REKA

PEOPLE OF THE RIVERLANDS

The people of the riverlands have traditions that vary by village, but all are pagan worshippers of the Old Faith- and all are quite superstitious.

Culture

They are farmers and herders of sheep, geese, cows, and goats. Farming is ultimately a communal practice where neighbors help neighbors. At the end of a work day, the field's owner brings everyone together for a meal and a night of singing and dancing. Field work begins as early in the morning as possible; they are highly superstitious of working in the fields under the heat of the midday sun. Work resumes for the rest of the day after midday.

Clothing

In the fields, farmers wear straw hats. Women wear linen headscarves.

Food

Diet is composed of fish, grain, and vegetables. Meat other than fish is extremely rare and only harvested when an animal dies or stops producing, as animals are kept for their milk, wool, and eggs. Vegetables grown are cabbages, potatoes, beets, turnips, and onions. Rye is the most common grain. Native mushrooms and fruits are often foraged, including crab apples, plums, gooseberries, currants, lingonberries, and strawberries.

Bread is a symbol of life. It is the most common staple food, and an indicator of wellbeing; having no bread on the table is a signifier of hunger and death. A slice of bread is had at every breakfast and supper, and wishes for the "daily bread" appear in many prayers. Throwing away old or moldy bread is a sign of bad luck and seen as inviting hunger, therefore, it is given to the animals instead. If any bread falls on the floor- even a crumb- they pick it up, kiss it as a sign of gratefulness, and do not waste it. When bread is baked, the first loaf to be taken out of the oven must be broken by hand rather than sliced. Using a knife for the first loaf was bad luck, as it symbolically cuts off good fortune meaning that the family would struggle to bake enough bread in the future. They break bread with their guests as a sign of good hospitality. After a wedding, bread is given by the parents to the newlyweds.

Religion

Ancestors are venerated and honored. It is believed that the soul of an ancestor can return through a newborn child of the bloodline. Family is extremely important for this reason. The worst possible fate for an ancestor's soul is there being no kin on earth left to look after them. Therefore, they often pray for these abandoned souls in addition to the souls of their ancestors during the Ancestral Festival.

Festivals

Several religious festivals take place throughout the year. The most important is the Harvest Festival, taking place at the end of the harvest season. The last sheaf is cut and made into wreaths of grain that women wear on their heads.