The last great taboo.
In certain regards, many people of this world would find Harmonian culture oddly progressive, though we ourselves would not call it progression; we have had no foundation of intolerance in these regards to progress from. I do not wish to sound pompous and superior in saying this; I am merely stating the fact that our world, unlike this one, has, though still influenced by superstition even in the overt presence of magic, avoided the development of a belief system arbitrarily prejudiced against such things as homosexual behaviour, and as a result sees no reason to treat such things as taboo. It is no scandal, even within the deeply spiritual environment of the Temple-- perhaps especially there-- to admit such attraction, and those who do feel in such regard do not hide it, at least to the extent that personal relationships and inclinations towards such are openly discussed at all; Harmonia's culture is one that celebrates love, but also views it as a deeply private affair, and is reluctant to be open about details. If the sexual or romantic preference of another is not always widely known, it is only that it is rarely thought a matter for discussion, and more rarely still a facet of a person's personality by which they are labelled. For example, I myself am not shy about saying that I am capable of finding people of both genders attractive. However, I do not identify strongly as "bisexual", in part because my culture does not place great emphasis on these distinctions. It is not a term that I or anyone else feels they need define themselves by, or that others feel they need define people by.
That aside, though, I will not argue that my country is completely free of taboos. It is most certainly not; indeed Harmonian culture is carefully woven through with taboos of greater or lesser severity. Most of these, however, are more social faux pas than discriminations against one's inherent nature, taboos concerned with one's decorum and manners. Non-human sentients associate freely with humans in the city's markets and gathering-places (despite semi-popular rumour to the contrary), but the public touching of hands between people in public is heavily frowned upon; a child would happily be allowed to watch a play involving gay couples, but would be forbidden from seeing one involving improper use of the high speech, lest they mimic such behaviour. Overwhelmingly, Harmonia's cultural taboos are based on respect, and more specifically, the breaching thereof. The need for respect is heavily woven into our relations with one another and with the Runes. This underpinning of our society is one of the reasons that our one greatest taboo is so strongly held.
To outline what the taboo actually is involves some understanding of the nature of our world. Runes and humans are in a sense the two building blocks of our world; two perfectly fitting, complementary pieces. The bond between human and Rune is a unique one, unlike the bond between human and human or Rune and Rune, which strengthens our world and helps it to grow and flourish. It is a perfect completion, and for every human and Rune who bond lovingly in the way that was intended, our world is brought a little closer to its ultimate fulfilment.
To defy this natural bond and relate to a Rune as one would relate to a human is, then, the ultimate Harmonian taboo. (This statement does perhaps not make much sense to those who do not fully understand the difference between how one relates to a Rune and how one relates to a human; this is not something I can easily explain without one's having had experience of the Runes.)
Unlike many taboos, it has a clear basis in fact. While prejudices against certain sexualities or races are typically based on arbitrary distaste for that which is "other" and unfamiliar, the practice of this taboo has been observed to cause damage to the fabric of our existence. We are a culture of mages, capable of observing the weft and flow of the tapestry of threads, the constant interplay of connections, that make up all that is. While some religions are fond of stating that certain sexualities "subvert the natural order of things", when one practices this taboo it is observably and subjectively a subversion of that order; it is in a sense a blow struck for chaos, which we who work with Runes and observe the great need for order in existence, and the damage done by too much rampant chaos, find unacceptable.
The price for practicing, or wishing to practice, if one is found out, this taboo is high; so high that to do so is almost unheard of. To actually attempt to initiate such a connection causes damage to the tapestry that frequently backfires on the human, with temporary or permanent effects. This, however, is perhaps a minor inconvenience in comparison to how such a practice affects one's place in society. One is permanently branded by the language, in the way that cultures will brand one as a specific "kind of person"-- rapist, murderer-- and define their existence and character by that brand. One no longer is primarily "a person", but this other, lesser class of being first and foremost. To falsely accuse another of being this-- for it is considered a being more than a doing-- is itself a strong taboo, and grounds on which one can be tried for slander (or, in the case of members of the government, treason and attempts to subvert the political system, for a damaged reputation in the government would be a severe shock to the tightly-knit network of trust and respect upon which Harmonian government operates). The punishment for such is typically compensation to the person so slandered, in the form of money or labour, but the aspect of the punishment considered harshest is the shame of being tried for the crime-- which is still a far lesser burden than being known as one who has breached the initial taboo. In the latter case, society will shun you; keeping your job, unless it is a humble one, will be difficult. In many respects, though the shame placed upon you by society is not as severe as that faced by the lowest members of the South Asian caste system, you become an untouchable, a pariah. For most people, voluntarily exiling oneself is less painful than remaining.
