It seems that not much is said or written about “tribes” or “tribalism” these days. It could be that the idea seems offensive and out-of-date, or maybe language has just moved on to phrases like “ethnic identity”. But even if the actual wording has fallen into disuse, tribes certainly exist in modern society and their impact and importance is as relevant today as it has ever been.
A tribe can be defined in our modern world as simply those who share our core beliefs and mores. A tribe falls is larger than our family but closer to us than our friends. It could be a political party or a religious group. Perhaps the best example of a modern tribe is a group pursing some social cause, even if the group exists only on the Internet and never actually meets together in person. Obvious Tribes The world of Fallen Kingdoms: Anna’s Call can be described in terms of tribes, starting with the four culturally and physiologically distinct kingdoms. These groups don’t look or act at all like each other. They have very different values. In fact, two of them were formed because individuals rejected the social norms of an existing kingdom. On the face of it this appears to be a recipe for conflict and disaster. There are a couple of reasons why the four kingdoms are not at war with each other. One reason is that there is another tribe, the Viszudar, who actively seek to promote harmony and cooperation between the four kingdoms. Viszudar have no territory to call their own. They are drawn from the four kingdoms and generally serve as advisers to the ruler – the Dovarsha - in another kingdom. Underground Tribes The Viszudar are obvious and operate openly, but the same cannot be said for every tribe in the world of Fallen Kingdoms: Anna’s Call. Some, like the Forgers, literally exist underground. Others, like the Estralogi, are clandestine and secretive even within themselves. Some of these underground tribes seek their own power and domination while others just want to be left alone. Perhaps the most powerful underground tribe is the Ghun’dar, a secretive military force that is aligned with the Viszudar. They can be thought of as the blunt force behind that diplomatic group, but this does not capture their full role. Two of the kingdoms have no military force of their own – at least at the start of the story - and rely on the Ghun’dar. When necessary, any kingdom looks to the militaristic A-Beru kingdom for help. Tribal Perspectives This last point demonstrates more than any other why the world of Fallen Kingdoms: Anna’s Call functions so differently from our own. One of the key takeaways from visiting that world is that all the tribes see themselves as distinct, but except for the Estralogi they all also see their need to depend on and help each other. In fact, this willingness to help sets the stage for everything that happens. Somewhere along the way this idea has been lost in our world, and we are the poorer for it. Maybe it’s related to our unwillingness to recognize that we group ourselves into tribes in the first place, or that there is both a positive and a negative aspect to this tendency. It could be that our tribal relationships – particularly those on the Internet - are so weak that we need to strengthen them by denigrating other tribes. Closing thoughts Any story worth its salt has more going on than meets the eye, and the more going on under the surface the more worthwhile it becomes. The desire to address these unseen issues probably motivates most authors. Unfortunately it is far too easy to put the issues close to the surface and end up with a ham-fisted moralizing tale that alienates readers who disagree and bores those who are like-minded. Of course, burying the unseen issues too deeply in metaphor and symbolism leaves the reader wondering just what the heck is going on in the story, partly because they do not see themselves as potential participants. It is to be hoped that Fallen Kingdoms: Anna’s Call strikes the right balance, even if the issue of tribes and tribalism seems remote and unfamiliar to the reader.
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