Protestantism includes Lutheranism, so... even though with such a POD Luther might not even be born - however, proto-Lutheran and proto-Protestant movements still existed, so a rough equivalent might still arise.
AHC: Form alternate/new ethnic groups of the world
- Thread starter Caravels of Portugal
- Start date
Protestantism includes Lutheranism, so... even though with such a POD Luther might not even be born - however, proto-Lutheran and proto-Protestant movements still existed, so a rough equivalent might still arise.
Name: Girnatans (otherwise known as Granadan Turks, Ibero-Turks, or Iberian Tatars)
Language: Girnatan (Oghuz Turkic language mutually intelligible with Turkish and Azerbaijani)
Religion: Historically Sunni Islam, nowadays Roman Catholicism (although they're experiencing an Islamic revival)
Ancestry: Hispano-Romans, Visigoths, Celtiberians, Arabs, Berbers, Sub-Saharan Africans, Sephardic Jews, Kipchak Turks, Oghuz Turks
Phenotype: Stereotypically Iberian/Mediterranean/Southern European with brown hair and eyes, occasional Central European, Northern European, or MENA looks
Population: 3,000,000 in Spain alone, 4,000,000 including the diaspora in the rest of Europe, and up to 56,000,000 including all Latin Americans with partial ancestry
Distribution: Spain, Portugal, Latin America, Philippines, Northwestern Europe, North America, Italy, Balkans, Anatolia, Caucasus, Levant, North Africa
Culture: Generally Andalusian/Southern Spanish infused with Turkic and North African influences
History: The Almohads, who took over from the Almoravids in ruling 12th century Southern Iberia, were a feared force in the entire Muslim world for their ability to maintain control over territories in mainland Europe - no other Islamic power has been able to do so since the Umayyads whom initially conquered the peninsula in the 8th century. The Christian kingdoms of the north were squabbling between themselves, so they weren't yet united to push back the Mohammedan threat. On July 18, 1195, they scored a decisive victory against the Castilians at the Battle of Alarcos, where King Alfonso VIII was badly defeated. The Andalusian melting pot, already a blend of Romance and Semitic heritage, was enhanced by the new Turkic element. Hundreds if not thousands of Oghuz Turkic mercenaries served on the winning side, and in turn were allowed by the Caliph to settle in Iberia alongside the Muwallads and Mozarabs. In a twist of irony, after the Caliph died in February 1199, the Turks turned against their North African overlords, instigating an eight year-long rebellion which culminated in the independence of the Khanate of Girnata in 1207, ruled by the Hasanzadids. The new Turkic ruling class inherited the old Moorish institutions, and continued the utilization of Sub-Saharan African slave labor and de facto discrimination against infidels. Europe was shocked that a new Turkic state was established at the far western end of the continent, when most of the Turkic incursions had been coming from the east. New and unexpected raids from the Girnatans along the Mediterranean trafficked slaves from France, Italy, and even as far away as the Balkans. When the Mamluks, who were on good terms with the Girnatans, took over Egypt later on in the 13th century, many Kipchak Turks and Circassians were resettled on the peninsula. There are records which proved that even Persians and Indians immigrated to Al-Andalus during the Girnatan Golden Age. The khans also introduced the Central Asian yogurt drink to Iberia, which evolved into the contemporary granadagua, or "water of Granada", a popular drink in the Hispanosphere. Loads of Turkic loanwords entered the Spanish language. Ultimately, the immense greed of the khans overextended Girnata's resources, and so Portugal, Castile, and Aragon eventually succeeded in reducing it to a rump state by 1523 - but an ultimatum issued by the Ottoman Sultan all the way on the other side of Europe demanded that the Iberian monarchs maintain Girnata's existence. And so, the recently unified Spain merely avoided war by acquiescing to the orders of the rapidly expanding Ottoman Empire, which temporarily soothed Spanish-Ottoman relations: Girnata would become an autonomous self-governing monarchy within the Spanish feudal system, but most of its external affairs would be dictated by Madrid. Because there was no Spanish Inquisition in this timeline (most of the remaining Jewish and Muslim populations converted to Christianity optionally instead of forcefully), the Sephardic Jews and Girnatans worked alongside the conquistadors in exploring the New World. The Girnatans use their excellent equestrian skills, inherited from their steppe-roaming ancestors, to conquer vast swaths of land for the Spanish crown. Girnatans were viewed as equals to Spaniards in the casta system, so they would always be classified as peninsulares or criollos. Of course, they too mixed with the Amerindians and Sub-Saharan Africans, contributing their DNA to the modern mestizo genepools. For the most part, they were seen as a positive influence on the Spanish Empire, and would always be trusted in advancing Spanish interests. At least, they were, until the last Khan of Girnata, Abdultemur, realized that so many of his fellow coethnics were embracing Spanish culture and Catholicism, abandoning their Muslim Turkic roots. He petitions the Spanish King to end what he sees as the unjust occupation of Girnata, and restore full sovereignty to the khanate, but the King refuses. And so a failed Ottoman-backed mutiny against the Spanish government, supported by the other Catholic powers of Europe, was the final nail in the coffin to 439 years of Girnata's existence in 1646, and in turn ending 935 years of the Reconquista, truly wiping the final Islamic stronghold in Iberia off the map. Over the next few centuries, the remaining Girnatans who weren't already Christianized or sought refuge in the Ottoman Empire shook off their old Islamic faith. Spain also experienced massive internal migrations during these centuries, where Girnatans were encouraged to migrate to other parts of the country, only to be replaced by other voluntarily moved Spanish ethnicities in their own homeland. 19th century overpopulation in Spain brought about by industrialization led to a transatlantic immigration wave. The Girnatan nation underwent a spiritual awakening in the 20th century, and in the process of rediscovering their Turkic past, frantically reached out to other Turkic peoples such as Gagauzes, Anatolian Turks, Azerbaijanis, and Crimean Tatars. Today, the Girnatans proudly see themselves as Turks, and consider the Turks of Turkey and Azerbaijan to be their closest brothers. Their calls for independence from Spain are even stronger than those of the Catalans, Basques, or Galicians. Yet they still actively participate in Spanish sports, music, politics, and entertainment, with many Girnatan celebrities such as Francisco Arslanez and Martino Sultanez being hailed as international icons. As a people, the Girnatans bridge the Ibero-American and Balkano-Turkic worlds, and they certainly have a turbulent but proud history!
