Bé clothing
From Almeopedia
Fabric: From rough to fine: Truca fronds, petay, cotton, huar, and silk. The nawr ox provides good leather; quite a few animals provide fur and hides.
The climate in the rain forest of the Bé is hot (averaging around 38° C), and few clothes are necessary. The prototypical clothing for adults is a loincloth (Lé rɔ̌nkɔ̀s ‘cover-crotch’) held by a waistband (mâeku ‘braided strip’). Young children go naked; slightly older ones wear a mâeku only.
The clothes shown are native; well-off women in the ports these days may wear imported clothes from Kebri or Verduria. As these tend to be too heavy, it’s preferred to import cloth, especially cotton and silk.
Long robes (tláerá ‘long-cloth’) are associated with Bé religion, precisely because they are so distinct from everyday wear. Hiding the body, the robes facilitate taking on the roles of spirits and animals.
Typically women wear their hair short (so it doesn’t get in the way of work); men are allowed to be less practical, and long hair in men is considered attractive.
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Nobles
The woman wears a silken skirt (łàorá ‘wrapped cloth’, also the general word for clothing) attached to a patterned huar tlěku (flat, wide waistband). Underneath she wears a silk rɔ̌nkɔ̀s. She’s wearing a silk blouse (hàɔsú); the name and the idea are borrowed from Nyandai, and the item is still optional.
The man’s outfit is similar, though his tlěku is wider and made of silk. He wears a fancy patterned loincloth over the skirt; in this position it’s known as a nɛ̀rrá ‘hip-cloth’. Over his shoulder he wears a drùku or hanging-strap, used to hold weapons, tools, or babies.
We’d say all these people are wearing sandals, but to the Bé footwear is classified by height. The nobles are wearing prábo, literally ‘high things’.
Short hair is associated with work, long with beauty; the well-off therefore wear their hair longer than the poor. A Mohawk-like crest is fashionable for noblemen.
Peasants
Both sexes wear rɔ̌nkɔ̀s and mâeku. We can see where the latter name comes from, as hers is made of pleated truca fronds, while his is made of twisted vines. The loincloth itself was traditionally made of local materials, which could even be grass, leaves, snakeskin, or hides. These days imported cotton can be used— as little is needed, it’s cheap enough.
The woman wears a drùku; her waistband can also be used to hang things from— her knife, for instance. The flower in her hair shows that she’s unmarried; married women wear jewelry to show off their wealth.
The peasants’ low sandals are ŋurbo ‘flat things’; they’re made of wood or truca.
Soldier
This is of course Ŋar, the celebrated Lé rogue. Her armor is made of jɛ̀, nawr leather— strong and yet quite light; the word is also the general one for armor. Bé armies emphasize mobility and surprise, so heavier armor is avoided. Units intended for strong defense wear héŋjɛ̀, with added bands of steel.
In the present century it’s become fashionable for soldiers to be outfitted more like those of Eretald.
See also
- The story of Múr describes Bé peasant clothing worn over a lifetime and includes another picture
- The archer in Team Fortress Almea is another example of Bé military gear.
Categories: Clothing | Bé
