Verse:Hmøøh/Suwáábyíq

Sjowaázh daSóol (soo-WAHR dah-SOOL; High Sjowaázh: /sˑtsʊwɑ̌ːɻ tɑsûːl/ 'home of the Sjowaázh people'), often simply called Sóol (Eevo: Swn) by foreigners, is an island country in Western Txapoalli. It is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.

The official language of Sóol is Sjowaázh. There is one recognized minority language, Jadoqox.

Sjowaázh daSóol is a developed country and ranks as the third largest economy in Tricin by nominal GDP after Fyxoom and Hetom; it is the second largest economy in Txapoalli.

The capital of Sóol is 'Onáp'aañ.

King: Seyehízhinimañheésy

Prime minister: Gáadeéñcyok' Desdáa'

Geography

Sjowaázh daSóol is an archipelago in the southern hemisphere of Tricin, with three main islands. It has a subtropical climate.

History

Medieval period

Classical Sjowaázh was used until...?

Modernization

• Aristocracy starts to modernize Sóol in response to colonialists' demands but they hit popular opposition due to economic impact from increased trade
• Aristocracy retains control over govt, but in response to massive riots they throw the people a bone and slowly roll out parliamentary democracy

Culture

Stereotypical foreigners' views of Sjowaázh culture:

• Elite-based stereotypes: "Sjowaázh people are really polite and they have really fancy food!"
• Otaku-based stereotypes: "shutins and weird people who watch anime"
• "Sóol is so much like us and yet so different and quirky. Was it created by a conworlder?"

Pop culture

Modern Sjowaázh pop culture is dominated by comic books and animation. It grew out of the influence of Naquian theaterism, native theater and literature, and modern global pop culture. Due to the popularity of Sjowaázh pop culture across the globe, Sjowaázh varieties are commonly learned by Sjowaázhophile otakus. Some of the pop culture produced is pornography, which has contributed to the stereotype of Sjowaázh people as outwardly polite and prudish but wild behind closed doors. In Sóol itself, "overconsumption" of pop culture is stigmatized, and many think that much pop culture is produced for the lowest common denominator. Posher people tend to prefer Northern (Bitaletan)-style hipster live-action films and novels to comics and animation.

The art style of Sjowaázh comics is partly based on the stylized costumes and makeup used in traditional Sjowaázh plays.

Music

Main article: Verse:Hmøøh/Suwáábyíq/Music

Cuisine

Breakfast

A major breakfast food is wheat flatbread with various proteins plus some nut butter, often served with coffee with coconut milk.

Society

Class system

Sjowaázh class is mainly determined by one's family pedigree. Today, one's class is also determined by education level and the schools one went to. Sjowaázh politics, which tends center-right, is significantly influenced by the class system. An upper class Sjowaázh person will speak High Sjowaázh natively, while a middle class speaker will speak a weaker version of their local dialect.

Historically, the Sjowaázh aristocrats were quite powerful and held de facto power over the king - there was not an absolute monarchy. The modernization of Sóol was mostly led by the aristocrats (unlike in Japan where the shogunate was toppled), and the country was officially made into a parliamentary constitutional monarchy as an ostensibly democratic measure.

Social attitudes

• Gay sex is legal but gay marriage is not recognized. LGBT people remain somewhat stigmatized, though the stigma is lessening in recent years with more celebrities publicly speaking about being LGBT.

Politics

Sóol uses first past the post voting. Political engagement is concentrated in the upper middle and upper classes, with many working-class people believing that their political system isn't working for them.

Parties

The three largest Sjowaázh political parties are the National Democratic Party, the Social Liberal Party, and the Worker's Party. Roughly speaking, they represent the upper class, the middle class and the working class.

Parliamentary representation

TODO: Sjowaázh names and abbreviations

• National Democratic Party (NDP; lit. Nation Speak-for-All Party; 44%): conservative party, nationalist
• Workers' Party (WRK; Sjowaázh: Wolaañc'ín daSjyáaneñ'; 32%): center-left, liberal, socdem, socialism
• Social Liberal Party (SLP; lit. Free Society Party 8%): center-left, liberal
• Let Us Soar Party (LUS; 7%): left-libertarian, futurist, transhumanist
• National Enlightenment Party (NEP; lit. Nation, Awaken/Realize Now Party; 5%): far-right, ultra-nationalist
• Green Party (GRN; 1%): Deep Greens

Policy and political rhetoric

Sóol is nominally a social democracy. However, deep welfare and public service cuts have plagued the country under the current NatDem government.

Sóol is quite nationalist and heavily restricts immigration. Much of the political rhetoric centers around Sjowaázh daSóol being the "leader" of Txapoalli. Its immigration system is similar to Singapore: it allows migrant workers to stay on a temporary basis but becoming a citizen is much more difficult.

The conservative wing pursue an anti-immigration agenda while the liberal wing of the country tend to be second-wave-style radical feminists.

Religion

Religion is not hugely important in Sjowaázh society. Syncretism (usually of traditional Sjowaázh beliefs, Naquian theaterism, Hetmic religion, and/or Ngronaism) is common and tolerated. In fact it is considered improper to be too dedicated to religion, and shamans are usually lower class.

Traditional beliefs

The Sjowaázh traditionally believed in a "spirit-complex" which links all spirits together. A spirit leaves the spirit-complex when a person is born, and one's spirit reenters it upon death. This spirit-complex was held to be the source of morality. Since everyone is of the spirit-complex, morality involves both respect for the living and the dead.

Practices

Shamanism and ancestor veneration is not unusual even in modern Sjowaázh society.