Language: Girnatan (Oghuz Turkic language mutually intelligible with Turkish and Azerbaijani)
Religion: Historically Sunni Islam, nowadays Roman Catholicism (although they're experiencing an Islamic revival)
Ancestry: Hispano-Romans, Visigoths, Celtiberians, Arabs, Berbers, Sub-Saharan Africans, Sephardic Jews, Kipchak Turks, Oghuz Turks
Phenotype: Stereotypically Iberian/Mediterranean/Southern European with brown hair and eyes, occasional Central European, Northern European, or MENA looks
Population: 3,000,000 in Spain alone, 4,000,000 including the diaspora in the rest of Europe, and up to 56,000,000 including all Latin Americans with partial ancestry
Distribution: Spain, Portugal, Latin America, Philippines, Northwestern Europe, North America, Italy, Balkans, Anatolia, Caucasus, Levant, North Africa
Culture: Generally Andalusian/Southern Spanish infused with Turkic and North African influences
History: The Almohads, who took over from the Almoravids in ruling 12th century Southern Iberia, were a feared force in the entire Muslim world for their ability to maintain control over territories in mainland Europe - no other Islamic power has been able to do so since the Umayyads whom initially conquered the peninsula in the 8th century. The Christian kingdoms of the north were squabbling between themselves, so they weren't yet united to push back the Mohammedan threat. On July 18, 1195, they scored a decisive victory against the Castilians at the Battle of Alarcos, where King Alfonso VIII was badly defeated. The Andalusian melting pot, already a blend of Romance and Semitic heritage, was enhanced by the new Turkic element. Hundreds if not thousands of Oghuz Turkic mercenaries served on the winning side, and in turn were allowed by the Caliph to settle in Iberia alongside the Muwallads and Mozarabs. In a twist of irony, after the Caliph died in February 1199, the Turks turned against their North African overlords, instigating an eight year-long rebellion which culminated in the independence of the Khanate of Girnata in 1207, ruled by the Hasanzadids. The new Turkic ruling class inherited the old Moorish institutions, and continued the utilization of Sub-Saharan African slave labor and de facto discrimination against infidels. Europe was shocked that a new Turkic state was established at the far western end of the continent, when most of the Turkic incursions had been coming from the east. New and unexpected raids from the Girnatans along the Mediterranean trafficked slaves from France, Italy, and even as far away as the Balkans. When the Mamluks, who were on good terms with the Girnatans, took over Egypt later on in the 13th century, many Kipchak Turks and Circassians were resettled on the peninsula. There are records which proved that even Persians and Indians immigrated to Al-Andalus during the Girnatan Golden Age. The khans also introduced the Central Asian yogurt drink to Iberia, which evolved into the contemporary granadagua, or "water of Granada", a popular drink in the Hispanosphere. Loads of Turkic loanwords entered the Spanish language. Ultimately, the immense greed of the khans overextended Girnata's resources, and so Portugal, Castile, and Aragon eventually succeeded in reducing it to a rump state by 1523 - but an ultimatum issued by the Ottoman Sultan all the way on the other side of Europe demanded that the Iberian monarchs maintain Girnata's existence. And so, the recently unified Spain merely avoided war by acquiescing to the orders of the rapidly expanding Ottoman Empire, which temporarily soothed Spanish-Ottoman relations: Girnata would become an autonomous self-governing monarchy within the Spanish feudal system, but most of its external affairs would be dictated by Madrid. Because there was no Spanish Inquisition in this timeline (most of the remaining Jewish and Muslim populations converted to Christianity optionally instead of forcefully), the Sephardic Jews and Girnatans worked alongside the conquistadors in exploring the New World. The Girnatans use their excellent equestrian skills, inherited from their steppe-roaming ancestors, to conquer vast swaths of land for the Spanish crown. Girnatans were viewed as equals to Spaniards in the casta system, so they would always be classified as peninsulares or criollos. Of course, they too mixed with the Amerindians and Sub-Saharan Africans, contributing their DNA to the modern mestizo genepools. For the most part, they were seen as a positive influence on the Spanish Empire, and would always be trusted in advancing Spanish interests. At least, they were, until the last Khan of Girnata, Abdultemur, realized that so many of his fellow coethnics were embracing Spanish culture and Catholicism, abandoning their Muslim Turkic roots. He petitions the Spanish King to end what he sees as the unjust occupation of Girnata, and restore full sovereignty to the khanate, but the King refuses. And so a failed Ottoman-backed mutiny against the Spanish government, supported by the other Catholic powers of Europe, was the final nail in the coffin to 439 years of Girnata's existence in 1646, and in turn ending 935 years of the Reconquista, truly wiping the final Islamic stronghold in Iberia off the map. Over the next few centuries, the remaining Girnatans who weren't already Christianized or sought refuge in the Ottoman Empire shook off their old Islamic faith. Spain also experienced massive internal migrations during these centuries, where Girnatans were encouraged to migrate to other parts of the country, only to be replaced by other voluntarily moved Spanish ethnicities in their own homeland. 19th century overpopulation in Spain brought about by industrialization led to a transatlantic immigration wave. The Girnatan nation underwent a spiritual awakening in the 20th century, and in the process of rediscovering their Turkic past, frantically reached out to other Turkic peoples such as Gagauzes, Anatolian Turks, Azerbaijanis, and Crimean Tatars. Today, the Girnatans proudly see themselves as Turks, and consider the Turks of Turkey and Azerbaijan to be their closest brothers. Their calls for independence from Spain are even stronger than those of the Catalans, Basques, or Galicians. Yet they still actively participate in Spanish sports, music, politics, and entertainment, with many Girnatan celebrities such as Francisco Arslanez and Martino Sultanez being hailed as international icons. As a people, the Girnatans bridge the Ibero-American and Balkano-Turkic worlds, and they certainly have a turbulent but proud history!
Amerikaners
Language: Amerikaans, a form of Zeelandic Dutch with strong French, Scottish, and trace Spanish influence.
Ancestry: Dutch Calvinists, French Huguenots, Reformed Scots
Religion: Reformed Protestant Church of Amerika
Culture: A form of Dutch Culture that puts heavy emphasis on a 'chosen people' and holy land narrative, with a strong frontier attitude. Most similar Afrikaner and Tasmanian culture
Distribution: Eastern Seaboard, Mississippi Basin, Mojave Desert, American Plains, Alyska, Californian Vales, North West, Chihuahua, Monterre, New Angelland, Canada, Baja California, Kuba, Bahamas, Yucatan
Population: 463 Million
Phenotype: Largely European, with a high presence of 'Hazel' eyes and darker blonde hair.
Language: Amerikaans, a form of Zeelandic Dutch with strong French, Scottish, and trace Spanish influence.
Ancestry: Dutch Calvinists, French Huguenots, Reformed Scots
Religion: Reformed Protestant Church of Amerika
Culture: A form of Dutch Culture that puts heavy emphasis on a 'chosen people' and holy land narrative, with a strong frontier attitude. Most similar Afrikaner and Tasmanian culture
Distribution: Eastern Seaboard, Mississippi Basin, Mojave Desert, American Plains, Alyska, Californian Vales, North West, Chihuahua, Monterre, New Angelland, Canada, Baja California, Kuba, Bahamas, Yucatan
Population: 463 Million
Phenotype: Largely European, with a high presence of 'Hazel' eyes and darker blonde hair.
Afrikaners (Alt. Ver)
Language(s): Afrikaans (Standardized by the National Linguistic Authority in Pietermaritzburg)
Ancestry (Averaged): Dutch (39%), Swedish (32%), German (22%), French (5%), Khoi (2%)
Religion: Decentralized Reformed Calvinist Churches, The Largest of Whom is the Pretoriate Church (56% Affiliation among Afrikaners)
Culture: A strongly nationalistic, religious, and defensive sense of pride. The foremost cultural concept is that of Boerheid, or the ideal, rural life of a farmer. It is often called the equivalent of the 'American Dream' in South Africa, but has more in common with the frontier cultures of the later 1800s. Afrikaners are often split into two groups by anthropologists, as either Stadbewooners (Lit. City Dwellers), or Plaasbewooners (Lit. Farm Dwellers). South Africans also have a reputation for racism and xenophobia, being among the only Western Developed nation to have a ban on immigration throughout the rest of Africa.
Distribution: Transvaal (97% Afrikaner), Oranj (98% Afrikaner), Cape Province (62% Afrikaner), Bechuania (41% Afrikaner), Rhodesia (18% Afrikaner), Natal (32% Afrikaner[Centered in Metro Pietermartizburg]), Namibia (8% Afrikaner), Mocambique/Ciszambesi (5% Afrikaner).
Population: 59 Million (73% of the South African Population)
Phenotype: Brown Hair, Blue, Hazel, and Brown eyes. Strong Brow and tendency towards burliness and muscle growth.
History: The History of South Africa is far to complex to recount in short order. In summary, it began with the settlement of tens of thousands of Dutch, Germans, and Swedish during Joint-Company-Rule under the VOC, Welserhaus, and Lord Peters Sällskap (Swedish Kalahariland Company), with the expansion of individual settler farms and the ban of slavery. The South African Revolution occured in 1856, and resulted in the Freedom of the South African Republic. A short civil war and interregnum eventually lead to the creation of the Suid-Afrikaanse Statebond, or South African Commonwealth. The state expanded rapidly in name 'Manifest Destiny', with a proposed border along the Zambezi. A series of wars (First the Dune War in Namibia, Followed by the Wars of Expulsion between the Afrikaners and the Tswana-Mbetele-Shona coalition in 1890 left the north ripe for settlement, causing a population boom. The Final and most important 'War of Expansion' in the 1800s took place between 1891-1906, between the Afrikaners, Portuguese, and British. The conquest of Southern Rhodesia and Mocambique is still remembered and the end of the war (Celebrated on the 17th of December) is a major holiday, though less popular in Rhodesia and Mocambique for obvious reasons. South Africa experienced an enormous economic boom in the 1900s, eventually leading to the 'hyperdevelopment' of the nation in a way not dissimilar to America, Japan, or Argentina. Cities like Witherstand and Johannesburg resemble New York and Los Angelos, while Metro Kaapstad, the Orange River Statistical Area, Durban-Pietermartizburg and the garden route more resemble cities like Berlin and Amsterdam.
