Note: This will be an on-going series as I develop the Volk's various art forms, so check back for new articles! Most of these articles deal specifically with Federated culture, which is considered representative of Volk culture at large.

Jump to articles about specific arts:
 Metalworking & Glassblowing
 Woodworking & Construction
 Pottery
 Tanning

Of special interest, the article on Music.

Attitude towards Arts
Because of their work-based mentality, the people of the Federated weigh the value of activities on only two things – whether or not it gets work done, and whether or not it helps them bid for a better job. As such, art for art’s sake is generally deemed as worthless. It has no monetary value and it does not help the creator secure a job. To waste one’s days on creating useless pieces of art is idle and foolish.

However, the Volk appreciate the ability to make objects that are both functional and beautiful. Therefore, it is a highly prized skill to be able to complete jobs in a way that is aesthetically pleasing while still being efficient. Workers with artistic ability have higher job security than workers who produce plain objects, but even more valuable is a worker that can make something beautiful without adding a lot of time to the process. For example, a potter who can carve designs into a dish while throwing is considered more skilled than a potter who paints a design on a finished object.

As such, creativity is encouraged in relation to work, and artisans are continually trying to impress their landlord with their performance. However, mistakes and failed experiments on the job are costly, so workers often practice the artistic angle of their work at home on their own belongings. Most of the art people pursue at home is practice for work, but when spare time allows, art for art’s sake is an acceptable hobby. Many people consider it relaxing to pursue an art form outside of their expertise; to spend time on something that doesn’t directly promote their job is an indulgence. Drawing, which has no job potential for most people, is a favorite hobby art. When not on the job, criticism of art is low, so people are free to dabble.

However, this hobby art is viewed as disposable, just like writing for pleasure is. Art for art’s sake is rarely kept. Occasionally it will be used to decorate the home, but more often it will be reused or discarded. Drawing is often done on an erasable surface, such as in the dirt or with washable chalks, and decorated surfaces are often painted over and redecorated. In all cases, art is done with whatever materials are available. It is an extreme luxury to be able to spend any amount of money on hobby art.

Inventing falls under the same criticism as creative arts do. While inventions to increase work efficiency are welcome and occasionally discovered, the average man does not have time for tinkering. They cannot risk failing a job by having their experiment go awry, so there is little room to test possible inventions. Most are content to focus on surviving the day with an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, content to live out the endless grind of days with no thought for improving the future. As such, culture tends to spin at a standstill, firmly entrenched in its medieval-esque time period.

Practiced Arts: Metalworking & Glassblowing
Because of their hesitancy to use the hotter shades of fire, the Volk do not possess the tools necessary to do extensive glassblowing or metalworking. Furthermore, the sand and brown stone of the region is ill-suited for glassblowing, and only one type of metal is mined in the area.

This dark-copper colored metal, called kupfer (from German: “copper”), is extremely soft and can be hammered at room temperature. When baked at a high heat, the metal hardens and darkens; if overheated, it whitens and becomes brittle. The Volk beat kupfer into low-wear objects such as dishes, as well as objects that need to be adjustable while still holding their shape, such as armor. Unwilling to play with the high temperature, the Volk rarely bake kupfer themselves, though they export a decent percentage of it to the northern metalworking dwarves.

While kupfer fulfills most of their household needs, the Volk do use stronger metals for farm tools, weapons, and cutlery. Because these stronger metals are crafted under high heat or extremely low temperatures, the Volk import almost all of this metal as finished products. Some landlords will allow repairs and minor modifications to be carried on in their estate, but little other metalworking is attempted.

The Volk have no appreciation for glass. Considering it fragile and impractical, they use very little of it; the hourglass is the only notable use of glass in Volk culture. Glass is always imported, as glassblowing is considered a dangerous hobby and highly discouraged.

This is really cool, Philli, and makes total sense. Your thoughts are consistent, and show depth in this culture.

Airianna posted in my subforum! *huggles* Thank you, dear. Consistency is difficult to maintain, but it does give you a lot of ideas by building "outward." "Well, if they don't do metalworking, then they probably prefer non-metal weapons..." Etc.

