassian and Hebitian history

(This is mostly head canon, based around some Canon dates we get. Just a rough sketch of ideas I've had so far laid out in an organized way)

400 BC- first surviving archeological evidence of the Orallist Hebetian religion.

200s-400s- first era of Hebitian conquest. Reputation for being skilled fighters established.

300s- Cardassians emerge as a distinct cultural identity of polytheistic pastoral herders in the southwest of the equatorial contenient on Cardassia Prime, mostly in the desert directly south of the Valley of the Hebitians and the mountains further south of that.

700s- Cardassians begin to settle in the mountains to the south of their origin.

900s- Cardassians now are a majority settled population in the mountains. Pastoral and settled Cardassians maintain necessary trade and kin relations. Cardassian class system begins to form, pastoral Cardassians are considered "outside" it.

1100s- Cardassians unified under one Emperor for the first time. Hebitian governments reformed away from the traditional "monarchy with a marriage based appointment system for heading up departments". Aristocractic council system put in place. All members of the council are equal, no kings or emperors.

1200s- Hebitians begin banning marriages of second cousins and closer, previously a common practice of aristocractic families.

1450-1567- second era of Hebitian conquest. Hebitians now are major players in a third of the central continent. After this, while martial prowess is still prized, Hebitians largely try to solve conflicts via the council system. Less and less interest in war. Prosperity from solar technology and agriculture flourishes for awhile.

1570- Bajoran lightship reaches Cardassia Prime. Unfortunately, the technology is not sufficient to establish regular travel between the two star systems. Recorded as an interesting oddity in the Hebitian Record.

1600s- Cardassian state fractures and there are four competing states.

1653-1700s- many Hebitian states pursue isolationist policies to focus on internal problems. Peacetime for many. Reputation for fighting skill begins to decline and less of the population has combat experience.

1700-1937- Cardassian religious reform occurs somewhere in this era, raising the concept of the State, personified by the Emperor, to main deity and doing away with more personified gods. End cap due to no mention of Cardassian personified gods in Ferengi records.

1720s- 1810s- Climactic shift occurs on Cardassia Prime, resulting in destabilization of Hebitian governments, who don't have solid trading partners and experience infrastructure degradation under new environmental strain. Desertification and disease spread across the central continent.

1745- Cardassians reunified under one Emperor.

1760s- sustained space flight between planets achieved by Cardassians. Cardassians begin inhabiting other planets in the system, with some staying loyal to the Cardassian Emperor and some establishing new governments. Such interplanetary travel was never rigorously pursued by Hebitian scientists.

1800s- Cardassians conquer most Hebitian territories. Initially only former combatants enslaved. Hebitians classified as a "subjugated people", second class citizens. Skirmishes and revolts by Hebitians who have taken up arms once more continue even after a given region is conquered.

1871- Cardassian Union established, with a three pronged government system of Central command, Detapa Council (headed by the Emperor), and Obsidian Order. The Detapa council strongly is suspected to be an appropriation of Hebitian ideas about governance, as aristocractic power in Cardassian governance was not organized before this point. All persons of the Cardassian ethnicity legally considered "citizens". Cardassian governments from here on are considered eras of the Cardassian Union, named to celebrate the "total" conquest of the central continent.

1894- Final Hebitian Revolt begins in earnest.

1922- Final Hebitian Revolt put down, results in mass enslavement to curb militant organization. Lakarian City building plans begun, using Hebitian labor as a symbol of Cardassian domination. Hebitian religions not banned, but between 1922 and 2308, religious gatherings are subject to legal harassment under the guise of noise complaints, disturbing the peace, improper assembly permits, and more. This leads to a decline in non-Orallist religions, with any faithful being absorbed by Orallists. Last head priestess of Oralius killed after being tortured. Folk religious organization systems based more strongly around adorcism gain power.

1931- Cardassians invade the sparsely populated Northern continent of Cardassia Prime.

1934- Cardassians invade Southeastern continent.

1937- first contact established between Cardassians and Ferengi. Cardassians are one of the first sentient species the Ferengi encounter, and as such their galactic moniker, "Ferengi", comes from Kardasi. Ferengi involved in the building of Lakarian City.

1942- Building of Lakarian city completed.

1949- Northern continent fully conquered.

