Jaman Nai

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## Basic Information

### Old Jaman Nai

In the past, a group of Vuls founded a mountain village in Northwest Eldham near the modern Yaszrian city of Atorashima. The location was chosen due to the tree the Vuls found growing their. Trees were important to Vuls because their homeland was forested. This tree was special, its flowers (Sali) never wilted, and when a crop disease wiped out much of their food the tree grew enough fruit for all of the villagers. Since then the villagers worshipped the tree and planted its seeds. They called themselves, gardeners and their leader was The Caretaker. However, one night the tree was struck by a thunderbolt and the forest and village they had built there went up in flames. A young Vul was the only survivor, he planted a new tree and built a small temple of stone were he started growing new trees.

### Estefan

The young Vul would eventually grow old, but his temple and his trees remained, for years he wrote, he gardened, and he sang. One day fate would bring a new Vul by happenstance to the shade of the tree he had planted when he was young. The Vul was named Estefan and the two became friends. Estefan was injured and he stayed a while to heal. The Old Vul taught Estefan the way of Jaman Nai and would eventually give him one of the unwilting flowers from the long since gone ancient tree. The old Vul then set him on the path to teach others of the Jaman Nai tradition and he went to meditate on the cilffside. Estefan left for sometime and when he returned to visit, the Old Vul was nowhere to be found. But, where the Old Vul had been sitting meditating, there now stood a beautiful tree with white flowers that never wilted.

### Traditions and Rites

There are a number of rituals that the villagers had developed for living harmoniously with the natural world, the Old Vul had written down as much as he could remember in the book Jaman Nai (love of Nai), which is where the religion itself acquires its name.

* **Birth/Death** When a Vul woman becomes pregnant a tree is planted outside her house, its said that every Vul has two souls, and two deaths, one in their body and one in their tree. The tree that is planted is the tree of that Vul and is called the Nai Mamo. The Vul is expected to care for it as a child and someday when the Vul passes away the body is buried under the tree. When the tree is old and dies, it is cut down and from it is made a carved wooden placard detailing the life of the Vul.
* **Coming of Age** At the age of 8 Vuls travel to a monastery where they train how to tend to the earth, how to prepare food, how to carve wood, and how to be an honest just person. Though they often go back home to visit their parents most of their time is spent in the monastery. After 8 years, when the Vul is 16 they are of age and go into the world. Their exit from the school is done in a ceremony called Bann Sali. Every vul is given an unwilting flower from the tree (often they are given the Sali from their now passed away ancestors). The Vuls then eat the fruit of a tree and takes its seed to plant for themselves, this tree is called a Nai Vatal.
* **Marriage** When two people are interested in getting married they travel into the forest and find a tree. The couple cuts down the tree and it's neighbors and use the wood to construct a wooden Gazebo (Called a Navvo by them). The couple is then wed within the Navvo. The Navvo is then often turned into a family site with the achievements of the couple carved into its pillars and floor.
* **Housewarming** When an individual or couple are interested in living somewhere the exact location of the structure and the materials it is made of are quite important. It is expected that the house will mainly be made of wood. The type of wood has symbolism though. Their are two types of trees, Old Growth and New Growth or Nai Man and Nai Halhi. Nai Man have simply grown there, without a specific Vul having planted them, these are used for much of the main body of the house. Some features of the house are considered special however and for thee Nai Halhi wood is used. The door, windowsills, furniture, and the corner pillars of the house are the most common things to be made of Nai Halhi. Normally Nai Hamhi is not any tree which was planted but usually a tree planted either by the prospective resident of the building or by one of their family members. After the construction, the spare Nai Man wood is burned in a Man La Halhi ceremony. If the house is simply being moved into by new inhabitants the most common tradition is to remove the door and make a new door from Nai Halhi wood. With the old door as well as any spare Nai Man wood being burned in the same Man La Halhi ceremony.
* **Monastic Rites** After coming of age most children leave the monastery, some children however will remain at the monastery and become monks. To do this they must take a vow of celibacy and of honesty, this is called 'N Kapa (The Promise). They can take the vows anywhere between the ages of 14 and 20 although 16/17 is most commonly when it is done. The vows are not forever, after a number of years, with permission from the community leaders Monks can leave the monastery to get married and such. If the monks want to permanently be celibate they must take a second set of vows, 'N Sisi Kapa (the second promise) which bind them to celibacy for life. During the first and second Kapa ceremonies the Vuls taking the vows chop down a tree which every student plants at the monastery and they burn it. After which time they plant a new one, this symbolizes the great change in their life, as well as demonstrating the ability to let go of the past.

### Glossary

There are quite a few words used by the Jaman Nai followers which you may be unfamiliar with, here is a list of them with translations.

* Jaman - Love
* Nai - Tree(s)/the goddess thereof
* Jaman Nai - The name of a text meaning Love of Trees.
* Vul - A member of the Vul species, a sapient race of humanoid creatures resembling foxes.
* Sali - A flower which does not wilt
* Bann - Giving
* Bann Sali - The giving of flowers
* Mamo - Soul
* Nai Mamo - A soul tree, planted for an individual when a woman is pregnant.
* Navvo - An open wooden building similar to an arbor or gazebo, constructed by a family to hold family rituals such as weddings.
* Vatal - fruit
* Nai Vatal - Tree of fruit, often referring to the tree planted by young people after they leave the monastery.
* Man - Old
* Halhi - Young
* Nai Man - Naturally occuring tree/old growth tree.
* Nai Halhi - A tree planted by a specific person.
* La - To/for
* Man La Halhi - A ceremony where old wood is burned.
* 'N - The
* Kapa - Promise
* 'N Kapa - A ceremonial set of oaths one must take to become a monk.
* Sisi - Second
* 'N Sisi Kapa - A second ceremonial oath one must take to become a lifelong monk.