Language(s): Afrikaans (Standardized by the National Linguistic Authority in Pietermaritzburg)
Ancestry (Averaged): Dutch (39%), Swedish (32%), German (22%), French (5%), Khoi (2%)
Religion: Decentralized Reformed Calvinist Churches, The Largest of Whom is the Pretoriate Church (56% Affiliation among Afrikaners)
Culture: A strongly nationalistic, religious, and defensive sense of pride. The foremost cultural concept is that of Boerheid, or the ideal, rural life of a farmer. It is often called the equivalent of the 'American Dream' in South Africa, but has more in common with the frontier cultures of the later 1800s. Afrikaners are often split into two groups by anthropologists, as either Stadbewooners (Lit. City Dwellers), or Plaasbewooners (Lit. Farm Dwellers). South Africans also have a reputation for racism and xenophobia, being among the only Western Developed nation to have a ban on immigration throughout the rest of Africa.
Distribution: Transvaal (97% Afrikaner), Oranj (98% Afrikaner), Cape Province (62% Afrikaner), Bechuania (41% Afrikaner), Rhodesia (18% Afrikaner), Natal (32% Afrikaner[Centered in Metro Pietermartizburg]), Namibia (8% Afrikaner), Mocambique/Ciszambesi (5% Afrikaner).
Population: 59 Million (73% of the South African Population)
Phenotype: Brown Hair, Blue, Hazel, and Brown eyes. Strong Brow and tendency towards burliness and muscle growth.
History: The History of South Africa is far to complex to recount in short order. In summary, it began with the settlement of tens of thousands of Dutch, Germans, and Swedish during Joint-Company-Rule under the VOC, Welserhaus, and Lord Peters Sällskap (Swedish Kalahariland Company), with the expansion of individual settler farms and the ban of slavery. The South African Revolution occured in 1856, and resulted in the Freedom of the South African Republic. A short civil war and interregnum eventually lead to the creation of the Suid-Afrikaanse Statebond, or South African Commonwealth. The state expanded rapidly in name 'Manifest Destiny', with a proposed border along the Zambezi. A series of wars (First the Dune War in Namibia, Followed by the Wars of Expulsion between the Afrikaners and the Tswana-Mbetele-Shona coalition in 1890 left the north ripe for settlement, causing a population boom. The Final and most important 'War of Expansion' in the 1800s took place between 1891-1906, between the Afrikaners, Portuguese, and British. The conquest of Southern Rhodesia and Mocambique is still remembered and the end of the war (Celebrated on the 17th of December) is a major holiday, though less popular in Rhodesia and Mocambique for obvious reasons. South Africa experienced an enormous economic boom in the 1900s, eventually leading to the 'hyperdevelopment' of the nation in a way not dissimilar to America, Japan, or Argentina. Cities like Witherstand and Johannesburg resemble New York and Los Angelos, while Metro Kaapstad, the Orange River Statistical Area, Durban-Pietermartizburg and the garden route more resemble cities like Berlin and Amsterdam.
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Amerirrom:
Language: An American dialect of Angloromani that shows some slight influence from Spanish, French, and various Native American influences depending on the region.
Religion: Mainly Folk Christianity and Pentecostalism. Very very small Muslim minority.
Ancestry: Primarily British Romani, Welsh Kale, Irish and Scottish Travellers. Slight amounts of African American and Indigenous intermingling.
Population: Around two to three million. Distributed primarily in Appalachia, Southwest, and Midwest.
Culture: As is the case in other Rromani communities, emphasis is placed on Rromanipen ('Rromani spirit'). Cleanliness, kinship ties, equestrianism, thrift religion/superstition, and the maintenance of the language are all very important aspects of Rromanipen. They largely worked the same itinerant trades as they did in Europe, but many also took up peddling, horse-breeding, hunting, and trapping. Around one third of the Amerrirom maintain their nomadic lifestyle today; largely concentrated in the Prarie states. Today, the Amerirrom community is considered its own vitsa; or Romani subgroup.
Phenotype: Very heavily varied.
History: The British government worked heavily to transport many Romani and Travelling families to America. As back in the mother country, they were heavily discriminated against by settled peoples. Romani families readily moved West upon the opening of the Ohio territory for settlement, and many moved before. Caravan parties were frequently joined by escaped slaves and Native Americans. Over the centuries, the original communities were joined by other Rromani communities from across Europe, which consolidated over time.
Language: An American dialect of Angloromani that shows some slight influence from Spanish, French, and various Native American influences depending on the region.
Religion: Mainly Folk Christianity and Pentecostalism. Very very small Muslim minority.
Ancestry: Primarily British Romani, Welsh Kale, Irish and Scottish Travellers. Slight amounts of African American and Indigenous intermingling.
Population: Around two to three million. Distributed primarily in Appalachia, Southwest, and Midwest.
Culture: As is the case in other Rromani communities, emphasis is placed on Rromanipen ('Rromani spirit'). Cleanliness, kinship ties, equestrianism, thrift religion/superstition, and the maintenance of the language are all very important aspects of Rromanipen. They largely worked the same itinerant trades as they did in Europe, but many also took up peddling, horse-breeding, hunting, and trapping. Around one third of the Amerrirom maintain their nomadic lifestyle today; largely concentrated in the Prarie states. Today, the Amerirrom community is considered its own vitsa; or Romani subgroup.
Phenotype: Very heavily varied.
History: The British government worked heavily to transport many Romani and Travelling families to America. As back in the mother country, they were heavily discriminated against by settled peoples. Romani families readily moved West upon the opening of the Ohio territory for settlement, and many moved before. Caravan parties were frequently joined by escaped slaves and Native Americans. Over the centuries, the original communities were joined by other Rromani communities from across Europe, which consolidated over time.
New Nephites
Language: 'Western Hebrew' (derived around the middle of the 19th century AD from the form of Hebrew retained by some Jewish communities for religious reasons, with heavy influence from English and also loanwords from Welsh and various Native American -- mostly Algonkian-related or Salish -- languages) and -- for dealing with outsiders -- English.
Ancestry: A mixture of white Americans (mostly English or Welsh in ancestry), members of various Native American groups (again, mostly Algonkian or Coast Salish), and -- most numerous by now, perhaps even comprising a plurality of the total population -- people with ancestors from both of those sources.
Appearance: as one would expect from their ancestry.
Religion: almost entirely 'Nephite Christianity'. This originated as an attempt at re-creating Christianity as it was practiced originally (complete with the retention of male circumcision and the 'Old Testament' dietary laws), but with an "eventual Angels" concept added; governed by a 'Council of Twelve Elders', with an intermittent series of 'Prophets' -- the second of whom legalized polygamy among the church's members -- who can over-ride the Council on doctrinal questions & in some other matters, although it has also incorporated some Native American beliefs & practices from its early days onwards.
Culture: Theocratic democracy that rejects industrialisation & most forms of technology developed after the church's foundation, prepared to fight if that proves necessary, otherwise what one would probably expect from the group's roots & history.
Space: primarily in the valley of the 'New Jordan' (IOTL the Chehalis river), and northwards from that across the 'Temple-Mount Peninsula' (IOTL the Olympic Peninsula) in the province of North Oregon, but also with scattered communities elsewhere in North America and even a handful of small 'mission' settlement in Patagonia.
Origin: This TL's Joseph Smith was more studious than the OTL one, with a Jewish maternal grandmother whose sons taught him some Hebrew on the basis that although his mother had converted to Christianity when she married she still counted as a member of the Jewish people -- and so, therefore, did Joseph himself -- by their community's matrilineal standards. He announced the discovery of a set of "golden plates" much as in IOTL, although this happened in New Wales (a canton covering parts of IOTL western Pennsylvania & southern Ohio) rather than in New Yorkshire (IOTL 'New York' state) and he said that those holy relics were written in Hebrew rather than in something called "Reformed Egyptian", and was the first Prophet of this church. Among the differences between his teachings and those of his IOTL counterpart was a definite emphasis on preaching to & converting the continent's native peoples, the "descendants of the Lamanites". After facing persecution both in New Wales itself and then in western Transylvania (IOTL, western Kentucky) where he & his followers first tried to build a separate community of their own, he led his followers westwards -- following, he said, a vision -- into the Oregon Country... but died, due to snakebite, just before they crossed the mountains from the "desert" in the east of that territory to the more fertile "promised lands" along the coast. He was succeeded as Prophet by one of his earliest converts, John ["no relative, save as in we are all descended from Adam and Eve"] Smith, who led the New Nephites the rest of the way, made a treaty with the Chehalis people among whom they then settled & many of whom they converted, and saw to the building of their 'New Temple' on the southern slopes of 'Temple-Mount' [IOTL 'Mount Olympus']. They declared themselves willing to accept the temporal authority of the colonial administration as long as they & their 'Lamanite' allies were allowed to live by themselves in peace and to send out preachers, and that administration -- seeing them as a cheap way of helping to keep the local tribes peaceful -- agreed.
