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Mirdal Clan

General Description:

The Mirdal Clan is one of the most respected and strategic clans of Mandalore, known for its dedication to knowledge, tradition preservation, and strategic planning. Under the protection of House Vevut, the Mirdal Clan plays a crucial role in maintaining order and formulating long-term plans to ensure the stability and advancement of Mandalorian society.

Emblem and Symbolism:

Emblem: The Mirdal Clan's sigil is a stylized image of the Mirdalaan, a native Mandalorian bird symbolizing wisdom and clarity. The emblem features feathers in deep blue, silver, and emerald green, with elegant depictions of the bird's double wings and amber eyes. The deep blue background reflects reliability, while the black details add a note of seriousness and justice.

Distinctive Characteristics:

Knowledge and Strategy: The Mirdal Clan is renowned for its expertise in knowledge and strategic planning. Its members are highly skilled in combat tactics and strategic analysis, ensuring that their actions are well-founded and effective.

Tradition Preservation: The clan places a high value on preserving Mandalorian traditions. They are guardians of cultural practices and rituals, ensuring that the rich Mandalorian heritage is respected and maintained.

Neutrality and Order: While the clan is strategic and assertive, it maintains a neutral stance in many conflicts, focusing on ensuring order and balance within Mandalorian society. This neutrality allows them to act as mediators and maintain stability.

Structure and Hierarchy:

Leaders: The clan is led by a "Keldabe," a high-level strategist who coordinates operations and makes critical decisions. The Keldabe is elected based on experience, wisdom, and strategic skills.

Council of Guardians: A group of advisors who assist the Keldabe. The Council consists of experts in various fields, including tactics, diplomacy, and history, and helps ensure that the clan's decisions are well-informed and balanced.

Guardians of the Path: An elite unit dedicated to protecting the clan's secrets and traditions. They are responsible for executing the clan's strategies and ensuring the security and integrity of its operations.

Relationship with House Vevut:

Protection and Support: The Mirdal Clan is under the protection of House Vevut, which provides political and physical support, allowing the clan to focus on its responsibilities without worrying about external threats.

Strategic Collaboration: The relationship with House Vevut strengthens the Mirdal Clan's ability to plan and execute complex strategies, leveraging the house's neutrality to operate effectively and maintain order.

Culture and Traditions:

Rituals and Ceremonies: The Mirdal Clan conducts rituals celebrating wisdom and knowledge, including ceremonies that highlight the importance of the Mirdalaan as a symbol of clarity and insight.

Education and Training: Training within the clan is intensive, focusing on strategy, tradition preservation, and tactical skills. The clan invests in the continuous education of its members to ensure they remain competent leaders and strategists.

Impact on Mandalorian Society:

The Mirdal Clan plays a vital role in Mandalorian society, contributing to stability, tradition preservation, and strategic planning. Its collaboration with House Vevut and commitment to knowledge and order ensure that the clan continues to be a significant pillar in preserving and advancing Mandalorian values.

Kirosk (KEE-rohsk)-equivalent to turtle

General Description:

The Kirosk is a formidable terrestrial creature indigenous to the planet Mandalore. Known for its formidable shell and assertive territorial nature, the Kirosk bears a striking resemblance to Earth’s turtles but boasts unique attributes that set it apart as one of the most esteemed and intimidating species on Mandalore. Revered and feared, this creature symbolizes the enduring spirit of Mandalorian culture.

Physical Characteristics:

Size and Structure:

Length: Up to 4 meters

Height: Up to 2 meters

Body: The Kirosk possesses a broad, muscular build, covered by a segmented shell composed of hard, resilient plates. These plates are made from a material akin to beskar, the legendary Mandalorian metal, known for its exceptional strength. The shell’s coloration ranges from dark gray to muted green and blue, aiding in camouflage against Mandalore’s rugged terrain.

Head and Limbs:

Head: The Kirosk features a wide, flattened head with small, piercing eyes that emit an amber glow. Its robust jaw is equipped with razor-sharp teeth designed for breaking rocks and extracting valuable minerals and metals.

