The Miqo'tes lore

[radhaz]

This seems to be covered fairly well by SE, but I'd like the Lore Monger's take on the subject, if it hasn't already been done.
From what I've read, it follows the migrations by the East Asian populations to North America and on to South America during the Ice Age.

[Catapult]

Many paleo-historians argue that it was during the ice ages that the indigenous people of Australia came to their country, their ancestors migrating from the pacific islands while the continental shelf was exposed.

I don't know as much about the North American theories, but I suspect you've got the right idea.

[Xeia]

Speaking of Miqo'te lore, I was made quite curious by this sentence they added to the alchemist's official page: "It is based on fundamental principles originating in the Near East tradition, but draws heavily upon esoteric elements of both Lalafellin herbalism and Miqo'te occultism as well."

What occultism? I'd love more info about that. D:

[Myranda]

Speaking of Miqo'te lore, I was made quite curious by this sentence they added to the alchemist's official page: "It is based on fundamental principles originating in the Near East tradition, but draws heavily upon esoteric elements of both Lalafellin herbalism and Miqo'te occultism as well."

What occultism? I'd love more info about that. D:

I just took it to mean like a witch's brew, including ingredients like eye of newt and whatnot. General tribal stereotyping.

[NoloeTazier]

Speaking of Miqo'te lore, I was made quite curious by this sentence they added to the alchemist's official page: "It is based on fundamental principles originating in the Near East tradition, but draws heavily upon esoteric elements of both Lalafellin herbalism and Miqo'te occultism as well."

What occultism? I'd love more info about that. D:

I just took it to mean like a witch's brew, including ingredients like eye of newt and whatnot. General tribal stereotyping.

Pretty much, also they live in the Sagoli desert and maybe there are poisonous critters and plants that they have remedies for or just the different plant species period they could use.

With us journeying (at least from the video) into the Sagoli desert we'll be able to uncover truths about the Sil'dih civilization and more about the Miqo'te.

[Anonymoose]

Miqo'te? Miqo'te... Miqo'te... that doesn't sound at all like lalafell but it does sound familiar. Maybe if I had some visual references to trigger my memory? (Scantily clad, please.)

TRANSLATION
(I'd be happy to do what I did with the Lalafell one,
but first I need a little time to wrap up this project that's super super overdue for publication.)

[radhaz]

No nudies~

Miqo'te? Miqo'te... Miqo'te... that doesn't sound at all like lalafell but it does sound familiar. Maybe if I had some visual references to trigger my memory? (Scantily clad, please.)

TRANSLATION
(I'd be happy to do what I did with the Lalafell one,
but first I need a little time to wrap up this project that's super super overdue for publication.)

I should add, I love what you guys are doing here. Sure, I can scrape up the dialog and cut scenes, but to make any sense out of it? I don't think so.

[Neko_One]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK_7N...layer_embedded

My thoughts on a in-depth miqo'te lore analysis, sir! :3

[Catapult]

TRANSLATION
(I'd be happy to do what I did with the Lalafell one,
but first I need a little time to wrap up this project that's super super overdue for publication.)

I suppose I could oblige in the interim, you poor busy little loremonger you.

Starting with the current website extracts...

Though their presence in Eorzea is lesser than that of the other races, the Miqo'te are easily distinguished by their large, projecting ears and restless, feline tails. The ancestors of this line first made their way to the realm during the Age of Endless Frost in the Fifth Umbral Era, traversing frozen seas in pursuit of the wildlife upon which they subsisted. Instinctual territoriality causes many among them to lead solitary lifestyles. Males in particular are said to shy from contact with others.

The self-proclaimed Seekers of the Sun are the diurnal clan of the Miqo'te race. Their preference for the warm light of day pervades all aspects of their culture, as is apparent in their devout reverence for Azeyma the Warden, goddess of the sun. Though relatively few in Eorzea, a small number of them have been accepted into everyday life by the other races in the port city of Limsa Lominsa. Others are known to make their home in the region of the Sagolii Desert.

The nocturnal among the Miqo'te have dubbed themselves the Keepers of the Moon. Shying from the garish light of day, they revel in the shroud of night, with most offering their piety to Menphina the Lover, goddess of the moon. Their tradition of hunting in the thick woodlands of the Black Shroud have for years thrown them into conflict with the forestfolk of Gridania, who condemn them as poachers. Of late, however, many Keepers of the Moon have found some small peace with the Gridanians, and taken to living within the city.

And then from the version 1.x ingame text...

The ancestors of the Miqo'te made their way to Eorzea during the Age of Endless Frost, traversing the frozen seas in pursuit of the wildlife upon which they subsisted. Adaptation to a hunting lifestyle has fashioned them with a keen sense of smell, powerful legs, and a tail which provides them with exceptional balance.
Miqo'te are known to be very territorial, and many individuals tend to lead solitary lifestyles, particularly males. The few Miqo'te who have made the transition to life in Eorzean society are predominantly female.