Language: 'Western Hebrew' (derived around the middle of the 19th century AD from the form of Hebrew retained by some Jewish communities for religious reasons, with heavy influence from English and also loanwords from Welsh and various Native American -- mostly Algonkian-related or Salish -- languages) and -- for dealing with outsiders -- English.
Ancestry: A mixture of white Americans (mostly English or Welsh in ancestry), members of various Native American groups (again, mostly Algonkian or Coast Salish), and -- most numerous by now, perhaps even comprising a plurality of the total population -- people with ancestors from both of those sources.
Appearance: as one would expect from their ancestry.
Religion: almost entirely 'Nephite Christianity'. This originated as an attempt at re-creating Christianity as it was practiced originally (complete with the retention of male circumcision and the 'Old Testament' dietary laws), but with an "eventual Angels" concept added; governed by a 'Council of Twelve Elders', with an intermittent series of 'Prophets' -- the second of whom legalized polygamy among the church's members -- who can over-ride the Council on doctrinal questions & in some other matters, although it has also incorporated some Native American beliefs & practices from its early days onwards.
Culture: Theocratic democracy that rejects industrialisation & most forms of technology developed after the church's foundation, prepared to fight if that proves necessary, otherwise what one would probably expect from the group's roots & history.
Space: primarily in the valley of the 'New Jordan' (IOTL the Chehalis river), and northwards from that across the 'Temple-Mount Peninsula' (IOTL the Olympic Peninsula) in the province of North Oregon, but also with scattered communities elsewhere in North America and even a handful of small 'mission' settlement in Patagonia.
Origin: This TL's Joseph Smith was more studious than the OTL one, with a Jewish maternal grandmother whose sons taught him some Hebrew on the basis that although his mother had converted to Christianity when she married she still counted as a member of the Jewish people -- and so, therefore, did Joseph himself -- by their community's matrilineal standards. He announced the discovery of a set of "golden plates" much as in IOTL, although this happened in New Wales (a canton covering parts of IOTL western Pennsylvania & southern Ohio) rather than in New Yorkshire (IOTL 'New York' state) and he said that those holy relics were written in Hebrew rather than in something called "Reformed Egyptian", and was the first Prophet of this church. Among the differences between his teachings and those of his IOTL counterpart was a definite emphasis on preaching to & converting the continent's native peoples, the "descendants of the Lamanites". After facing persecution both in New Wales itself and then in western Transylvania (IOTL, western Kentucky) where he & his followers first tried to build a separate community of their own, he led his followers westwards -- following, he said, a vision -- into the Oregon Country... but died, due to snakebite, just before they crossed the mountains from the "desert" in the east of that territory to the more fertile "promised lands" along the coast. He was succeeded as Prophet by one of his earliest converts, John ["no relative, save as in we are all descended from Adam and Eve"] Smith, who led the New Nephites the rest of the way, made a treaty with the Chehalis people among whom they then settled & many of whom they converted, and saw to the building of their 'New Temple' on the southern slopes of 'Temple-Mount' [IOTL 'Mount Olympus']. They declared themselves willing to accept the temporal authority of the colonial administration as long as they & their 'Lamanite' allies were allowed to live by themselves in peace and to send out preachers, and that administration -- seeing them as a cheap way of helping to keep the local tribes peaceful -- agreed.
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Mélanges
Language: Mostly Gallic dialects (speaking OTL Middle French, but in some areas obsolete dialects of Provençal). There are also Breton, Creole languages, Michifs, migrant languages (such as Roman), as well as dialects of indigenous peoples.
Religion: Representatives of this ethnic group are prone to eclectic views. Many do not express strong religious beliefs and allegiance to specific gods, while still holding on to a wild hodgepodge of various superstitions. In general, among them one can meet representatives of Chaldeanism, as well as members of syncretic cults (such as voodoo, peyotism, the Teaching of the Long House, and so on).
Ancestry: Gallo-Romans, Aquitani, Bretons, Goths, Burgundians, Western Ethiopians (Igbo, Bono, Yoruba, Akan), Central Ethiopians (Congolese tribes), Aboriginal peoples Periocuimen (Muscogee, Apaches, Comanches, Miami, Caribs and so on).
Phenotype: Due to the dominance of the Gallic paternal lines, they are presented mainly as similar to Europeans, but with black hair and dark skin. However, in reality, their appearance can be varied, as well as their pedigree. Darker variations are common in the South and the Caribbean. In the north, individuals can be found both with the features of indigenous peoples, and similar to their Gallic ancestors.
Distribution: Union of Periocumenes (Pluaraty), Caribbean Islands (generally minorities).
Culture: Gallo-Roman substratum with strong influence from Libian-Ethiopian and native traditions. In different regions, the influence of migrant communities (for example, Roman or Syrian) may be present.
Language: Mostly Gallic dialects (speaking OTL Middle French, but in some areas obsolete dialects of Provençal). There are also Breton, Creole languages, Michifs, migrant languages (such as Roman), as well as dialects of indigenous peoples.
Religion: Representatives of this ethnic group are prone to eclectic views. Many do not express strong religious beliefs and allegiance to specific gods, while still holding on to a wild hodgepodge of various superstitions. In general, among them one can meet representatives of Chaldeanism, as well as members of syncretic cults (such as voodoo, peyotism, the Teaching of the Long House, and so on).
Ancestry: Gallo-Romans, Aquitani, Bretons, Goths, Burgundians, Western Ethiopians (Igbo, Bono, Yoruba, Akan), Central Ethiopians (Congolese tribes), Aboriginal peoples Periocuimen (Muscogee, Apaches, Comanches, Miami, Caribs and so on).
Phenotype: Due to the dominance of the Gallic paternal lines, they are presented mainly as similar to Europeans, but with black hair and dark skin. However, in reality, their appearance can be varied, as well as their pedigree. Darker variations are common in the South and the Caribbean. In the north, individuals can be found both with the features of indigenous peoples, and similar to their Gallic ancestors.
Distribution: Union of Periocumenes (Pluaraty), Caribbean Islands (generally minorities).
Culture: Gallo-Roman substratum with strong influence from Libian-Ethiopian and native traditions. In different regions, the influence of migrant communities (for example, Roman or Syrian) may be present.
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Formosan Jews
Language: Hebrew is spoken by a large majority of the Formosan Jews.
Religion: As expected, most of the Formosan Jews believe in Judaism, split into multiple denominations. A small minority are Atheists, as well as fringe groups of Buddhists and Taoists.
Ancestry: European Jews, many of Yiddish ancestry. There are also a lot of Jews with indigenous Taiwanese ancestry.
Appearance: Incredibly diverse looking, due to the large amounts of different groups of Jews which had migrated combined with the local Taiwanese groups.
Distribution: Across all of Taiwan, some migrants live in Hong Kong.
Summarized History: Zionist efforts would be unable to gain a chance for Israel, and many Jews look elsewhere. Support is gained from the Dutch government, which had barely been holding onto Formosa, and they would see Jewish colonization as a way to stop local rebels. The Jews become a majority over a few decades.
Language: Hebrew is spoken by a large majority of the Formosan Jews.
Religion: As expected, most of the Formosan Jews believe in Judaism, split into multiple denominations. A small minority are Atheists, as well as fringe groups of Buddhists and Taoists.
Ancestry: European Jews, many of Yiddish ancestry. There are also a lot of Jews with indigenous Taiwanese ancestry.
Appearance: Incredibly diverse looking, due to the large amounts of different groups of Jews which had migrated combined with the local Taiwanese groups.
Distribution: Across all of Taiwan, some migrants live in Hong Kong.
Summarized History: Zionist efforts would be unable to gain a chance for Israel, and many Jews look elsewhere. Support is gained from the Dutch government, which had barely been holding onto Formosa, and they would see Jewish colonization as a way to stop local rebels. The Jews become a majority over a few decades.