Limbs: Short but powerful, the Kirosk’s limbs end in formidable claws. These claws are adept at digging through the earth and defending against potential threats.

Tail:

Structure: The Kirosk’s tail is long, thick, and armored with spiked protrusions. It serves dual purposes: as a defensive weapon and as a tool for attacking. The tail can knock over small trees and deliver significant damage to adversaries during combat.

Behavior and Habits:

Territoriality:

Marking: The Kirosk is highly territorial, using deep scratches on rocks and soil to demarcate its domain. Preferring rocky and mountainous environments, it uses these areas for shelter and strategic observation of potential threats.

Diet:

Feeding Habits: Omnivorous by nature, the Kirosk’s diet includes tough vegetation, small fauna, and minerals embedded in rocks. Notably, the consumption of beskar deposits contributes to the robustness and durability of its shell.

Activity Patterns:

Behavior: Generally solitary, the Kirosk is active during the cooler hours of dawn and dusk, seeking food and defending its territory. Its behavior reflects a blend of cautious observation and aggressive defense.

Cultural Significance:

Mandalorian Symbolism:

Cultural Role: The Kirosk is revered in Mandalorian culture as a symbol of strength, resilience, and perseverance. Its image is often depicted in art, monuments, and armor, representing the enduring spirit of the Mandalorian people.

Ritual Significance: In Mandalorian tradition, confronting a Kirosk is considered a rite of passage for warriors, serving as a test of bravery and skill. The challenge of facing such a formidable creature is seen as a mark of honor and capability.

Utilitarian Value: The Kirosk’s shell, when found naturally, is highly prized. It is often repurposed into armor and shields, enhancing their protective properties with the strength of beskar-like material.

Conservation Status:

Population: The Kirosk is a rare and respected species, with populations concentrated in specific rocky regions of Mandalore. Its rarity contributes to its status as a formidable and coveted creature within Mandalorian society.

Threats: Natural predators and environmental changes pose threats to the Kirosk’s habitat. Conservation efforts focus on protecting these creatures and their ecosystems to ensure their continued presence on Mandalore.

Ecological Role:

Ecosystem Impact: As a keystone species, the Kirosk plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of Mandalore’s rocky environments. Its feeding habits help control mineral deposits and promote the health of the ecosystem.

Curiosity:

"In our extensive studies of the diverse flora and fauna across the galaxy, one particularly fascinating specimen from the remote world of Mandalore has come to our attention: the Kirosk. This remarkable creature, with its formidable shell and elusive nature, has revealed an intriguing biological phenomenon concerning the formation of a rare crystal known as the Mado'a Kyeber. The Mado'a Kyeber, or 'Ka'ra Manda' as it is known in the native tongue, forms within the Kirosk’s digestive system in a manner reminiscent of the pearls produced by the Krayt dragon. As the Kirosk consumes various minerals, some of these are not fully digested and instead accumulate within the stomach. Over time, these undigested mineral fibers crystallize, resulting in the formation of the Mado'a Kyeber. This process mirrors the creation of Krayt dragon pearls, which develop from the irritation caused by foreign objects within the dragon’s digestive tract. The resulting Mado'a Kyeber is a striking black crystal with a pulsating resonance akin to a heartbeat. Its unique formation and properties make it a valuable and symbolically significant substance within Mandalorian culture. The comparison to Krayt dragon pearls underscores its rarity and the complex interplay between the creature's biology and the environment of Mandalore. Such discoveries not only enhance our understanding of the natural world but also deepen our appreciation for the intricate ways in which life adapts and evolves in different corners of the galaxy." — Archivist Nerron, Jedi Archives, circa 1017 ABY

haran- hell “The Fett name puts the very fear of haran up the aruetiise.” (Order 66)

jari'eyc-ugly (lit: wrecked)

nibral-loser "And you’re not strolling in your fancy Kuati park now, so shift your shebs, you lazy little nibral.” (Order 66)

bev'ikase- dicks/penises “What a bunch of useless bev’ikase.” (Order 66)