1978- Contact with Romulans and Vulcans established. The beginning of the Cardassian and Hebitian diaspora on Vulcan comes not long after.

2004- terms of slavery as punishment for Hebitian Revolt elapse as the sentencing for them and their descendants was for the 9 Cardassian solar seasons after the Revolt, each season on Cardassia being roughly equivalent to 9 years. Some Hebitians still enslaved, but in smaller numbers.

2067- Imperial schism on Prime briefly results in two emperors claiming simultaneous legitimacy. Ends with both dead and a new Emperor on the throne.

2114- Cardassian Union now covers all planets in their home system. Any rival governments set up by Cardassians on planets other than Prime have been eliminated.

2187- Cardassians mostly conquer Southeastern continent.

2189- Aristocractic class on Cardassia Prime revolts against imperial family and deposes them. The Detapa council becomes the main governing body. The State-as-deity no longer has an embodiment through an individual, and implying such is seen as both treason and blasphemy. First Republic era of the Cardassian Union established. Imperial era of the Cardassian Union ends. Cardassians begin conquering other planets outside their solar system. These conquests are partially funded by the sale of Hebitian historical artifacts. Romulans have a particular interest in these. Cheoche-Cheyeda system becomes more popular than previously. Kin relations between settled and pastoral Cardassians begin to decline from here onwards.

2190- First contact between Cardassians and Klingons established.

2194- It is no longer legal to enslave any Cardassian, as they are all citizens. Slavery now only targets marginialized ethnic groups and other species on Cardassia, which are legally "subjugated peoples" and "foreigners" (and not "citizens"), depending on if their home planets are controlled by the Union. Foreigners and citizens are considered "free people" and marriage between them is permitted. Free peoples cannot marry subjugated peoples. For example, a Cardassian can marry a Vulcan, but a Cardassian cannot marry a Hebitian. If a Hebitian married a Vulcan, their marriage would not been seen as valid by the Union.

2204- "first contact" made between Bajor and Cardassia. Some Hebitians flee to Bajor and establish small communities in the system.

2227- Cardassian Union now covers 23 planets.

2234- Monarchists revolt and reinstall a descendant of the Emperor. The Cardassian Union is embroiled in civil war for the next ten years.

2237- Iloja of Prim exiled by Monarchist forces. He takes residence on Vulcan and does not return, even after the Second Republic is established and recinds his exile.

2244- Monarchist Revolt crushed. Second Republic era of the Cardassian Union established. Members of Imperial family publicly executed. Detapa Council reformed to be elected instead of hereditary, and gradually more members of the council come from non-aristocratic backgrounds, though most are still aristocrats. Distinction between military aristocractic families and civilian aristocractic families begins to form, partially embodied by the tension between the aristocratic families involved in the Central Command and the Detapa Council.

2244-2308 - instability from Monarchist Revolt lingers. Class divides deepen, and food insecurity becomes common. Authoritarian governing styles gain more and more sympathy. The Union has put too much strain on many of its resources- expansionist policies are supported by the military aristocrats and framed as the only option for survival. This ultimately wins out over the scientific terraforming and degrowth proposals of the time. Labor camps used to provide manufactured products, manual labor, and construction on the cheap. In this time, 16 planets are conquered.

2245- laws around slavery and punishment for crime reformed. Instead of slavery, criminals are sentenced to labor camps, which are legally considered a completely separate entity under the law. The distinction is important to preserve Cardassian self concept as a "free" people. This ends the multi-generational sentencing that was possible under previous laws- a criminal's children cannot also be sentenced to labor for the same crime. Notably, now Cardassians can be sentenced to labor, just like any other ethnicity or species in the Cardassian Union. This increases the pool of forced labor and enables this punishment to be used against the Monarchists and other political enemies. Slavery declines in the Union in favor of labor camps and the Cheoche-Cheyeda system, but still occurs on conquered planets with similar frequency to before the reform.

2287- a trio of Alåsh Hebitian women commit a terrorist attack on Vulcan, partially destroying an institution that held Hebitian grave goods and may have even held pre-Union Hebitian remains. The reasoning given by the women upon being caught was they knew a theft would not succeed, and if they could not care for them, and could not hide them, it was better to destroy them as the artifacts were not property of the living any longer. Hebitians face increased social stigma in diaspora as a result.