Courlanders
Language: Courish; a Low German based creole language. The language also contains many words that point to influence from Latvian and Polish. Which is not surprising considering that the Duchy of Courland was located in Latvia. The Duchy of Courland was also a vassal of the Polish king, and close to Poland proper. Despite the close connections to both Latvian and Polish speaking society, the language established in New Courland was based on Low German. This is likely because the Courish nobility and burghers were predominantly Low German speaking. More importantly is probably the composition of the New Courland company's employees. Most hailed from the Low German speaking area, and established Low German as the working language of New Courland.
Religion: Historically Lutheranism has been the official religion, as well as the denomination to which almost all Courlanders belonged too. New Courland also have a rich history of folk Christianity with large inputs from African and Amerindian heritage.
Ancestry: Contemporary Courlanders descend from African slaves brought to the plantations of New Courland, the indigenous Amerindian inhabitants, and European settlers.
Distribution: Most reside in New Courland (OTL Trinidad and Tobago).
History: New Courland was established in 1654 by the Duchy of Courland, after which it was named. It was established with the goal of making a profit, and increasing the duke of Courland's prestige. Event in Europe however would severely hamper the duke's designs. Despite the duke's wishes, New Courland never became a prominent exporter. Due to the events in Europe, the government of New Courland had an opportunity to increase it's own power, which the local oligarchy took. Eventually New Courland would become independent in all but name. Though it would continue to pay homage to the Duchy of Courland, and later to Poland. Poland would lose New Courland to Brandenburg.
Language: Courish; a Low German based creole language. The language also contains many words that point to influence from Latvian and Polish. Which is not surprising considering that the Duchy of Courland was located in Latvia. The Duchy of Courland was also a vassal of the Polish king, and close to Poland proper. Despite the close connections to both Latvian and Polish speaking society, the language established in New Courland was based on Low German. This is likely because the Courish nobility and burghers were predominantly Low German speaking. More importantly is probably the composition of the New Courland company's employees. Most hailed from the Low German speaking area, and established Low German as the working language of New Courland.
Religion: Historically Lutheranism has been the official religion, as well as the denomination to which almost all Courlanders belonged too. New Courland also have a rich history of folk Christianity with large inputs from African and Amerindian heritage.
Ancestry: Contemporary Courlanders descend from African slaves brought to the plantations of New Courland, the indigenous Amerindian inhabitants, and European settlers.
Distribution: Most reside in New Courland (OTL Trinidad and Tobago).
History: New Courland was established in 1654 by the Duchy of Courland, after which it was named. It was established with the goal of making a profit, and increasing the duke of Courland's prestige. Event in Europe however would severely hamper the duke's designs. Despite the duke's wishes, New Courland never became a prominent exporter. Due to the events in Europe, the government of New Courland had an opportunity to increase it's own power, which the local oligarchy took. Eventually New Courland would become independent in all but name. Though it would continue to pay homage to the Duchy of Courland, and later to Poland. Poland would lose New Courland to Brandenburg.
Stamboulis
Language: Stambouli - A Romance language derived from the 13th and 14th century Old French dialects spoken by the Crusaders who overthrew the Byzantine Empire in the Fourth Crusade and retained by their descendants due to its status as the court language of the Flanders, Courtenay and the subsequent Galata dynasty. It has significant influence from Greek, Italian, Germans, Arabic, Turkish, Bulgarian and Dacian (Romanian) languages.
Ancestry: The dissolution of the old Byzantine Empire led to many Greeks of high rank losing their lands and titles. Those of lower rank were allowed to keep a certain amount of their land and preserve some of their titles, provided that they swore fealty to the new Latin Empire of Constantinople and convert to Catholicism. The vast majority refused and fled towards the Byzantine successor states in Nicaea, Epirus and Trebizond. The freeing up of significant land led to the Latin Emperors to encourage immigration from the West - promising them land and titles. French, Italians, Germans and other western Europeans moved eastward, establishing new lives as the Latin Empire of Constantinople's new landowning class. Some lived lives in a manner similar to their ancestral homelands but a growing number would adopt some trappings of Byzantine Greek culture, while retaining their languages and maintaining a degree a separation between themselves and the native Greeks. The lower and middle classes, denied land and title, had no qualms of mixing with the locals. With newer generation, the descendants of the Crusaders identified themselves less as by their ancestors' origins and more as Stamboulis, especially by the sixteenth century.
Religion: Historically, the Stamboulis were Roman Catholics, as were their Western European ancestors. With the advent of Ecclesiasticism, a eighteenth centurry movement that found the Roman Catholic Church to be corrupt and refusing to evangelize the masses, many Stamboulis found sanctuary in the Imperial Church of Constantinople - practicing the old Byzantine rite.
Culture: Imagine a mix between Balkan and Western European cultures with a small dash of Middle Eastern influence.
Population: 31.5 million
Distribution: They make up the majority of the Marmara Region (OTL Turkey) and significant minorities elsewhere in the Empire.
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Name: Neo-Prussians
Language: New Prussian, an East Slavic language with heavy West Slavic, Baltic, and Germanic influences
Religion: Historically Slavic paganism, then Eastern Orthodoxy, and nowadays Roman Catholicism, with some adherents to Lutheran Protestantism
Ancestry: Slavs, Balts, Germans, Ashkenazi Jews
Phenotype: Like other Baltic people, a hybrid of Scandinavian and Eastern European features
Population: 500,000 in Kaliningrad Oblast (homeland), 300,000 in Poland and the Baltic states, 100,000 in the rest of the world (so a total of 900,000)
Distribution: Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, France, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
Culture: Somewhat East Slavic but somewhat Baltic (Northern European) as well
History: In this timeline, the Old Prussians weren't Germanized, but were Slavicized instead. Being a tribal, illiterate pagan people living on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in the 10th century the Prussian Balts were absorbed by the Rus', a Scandinavian people ruling over a vast East Slavic territory, and were converted to Christianity, but of the Eastern Constantinopolitan Rite. Eventually, the Kievan Rus, which was the name for the massive union of East Slavic, North Germanic, Baltic, and Finnic peoples, fully disintegrated by the 12th century, which led to the establishment of the Principality of Prussia, a bastion of Orthodoxy surrounded by Catholicism, and most famous for attempting and failing to invade and convert the pagan Lithuanians several times in the 13th century. The principality also valiantly resisted many Mongol and Golden Horde invasions. It stood strong in the face of its adversaries until it was partitioned between Poland, Lithuania, and the Teutonic Order in the 15th century, when the Prussian Slavs adopted the Catholic faith out of fear of forced assimilation into their new rulers. The Protestant Reformation swept right past the Neo-Prussians (to distinguish them from their Baltic ancestors and German coinhabitants), who remained loyal to the Pope in Rome. During their time as subjects of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, they migrated to Latvia and Estonia in search of better opportunities, forming communities there that are still recognized as national minorities by both countries today. As Prussia became the name for the expansionist and militarist German state in the early modern era, it was an usurpation of the name of the people already living there, just like the name of Russia usurped Ukraine's old name of Ruthenia (Latin for Kievan Rus). In the Duchy of Prussia and Kingdom of Prussia, Germans formed the vast majority of the population and were mainly urban dwellers, in contrast to the predominantly rural Neo-Prussians (who faced discrimination in many facets of public life). However, the Neo-Prussians did contribute quite a few famous figures to science, literature, art, and music, despite not having a state of their own. In the 19th century, the New Prussian language was standardized based on the dialect spoken in Konigsberg (formerly Baltgorod) and codified in the Latin alphabet. Like other Europeans, they participated in the transoceanic migration waves to North America and Australasia. When the Great War broke out, the Central Powers established a temporary Democratic Republic of Slavo-Prussia before the Treaty of Versailles confirmed that it would return to the now Weimarized Germany. The Neo-Prussians were labeled as untermensch by Hitler and the Nazi regime, and were planned for total extermination and/or Germanization under Generalplan Ost. Half of all Neo-Prussians in the world were killed during the Second World War, which was a proportionally greater drop than any other European ethnic group in that timeframe. After 1945, the state of Prussia was dissolved, and the former strongest German state was partitioned between Poland, the Lithuanian SSR, and the Russian SFSR. Soviet rule brought more demographic losses through forced disappearances and deportations to labor camps in Siberia. During the Cold War, Latvia and Estonia saw increases in their Neo-Prussian minority populations once again as the Soviet government, especially under Stalin, sought to demographically replace Latvians and Estonians in their own homeland through resettlement of Russians and other foreigners in order to consolidate and centralize control. In a surprising twist, instead of siding with their East Slavic brethren, the Neo-Prussians sided with the Baltic peoples in the Singing Revolution of 1989, with a human chain established spanning from Kaliningrad to Tallinn. Although the Neo-Prussians declared their own country, the Republic of Prussia, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, they experienced a similar fate to the equally rebellious Chechens: They were ultimately defeated and reincorporated by the Russians in 2000. Today the Neo-Prussians are one of the most Russophobic and fervently separatist ethnic groups of the Russian Federation, and have even resorted to terrorism for their aims of restoring independence. Mentally, Neo-Prussians feel closest to other Baltic peoples (Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians), then to Ukrainians, Belarusians, and other post-Soviet ethnicities such as Moldovans and Armenians, but they feel furthest from Russians, of course - and as of 2022, they are currently embroiled in a bloody war of independence from Putin's regime, which started around the same time that Putin invaded Zelensky's Ukraine in February.
