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edits
Katäfalsen: Difference between revisions
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The highly complex braid alphabet is the oldest of the scripts used for Katäfalsen. It consists of letters, i.e. patterns that correspond to phonemes, and fillers, which must be inserted between certain letters following strict rules in order to ensure that the braid is unambiguous. The Greek script is derived from the braid script by replacing the letters by Greek letters and disregarding the fillers. Disadvantages of the braid script are beside the large required space that it cannot represent spaces and is hard to be read. While the Greek alphabet can be used for extensive inscriptions, the main applications of the braid script are ritual. A common material used for braiding is human hair with many people having their names braided into their hair. By connecting start and end of a braid and thereby closing it, a so-called link and in some cases even a knot results. The complicated exercise to interpret names by comparing their links to other words yielding the same link is practised by wise men. | The highly complex braid alphabet is the oldest of the scripts used for Katäfalsen. It consists of letters, i.e. patterns that correspond to phonemes, and fillers, which must be inserted between certain letters following strict rules in order to ensure that the braid is unambiguous. The Greek script is derived from the braid script by replacing the letters by Greek letters and disregarding the fillers. Disadvantages of the braid script are beside the large required space that it cannot represent spaces and is hard to be read. While the Greek alphabet can be used for extensive inscriptions, the main applications of the braid script are ritual. A common material used for braiding is human hair with many people having their names braided into their hair. By connecting start and end of a braid and thereby closing it, a so-called link and in some cases even a knot results. The complicated exercise to interpret names by comparing their links to other words yielding the same link is practised by wise men. | ||
The script uses five strands, which will be pictured vertically and numbered from left to right in this article. Four crossings of adjacent strands are possible, these will be named s<sub>1</sub>, s<sub>2</sub>, s<sub>3</sub> and s<sub>4</sub>. | The script uses five strands, which will be pictured vertically and numbered from left to right in this article. Four crossings of adjacent strands are possible, these will be named s<sub>1</sub>, s<sub>2</sub>, s<sub>3</sub> and s<sub>4</sub>. It is important that the left strand in such crossings does always cross over the right one. | ||
==== Mathematical background ==== | ==== Mathematical background ==== | ||