So, I've introduced a new race into my story. Minotaurs.

Appearance: Large, but humanoid in form. Men grow up to eight feet tall, and have long horns on each side of their head, sometimes equaling four feet in length. They have thick, knotted necks to hold their heads up and are covered in thick hair. Hands are similar to humans but they have claws they can extend much like a cats. These are long and black and poisonous. Lacerations caused by them are very prone to infection as well. The women are usually smaller, and they are missing the horns the males have, but their claws are longer, and they're very fast. They're of average intellect, but you don't usually find a brilliant genius minotaur.

Society: Patriarchal fighting society. Status is determined by hunting exploits and dueling. Huge horns are also a huge status boost. Men do the hunting (yes, they are omnivorous) and fighting with other minotaur tribes. They also build the houses, and till the fields, and run most of the village affairs. The women cook the food (except for meat which is also considered a man's job.) They plant and harvest the fields, and make the clothing and other things needed for the house. The ratio of men to women is slightly lopsided, so duels are usually over marriage rights. (3 men/2 woman.) That sounds chauvinist, but really the whole culture is very chivalrous and respectful.

History: Minotaurs are originally from a large island (kind of like Iceland) off the coast of the mainland, but those who tried to migrate to the mainland were killed as monsters by the humans. That was maybe a thousand years ago and there has been no further contact. Minotaurs withdrew into their own society and told horrible stories about hairless demons that haunted the mainland shores. Then about a century ago the island was re-discovered and a tentative trade was established. Soon chieftains of the different tribes noticed that they could sell their war captives as slaves to the traders, and they were highly prized for their strength and ability to do work. So minotaurs have been re-introduced into the mainland and a slave population has multiplied and grown.

*deep sigh* So nice to get all that sorted out. Just a few more miscellaneous things.

Horns. They're REALLY important to a male minotaur. His whole national pride and masculinity are bound up in them.

Insults. This is the reason I didn't put them in the creatures category. (Besides them being sentient and having a culture.) Don't EVER call a minotaur "cow" or "ox" or anything similar. They REALLY resent anything comparing them to a beast and it really hurts and angers them to be called names like that. They're very sensitive.

Any questions? They're still fairly rough.

I like what you have so far, Willow. The insult bit really caught my attention.

Thanks ya'll. So glad you like them! Do you have any questions to help me flesh it out more?

Awesome! I love them! Just a few quick questions:

Why are the war captives content to stay slaves? With their strength and other attributes, why would they not escape from their masters in droves? It seems to me that, if they really worked hard to escape, they would be considered too much trouble to buy in the first place.

Do they have any specific weakness(es)?

The war captives stayed slaves because there were very few of them, a lot more slave traders etc... They're also not very good at strategizing so to come up with a plan for escape comes hard to a minotaur.

Now, there are still very few minotaurs imported off the island, but many of them have been "bred" in captivity, and there are quite a few. However they have the slave mentality from childhood, so that's a huge problem. Also the rare rogue minotaur is dealt with EXTREMELY harshly. By law, and in the eyes of pretty much everyone, they are animals, so there are no laws against being cruel to them. So that's a huge deterrent to much resistance. They're also not that great at working together.


Let's see weaknesses...Well, like I mentioned before, they're quite clever in their own habitat. The island they live on is very inhospitable and humans would never survive there, but they've managed to thrive.

I guess though that if a minotaur ever had the chance to live an easy life, they might get very fat.

Also, cleverness does not mean they're smart. Strategy, riddles, etc...are almost impossible.

The males often have a hard time maneuvering because of their enormous horns.

Hmm...I hadn't thought of that possibility...there haven't really been any human wars for a long time because there's an Emperor who is so horribly oppressive and he squelches a lot of opposition.

But minotaurs ARE used a lot as prison guards and soldiers.

Super good!
I think if I was someone raising an army in this world I would try and get me some Minotaur mercenaries.

Love Minotaurs, great job on these! Looking forward to hearing more.
One question: You said they live on an inhospitable island with little human contact, are there any other Minotaurs anywhere else? And what is it about the island that is so inhospitable?
Thanks and great job!

-Aeleknight

There used to be Minotaurs on the mainland a very very long time ago, but they split off from their island kin. And eventually the earliest people killed them.

The island's terrain is just really nasty. Mountains, poor soil, and ferocious animals.

That's cool! Great job!

Your minotaurs are awesome. Well done.

Do the minotaurs have any race-wide phobias? (i.e. All minotaurs are afraid of fire, etc...)

Which book do these fall into, Willow?

The Minotaurs belong to my Elemental story.

And let's see...phobias? Not really any more so than the human race I don't think... In fact, they're probably more fearless. Cowardice is considered extremely shameful, and since your standing in society is based on your hunting and strength, there isn't much patience for timid minotaurs.

That's a really, really good point. I'll have to research honor-based societies and see what I come up with.

Going off of that, I could also see them (especially the men) being really afraid of weakness. No tears, no sickness, as little rest as possible...

But do you think that sounds cliche? It does to me for some reason...

It doesn't sound cliche. Maybe it would for something like dwarves but I've never really read a fantasy book that develops minotaurs to any great extent.

(And on a totally unrelated note: You got on HW! And you're working on Elemental!! *cartwheels*

eru

I agree with Andrew. Minotaurs are fairly undeveloped across the board. So I think you are safe.