gett'se-nuts/balls/testicles “Besany, if he moves, blow his gett’se off." (Order 66)

osik-shit “Doesn’t that scare the osik out of you?” "About kama fashions or some such osik.” (True Colors)

osik'la-shitty “You didn’t think some osik’la Imperial encryption could keep us out forever, did you?” (501st)

mir'osik- dumbass, shit for brains “Nice shooting, mir’osik,” Darman called to the gunner from the 14th. (Order 66)

shab-fuck “Well, shab-face, here’s where you find out that trooper armor isn’t as hardened as Katarn kit …” “Who the shab trained you?” (Order 66)

shabla- fucking “Fi, I’m going to break your shabla neck …”

shabii'gar- fuck you “Shabii’gar,” Niner snapped, and tossed the comlink back at A’den.(True Colors)

Ne shab'rud'ni! - don't fuck with me!

shebs,shebse-ass,asses “Dar! You’re going to be as wrinkled as a strill’s shebs if you stay in there much longer.”(501st)

mir'sheb-smartass “Okay, mir’sheb, you got a better idea?” (True Colors)

Nar'sheb!- Shove it up your ass!

Kovid lo'shebs'ul narit!-Put your head up your ass!

Kote lo'shebs'ul narit!-Shove glory up your ass!

motla'shebs-A rat's mott's ass "The Grand Army didn’t give a motla’shebs about how clones liked to be addressed, on the record at least." (True Colors)

sheb’urcyin-ass-kisser "Sheb’urcyin … aruetii.” (501st)

shabuir- fucker/motherfucker “As long as it’s not some Death Watch shabuir.” (501st)

shabuire-fuckers/motherfuckers"“And I just want to remind you shabuire that I’ve played meat-cans before.” (501st)

shabu'droten- fuck everyone/ a collective of fuckers “Shabu’droten,” Skirata muttered, and walked away. (Triple Zero)

Sooran, shab-suck on it/that (sooranir (verb) means “to suck”)

usen'ye-piss off/fuck off/go away “Usen’ye.” It was the crudest way to tell someone to go away in Mando’a" “And you lot can clear off. This is trooper business. Get lost! Usen’ye!” (Triple Zero,True Colors)

MANDALORIAN LORE OF THE DAY: SW NOVEL-CANON FOUL LANGUAGE (PART 1)

Being a trans star wars fan means getting gender envy from mandalorian armor

THEYRE DONE!! young jango got his brand new beskar'gam, ready to fight for his new buir

alt caption "hey guys look at this stray i found lol i'm gonna adopt him, he can shoot"

Thinking about how different individual mandalorians can be from eachother while still so clearly being mandalorian. I see this in fan made designs especially, mando cosplayers my beloved, it gives a great sense of camaraderie, but i see it in cannon media as well. For example, Paz Visla and Ursa Wren have massivly different armor designs, and yet they are both still so recognizable as mandalorian.

Ursa has a more curved visor shape, no beskar'ta, very few sharp angles to her armor, a loincloth but no kama, and generally lighter armor.

And then there's paz. most of his body is covered by his armor, and it is very bulky. his armor is mostly sharp angles, and he has a beskar'ta and standard t-shapeed visor. the only extra fabric besides his flightsuit and flack vest are things like his belt/belt pouches.

Both of them have a single peice for the top part of their chestplate, which is at odds with other mandalorians' three peice chestplates like boba fett has.

Not every mandalorian is human, not every mandalorian has a beskar'ta, not every mandalorian has a kama.

There are so many variables and yet you look at two mandalorians side by side and go, yep, there are two mandalorians in front of me, i should probably run.

It says a lot about them as a culture, to have such ways for each person to express themselves with their own beskar'gam.

Anyways i think it's cool i like the design freedom i get designing mando armor and i like wearing it to conventions and having armor that is both unique and fits into this group

this is genuinely so interesting to me.