Woodworking and Construction
When the Volk’s ancestors first settled the southern half of Erde, ample tress made wood the primary building material. As the forests were cleared for farmland, wood became more precious. The serfs supplemented with cheap sod while the landlords used stone to build their permanent estates. Today all wood is imported, so it is reserved for doors, windows, and the occasional expensive floor. The well-off prefer stone, while some of the middle-class can afford brick. The poor live in sod huts or cloth tents, depending on their occupation.

However, woodworking remains a staple for Volk furnishings. In favorable political conditions, wood can be inexpensively imported from the nearby central forests, making wooden furnishings affordable for most classes. Because political unrest makes availability unstable, however, wooden objects are always preserved and well-cared for, even by the rich. Wood is recycled and reused as much as possible. Woodworking is a fairly stable occupation, but most woodworkers maintain a secondary job in pottery or metalworking for times when wood is scarce.

Because nails and screws must be imported, most Volk woodworking designs are glued or fit together without needing to be affixed. The finest Volk designs are like puzzles, with all of the object’s parts fitting together in a beautiful pattern. Scraps of wood are pieced into new objects with a technique similar to patchwork quilting. Carving as an art form is discouraged because it wastes wood, but functional objects are often embellished with carvings. The Volk stain and seal their wood heavily to preserve it, but they rarely paint it.

Pottery
Pottery is a staple for home goods in Volk culture. The bulk of their containers and cooking pots are made out of clay, and both the poor and rich alike use clay dishes. Clay is also used to build ovens, fireplaces, and pits or enclosures for cooking, drying, and tanning. Clay bricks are a common building material, and some rich have the luxury of tiling their floor with clay.

The soil in the south makes excellent clay. Sand-colored clay is collected from the extreme southern border, while brown clay is harvested from the base of the mountains on the northern edge of the Volk’s territory. When properly fired and sealed, pottery made from sand-colored soil is incredibly light, while the brown soils make highly durable clay. Sand-colored clay is often mixed with brown-colored to create a balance of lightness and stability that cannot be rivaled from clay made anywhere else in the world.

However, because of their fear of the hotter shades of fire, the Volk rarely fire their pottery to the fullest extent. They prefer to let it air-dry or slowly bake over cooler blue fire. As a result, Volk pottery pieces are often less durable. But because clay is readily available and pottery is generally inexpensive, the Volk treat most pieces of pottery as semi-disposable. The exception is clay used for building; the Volk will put extra effort into making clay bricks, structures, and tiling durable and long-lasting. Potters experiment with various ways to strengthen clay without using high heat, including adding other substances to the mixture or sealing the piece with a stabilizing glaze.

The Volk rarely paint or carve their pottery because it is considered frivolous to spend so much extra time making something beautiful. Instead, a skilled potter knows how to form pleasing designs into a piece while throwing, and how to bring out a beautiful color while glazing or baking. A common practice is to mix other substances in the clay for color and texture.

The Volk do not export much finished pottery because of the difficulty in shipping. However, they do export their prized soil and clay, primarily to the northern mountain-dwelling tribes. The dwarves and elves in the mountains do not have sufficient soil for clay-making, but they are not afraid to use the hot shades of fire to craft the Volk’s clay to its fullest extent.

Tanning
Leather is a staple in Volk culture because of its durable and flexible properties. Most Volk armor is made from leather, particularly vests and armguards; leather aprons and vests are also used as protective gear for other professions. Leather is the most common material for footwear, with boots being a favored style for both genders of all classes. The Volk also use leather for bags, tack, and straps on other goods, in lieu of metal closures.

The Volk love the natural beauty of leather, so many of their leather goods are unadorned. A skilled crafter can add practical embellishment by using fancy stitches on the seams and edges. For more luxurious items, leather might be embossed with intricate designs.