But, it just seems like there are a lot of honor based cultures in fantasy novels. That's what I mean.

Any ideas on how I could make this... not such a typical honor based culture?

*will think on this*

eru

It seems to me there would be something like an honor of tears. It would be considered an honor to weep for the weakness and the fall of another, and to give him honor if he did not fail through his own weakness. It seems they would think that they must be strong to grieve.

It seems to me that the male Minotaurs would take mourning very seriously, and the doleful howling of their dirges would be a wonder to other peoples. Remember Jeremiah begging that his eyes would be a fountain of tears, and king David following the bier of Abner.

The dirge of the Minotaurs makes a very natural image in my mind.
They may also take to an unwise extreme, and count it a dishonor to make a joke, or to sing a song except by consensus at a gathering, or to express happiness except during a song, or to express gratitude for anything until after it is given and approved, and other such nonsense.

But there would be sober-minded and yet cheerful and courteous Minotaurs, who would be seen as weak, though they would often be more terrible in anger and war.

Hmmm...I do like the idea that appears in my mind with the words "minotaur dirge" Perhaps funerals are the only place where showing grief is socially acceptable!

In other situations tears and such are considered weakness so at funerals, the minotaurs can get together and mourn really for all the hurts in the world as well as for a death...

Ooh, I'm getting a really strong sense of like some sort of ceremonial monthly meeting where all the minotaurs get together and number their griefs and grieve for them...don't know if that's helpful

eru

Now that twist would be fascinating!

Ooh. Tsahraf has the best ideas.

Ok, so here's what I've come up with based on that.

They have an annual Day of the Dead. They bury their dead immediately, but on the day of the dead, they all gather around and mourn for all who have died that year, and for all the other griefs and hurts that have happened. It's the one day, when tears are not shameful...

I like that.

eru

I like.

Thank you. And thank you, Tsahraf!

Any other questions, ya'll can think of?

Are their heads ox heads or hairy humans heads? And are there feet, or are their legs like the legs of an ox?

What are some of the foods that they eat?

What are some of the different sorts of songs that they sing?

Do they dance, or act, or do other performances?

What is their architecture like?

How does their culture change over time? What is their history?

Those should be enough for a while. If you really need to develop them you could start separate threads for some of the questions.

Their heads are ox heads, but the rest of their bodies are completely human, except for the claws I mentioned earlier. Also, the male minotaurs can be very, very hairy.

They are omnivores, and eat much of the same food that humans do, however, it is considered bad luck to eat a cow or a similar animal.

Their dirges are absolutely legendary, like I already mentioned. Also, minotaurs LOVE to drink all kinds of alcoholic beverages. It makes them feel really good, but they don't get drunk very easily. So many of their songs have something to do with mead, beer, ale, etc...

The women play the drums that keep the time for the men. The women do not dance anymore. They used to, but long ago in minotaur history, so long ago that it is now a legend, the daughters of a small minotaur tribe went out to dance together at harvest time. While they were doing so, the males of another tribe came and kidnapped all of them. When their fathers and brothers came after them, there was a battle and the thieving minotaurs actually went through and wiped out the whole rest of the tribe! The minotaur daughters were devastated. For a whole family line to be ended is considered a huge tragedy. As they mourned for their families, they cast a curse on their husband's tribe, and they never danced again. That tribe of minotaur eventually died out as well. (some say it was because of the curse) and the women minotaur, to this day, do not dance, in remembrance of that event.

The men on the other hand...dance a LOT. They dance to relate various folklore and hunting stories to each other. They dance at weddings. They dance at funerals. They've got a great sense of rhythm, there's a lot of stomping, and snorting, and flinging each other around, and they make the ground shake. It's incredible to watch.

Their architecture is very simple. They build simple wooden houses. Some of the minotaur are more nomadic because they live in harsher parts of the island, and have to travel to find game, and then to plant in the spring. The nomadic minotaur carry tents, or they make mud huts that are easy to build in a day, and also deteriorate quickly once they leave.

Their culture has not really changed very much. They have a lot of traditions, and those traditions have kept them solidly where they are for many years.

Are their heads different variants of the ox heads, or do they have the same variations, in color, the size of the horns, and the underlying shape? I imagined them as having variations, but none of them corresponding, for example, with longhorns, yaks, bison, so on.

Do they eat the same foods as the cultures they have dealings with, or do they have a separate cuisine of their own? How does their food vary with the different tribes and time periods? Are there any things that they find more insalubrious than non-minotaurs, or are they in general less effected by any potentially harmful things they eat? How would this effect their cuisine, especially with their dealings with people with different vulnerabilities?

What instruments do they use or not use, and how does this vary? Do they have buildings for dancing, or do they do it outside, or how do they arrange that? Are there large audiences, are people encouraged to join, are there stages, are there orchestras or choirs or groups, are there gatherings or special places that they return to or traveling players, so on?

The story about the women dancing reminds me of the war against the tribe of Benjamin. It is an interesting idea.

Do they have arches, pillars, towers, or what do they use?

How did they become minotaurs? How do they see that event? Are there any cultural symbols or feelings caused by it?

Or would you rather focus on developing something else more? Are minotaurs one of your favorites, or more important, or are more people interested in them?

A few more ?s for thee. You do not need to answer them all if you are working on something else