With the fannon interpretations I find it interesting to look at this idea of a mandalorian nuclear family and then look at mando’a which cares so little for gender. (As in, there are two gendered words that I know of and in one context one of the two can be gender neutral)

I dearly hope that one day that female mandalorians who are more old cannon tradtional appear sometime. It intrigues me to see differences in different groups of mandos

i love this particular bit written by miss traviss

disney not knowing how this culture works especially how the women and men work in it together such a shock xD

this is why i always hoped cara/gina would have become mando she acts like a mando lady

also just the art is so cute and family bonding ahhhhh

I need help from the music lovers of Star Wars nerds

what are some good mandalorian coded songs? That feel like mandos or would fit well in mando culture in your opinion.

my list currently consists of angel with a shotgun by the cab and mars by sleeping at last

Please add to it

thinking about the intersection between Star Wars mandalorian culture and mandalorian cosplayers again.

for many of us our helmets are as much our face as the one we were born with in some ways. Our cosplayer friends become found family and when we think of one another our helmet/s or armor comes to mind as quickly or faster than our faces.

Our mannerisms and the way we speak are influenced by the beskar’gam that we wear.

many who pass are remembered by the community with “Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum” (I am alive, but you are dead. I remember you, and so you are eternal.) or simply “ni kar’taylir gar darasuum.” (I will know you forever)

within the mandalorian mercs costume club specifically there is a tradition known as the death march. A solemn march to honor members who have passed on, done in silent reverence often to the cadence of a traditional mandalorian drum. Helmets are kept on during the march.

For some Mandalorian cosplayers while they are in kit, only show their faces to friends and trusted individuals.

It’s interesting to see the similarities that come through, and both very purposeful and the ones that happen naturally

also if you have ever gotten to be part of a large group of mandos all cheering “OYA” at the same time, you know how powerful it feels.

THIS OMG

pls I need more alien mandalorians and poc and short Mandalorians and very tall mandalorians like come on

and so true on the color thing

A lot of the people I know who I refer to as earth mandos, real ppl trying to live mandalorian values, aren’t focused on armor or ability to fight but rather symbolism, the practicality of their clothes, and skills that are helpful to them and their family, among other things. It would have been cool to see that

Now, I'm not entirely sure what came first, the tcw show or all of the novels expanding on Mandalorian culture, but nonetheless it annoys me so much whenever i watch tcw and they depict the Mandalorian people, one of the most diverse cultures in starwars, all with blue eyes and blonde hair. Mandalorian is a culture, a religion, not a race. A creed anyone of any species or origin can join.

The Mandalorians were so prolific in adoption into their creed, that it lives on despite their ancestors -the Taung- having died out. All you even have to do in Mandalorian culture to adopt someone is speak a vow, (The gai bal manda) which is recognised by Mandalorian law. (and I'm distraught that in the Mandalorian show we didn't get to see Din speak this vow to Grogu, but I digress.)

The show also presents Sundari, Mandalore's capital at the time, as so... clinical and bare? Yes the new pacifist Mandalorians have foregone the war worshipping ways that founded their culture, but the worship of war also bred a celebration of life and relishing each moment and day you get -Shereshoy being the term for it. From a culture like this I'd expect a little more... soul to their home.

They dress everyone in such plain (lack of) colours too!! When the pacifist Mandalorians discarded their armour, did they discard the cultural meanings or importance of colour too? (And I'd love to see New Mandalorians treating their clothing with as much respect and reverence as they traditionally did armour, following the Resol'nare's tenet of Beskar'gam in their own, new way. I have so many thoughts on how the Resol'nare can apply to a peaceful lifestyle, but ultimately I know that's far too much detail for tcw to have delved into, and I'm sure i wouldn't be the first to talk about it, if only there was a show solely about Mandalorians that could explore their culture in such depth-)

Ever since I had a hyperfix on Mandalorian culture a year or two ago I haven't been able to consume Mandalorian related content the same way, and I am trying to resurrect the intense interest because it ended before I was able to learn Mando'a, and by goodness I think it might be working.

I think the thing I like the most about Mandalorians is how much it sucks to be one.