2294- wave of reforms targeting "sexual and familial immorality" instituted. Courtesans, concubinage, and most pornography banned, including works of erotic literature and art. "Producers of immorality" active at time of law sentenced to labor camps, with most sentences lasting 2-8 Earth years. Marriage prohibitions targeting relationships with non-Cardassians tightened, even between free peoples.

2308- wave of government efficiency reforms results after Central Command takes over the government, sidelining Detapa Council. Council now exists as a ceremonial entity. Second Republic ends, though not officially. Era posthumously named the Timocratic era. Hebitians are forcibly Cardassianized to remove their potential as a security threat, particularly as part of the planning to occupy Bajor. Orallist religion is firmly banned and family names are changed to sound more Cardassian (for example, Garakh -> Garak). Hebitians are no longer considered a subjugated people because they no longer legally exist. Historic records changed to erase most mentions of Hebitians and to imply they all died out during climatic shift, with a few survivors "marrying into" Cardassian families. Any remaining Hebitian slaves manumitted. Government fish, egg, and cooking oil subsidies instituted, enabling broad swathes of Cardassian society to eat regularly. Occupation of Bajor in planning stages.

2313- Enabran Tain becomes head of the Obsidian Order.

2319- Occupation of Bajor begins. Bajorans classified as a subjugated people. Kai Bedar placed under house arrest. Elim Garak born.

2321- Nezad and Seva Massacres occur, slaughtering around a third of Hebitians living on Bajor for the crime of treason. Occupation forces begin hunting down Hebitians. Hebitian diaspora in the Bajoran system not given opportunity to assimilate into Cardassian society, instead being sentenced to death automatically. Some Hebitians join Bajoran resistance.

2323- Xexe incident occurs, a mass suicide of Hebitians and Bajorans in the besieged Xexe monastery that Kai Bedar had escaped to. Cardassian occupation forces claim the Hebitians murdered the Bajorans. Most Bajorans have limited experience with Hebitians and are not clear on the difference between them and Cardassians, so this is accepted as fact, and Hebitians loose most Bajoran allyship. Bedar's successor, Kai Lisu, supports this.

2328-2346- Betreka Nebula Incident starts the Klingon-Cardassian cold war.

2336- Most Hebitians on Bajor have been found. Remaining Hebitians are in hiding in remote, desolate places, such as one of Bajor IV's moons.

2338- Slavery legally abolished in the Cardassian Union. However in practice, slavery still occurs in the form of forced labor camps. Cardassians simply continue to legally categorize them as distinct.

2357- Procal Dukat executed for trying to stockpile weapons to overthrow of the current Central Command and destroy the Detapa Council. Other True Way (a military aristocrat based organization) members persecuted.

2367- Elim Garak's execution order changed to labor under military supervision at last minute. Custody given to Skrain Dukat as consolation.

2369- Occupation of Bajor ends. Terok Nor converted to Deep Space Nine. Garak's sentence implicitly becomes that of exile when left behind.

2371- Obsidian Order almost entirely destroyed by Dominion. Functionally kills half of the Cardassian Union's government, greatly weakening it.

2372- Central Command overthrown and powers restored to the Detapa Council. Timocratic era ends. Third Republic established. Klingon-Cardassian war begins. Instability from Klingon-Cardassian war crushes the hopes of many dissidents as the Detapa council violently cracks down on public demonstrations after six months in power.

2373- Third Republic overthrown due to the betrayal by Skrain Dukat. Cardassian Union now occupied by the Dominion. Dominion begins slowly destroying Cardassian military by using Cardassians as canon fodder in battles. Jem'hadar soldiers stationed planetside all over the Union.

2375- Cardassia Prime suffers heavy losses due to genocide committed by the Dominion. Union functionally destroyed.

[pon-farr-night]

Ok, so I was doing some thinking about the ouralian way today and what certain festivals may look like. In my mind, the Ouralian Way has elements of Judaism and Ancient Egyptian religion. It also has elements of modern Pagan traditions as well.

My friend and I were discussing what this may look like. I imagine a festival or a holiday of some sorts that would be sort of reminiscent of Sukkot and maybe some elements of the Valley Festival from Ancient Egypt. This celebration would happen for a few days, and worship of Ouralieus would occur outdoors during this time.

