Help Understanding Aiel Society

[Lealenya Terim]

Can someone please help me under stand the septs and clans and familial relationships? I'm reading The Fires of Heaven and I hope to avoid spoilers so I haven't gone looking for myself.

 

[Boreas Silverfir]

You're tackling the terms First-sibling, Second-Sibling, Near sibling, etc right?

 

[Lealenya Terim]

That and the whole sept/clan/society thing. It's all confusing to me.

 

[Boreas Silverfir]

Trying to find the right analogy for each level of society & culture here. You're right it can be somewhat convoluted. Clans are the biggest in some ways. They cover who owns which holds in a general sense. More of a "this territory belongs to this group" kinda way.
Then there's septs which seems to cover which hold you might be from.
Finally society only applies to the warriors and governs who you fight with and who you won't fight against. Anyone from any clan can join a warrior society which makes it an interesting proposition when considering diplomats I'm sure. Especially since members of societies can come and go typically with some level of welcome within their society in any hold.

Maybe an anthropologist could explain it better. I'm going for the spoiler free version of what is on the Fandom website.

 

[Nadezhda al'Lanahrin]

It will be explained more in depth, but first siblings and near siblings are not necessarily blood relations. Family in Aiel society is more of who you choose more than who you are born into. However, Aiel are born into Septs and Septs make up a Clan. Think of Clans likes States and the Septs like Counties. Each Clan is led by a Chief. Each Sept has a Hold, an Aiel settlement, and they are governed by a Roofmistress.

However, there are several classes/organizations that supersede and permeate Clan and Sept: The Wise Ones, The Algai’d’siswai (Warriors), the Civilians (Roofmistresses & Craftspeople), and Gaishain (honorbound servants). The Wise Ones advise the Aiel and facilitate any spiritual and traditional practices. They are powerhouses and held as sacred in several ways. The Algai’d’siswai join Warrior Societies, which have their own leaders. The rest is kinda spoilery.

 

[Lealenya Terim]

I appreciate you guys. I have read up to CoT before but it's been decades so I might as well just be reading them for the first time. Trying to do research on my own without getting spoiled. I got too much information so I decided to suspend all research until I finish. Then, ALL THE SPOILERS BELONG TO ME.

 

[Lealenya Terim]

It will be explained more in depth, but first siblings and near siblings are not necessarily blood relations. Family in Aiel society is more of who you choose more than who you are born into. However, Aiel are born into Septs and Septs make up a Clan. Think of Clans likes States and the Septs like Counties. Each Clan is led by a Chief. Each Sept has a Hold, an Aiel settlement, and they are governed by a Roofmistress.

However, there are several classes/organizations that supersede and permeate Clan and Sept: The Wise Ones, The Algai’d’siswai (Warriors), the Civilians (Roofmistresses & Craftspeople), and Gaishain (honorbound servants). The Wise Ones advise the Aiel and facilitate any spiritual and traditional practices. They are powerhouses and held as sacred in several ways. The Algai’d’siswai join Warrior Societies, which have their own leaders. The rest is kinda spoilery.

I thought the Roofmistress could tell people if they could and couldn't ender the Hold of the entire Clan.

Can you help with names? Like Shaido, Jindo, Taraad, Tomanelle, Daryne, Codarra, Miagoma, etc. I'm lost here.

 

[Boreas Silverfir]

I thought the Roofmistress could tell people if they could and couldn't ender the Hold of the entire Clan.

Can you help with names? Like Shaido, Jindo, Taraad, Tomanelle, Daryne, Codarra, Miagoma, etc. I'm lost here.

You are correct and yet not. Cause each hold is not for the entire clan. Each clan has several septs, which in turn are made up of many holds. Perhaps a way of thinking about it is the Clan is a country, the sept is a region, and the hold is the city someone is from.

The names you've listed off are all Clan names. They are made up of Septs, ex. Taardad Clan, Chumai Sept. And the Chumai sept has a number of Holds it manages and lives in.

Spoiler: List of Clans & Known Septs

Clans and septs​

The thirteen Aiel clans (including the ancient Jenn Aiel), and their known septs.

Chareen Cosaida Jarra White Mountain Codarra Jaern Rift Daryne Bent Peak Shelan Goshien High Plain Jhirad Mosaada Red Salt Red Water Stones River Miagoma Cold Peak Smoke Water Spine Ridge

Nakai Black Cliffs Black Water Salt Flat Reyn Musara Two Spires Shaarad Black Rock Haido Imran Shaido Domai Green Salts Jonine Jumai Morai Moshaine White Cliff

Shiande Neder Taardad Bitter Water Bloody Water Chumai Four Holes Four Stones Iron Mountain Jagged Spire Jindo Miadi Nine Valleys Tomanelle Jenda Serai Shorara Jenn Aiel

Copied over from Aiel Culture Fandom

Amongst the fighting forces that each of these Clans & Septs have, everyone gathers into like minded groups known as Societies. At any time a warrior can chose to put bonds of Society above those of Sept & Clan. At which point they can travel to another Clan or Sept seeking to join their Society there.

It makes everything rather confusing for us who don't have our brains wired that way.

 

[Lealenya Terim]

OK, so when towards the end of The Shadow Rising, the Roofmistress allows Couladin to enter as a beggar, what is that? Lian, Rhuarc's wife.

 

[Boreas Silverfir]

I'm pretty sure that ties more closely to Ji'e'toh than to clan structure. He asked leave to enter and stay as though he had the same responsibilities and honor as Rhuarc, a clan chief. He is not a clan chief so it was a big breach of propriety to ask in that manner. He's not even a sept chief like Heirn is, so that would have not been good either. He probably would have received a better response if he had shown humility like Rand.

Based on the words chosen, there is an implicit expectation that Rhuarc will be welcomed. Similarly, the words Heirn uses implies that he expects that the clan ties should mean that he will receive permission. However he recognizes that being denied is something that could happen. I expect that for generic warrior or beggar something closer to what Rand said would be acceptable.
Which brings ups to what Rand said. The words he chose were closer to what Heirn says than what Rhuarc says. As Chief of Chiefs, Rand should be acting more like Rhuarc when he interacts with The People. Which is why the comment "Such modesty is becoming in a man."

 

[Lealenya Terim]

Thank you.

I'm trying to visualize the clan/society/sept thing in terms of something like this infographic. G > Q > P > C

I'm a visual learner and this helps me understand. I'm still so confused about the culture there.