Tales of the Tupi Nations
Good morning! - Said the teacher, entering the classroom almost entirely filled with students. The many little chats and conversations gradually lowered until the room was filled with a satisfactory silence for a class.
I do hope you people have begun with the readings I recommended as essential for this class, I mean, if you were not too busy being publicly humiliated in initiations or such. - A little pause, some timid laughs. Good. They should be relaxed, but not too relaxed.
He took a chalk and turned to write in the blackboard. He wrote, particularly big, Class 3: Tupi and Religion and his name under it, Nebucha Namma. And turned back to the students.
I wonder if anyone here ever actually went inside a Tupanist Temple. Anyone? - He looked from one side to the other of the class, no movements. - I guessed not. Now, we talked very little about the Tupi, just two class, with what? Almost two hours each. That's very little, for the centuries of story, the richness of the Tupi culture and all that. But a few things about the Tupi in general could already be identified. One thing: They are not a homogeneous mixture, they are composed of different tribes. Second thing: They are pretty xenophobic. - A few laughs. He doesn't pause. - You must understand, we are about to enter the Classical Age of the Tupi Nation here, that is their most Xenophobic moment. All we talked about before? That was a walk in the park. That was them being nice to their neighbors. And all this starts with the Tupi religion, Tupanism.
Now, I'm not saying that Tupanism as a religion is a xenophobic religion, not at all. But it's a religion too connected with the history and historical myths of Tupi, and too connected with the Tribes. It doesn't mean that you can't be a Tupanist if you are not a Tupi, but if you are not a Tupi, it will take some time until you understand even the basics of it, and a little longer to actually feel like you belong there. Only in the wake of the Modern Age, it finally started to conquer a few believers outside of the Tupi Borders, not counting the Tupi colonies, 'cause there tupanism was the only religion allowed, although that wasn't an official law, more like a social pressure.
A silent and focused class. It has been a while since everyone took this subject so seriously. The Tupi Empire broken into colonies, old tensions in the old continent rising again. Everyone knows something big is coming. No wonder his classes are now always full, they want to understand how this mess came to be.
The Tupi claim that Tupanism already existed in their lands, and always had. It's sort of true. There was an amount of different religions with a few common grounds. The most representative of this was Tupan, an important concept in all the many tribes versions of the religion. Tupan is not a god, that is a misconception the Babylonians did and spread that to the rest of the world. Tupan is, literally, Thunder. But it's religious significance is Act of God. Interference of God in our lives. This has always been a major point of the Tupi religion, the Gods are always intervening in our lives. But Tupanism only became what it is for a more earthly intervention.
Despite the long long centuries of closed borders to any foreigner, the Tupi did do some interaction with it's neighbors. Even with the distant Chinese, at some points. This was done mostly by the First Army (the same regiment the legendary Guaraci once leaded, but of course, Guaraci and his soldiers were dead enough by now). For a long while, the First Army was more of a diplomatic/expeditionary force than an army in itself. In one of those diplomatic missions, the Tupi traded with the Babylonians (back in those days these two were close friends) a few of their best thinkers for a few of our owns, so that one could learn from the other. That is why Babylon writing has roots in the Tupi writing, and this is why the Tupi felt like organizing their religious mess into one single faith.
One student says So it's all Babylon's fault. We should know. and a rise of laughs in the class. Professor Namma smiles gently.
I would say the Babylonians were helping to dig their own graves without knowing. The first war was because of religion, but not all the wars were. Now If I may continue... the class isn't yet all quiet but he keeps talking. I suppose the Babylonians were expecting the Tupi to convert to their religion and not to simply organize their own. Of course the Tupi were always rather allergic to foreigner culture and declined that. Laughs. He reminds himself to keep a serious tone before the students start to think they are watching a comedy show in the Municipal Theater. Despite whatever were the Babylonians' expectations, what happened was that the Tupi organized the Tupanism into a reasonably coherent religion, to be believed by all in the nation -- but few outside of it.
This process, of actually creating a national religion did change much in the ancient Tupi Nation. Firstly, it wasn't a peaceful process. Many of the tribes felt like they should not stop calling this god by this name to use the same name everyone was now supposed to use and so they had to be coerced, hadn't them? It wasn't much of a military process, more like a political blackmail process, but it was troublesome anyway. Took about 25 to 50 years to gradually reach every city and tribe in the nation. Compare with the fast spread of Buddhism in the recent decades, the Tupi were much more resistant to change back them than nowadays we should believe.
