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'''What every Ujik child knows'''


'''Who am I?'''

You are Batudai of the tribe of Jamhurkan, of the clan Monge, and I am your father.  Originally, no one lived here, but then the Great Wolf gave birth to Ujik, and he gave him the steppes and the near desert, to roam as he will.  Jamhurkan was the third son of Ujik, and he became the ancestor of our tribe.  We are a great tribe, with warriors and heroes who have done great deeds.

'''Who is worthy of worship?'''

The Great Wolf was our ancestor, and he and all of the other ancestors are worthy of worship, but we follow the commands of the Lords of Death above all.  They are the great kings of the dead, who judge all our actions, and we must always act to be worthy before them.  In addition to them, there are other spirits, who must be appeased; spirits of the sand, and the water, and the flame, and the air, and spirits of certain places where there have been great deeds or great landmarks.  You must pay your respect to them, for if they are angered, they may try to take their revenge, but do not worship them, for that is for the Lords of Death and the Ancestors.  Also, the Falcon is the animal who is the totem of our tribe.  You should never hurt a falcon, because that will bring bad luck to you and to the tribe.

'''Who should I obey?'''

You must obey me, for I am your father, and you must obey your mother.  Beyond that, you must obey the elders of the clan, for their age has given them wisdom, and you should obey the chief of the tribe, for all the clans appoint him to rule over us.  You also must obey the priests of the Lords of Death, for the Lords of Death give them power to see what will be and understand their will.  If a priest tells you you must do something or not do it, you should listen, for these are warnings to save you from disaster.

'''How are men and women different?'''

Men and women are equal in most things.  Both a man and a woman should know how to ride, how to hunt, how to use a bow, how to herd sheep, how to raid our enemies, and how to cook and take care of the home.  I’m told in some places, women aren’t expected to do some of these things, but this is foolish.  Because your sisters are girls, should they not have to work?  

Still, there are some things a man should not do and some things a woman should not do.  For instance, while a woman may milk a sheep or a goat, only a man should milk a horse.  Also, when men pray, they should face the west, and when women pray, they should face the east.

'''When do I become an adult?'''

In your 14th year, on the summer solstice, you and all the other boys in the clan that are your age will move into a yurt.  For a year, the male elders will teach you the secret rituals and customs a man must follow.  I can not tell you what those are, because you are not a man yet.  The girls who are 13 will move into another yurt, and the female elders will teach them all the secret rituals and customs a woman must follow.  After the year is over, these yurts will be burned, and no one will live in them again.  Then you, and all the other boys and girls, will be sent out to the steppe.  You will live there for 2 months, hunting together, helping each other survive, and maybe even raiding another clan if you are very brave and very lucky.  Then you will come back as men and women.

'''How do people get married?'''

You don’t have to worry about that for a long time yet, for you’re just a boy.  But when you become an adult, your mother and I will find a wife for you and try hard to find one we think you’ll like.  You can always say no if you don’t like her, and she can say no if she doesn’t like you.   If you say yes, though, our family will give her family sheep.  If we were poor, and didn’t have enough sheep, you might have to work for her father for a time, but you won’t have to worry about that.  

When you get married, you and your wife will appear in front of the clan and of a priest of the Lords of Death.  You will both be wearing ceremonial robes, and on her head, she will wear a headdress, the same one her mother wore.  On your head, you will wear a little black hat.  You will both tell the clan that you wish to marry, and give each other gifts.  The priest will use his skills and whisper into both your ears a prophecy of the marriage.Her father will give her a gift, usually sheep.  In case anything ever happens to you, that will be hers to keep so she can provide for herself.  Then the clan will put up your yurt and have a feast.  Then you will move into your Yurt, as man and wife.  Some men have more than one wife, but this is rare.  If it ever happens that you should have more than one wife, you must treat each equally and never show favoritism.

'''How should an Ujik behave?'''

As an Ujik, you must be brave.  You must be loyal, treat others with justice and always keep your word.  It is a good thing to seek glory in front of your tribemates, but you must never make boasts you cannot live up to, or you will be laughed at.  You shouldn’t let yourself be insulted or harmed by another without retaliating, but at the same time, you shouldn’t pick fights with other members of your clan.  You should be generous, offering help to those who need it.