Who were the groups that were cast aside? There were so many of them; some resisted the dominant culture that made them people forbidden to be touched by the general population. Because of centuries of tradition, these people or groups were ignored or discriminated against as a rule which became more of a religious dogma than a law. Out of old traditional fear, overlords were part of the dominating elite of a small ethnic group trying to keep the old rules out of fear; they resisted innovation that might have compromised their positions. People who lacked power rose in rebellion because of cultural dogma. More powerful ethnic groups defended the tiny elite. Voices spoke up in written and oral protest as they flooded their world with words and demonstrations, but it was not to be. Gradually the people of the air who were the outcast for centuries wrote stories that caught the imagination and attention of the population. In small amounts, they changed the thinking of other people. Only a few people changed their thinking; the people of the air were feared as their buildings and dwellings were inaccessible, a mystery of what went on up there; people below heard strange chants and ceremonies, assumptions that grew into rumors, which created more fear.
In the mythical world, this dominant ethnic or elite society controlled commerce and decided what innovations would be acceptable; it was natural that people wouldn’t have listened. Still, through media and propaganda, many were convinced that they were looking out for society. Many subgroups developed that deviated from the social norms, but religious dogma held sway. People continued to pull away as they got to know the forbidden groups.
People who were marginalized eventually formed their ways of competing with the elite people; they developed their farming communities, traded with people across the sea, broke social taboos, and created innovations in technology, art, and science. Eventually, other people knocked on their door, and they became a competition for the elites.
Once a tiny group of people, perhaps numbering only a few thousand, could control the formation of the clouds and sky with chants and special symbols. Through their techniques, they made the days warm as summer in the winter, cloudless skies suddenly rained, and spring became extremely hot. Many other cultural groups kept away from these people out of fear; authorities forbid their people to associate with them. Otherwise, they would have been imprisoned or executed. Wizards and scholars were part of groups, yet they were not; they advised and were a type of marginalized elite, as the dominant society feared them. It took time for the dominant culture to break down. Eventually, it became a reality when there were no elites or dominant ethnic groups.
Robert J. Matsunaga