This may pose a bit of an issue for Cardassians who practice The Way while it's outlawed, as they can't really celebrate in the open. Instead, I imagine they would use imagery and outdoor elements as a kind of ritual transformation to make their worship space an "outdoor space" (of course, this would also involve chants and so on to completely transform the space).

My dear and wonderful friend, who I'll call A, also added to these ideas, and we decided that there would also be a seed planted that would grow over the days of the festival (probably with some sci-fi growing technology as assistance).

Different instruments would probably be played at some points to aid the plants' growth and to begin the celebration.

[andromedaexile]

Thinking about Hebitians…

[cardassianlanguage]

Hi! Um, me again - I was wondering if you could help supply mild Cardassian exclamations to be use in place of things like 'god' - would Hebitian beliefs have lingered in these sayings, or would they have been suppressed-altered with the rise of the Union?

This is a really good question, and one I’d actually like to put up for discussion. I suspect that given there was such a crackdown on Hebitian beliefs, it wouldn’t be precisely safe to keep using oaths invoking Hebitian deities, no matter how much you argued that it was just an expression. Even if that genuinely was the case (I use “oh my god” as an exclamation, even though I’m not a Christian), I don’t think the Obsidian Order would much care, since you’re still bringing up suppressed/censored material.

That said! According to the Cardassian Sourcebook, there’s a tradition of naming ships after Hebitian deities, so it’s possible if you prove yourself a loyal Cardassian, you might be safer with your oaths than someone who’s already being watched for potential treason against the state.

That brings us to who the Hebitian deities were, besides the better-known Oralius. The Sourcebook was kind enough to provide a list of deities and local variants in their names, and while I was planning on releasing it as part of a larger update–happy birthday.Arik'aca (Ah-reek’ah-sah); variantsArik'vassa(Ah-reek’vah-ssah), Varikassa(vah-ree-kah-ssah): The goddess who ruled Vaca, the most unpleasant of afterlifes in ancient Cardassian mythology. Cardassians believed she was the best deity to pray to for forgiveness.Bok (bohk): Winged messenger of the gods. Small and grotesque.Endaras (ayn-dah-rahs): The goddess of the hardworking in ancient Cardassian mythology. She was said to only rarely reveal herself to her followers, but those who were fortunate enough to glimpse her as they worked late at night supposedly were blessed with her favour.

Glacett(guh-lah-shayt-tuh); variants Lametta(lah-mayt-tah), Marett(mah-rayt-tuh): Mother goddess in ancient Cardassian mythology. Believed to be the protector of pregnant women. 

Keldok(kayl-dohk); variants Geldag(gayl-dahg), Keldak (kayl-dahk): God of the sky in ancient Cardassian mythology. 

Rhub (ruh-hub): The god of crops and fields in ancient Cardassian mythology.

Stik'rakan(steek’rahkahn); variant Six’krak(seech’krahk (x = ch as in Bach)): The god responsible for ferrying the souls of the dead to the underworld in ancient Cardassian mythology.Tiamar (tee-ah-mahr): God of fire in ancient Cardassian mythology. 

Vackara(vahsh-kah-rah), variant Vakar (vah-kahr): Goddess/god (depending on the region) of storms and lightning in ancient Cardassian mythology.

The Hebitians also divided their deities into four categories: - jonak aThela (zhoh-nahk ah-thay-lah): gods of fate and destiny- jonak mabd (zhoh-nahk mahb-duh): gods of the body and soul- jonak stik'aken(zhoh-nahk steek’ahkayn): gods of wrath, vengeance, and the afterlife- jonak warec (zhoh-nahk wah-raysh): gods of the world

So! That’s a lot of swearing potential right there. A particularly ticked Cardassian might mutter the name of Arik’aca when someone had done them a particularly nasty turn. Or if you’re looking for an equivalent to a longer phrase like “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph” or “Oh my soul,” they could go for “jonak mabd.”

Then of course, there’s always the fun formula of [deity name]’s [body part], which you would use the possessive suffix “-ik.” “Tiamar xarot-ik*!” (Tiamar’s dick!)

*“Xarot” coming soon to an update near you! (Thank you, tinsnip. <3) (Technically it’s closer in formality to “penis” than “dick,” but I just couldn’t resist.)

Hope this helps, and feel free to ask for specific translations!

[respocked]

Ancient Hebitian illustration #1, done for @kitrin-blog2's Cardassian project