Language: New Prussian, an East Slavic language with heavy West Slavic, Baltic, and Germanic influences
Religion: Historically Slavic paganism, then Eastern Orthodoxy, and nowadays Roman Catholicism, with some adherents to Lutheran Protestantism
Ancestry: Slavs, Balts, Germans, Ashkenazi Jews
Phenotype: Like other Baltic people, a hybrid of Scandinavian and Eastern European features
Population: 500,000 in Kaliningrad Oblast (homeland), 300,000 in Poland and the Baltic states, 100,000 in the rest of the world (so a total of 900,000)
Distribution: Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, France, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
Culture: Somewhat East Slavic but somewhat Baltic (Northern European) as well
History: In this timeline, the Old Prussians weren't Germanized, but were Slavicized instead. Being a tribal, illiterate pagan people living on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in the 10th century the Prussian Balts were absorbed by the Rus', a Scandinavian people ruling over a vast East Slavic territory, and were converted to Christianity, but of the Eastern Constantinopolitan Rite. Eventually, the Kievan Rus, which was the name for the massive union of East Slavic, North Germanic, Baltic, and Finnic peoples, fully disintegrated by the 12th century, which led to the establishment of the Principality of Prussia, a bastion of Orthodoxy surrounded by Catholicism, and most famous for attempting and failing to invade and convert the pagan Lithuanians several times in the 13th century. The principality also valiantly resisted many Mongol and Golden Horde invasions. It stood strong in the face of its adversaries until it was partitioned between Poland, Lithuania, and the Teutonic Order in the 15th century, when the Prussian Slavs adopted the Catholic faith out of fear of forced assimilation into their new rulers. The Protestant Reformation swept right past the Neo-Prussians (to distinguish them from their Baltic ancestors and German coinhabitants), who remained loyal to the Pope in Rome. During their time as subjects of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, they migrated to Latvia and Estonia in search of better opportunities, forming communities there that are still recognized as national minorities by both countries today. As Prussia became the name for the expansionist and militarist German state in the early modern era, it was an usurpation of the name of the people already living there, just like the name of Russia usurped Ukraine's old name of Ruthenia (Latin for Kievan Rus). In the Duchy of Prussia and Kingdom of Prussia, Germans formed the vast majority of the population and were mainly urban dwellers, in contrast to the predominantly rural Neo-Prussians (who faced discrimination in many facets of public life). However, the Neo-Prussians did contribute quite a few famous figures to science, literature, art, and music, despite not having a state of their own. In the 19th century, the New Prussian language was standardized based on the dialect spoken in Konigsberg (formerly Baltgorod) and codified in the Latin alphabet. Like other Europeans, they participated in the transoceanic migration waves to North America and Australasia. When the Great War broke out, the Central Powers established a temporary Democratic Republic of Slavo-Prussia before the Treaty of Versailles confirmed that it would return to the now Weimarized Germany. The Neo-Prussians were labeled as untermensch by Hitler and the Nazi regime, and were planned for total extermination and/or Germanization under Generalplan Ost. Half of all Neo-Prussians in the world were killed during the Second World War, which was a proportionally greater drop than any other European ethnic group in that timeframe. After 1945, the state of Prussia was dissolved, and the former strongest German state was partitioned between Poland, the Lithuanian SSR, and the Russian SFSR. Soviet rule brought more demographic losses through forced disappearances and deportations to labor camps in Siberia. During the Cold War, Latvia and Estonia saw increases in their Neo-Prussian minority populations once again as the Soviet government, especially under Stalin, sought to demographically replace Latvians and Estonians in their own homeland through resettlement of Russians and other foreigners in order to consolidate and centralize control. In a surprising twist, instead of siding with their East Slavic brethren, the Neo-Prussians sided with the Baltic peoples in the Singing Revolution of 1989, with a human chain established spanning from Kaliningrad to Tallinn. Although the Neo-Prussians declared their own country, the Republic of Prussia, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, they experienced a similar fate to the equally rebellious Chechens: They were ultimately defeated and reincorporated by the Russians in 2000. Today the Neo-Prussians are one of the most Russophobic and fervently separatist ethnic groups of the Russian Federation, and have even resorted to terrorism for their aims of restoring independence. Mentally, Neo-Prussians feel closest to other Baltic peoples (Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians), then to Ukrainians, Belarusians, and other post-Soviet ethnicities such as Moldovans and Armenians, but they feel furthest from Russians, of course - and as of 2022, they are currently embroiled in a bloody war of independence from Putin's regime, which started around the same time that Putin invaded Zelensky's Ukraine in February.
Mended Africans
Language: ("Improved") English - de facto, Mended Niger-Congo de jure
Ancestry: Mended Africans are very closely related to otl African Americans, with the same ancestry
Religion: Improved Christianity, Mended Folk Beliefs
Culture: Mended African culture was first raised in the Yankee branch of the Elmer Brix belief system in Edwin Wade's Ecstasy in North America (p. 83). Wade condemned slavery for making people unhappy before adding that this could only be rectified through mending African culture in British North America. Following the Outbreak of Joy the predominately white Congress legislated that mended cultures should be introduced in North America without a full understanding of what that meant. The new Yankee government was both unwilling and unable to trace individual family heritage back to Africa so an over-aching Mended African culture was adopted based on a mixture of research, rumor, speculation, and stereotype. Mended African villages are given extensive autonomy but also little financial or governmental support, requiring high levels of self-sufficiency, villages elect elders (theoretically the oldest person in the village) who establish relations based on shared religious rituals and mutually beneficial trade. Rituals form the center of M.A. religion, trade, and entertainment and focus on large extensively choreographed dances and drum performances.
Language: ("Improved") English - de facto, Mended Niger-Congo de jure
Ancestry: Mended Africans are very closely related to otl African Americans, with the same ancestry
Religion: Improved Christianity, Mended Folk Beliefs
Culture: Mended African culture was first raised in the Yankee branch of the Elmer Brix belief system in Edwin Wade's Ecstasy in North America (p. 83). Wade condemned slavery for making people unhappy before adding that this could only be rectified through mending African culture in British North America. Following the Outbreak of Joy the predominately white Congress legislated that mended cultures should be introduced in North America without a full understanding of what that meant. The new Yankee government was both unwilling and unable to trace individual family heritage back to Africa so an over-aching Mended African culture was adopted based on a mixture of research, rumor, speculation, and stereotype. Mended African villages are given extensive autonomy but also little financial or governmental support, requiring high levels of self-sufficiency, villages elect elders (theoretically the oldest person in the village) who establish relations based on shared religious rituals and mutually beneficial trade. Rituals form the center of M.A. religion, trade, and entertainment and focus on large extensively choreographed dances and drum performances.
I made a post about this before but Positivism is an ideology I imagined that argues the primary job of a government is to make its citizens as happy as possible all the time and that all cultures are (theoretically) equal but have their own paths to happiness. When something is 'Improved' or 'Perfected' it means that people that identify with that culture led the effort to bring it in line with the Brix belief system (Elmer Brix created Positivism but was open about it only being applicable in his native Denmark, because each culture has a different path to happiness Positivists see their ideology as a tree with mutually correct branches rather than an ideology with deviations like a Communist would). When a culture is 'Mended' it means that people from outside the culture defined it and then 'introduced' (read: imposed) it on other people, generally because the culture was broken by the unhappiness inherent in colonialism. In Mended African lands, villages are supposed to have high levels of internal solidarity but only interact with other villages in individual transactions. Most Mended African politics is done during these cultural performances, though not through the dances themselves (as was intended) but through frank leader-to-leader conversations that occur in the literal shadows of the bonfires set off for the big dance performances.