The self-proclaimed Seekers of the Sun are the diurnal clan of the Miqo'te race. Their preference for the warm light of day pervades all aspects of their culture, as is apparent in their devout reverence for Azeyma the Warden, goddess of the sun.
They are perhaps known best for their striking eyes - the result of their vertically aligned pupils and faintly colored irises. It is also not uncommon for their eyes to be disparately colored from birth, a trait considered auspicious amongst their kind.
The Seekers are widely regarded as quick-witted and prone to action, and many exhibit a tendency to bore easily.

The nocturnal among the Miqo'te have dubbed themselves the Keepers of the Moon. Shying from the garish light of day, they revel in the shroud of night, with most offering their piety to Menphina the Lover, goddess of the moon.
They are distinguishable from their diurnal cousins by their darker fur, larger ears, rounder eyes, more pronounced canines, and longer, skinnier tails. The ritual application of war paint to the face is still regularly practiced, as it is believed the vivid colors grant lunar powers.
The Keepers are known for their reticent and brooding personalities, but are also respected and sometimes feared for their tenacity.

The enduring popularity of the bow is a testament to its elegant design, but this simple weapon would be of little worth without the surpassing skill of those who master it - the archers. Projectile techniques such as high-angle fire enable archers to assail their foes with deadly precision even at great distances.
Constant assessment of the battlefield enables them to carefully determine the most advantageous ground from which to loose, as well as the nature of the arrows best suited to their enemy. Together with the longbow sentries of the Elezen military, the shortbow hunters among the Miqo'te are widely regarded as most skilled with the bow. The guild's teachings cover a variety of projectile weapons, down to the simplest throwing rock.

The nature of the alchemical trade demands that its practitioners have intimate knowledge of all facets of existence, be they mineral, metaphysical, magical, or divine. Able to transmute the very essence of matter, alchemists are able to create anything from miracle medications to lethal toxins.
The craft's establishment as a tradition in Eorzea dates only to recent history. It was born primarily of ancient techniques and knowledge brought from the Near East, but has come to contain elements of Lalafellin herbalism and Miqo'te occultism as well. The primary tool of the alchemist is the alembic.

The Miqo'te race has diverged into two clans - the Seekers of the Sun and the Keepers of the Moon. The latter is the more numerous here in Gridania.
They possess large, round pupils and long, swaying tails, and I daresay that in comparison to the Seekers of the Sun, they tend to be a bit more reticent and reserved.
-snip-
The Seekers of the Sun are a true miracle of evolution at work. Though lean and flexible, they possess immense strength and stamina, and excel at near any physical act - be it bounding amongst the treetops or swimming in rough waters.
Still, it is the males of the race which remain a near complete mystery. An effective medicine requires detailed study of both the male and female of a species, but male Miqo'te are simply nowhere to be found.
-snip-
Midlanders do not possess the endless stamina of the Roegadyn, nor the hawk-like eyes of the Elezen, nor the hound-like noses of the Miqo'te, nor the deer-like ears of the Lalafell, nor even the muscle-bound builds of their cousins, the Highland Hyur.

Last but not least, we have some further exposition through the nice little lorebombs that were dropped in naming conventions.

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Miqo’te - Seekers of the Sun
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Male

Most males have simple, one or two syllable names. The extra aitches we see in names such as “Bhee,” “Kuzh,” and “Pahsh” represent a slight hissing/spitting sound that is made when the name is pronounced by the cat-like Miqo’te. Many of the other races in Eorzea cannot accurately reproduce this sound, so the aitches end up going silent when read (Bee, Kooz, Pash).

The first name is always proceeded by a letter representing their tribe. In the mass exodus which occurred during the Fifth Umbral Era, 26 Seeker of the Sun tribes crossed the seas (which had frozen solid as a result of the Calamity) to Eorzea in search of food and warmer climates. The names of these tribes contained many sounds which were difficult to represent with the existing Eorzean alphabet; but the fact that there were the same exact number of tribes as letters in the Eorzean alphabet was taken as a sign that they were destined to make the new realm their home, and so assigned each tribe with a letter/sound that was closest to its name. Over time, this resulted in the changing of the pronunciation to more closely resemble the pronunciation of the Eorzean letter than that of the original word.

The tribe names are originally based on traditional beastkin, scalekin, or cloudkin totems, which are said to protect the tribe.

