Matoran culture: Politeness, gestures, pragmatics etc

[Alyska]

For me, one of the things that really "sells" a fantasy world is little details of the characters' cultures that make their world distinct from our own. In Bionicle, a lot of effort has gone into things like the characters' speech- you can tell Greg had a lot of fun replacing English metaphors, cliches and other figures of speech with Matoran equivalents. Things like "kohlii-head", "lava-bones" and treespeak, meanwhile, have had mixed receptions, but I think there's a lot to be said for the level of worldbuilding that happened here. Back in '01, it really made the island of Mata Nui a place you really wanted to visit, with cultures you wished to explore, and people you wanted to know more about.

 

I'd like to take a moment to appreciate some of the non-verbal side of Matoran interactions. The Bionicle Chronicles book series, in particular, was quite big on them, and so there are some nice details on different types of interaction.

 

Bowing- is done by a Matoran when greeting a Toa, possibly done for a Turaga as well. Might be exclusive to Mata Nui Matoran, and seems to be fazed out as the Matoran grow more familar with Toa.

Salute (a fist touched to one's mask)- done by Jaller towards Tahu, probably a Ta-Koro guard thing to acknowledge someone of higher rank.

Fist Clank- done as a gesture of unity, greetings, or congratulations among Toa who are friends.

Handshake- kind of similar to human usage, but not so much done upon meeting a new person as marking a solemn promise or a sad farewell (Takanuva laments not being able to shake Jaller's hand while saying goodbye to him at the entrance to Karzhani) Seems applicable to both Matoran and Toa.

 

As a sort of side note, the physical attributes of Matoran must in some way influence the way they perceive certain actions. The fact that they eat through their hands, for example- I've seen people mention that they find mouth-feeding bestial and disgusting, though I haven't seen a source on that one (anyone got one?), which is bound to cause a few awkward dinners with the new Spherus Magna neighbours (I don't imagine Agori would find the sight of a piece of fruit withering and shriveling rapidly in someone's hands all that charming, either).

 

Have you noticed any other little details about how Matoran interact? 

 

Additionally, do you have any headcanons on the subject?

 

[Ghidora131]

A lot of stuff from the MNOGs might count too, but I don't know. There's a bunch of stuff in treespeak that makes it seem like there is more.

 

That being said, This is my headcanon.

 

[SPIRIT]

We also know that theft and murder are highly taboo, to the point where the word "Piraka" (meaning thief and murderer) is an obscenity.

 

Naming Day is also an interesting cultural observation.  Have the spelling of your name changed to something more ridiculous to celebrate an accomplishment.

 

Then there are things specific to the Matoran of Metru Nui (e.g. Le-Matoran who use neologistic compound words and telling newer residents that Mata Nui travels through the chutes delivering presents on Naming Day.

[Alyska]

The fact that the Piraka named themselves that is pretty hilarious because they probably did it just so that all the goody-goody little Matoran would be forced to swear every time they talked about them.

 

Naming Day... I guess it's like those parents who name their kid "Macques" instead of "Max" to show how very special and unique the child is. Why any being would willingly inflict it on themselves is another question.

 

Anyone remember the non-canon Naming Day story? Takua got pretty miffed that all his friends got new names, the national sport got a new name, and even his pet crab got given a new name, but he didn't so he just sat in the corner carving out a passive-aggressive chronicle of the whole thing while everyone else had a party. Poor Takua.

[MrSciFiGuy]

huh, I never realized that handshakes were left for serious things. I like that

[Erasmus Graves]

 

The fact that the Piraka named themselves that is because they probably did it just so that all the goody-goody little Matoran would be forced to swear every time they talked to them.

 

That'd probably make sense because the Skakdi do stuff like that. If being in a state of perpetual war isn't bad enough, the Skakdi love mouth-feeding and practice it regularly (and doubtlessly consume fermented fluids too). It's not surprising that the Matoran don't like their culture.

[Alyska]

Skakdi love mouth-feeding and practice it regularly (and doubtlessly consume fermented fluids too).

 

Headcanon time!

