丘丘人習俗考察·卷一

丘丘人習俗考察·卷一（Hilichurl Cultural Customs (I)）是屬於《丘丘人習俗考察》系列的第一篇，雅各布·馬斯克著。

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丘丘人的社會

丘丘人顯然保持著簡單的部落社會生活。它們往往會以小部落的形式分散在荒野中聚居，似乎部落對於它們來說是大家庭一般的存在。

一般來說，丘丘人部落中最具權威的是薩滿。根據長期的野外觀察交流，筆者可以確定薩滿是部落內歲數最老的成員，如同部落的「大家長」一般，藉助豐富的經驗操持重大事務與決策，利用元素的力量來保護自己的部落。在野外的丘丘人部落中，薩滿的外貌特徵十分顯著。它們總是戴著獨特的帶角笑面面具，面具的開口處卻是露出眼睛的觀察孔，它們的手中始終握著簡陋的薩滿杖，嘴裏永遠在嘟囔著意義不明的歌謠或咒語。

丘丘人衡量地位的標準並非只有年齡。在許多部落中，那些塊頭更大、戰鬥力更強的成員會自動取代薩滿成為部落的領袖，而這些部落似乎也會在它們的領導下變得更加好戰。我們可以很容易地從巨大的體型和浮誇的面具頭角裝飾上分辨出那些好戰的部落頭目。

由於丘丘人對於外人的敵意以及語言的障礙，我們很難確切地研究丘丘人部落內部資源分配情況。但根據西風騎士團的巡邏回報，它們似乎會在部落內各取所需地共享資源。所有丘丘人既是採集者也是戰士，但有些更加重視戰鬥的丘丘人會透過磨鍊成為大塊頭的戰鬥主力，假如在惡劣的環境中活得夠久，這些專門的戰士將會是部落中最受重視的領袖。

有趣的是，儘管丘丘人的智慧低下，社會形式與組織十分原始，但它們似乎對於元素力有獨特的掌控能力，此種掌控能力往往會突出在老年的薩滿身上體現。但對於一般的人類而言，元素的力量是只有透過「神之眼」才能發揮的。至於丘丘人為何能夠不藉助「神之眼」而掌握元素力，這個問題仍需要進一步的考察與研究來解答。

Hilichurlian Social Structure

The social structure of the hilichurl race is evidently a primitive, tribal one. Small-sized hilichurl tribes are prolific in occurrence throughout the wilderness. It seems that they conceive of the tribe as akin to a large, extended family.

By far the most powerful figure in the hilichurl tribe is the Shaman. Extensive field research confirms that the Shaman is the oldest member of the tribe and plays a role in it analogous to that of the parent in the family: managing major affairs and making policy decisions, based on their wealth of experience. Additionally, Shamans act as protector to their tribe using their elemental abilities. Shamans can be identified by their distinctive appearance from other tribe members: They wear horned, smiling-face masks with eye holes at the mouth, and wield a rudimentary Shaman's staff in their hands. A further identifying feature is that they will be heard chanting to themselves some form of unintelligible hymn or incantation.

Age is not always the deciding factor when it comes to status in the tribe. In some tribes, Shamans are ousted from leadership by physically larger hilichurls with superior combat skills. Under leadership of this kind, such tribes tend to become more aggressive. The chiefs of these tribes can easily be identified from their large stature and ostentatious masks, which also bear horns.

The hilichurls' hostility towards outsiders, coupled with the obvious language barriers, means that conducting specific research on the distribution of resources within tribes has been all but impossible. Nevertheless, Knights of Favonius' patrol reports suggest that resources are typically shared on the basis of "to each according to his needs." All tribe members are both gatherers and soldiers, but some that prize combat above others develop into seasoned heavyweights of the battlefield. If the tribe stays long enough in an unfavorable environment, these heavyweights will become its most respected leaders.

Interestingly, hilichurls seem to have a unique ability to manipulate the elements despite their low intelligence and primitive social structure. This ability is most notably manifested in the Shamans. Typically, humans require a Vision in order to exercise elemental control. The question of how hilichurls are able to do so without a Vision is, therefore, one that requires further investigation and analysis.