Nubijci
During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, newly conquered Sudanese subjects from Sudan and other African areas had been resettled to the Balkans from the 16th Century on. These people lived in their own enclaves throughout the Balkan area, mostly centered around Bosnia. These people spoke either Arabic or Serbo-Croatian, local Sudanese languages disappeared. Traditional folk elements from the Sudan area had been still praticed throughout the Centuries by the Sudanese people. The South Slavs called the Africans Nubijci. It is also believed that decendents of West African Fulani and Fulbe captives had been settled in the Balkan area and grouped together with other people of African ancestry. As an distinct ethnic group the Nubijci are seen as a separate nationality in Yugoslavia. Their distinct cultural practices sets them apart from Bosnian Muslims. Although the Africans are of different origin they call themselves today Nubijci (Nubians).
Ancestry: West Africa, East Africa
Religion: Sunni Islam
Languages: Serbo-Croatian, Nubijci dialect , secondary Turkish language
Appearance: African ancestry
Culture: Muslim, South Slavic, African folk elements and cultural practices
Populations: 200.000-300.000 self proclaimed Nubijci across Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Bulgaria,Turkey. About 5000 self proclaimed Nubijci in the US, 2000 in Canada
During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, newly conquered Sudanese subjects from Sudan and other African areas had been resettled to the Balkans from the 16th Century on. These people lived in their own enclaves throughout the Balkan area, mostly centered around Bosnia. These people spoke either Arabic or Serbo-Croatian, local Sudanese languages disappeared. Traditional folk elements from the Sudan area had been still praticed throughout the Centuries by the Sudanese people. The South Slavs called the Africans Nubijci. It is also believed that decendents of West African Fulani and Fulbe captives had been settled in the Balkan area and grouped together with other people of African ancestry. As an distinct ethnic group the Nubijci are seen as a separate nationality in Yugoslavia. Their distinct cultural practices sets them apart from Bosnian Muslims. Although the Africans are of different origin they call themselves today Nubijci (Nubians).
Ancestry: West Africa, East Africa
Religion: Sunni Islam
Languages: Serbo-Croatian, Nubijci dialect , secondary Turkish language
Appearance: African ancestry
Culture: Muslim, South Slavic, African folk elements and cultural practices
Populations: 200.000-300.000 self proclaimed Nubijci across Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Bulgaria,Turkey. About 5000 self proclaimed Nubijci in the US, 2000 in Canada
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Romlings
After the Romans settled Britannia they even tried to launch Western expeditions into the Atlantic. Several emperors tried to find mythical lands in the West. Some voyages drifted away. Eventually one expedition found Iceland, Roman Sailors, slaves, soldiers and merchants built huts to survive. One galley made it home to Britannia, several Roman voyages to Iceland lead to settlements with Romans attempted to built a presence on the edge of the world. Because of the active vulcanos the Romans on Iceland worshipped Vulcanus, the God's Smith. Romans feared the vulcanic climate on Iceland, they reported back that the island had been the original entrance to Hades. The Romans on Iceland, which they called ,Terra Necrosia' or ,Terra Stygia', tendend to be superstitious and had a special relationship to Death. Archaeological investigations on human sacrifices had been launched recently. With time the Romans on Iceland had been forgotten, their buildings withered away and they reverted to a simple lifestyle. The Vulgar Latin language evolved into something distinct on Iceland. The Romans stayed Pagan during the cause of Centuries, very few Christians ever voyaged to Iceland. When the Vikings arrived in Iceland they referred to the population as Romlings, for these people referred to themselves as such (their specific vulgar term for Romans). Vikings and Romlings fought against each other, the Romlings had been raided and enslaved. Very famous had been the feud between Eric the Red and the Romlings, which had been written about in the Sagas. The Romlings withered away, some Christian Monks met Romling captives and classified them, knowing Latin, as ancient Romans forgotten by time.
Name: Romlings
Religion: Evolved Roman Paganism
Ancestry: Romans, Romano-British, Slaves
Appearance: From Mediterranean looks to Britannic looks
Language: Necrosian/ Stygian Vulgar Latin (Basically a new Romanic language)
Era: 100 AC- 10th Century AC
Population: 6000-10.000
Location: Iceland (Terra Necrosia)
After the Romans settled Britannia they even tried to launch Western expeditions into the Atlantic. Several emperors tried to find mythical lands in the West. Some voyages drifted away. Eventually one expedition found Iceland, Roman Sailors, slaves, soldiers and merchants built huts to survive. One galley made it home to Britannia, several Roman voyages to Iceland lead to settlements with Romans attempted to built a presence on the edge of the world. Because of the active vulcanos the Romans on Iceland worshipped Vulcanus, the God's Smith. Romans feared the vulcanic climate on Iceland, they reported back that the island had been the original entrance to Hades. The Romans on Iceland, which they called ,Terra Necrosia' or ,Terra Stygia', tendend to be superstitious and had a special relationship to Death. Archaeological investigations on human sacrifices had been launched recently. With time the Romans on Iceland had been forgotten, their buildings withered away and they reverted to a simple lifestyle. The Vulgar Latin language evolved into something distinct on Iceland. The Romans stayed Pagan during the cause of Centuries, very few Christians ever voyaged to Iceland. When the Vikings arrived in Iceland they referred to the population as Romlings, for these people referred to themselves as such (their specific vulgar term for Romans). Vikings and Romlings fought against each other, the Romlings had been raided and enslaved. Very famous had been the feud between Eric the Red and the Romlings, which had been written about in the Sagas. The Romlings withered away, some Christian Monks met Romling captives and classified them, knowing Latin, as ancient Romans forgotten by time.
Name: Romlings
Religion: Evolved Roman Paganism
Ancestry: Romans, Romano-British, Slaves
Appearance: From Mediterranean looks to Britannic looks
Language: Necrosian/ Stygian Vulgar Latin (Basically a new Romanic language)
Era: 100 AC- 10th Century AC
Population: 6000-10.000
Location: Iceland (Terra Necrosia)
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In an already fascinating entry, this fascinates me the most. Is Vulcanus the top god over Jupiter? I also think Poseidon and other sea gods would also be prominent, as seafood would be one of the more prominent diets.
Neokosmoi
Language: Greek dialect with substantial Spanish and Amerindian loanwords
Religion: Predominantly Argentine Orthodox.
Origin: Originally descended from Greeks who fled to Spain following the Ottoman conquests, the first Neokosmoi came to Spain's South American colonies as colonial administrators and merchants. Some eventually brought their families over, while others married women from the subjugated indigenous peoples. Through the centuries, the Neokosmoi retained their language and Orthodox faith, eventually forming a distinctive culture within the Southern Cone of South America. The Neokosmois' relative weath attracted resentment from their poorer Spanish-speaking neighbors, and occasional persecution by populists regimes during the 19th and 20th centuries led many to immigrate to the United States. Today, they make up around five percent of the population of Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay, with diaspora populations concentrated in Florida and Texas.
Language: Greek dialect with substantial Spanish and Amerindian loanwords
Religion: Predominantly Argentine Orthodox.
Origin: Originally descended from Greeks who fled to Spain following the Ottoman conquests, the first Neokosmoi came to Spain's South American colonies as colonial administrators and merchants. Some eventually brought their families over, while others married women from the subjugated indigenous peoples. Through the centuries, the Neokosmoi retained their language and Orthodox faith, eventually forming a distinctive culture within the Southern Cone of South America. The Neokosmois' relative weath attracted resentment from their poorer Spanish-speaking neighbors, and occasional persecution by populists regimes during the 19th and 20th centuries led many to immigrate to the United States. Today, they make up around five percent of the population of Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay, with diaspora populations concentrated in Florida and Texas.
Druse
Language: Arabic-French Creole
Religion: Druze Ethnoreligion
Ethnicity: Levantine with slight French admixture.
Culture: "Arabie Nouvelle", a creole culture mixing Arabic and French customs, as well as strong African & Caribbean influence.
Location: Hamzana, OTL south Louisiana; ITTL independent state.