With all due respect, professor... said a student, starting the sentence that usually means the very opposite of what it says. but the Tupi of back then and the Tupi of nowadays sounds pretty different. We all seem how much their government has changed in the past few years. Ours leaders holds to old concepts with much more passion than theirs. and she had a gift with words. None of those kinda and sorta much young people spoke. Namma certainly would hear her opinions a lot more this semester.
I do not disagree, miss...
Tuma Annin
Miss Annin, I have no doubt anyone here in this class agrees that the ancient Tupi are different of the modern Tupi. But in learning who they were you can understand who they became. And it may be considered ingenuous to believe that the current modernism in the Tupi Nation is due only to their easy acceptance to new ideas. All the political changes from the formation of the colonies to the end of the empire had clear objectives in mind. You must understand the Tupi Empire was together larger than any other country in the world, only China may actually have to deal with something remotely close to the huge maintenance costs the Tupi Empire were facing. To apply revolutionary policies when the only other choice is to break, that's a lot easier, isn't it? However, we are not here to discuss Modern Tupi, we are talking about the beginning of their Classical Age, and so I suggest we save this debate for later. He stops and reorganized his thoughts. That is bound to happen a lot more in the classes now. Everyone feels like choosing a side and young people are so passionate in their defenses.
Well, after they finally achieved a organized church for Tupanism, after all the tribes were obliged to adhere to one common organization, it wouldn't take long to transform what was originally a confederacy into a kingdom. The churches were organized into a hierarchy of power that soon became too present and influent in the nation and ended up giving shape to what would soon become a Monarchy with serious theocratic tones, although not officially theocratic.
Not only the Tupanism was organized and hierarchic, but it also gave new strength to the Foundation Myths of the Nation, bringing Guaraci's lead back to the people's memory. Soon they had enough candidates to be new Guaracis one could fill a town with them. Eventually, one of them pleased enough people, and gained enough allies to actually become Chief of Chiefs and be the first Orenamba Morubi, which, translating would mean Chief of the Nation but we all know that's an euphemism to King.
The Professor looks at his watch. Time flies, they say.
Well, would you look at the time? Before I dismiss the class, however, I will write down the texts I expect you to have read and understood before next class. he turns to the blackboard and writes again with the chalk the name of books and chapters in them concerning the subject of next class. Well, I think that is all for now. Class dismiss.
Everyone starts moving towards the doors and the professor grabs his things from the desk. A few students talk to him as they pass, and one of them is Tuma Annin. She stops in front of his desk.
Professor I'm sorry for changing the direction of your class at that moment.
It's no problem, Miss Annin, I'd actually like that debate, but it's too soon to allow it in my classes, you understand.
I just worry 'cause we already see enough prejudice against the Tupi, and your class certainly open space for that. The professor gazed at his student.
I'm afraid you are mistaken. My class solely expose facts over the Tupi history. I cannot give a class about Tupi history without stating their historical tendency to xenophobia, which still has effects on their society even if they are now a lot more tolerant and open. You can't give a class about a people who build a wall around their borders to avoid contact with others and not say that they are, as a society, very internalized and self-centered. To do so would not be history, it would be propaganda.
Well, tell me the difference between the two of them... replies the girl.
The difference, Miss Annin, is that despite any interpretation we may have in this historical moment we are living, we are not hiding facts or inventing them.
I meant no offense. But these days there is a lot going on and everyone seems to simply go with the masses. says the girl, in a more conciliatory tone.
Well, I was born and raised in Shushan, under the Sumerian occupation and for a while after the return of Babylonian control, before we could come to Sumer. My mother was a slave under Babylonian control. I certainly know that the Tupi Nation is not a big bad imperialistic monster as a large part of the world seem to think, and I can understand the war, Miss Annin. But that doesn't makes me blind for the problems they have. the professor spoke. Although bitter, it wasn't an angry discuss.
I know. But their problems should never blind people to the good they do either. she replies.
They both stand facing each other. They start to move out towards the door almost at the same time.
I'm sorry about your mother. I didn't know. she said, as they reached the door.
It's not a problem. She died free, unlike so many others who couldn't leave.
There will be war again, that is certain. We can no longer tolerate slave labor.
There may be a war, Miss Annin, but if the reasons will be so noble, we are uncertain. he said, and they left the room.
Beginning of the Classical Age map
. There are also words I created or some I changed the meaning slightly to fit better the fictional world.