 

Skakdi are absolutely terrifying when drunk.

 

But not for the reasons you'd expect.

 

They actually get really really affectionate and clingy, and have no sense of personal space whatsoever.

 

Imagine an intoxicated Skakdi cradling a petrified Agori, going "You're my bestest squishiest friend and I'm gonna take you home and we'll be together FOREVER. Yes, you'd like that, wouldn't you? Yes, good squishy-squish."

[SPIRIT]

 

Skakdi love mouth-feeding and practice it regularly (and doubtlessly consume fermented fluids too).

 

Headcanon time!

 

Skakdi are absolutely terrifying when drunk.

 

But not for the reasons you'd expect.

 

They actually get really really affectionate and clingy, and have no sense of personal space whatsoever.

 

Imagine an intoxicated Skakdi cradling a petrified Agori, going "You're my bestest squishiest friend and I'm gonna take you home and we'll be together FOREVER. Yes, you'd like that, wouldn't you? Yes, good squishy-squish."

 

I guess that's a separate question.  Do protodermic organics ferment?  A brief search on BS01 reveals a few mentions of "rot" and "decay", and we know about Protodites, so presumably there could be some organic process that turns rotten vegetation into alcohol.  But then would it affect the biomechanical beings in the same way?  Their brains seem like a very mechanical component, housing the program or "spirit" that is their mind.  It is this portion that needs to be intact for them to receive a new body on the Red Star.  And while pouring alcohol onto your computer isn't recommended, it probably wouldn't make it drunk.  And even if it could affect their brains, it would require their brains to have neurotransmitter inputs that can be slowed down by the presence of alcohol in order to create the drunken effect.  The fact that most beings eat pure energy suggests that there is probably not much of a system in place for imbibing specific nutrients that would necessitate such inputs.

 

 

 

Also it's a story for kids, so probably not.

[Toa Imrukii]

After ready this, I just want to make a picture of Jaller and a few other Ta-Matoran doing these gestures with the undertale characters.

[Zestanor]

I think it varied, especially on Mata Nui. When we're first introduced to the Matoran of Mata Nui, the villages seem to be at their most disjointed, culturally, with Ta-Koro going through a sort of Sparta phase. They BANISHED Takua! They weren't trading with each other at full capacity—Le-Koro seemed to have been very isolated at this time. Evidence of this is the village's strong dialect, which slowly wore off after the Toa arrived and reunited the island. Compare Kongu's dialogue in MNOG with his dialogue in the Legends books! And if you can accept it (I like it), they weren't calling themselves Matoran anymore until the first victory of the Toa; they referred to themselves as Ta-Koronans or Le-Koronans or (gasp) Tohunga.

 

I know this all can be chalked up to Early Installment Weirdness, and is usually inferred to be retconned... But it doesn't have to!

[Alyska]

I think it varied, especially on Mata Nui. When we're first introduced to the Matoran of Mata Nui, the villages seem to be at their most disjointed, culturally, with Ta-Koro going through a sort of Sparta phase. They BANISHED Takua! They weren't trading with each other at full capacity—Le-Koro seemed to have been very isolated at this time. Evidence of this is the village's strong dialect, which slowly wore off after the Toa arrived and reunited the island. Compare Kongu's dialogue in MNOG with his dialogue in the Legends books! And if you can accept it (I like it), they weren't calling themselves Matoran anymore until the first victory of the Toa; they referred to themselves as Ta-Koronans or Le-Koronans or (gasp) Tohunga.

 

I know this all can be chalked up to Early Installment Weirdness, and is usually inferred to be retconned... But it doesn't have to!

I like the idea of Treespeak evolving into a more "broad" form on Mata Nui, which Le-Matoran possibly still use among themselves but tone it down for talking to folks from other villages. Lewa seems to code-switch deliberately, using more Treespeak when he's being cute and friendly but dropping it entirely during his most serious moments.

 

"Tohunga" is probably best left unused, but I like the idea of "Ta-Koran" etc being used more than "Ta-Matoran" on Mata Nui, since it fits with the theme of Matoran forgetting exactly what they are and what their purpose is.