Lake Culture

[trentonian7]

I've been developing a culture that resides in a large area of lakes and salt marshes along the ocean coastline. From the mangrove swamps of the east, to the brackish waters of the more inland regions, the culture is unified by an environment of lakes and low elevation prone to flooding from the ocean and from run off every spring. They survive mostly on fishing, though also on rice farming.

What I'm unsure about is housing. I think I've settled on stilt houses- ie, houses built on tall stilts. While some of these would be above land, many villages are built in the middle of lakes, where complex series of stilts, docks, and wooden homes are built interlocking above the water. Others still live in their boats, where they sleep in small cabins at the rear.

Does this seem plausible? Any questions?

 

[Russ]

I think the deeper or faster moving the water the harder it is to do stilt homes. So you simply need to that that into account and you should be fine.

 

[KC Trae Becker]

I grew up on a peninsula. I know that fishing shacks are built directly on tidal marshes. They regularly flood and get washed away, but because they are only temporary shelters, the fishermen just ignore the flood damage, haul them back into place if they are intact enough or rebuild them.

Places meant to be more permanent, still get washed away in big storms. Modern people try to stabilize the dunes, but dunes along beaches or on tidal marshes are naturally constantly shifting with the currents and storms. Stunted wind swept trees and salt tolerant bushes will anchor the larger dunes somewhat and show areas that are less prone to shifting and washing away, but in bigger storms and hurricanes whole towns sometimes wash away.

Boats are useful, as they can ride out the smaller storms, but the best plan of actions for boat houses is to find safer harbors until after the storms, because big waves will capsize them, too.

I hope some of this is helpful, but it can at least give you the mood of people living along side the beautiful, bounteous, but treacherous sea.

 

[skip.knox]

Sure it works. You can go anything from tropical deltas (think Mississippi bayou) to whole cities (Venice). Plenty of examples to choose from in between.

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

One, the only, lake culture I have come across in fantasy would be the people found in one of the interludes in Brandon Sanderson's the Way of Kings. The lake is freshwater and pretty shallow. The people walk in it all the time, which makes me wonder how they don't get trench foot, but I digress.

Another interesting group of people to look at would be the Uros people of Peru. They live on Lake Titicaca and have created several floating islands.

 

[Bruce McKnight]

Sounds like a really cool idea. Humans (or demihumans?) are adaptable and should be able to make that work.

Lots of inspiration to be found. I like KC's thought about non-permenant housing. I was thinking about migrant tribes at first - maybe they hang out along the coastal lakes and then when those flood over with saltwater, they move inland towards freshwater lakes that are now swollen (possibly with small tents that they carry in back packs, maybe they even just sit and wait it out, getting poured on when storms come - maybe the men need to shield the women in storms because that's what's expected of them) - but I think the idea of just shrugging and rebuilding would be an interesting approach. You may be able to find inspiration from looking at poorer areas of the Carribean islands where storms destroy shacks regularly. Maybe they rebuilt from branches and debris every time a storm comes through - each storm destroys their homes, but also gives them new building materials - circle of life.

I also think there's inspiration to be found in Laketown (LOTR) and Camorr (Lies of Locke Lamora). They are more permanent settlement, but probably have some transferable traits or usable ideas.

They could also live in treehouses (maybe actually built into the tree hollows like in WOW) or inland homes that are commuted to and from.

Aside from housing, culture will probably be heavily influenced, too. Marriage, religion, etc would probably be uniquely impacted.

Also: rice = yes. Fantasy needs more rice.

 

[Deleted member 4007]

I wonder if the authorities, or the kings, or whatever you have, could live above the others.
What do I mean?
Well many places in the world were once marshland and swamp. They filled the places in with land to make them habitable.
What if your ruler lives on an acre of land that is fertile and on a hill, to avoid the flood situation?

Just a thought. Don't take it if you want the ruler to be really connected to this lake culture.

 

[Saigonnus]

Perhaps they live on stilted houses, or even on a network of interconnected barges on the water itself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NerdyCavegirl]

I have a similar culture living in an area similar to the Mississippi Delta. They live in simple cypress huts floating on the water that are anchored down with large boulders, do have to rebuild or relocate often after larger storms, and also grow rice. I agree that the representation of rice is very disproportionate to its consumption in this world. My culture's matron deity is a wild rice goddess that was impregnated by her ape god brother to make humans, so yeah I love rice. Not the way he does though.

 

[KC Trae Becker]

There's the lake dwelling Celtic cultures and a newly discovered village. Here's a link to an article about the research.

Everyday Life In A Bronze Age Village Emerges In U.K. Excavation : The Two-Way : NPR

Hope it helps.