Like, the older I get the more I understand Satine. A society that revolves around fighting and conquest as much Mandalorian society tends to probably sucks to live in.

Pretty much every major Mando character has this moment where they’re just like, “Why are we like this?” And it feels real in a way that few bits of SW lore ever come close to.

To gloss over it a bit. Nearly every planet they’ve inhabited has been glassed 1-12 times. The foundling system, while cool, has its roots in slavery and forced assimilation (which can still be seen in some cases). Pretty much every major clan or house are the descendants of people who were forced to assimilate to Mandalorian society (not even that far back in Clan Wren’s case). They fought so much that the original Mandalorian race, the Taung, went extinct.

And to top it all off the literal inception of their entire culture was when they saw a planet full of Kaiju and one guy decided they should subjugate and hunt them to extinction. Which is to say nothing of all the civil wars their whole feudalistic house/clan system practically encourages; along with the ever lingering question of how often do Mandos who aren't soldiers get to have full citizenship?

Hell, there was one time a Mandalorian straight up became a Jedi, ruled as Mand’alor only to have his kids steal his saber from the Jedi Temple and use it as a symbol of violence and supremacy.

I’ve always liked to think of Mandalorians as the sort of “wildcard” faction of Star Wars. They can be either the heroes or the villains and vary wildly in how they fulfill those roles, you never quite know what you’re gonna get with them on an individual level. But just about every one of them has had to confront their history and how it affects them now. And their views are often informed their upbringing and different experiences.

There's this constant through line of characters trying to reinvent what it means to be Mandalorian, all of them coming to their own conclusions, usually with the help of a Jedi or two.

Idk, I wouldn't say I'm an expert on Mandalorians or anything (I'm much more of a Jedi guy), but I got a lot of thoughts about them and how their current culture is informed by their history of imperialistic warfare.

"I think... I think I need something more than killing and fighting in my life." - Canderous Ordo

You know, given that Mandalorians

Don’t care about gender

Are big on adoption

Implied to view attraction through the lense of character

they probably don’t view courting/dating through a gender/sexuality spectrum. Mandalorians probably view courting/dating through a romantic spectrum instead. They probably have words for someone who is aromantic to someone who has multiple loves.

The Burial Mounds are a Sith graveyard, where they entombed their war dead, figures fallen from grace but too purely Sith to allow rabble to gawk at them. They are so, so resentful that their sleep has been disturbed for centuries by random rabble thrown down with them.

Wei Wuxian hates piercing together armor from the dead around him, ancient beskar that resonates with anger and pain and suffering. The armor has been here, stolen from the Madalorians who wore it by their once upon a time supposed Allies, so even as he burns to wear it, he can feel a few vague Mandalorian ghosts marching away at last as their armor returns to Mandalorian hands. The marks are long gone, he’s not sure even a Goran could figure out what clan. He tries, he tries, he tries so hard to find out, to learn the history. This is all he can give in thanks.

It’s made harder by how few pieces remain intact. He breaks into tombs and steals anything with beskar back, ending up with more than a few dar’jeti’kad, which he promptly takes apart. He leaves all but the shell, crystals keening as his shaking hands, reluctantly tuck them into his pouch without his command. He can hear their screams and weeping, even now. Centuries after they were made to bleed.

Wei Wuxian doesn’t know how he’s getting off this planet, small and tucked away as it is, haunted by dar’jetii ghosts fighting constantly with Mandalorian ghosts. The more beskar he takes out of tombs, away from unmarked graves, the more Mandalorians he gathers, hoping to be finally free to march away into Manda. The more crystals he is forced to gather, the more dar’jetii surround him to drag him down. The dar’jetii wish to force him to stay trapped with them, as they are trapped. The Mandalorians wish for their armor to be returned to their clans, or to any Goran if that is not possible.

He never meant to become a Goran for the dead. He wasn’t supposed to be a Goran at all. When he finally claws his way into space, ka’ra burning cleanly through the transparasteel, clad in ancient beskar with the first Basilisk droid in centuries at his back, even the dar’jetii hush as they break away from their tombs at last. He wipes the tears away. This wasn’t a time for tears. Ca'nara at oya'karir.