The Volk tan the hides from a variety of animals. Because land space is precious, the Volk raise breeds of livestock that are good for both hide and meat; not many animals are raised just for their hide. Where opportunity exists, the Volk will hunt and trap whatever animals are available, and they often salvage the pelts from animals that die of other causes. Most of the Volk’s fur comes from deceased pets and hunting animals, primarily dogs and large cats.

The Volk use fur primarily for bedding, pillows, and chair cushions. A fur hammock is a practical luxury. Because of their warm climate, the Volk do not use much fur in their clothing. However, fur, particularly that of large cats, is considered beautiful, so pet owners will often make the pelts of their deceased animals into vests, cuffs and armguards, or embellishments for boots.

Wow, I found that disturbing, only because very recently there was conversation with someone about making deceased family member's ashes into jewelry.

Since most pets would die of old age, wouldn't the fur be of lesser quality?

That's... awful, Airianna. However, the slightly disturbing/distasteful feel is why I put this element in there. The Volk are very practical, austere, and present-focused. Once something or someone is dead they're gone; their contracts end, including marriages and other relationships, and people are expected to move on as though the deceased never was. So if an animal dies, its usefulness is done, and they consider it frugal and wise to reuse what they can.

I'm not sure about that, Jonathan, but I think it would still have usefulness, even if it wasn't pristine quality.

Thanks very much for the comments!

Ah! That makes total sense. Yes, I see what you are aiming for.

I'm not kidding about the jewerly, by the way. There is a company dedicated to making jewelry out of your grandmother.

Good! I'm glad it works.

Oh, I believe you. I just don't think that's a wise idea... The Volk practice cremation exclusively (they don't bury at all) but they don't save anything because it isn't useful. And that'd be just too gritty for my tastes.

I don't either. I was rather horrified that my Grandmother was interested in having it done.

Music
Because music is not a tangible object that can be used or sold, it is deemed as worthless in Volk culture. Musician is not a viable occupation; those with the leisure would rather make their own music than hire someone else to play. Therefore, music is a rather insignificant part of Volk culture, and the creation thereof is pursued only as a hobby.

Not surprisingly, the Volk do not spend much time playing instruments. Most musicians are self-taught on whatever instruments they happen to acquire – or they fashion themselves out of household materials. The Volk enjoy experimenting with the sounds various objects make and consider any sound to be “music,” no matter how absurd. In Volk culture, banging on kitchen pots with a spoon is not just a game for inquisitive children.

The Volk are very fond of the human voice, however. Whether it be singing or whistling, a person can make music with their mouth while working, making vocalizing a practical source of amusement. The Volk will sing during any occasion, and they have no qualms about doing so in public. Workers will often sing together or play games with their voices, such as passing a song from person to person with each singer adding a line. When alone, many Volk amuse themselves with music, such as by creating a rhyme and seeing how long they can continue the pattern without forgetting stanzas.

Most of the Volk’s songs are trivial and temporal, sung for amusement only. They favor improv, often times writing lyrics about current events. Much of Volk gossip and news is spread in this way. Because the Volk discourage preserving art and writing, they do not write down their music. Very few Volk can read music, and many of their songs are forgotten soon after they are sung. Only a few favorite pieces are preserved by being repeated from generation to generation.

Because the Volk view music as a trivial amusement, they do not have a fine ear for quality. Dissonance and grating sounds do not annoy them; many instruments are poorly tuned. The Volk are not concerned with rhyme or rhythm, and they have low criticality for lyrics. In many cases they do not care about the meaning of the words, only the sound. Full-grown adults will create ridiculous rhymes or sing pure nonsense words; the Volk will also repeat songs in other languages, whether inherited from their past or borrowed from other languages, without having any idea of the translation.

The one professional use of music in Volk culture is whistling. Whistles are used to communicate with workers and manage animals. Being skilled with one’s lips is an advantage in many professions, but man-made whistles do have a market. Additionally, horns and other wind instruments are used in ceremonies and to summon workers over a greater distance. Some estates also have bell-towers for this purpose. The style of calls varies by region; when the Federated was founded, an official system of calls was developed to aid communication between armies and estates.