You will notice that throughout this essay I do not name this taboo outright, though obviously it has a name. To speak the word alone is offensive. The fact that I myself find it difficult to talk about, even given that, unlike most of my peers, I have sufficient experience of other cultures to stand outside my own and analyse our biases critically, is perhaps testimony to how deeply ingrained of a taboo it is.
That aside, though, I will not argue that my country is completely free of taboos. It is most certainly not; indeed Harmonian culture is carefully woven through with taboos of greater or lesser severity. Most of these, however, are more social faux pas than discriminations against one's inherent nature, taboos concerned with one's decorum and manners. Non-human sentients associate freely with humans in the city's markets and gathering-places (despite semi-popular rumour to the contrary), but the public touching of hands between people in public is heavily frowned upon; a child would happily be allowed to watch a play involving gay couples, but would be forbidden from seeing one involving improper use of the high speech, lest they mimic such behaviour. Overwhelmingly, Harmonia's cultural taboos are based on respect, and more specifically, the breaching thereof. The need for respect is heavily woven into our relations with one another and with the Runes. This underpinning of our society is one of the reasons that our one greatest taboo is so strongly held.
To outline what the taboo actually is involves some understanding of the nature of our world. Runes and humans are in a sense the two building blocks of our world; two perfectly fitting, complementary pieces. The bond between human and Rune is a unique one, unlike the bond between human and human or Rune and Rune, which strengthens our world and helps it to grow and flourish. It is a perfect completion, and for every human and Rune who bond lovingly in the way that was intended, our world is brought a little closer to its ultimate fulfilment.
To defy this natural bond and relate to a Rune as one would relate to a human is, then, the ultimate Harmonian taboo. (This statement does perhaps not make much sense to those who do not fully understand the difference between how one relates to a Rune and how one relates to a human; this is not something I can easily explain without one's having had experience of the Runes.)
Unlike many taboos, it has a clear basis in fact. While prejudices against certain sexualities or races are typically based on arbitrary distaste for that which is "other" and unfamiliar, the practice of this taboo has been observed to cause damage to the fabric of our existence. We are a culture of mages, capable of observing the weft and flow of the tapestry of threads, the constant interplay of connections, that make up all that is. While some religions are fond of stating that certain sexualities "subvert the natural order of things", when one practices this taboo it is observably and subjectively a subversion of that order; it is in a sense a blow struck for chaos, which we who work with Runes and observe the great need for order in existence, and the damage done by too much rampant chaos, find unacceptable.
The price for practicing, or wishing to practice, if one is found out, this taboo is high; so high that to do so is almost unheard of. To actually attempt to initiate such a connection causes damage to the tapestry that frequently backfires on the human, with temporary or permanent effects. This, however, is perhaps a minor inconvenience in comparison to how such a practice affects one's place in society. One is permanently branded by the language, in the way that cultures will brand one as a specific "kind of person"-- rapist, murderer-- and define their existence and character by that brand. One no longer is primarily "a person", but this other, lesser class of being first and foremost. To falsely accuse another of being this-- for it is considered a being more than a doing-- is itself a strong taboo, and grounds on which one can be tried for slander (or, in the case of members of the government, treason and attempts to subvert the political system, for a damaged reputation in the government would be a severe shock to the tightly-knit network of trust and respect upon which Harmonian government operates). The punishment for such is typically compensation to the person so slandered, in the form of money or labour, but the aspect of the punishment considered harshest is the shame of being tried for the crime-- which is still a far lesser burden than being known as one who has breached the initial taboo. In the latter case, society will shun you; keeping your job, unless it is a humble one, will be difficult. In many respects, though the shame placed upon you by society is not as severe as that faced by the lowest members of the South Asian caste system, you become an untouchable, a pariah. For most people, voluntarily exiling oneself is less painful than remaining.
You will notice that throughout this essay I do not name this taboo outright, though obviously it has a name. To speak the word alone is offensive. The fact that I myself find it difficult to talk about, even given that, unlike most of my peers, I have sufficient experience of other cultures to stand outside my own and analyse our biases critically, is perhaps testimony to how deeply ingrained of a taboo it is.