A: Antelope (pronunciation: short Ah)
B: Boar (short Bee)
C: Coeurl (short Ka)
D: Dodo (short Deh)
E: Eft (short Eh)
F: Bear (short F)
G: Gryphon (short, hard Goo)
H: Gigantoad (short Hah)
I: Bufflalo (short Ee)
J: Jackal (short Jah)
K: Hipparion (short Koo)
L: Viper (short Lee)
M: Marmot (short Meh)
N: Aldgoat (short N)
O: Mole (short Oh)
P: Basilisk (short Peh)
Q: Puk (short Key)
R: Raptor (short Ruh)
S: Zu (short Soo)
T: Condor (short Tuh)
U: Drake (Ooh)
V: Vulture (short Vah)
W: Wolf (whort Wah)
X: Lynx (short She)
Y: Jaguar (short Yah)
Z: Ziz (short Zoh)

Males do not take family names, as they are each considered the ‘origins’ of new families. In place of a family name, they are given a title that denotes their tribe, and their position within it. For a male Seeker of the Sun, there are only two positions available—breeding males (nunh – pronounced ‘noon’) and all others (tia – pronounced ‘tea-ah’). All males are born as tia. At any time in their lives, a tia can challenge the tribe nunh to battle. If the tia is victorious, he takes the nunh’s place as tribe breeding male (until he is challenged and defeated), and the nunh becomes a tia once again (if he survives the ordeal). This is done to ensure that the tribe’s offspring are of the finest stock. Depending on its size, a tribe may have multiple nunh (a ratio of one nunh per ten to fifty females is average).

There is only one other way a tia can become a nunh, and that is to leave his tribe, and start his own. This, of course, requires several females to accomplish, and most female Seekers of the Sun are rarely impressed by a male who cannot defeat a nunh.

Nunh status does not equate to leadership within a tribe, and in fact, very few nunh ever become leaders.

[snip]

Female

A female first name will always begin with the letter representing her tribe, followed by an apostrophe, and then her given name. Her last name is the first name of the tribe’s breeding male who sired her.

R'Sushmo Rhiki

Sushmo of the Raptors, sired by R’rhiki Nunh (breeding male of the Raptors)

In colloquial speech amongst close friends and companions, sometimes the tribe letter will be dropped from the first name.

F’lhammin -> Lhammin

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Miqo’te – Keepers of the Moon
------------------------------------------

Female

Unlike the Seekers of the Sun, the Keepers of the Moon is a highly matriarchal society, with family names passed down from the mother, not the father. It is said that some of these surnames have survived since the First Astral Era.

The Keepers of the Moon lead more solitary lives, rarely forming communities of more than two or three families. Therefore, a tribal letter is not assigned to the names.

The matriarchal strength is further displayed by the fact that female first names are short, one/two syllable constructions that closely resemble names used by male Seekers of the Sun.

Male

More evidence of how important the mother is to the Keepers of the Moon can be seen when looking at the names given to males. In addition to taking the mother’s surname, males also take the mother’s forename, adding a suffix (separated by an apostrophe) to the end to designate the order in which they were born.

First son: 'a
Second son: 'to
Third son: 'li
Fourth son: 'sae
Fifth son: 'ra
Sixth son: 'ir
Seventh son: 'wo
Eighth son: 'ya
Ninth son: 'zi
Tenth son: 'tan

Though there are ten suffixes listed above, rarely do even the largest Keeper of the Moon families have more than two or three sons. This is not by choice. Nature merely sees to it that more females are born to this race.

[Catapult]

Now for the exposition.

Yes, we are dealing with a rather tribal and nomadic people. From what we can tell, the Seekers of the Sun more closely follow their original patriarchal culture that existed before the migration to Eorzea, while the Keepers of the Moon established their own matriarchal culture when settling in the Twelveswood and establishing a nocturnal lifestyle that better suited them in the forest. I suspect this is how the clans originally diverted.

Even in these diverted circumstances, both clans live predominantly in family units, but of differing sizes. A see a great deal of inspiration from ingeneous cultures, be it the nomadic peoples of North America and Australia, or the jungle tribes of the Amazon. Both cultures knew their native plants and environment backwards - their knowledge is often exploited by pharmaceutical companies when they "discover" a new plant that is rumoured to do xyz by the local people. Many of the world's great medical discoveries were made by investigating why small groups of people would do X when faces with Y. The Alchemists of Eorzea seem to be in this phase of incredible research.

We are a painted a picture where most of Eorzea's population of Miqo'te have not integrated with Eorzea society. This is also parallelled in some parts of the indigenous population of Australia - there are groups who remain in isolated communities because they either choose to or are unable to adopt western approaches. (The issue is highly politicised in Australia - the gap between those of western and indigenous descent comes up regularly and the focus is, quite rightfully, placed on providing opportunities and improving life expectancies rather than forcing assimilation.)

The presence of totems probably needs little exposition. The existence of these is particulalrly iconic of the north american cultures, but can also be found elsewhere. The act of migrating across frozen oceans during an ice age is also highly reminiscent of the background of early civilisations the world over.

So to wrap things up, it looks like very indigenous culture-inspired race, ranging from their lifestyles right through to their interactions with the other cultures and their historic arrivals.