@north-peach @wolfsrainrules @sanjuno

Ok, so I’ve seen a lot of (honestly hysterical) takes on putting the sects into Star Wars, with the problem of how to make Wei Wuxian’s fall from grace fit. I got it. Ignore the powers and the Jedi, each sect is a Mandalorian clan. The Wen are a Death Watch equivalent, Wei Wuxian gave Jiang Cheng his own beskar, and came back from the Burial Mounds with a bes’iilik droid he put together from the scraps. He’s spent the last three months surviving rak’ghouls and other Sith nastiness.

@north-peach @wolfsrainrules @sanjuno Someone tell me I’m wrong.

After seeing all the angry discourse on the cultural meaning behind cin vhetin, i sheepishly admit I assumed it was because white was easiest to paint over, allowing the individual a chance to determine what they value enough to broadcast to everyone.

@north-peach It fits with the practical and surprisingly poetic nature of Mandalorians, yes?

Oh, absolutely! And allows for a Mandalorian, after major upheavals in their lives, the option of making that statement. It’s not done very often, because Mandalorians as a whole tend to know their own minds pretty damn well.

For example I’d say anyone fished out of Kry’stad would, after a certain point in the deprogramming process, start wearing white.

After seeing all the angry discourse on the cultural meaning behind cin vhetin, i sheepishly admit I assumed it was because white was easiest to paint over, allowing the individual a chance to determine what they value enough to broadcast to everyone.

@north-peach It fits with the practical and surprisingly poetic nature of Mandalorians, yes?

I blame Umei-No-Mai. I just realized I’ve unironically describing certain food by using the term ‘mouth feel.’

Im so happy that i found this. On one hand i wanna read it so bad, but on the other hand i have a mind of doing my own version of this and dont wanna accidentally plagarize this GLORIOUS person. The moral dilemma of fictional academic nerdery.

Send help

still cannot get over the fact that ludwig goransson basically invented a whole new musical culture for the mandalorian. like, that soundscape just. did not exist before. bass recorder plus electric guitar?? in star wars??? who even thinks of that???? mind blown.

oh absolutely. i’d say it’s a near-certainty. we know bo-katan is planning a revolution and she’s a pretty polarizing figure. i’m sure there are lots of mandalorians out there who Will Not Like That. there also seems to be some sort of (possibly one-sided) preexisting rivalry between bo-katan’s political faction and din’s religious faction which i’m sure is going to come up later.

a civil war would basically be the culmination of the recurring question of what makes a mandalorian (do they have to wear the helmet? be ethnically mandalorian? is it a religous, political, or racial group or a combination?) because any contender for mand’alor has to prove to the others that they’re truly mandalorian. which makes din as a (reluctant) contender quite interesting because not only is he a foundling, now that he’s taken off his helmet he probably doesn’t consider himself mandalorian anymore.

this is pure speculation but they could POTENTIALLY be gearing up for another mando civil war with bobf and mando s3, because we now have A) a claim to the throne by Din that is definitely going to be contested by a lot of people, himself included, B) a historically very politically powerful and ambitious leader who represents a “scorned” faction of Mandalorians in Bo-Katan, and C) Boba Fett, who presumably now controls Hutt Space (? or is it just outer rim territory? I can’t remember) and will probably be roped into the conflict purely based on the fact that he has resources, people, and territory at his disposal regardless of how he feels about Mandalore itself. Add all of that onto the fact that afaik Mandalore has no current ruler now that the Empire is gone and a huge diaspora that is probably eager to return home now that they’re not under the thumb of imperial rule. This would also follow the eternal cycle of “it’s like poetry, it rhymes” Star Wars is obsessed with following, so a capstone civil war is probably gonna happen soon-ish. also lends itself to lots of entertaining action scenes, rule of cool, etc

Din’s covert could conceivably be the direct legacy of the true mandalorians and i can make it make sense without even being that convoluted: an essay