Population: 10-12 million (Hamzana), 0.5-1.2 million (Diaspora)
Origin: Napoleon beats the Ottomans & British in the siege of Acre, conquering Syria. During his campaign, he begins using Druze troops more prominently, after major community leaders ally themselves to the French against the Turks. After being forced to retreat from Syria into a more defensible position along Mount Lebanon, he offers Syrian Druze the privilege to settle the Louisiana territory, as recompense for the Ottomans driving many out of their homes. Those Druze then settle primarily in New Orleans and the surrounding region, renaming it Hamzana in time. During the decolonialization of Louisiana, Hamzana is able to fight off its northerly and western neighbors and achieve independence.
Language: Arabic-French Creole
Religion: Druze Ethnoreligion
Ethnicity: Levantine with slight French admixture.
Culture: "Arabie Nouvelle", a creole culture mixing Arabic and French customs, as well as strong African & Caribbean influence.
Location: Hamzana, OTL south Louisiana; ITTL independent state.
Population: 10-12 million (Hamzana), 0.5-1.2 million (Diaspora)
Origin: Napoleon beats the Ottomans & British in the siege of Acre, conquering Syria. During his campaign, he begins using Druze troops more prominently, after major community leaders ally themselves to the French against the Turks. After being forced to retreat from Syria into a more defensible position along Mount Lebanon, he offers Syrian Druze the privilege to settle the Louisiana territory, as recompense for the Ottomans driving many out of their homes. Those Druze then settle primarily in New Orleans and the surrounding region, renaming it Hamzana in time. During the decolonialization of Louisiana, Hamzana is able to fight off its northerly and western neighbors and achieve independence.
Halaji
Language: Halajj (heavily Persianized Hindustani)
Religion: Manichean
Ethnicity: A mixture of Turkic, Pathan and other peoples who have invaded the Indian Subcontinent from the eastern part of the Iranian Plateau, along with assimilated indo-Aryan peoples
Culture: Persianized Indian, with slight Turkic admixture
Location: Punjab and the Upper Gangetic plains
Population: 89 million
Origin: One of the first dynasties to conquer India from the northwest were the Khalaj, originally a Turkic people living in Bactria. They have converted to Manichaeism and spread Persian culture into the Subcontinent
Language: Halajj (heavily Persianized Hindustani)
Religion: Manichean
Ethnicity: A mixture of Turkic, Pathan and other peoples who have invaded the Indian Subcontinent from the eastern part of the Iranian Plateau, along with assimilated indo-Aryan peoples
Culture: Persianized Indian, with slight Turkic admixture
Location: Punjab and the Upper Gangetic plains
Population: 89 million
Origin: One of the first dynasties to conquer India from the northwest were the Khalaj, originally a Turkic people living in Bactria. They have converted to Manichaeism and spread Persian culture into the Subcontinent
Potiguaire
Language: Mostly Ngendiba (Tupi), but a considerable amount (specially in urban areas) is bilingual with French, be it Potiguaire French (which is more acurately classified as a semi-creole dialect of Norman) or the international standard variety.
Religion: Mostly Roman Catholic, although there are minorities of protestants, mostly Huguenots (even though being a Huguenot is frequently associated with the very-generalized Tapuie groups of the interior, specially in urban areas that receive increasing migration from those regions).
Ethnicity: Strictly the result from increasingly blurred lines between french settlers and native Tupi in the begginings of the colonial enterprise of Piráimme, also known for its contemporary name, France Équinoxiale. Its endonym shows as such, coming from the main native allies of the french, the Potiguara. Controversially, what it's or it's not a Potiguaire is a source of contention, some rural people invalidate the identity of their urban counterparts due to recent supplanting of traditional Potiguaire Norman by Standard French as the lingua franca in coastal areas, at the same time, some (racists) don't classify Afrodescendants as valid, even if they're from partial settler or native heritage beyond the slave ancestry, Huguenots are also seen as un-Potiguaire due to it being the religion of many of the interior's Tapuie people(s), which is a cause of friction since colonial times, and even though of similar heritage, the riverine Namba group isn't considered a part of the wider Potiguaire identity, seen as mostly its own, related, thing.
Ancestry: French settlers, mainly from Normandy, but also Brittany and the Atlantic Coast generally speaking; Tupi natives, mainly from the Potiguara, Tupinambá and Caeté tribes; Some african slaves imported from West Africa, in the region around Senegal-Guinea.
Culture: Most of its foundations comes from its language, that being, the native Tupi culture that was generally adopted by the early settlers. By the time the colony was self-sufficient, the lines between settler and native were already less of a french vs indian thing and more of a born in the new world vs born in the metropolis, since the resulting mostly mixed population underwent a very heavy process of identity-mixing, due to the nature of the local Tupi society, that classified an outsider married into a tupi family as a tupi himself, while at the same time reinforcing a more localized identity in contrast to the mentality of all Tupi tribes being part of one big nation, since half-french children usually would go about differentiating themselves from other, non-french-allied, tribes. Overall, it varies a lot by region, coastal communities are noteworthy for their sea-prowess, with fishing and whaling being a big thing for most of those, while more mainlander communities usually excel at agriculture, and more curiously, in the military, although that's a trait also present in their Tapuie brothers, with locals frequently acting as mercenaries in the world about, a "tradition" sometimes (and sometimes not) patronized by the local government.
Location: Piráimme (OTL Brazilian states of Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba and Pernambuco), although there is a considerable diaspora in France and some communities around the french colonies across the Globe.
Population: In Piráimme, 22.494.766 people (self-identified) according to the last (2017) census, the diaspora is around 4 million, 2.7 of these in Metropolitan France.
Language: Mostly Ngendiba (Tupi), but a considerable amount (specially in urban areas) is bilingual with French, be it Potiguaire French (which is more acurately classified as a semi-creole dialect of Norman) or the international standard variety.
Religion: Mostly Roman Catholic, although there are minorities of protestants, mostly Huguenots (even though being a Huguenot is frequently associated with the very-generalized Tapuie groups of the interior, specially in urban areas that receive increasing migration from those regions).
Ethnicity: Strictly the result from increasingly blurred lines between french settlers and native Tupi in the begginings of the colonial enterprise of Piráimme, also known for its contemporary name, France Équinoxiale. Its endonym shows as such, coming from the main native allies of the french, the Potiguara. Controversially, what it's or it's not a Potiguaire is a source of contention, some rural people invalidate the identity of their urban counterparts due to recent supplanting of traditional Potiguaire Norman by Standard French as the lingua franca in coastal areas, at the same time, some (racists) don't classify Afrodescendants as valid, even if they're from partial settler or native heritage beyond the slave ancestry, Huguenots are also seen as un-Potiguaire due to it being the religion of many of the interior's Tapuie people(s), which is a cause of friction since colonial times, and even though of similar heritage, the riverine Namba group isn't considered a part of the wider Potiguaire identity, seen as mostly its own, related, thing.
Ancestry: French settlers, mainly from Normandy, but also Brittany and the Atlantic Coast generally speaking; Tupi natives, mainly from the Potiguara, Tupinambá and Caeté tribes; Some african slaves imported from West Africa, in the region around Senegal-Guinea.
Culture: Most of its foundations comes from its language, that being, the native Tupi culture that was generally adopted by the early settlers. By the time the colony was self-sufficient, the lines between settler and native were already less of a french vs indian thing and more of a born in the new world vs born in the metropolis, since the resulting mostly mixed population underwent a very heavy process of identity-mixing, due to the nature of the local Tupi society, that classified an outsider married into a tupi family as a tupi himself, while at the same time reinforcing a more localized identity in contrast to the mentality of all Tupi tribes being part of one big nation, since half-french children usually would go about differentiating themselves from other, non-french-allied, tribes. Overall, it varies a lot by region, coastal communities are noteworthy for their sea-prowess, with fishing and whaling being a big thing for most of those, while more mainlander communities usually excel at agriculture, and more curiously, in the military, although that's a trait also present in their Tapuie brothers, with locals frequently acting as mercenaries in the world about, a "tradition" sometimes (and sometimes not) patronized by the local government.
Location: Piráimme (OTL Brazilian states of Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba and Pernambuco), although there is a considerable diaspora in France and some communities around the french colonies across the Globe.
Population: In Piráimme, 22.494.766 people (self-identified) according to the last (2017) census, the diaspora is around 4 million, 2.7 of these in Metropolitan France.