The Massassi of the ancient Sith Empire practiced both ceremonial and practical war dances, called zyrrhgk (singular also "zyrrhgk"), stemming from times more ancient still when the Sith clans had been at war with one another, before they were unified by the Exiles. When Khrado Ragnos resurrected the species into his new Massassi millennia later, he allowed them to resume the practice as one of many steps aimed at restoring the Sith Empire. Incorporating the practice into their culture even as they largely reinvented it, the Massassi continued using zyrrhgk into their time in the Golden Empire.
Basics[]
Zyrrhgk varied greatly depending on their purposes, but all shared common features. Dancers would stomp; slap their chests, arms, and legs; strike intimidating poses; snarl, roar, and hiss; and adopt deliberately intimidating facial expressions. Some rituals involved interacting with partners, while others were conducted in a purely synchronized manner. Some military zyrrhgk involved the use of weapons.
Types[]
Battle dances[]
Tzzyryrg ahkrazzyk was a war dance performed before battle, designed to stimulate adrenaline, promote group cohesion, increase aggression, and diminish fear. Most Massassi soldiers performed the dance in full armor; it could be performed using either single- or double-bladed glaives, but required one or the other. Some Massassi worked periodically on developing a similar war dance employing the enormous blaster rifles they wielded in the Golden Empire, with mixed approval from other Massassi.
Hmregdyyg fegh, the "duel dance", was a zyrrhgk performed between two Massassi preparing for one-on-one combat, usually to the death. Although learned and passed on by cultural historians, most Massassi rarely practiced the dance after control of the revived Massassi passed to Tak Sakaros, who did not have many Massassi to spare and consequently insisted on mediating disputes among them himself.
Celebratory dances[]
The hrryff zurg dance was used by members of a Massassi Cohort to welcome a transfer into the unit or send off a member of the unit transferring to another cohort. It employed the signature Massassi glaives.
The gwhdik zhrrg was a celebratory dance performed unarmed to recognize particularly important life milestones, such as marriage and the birth of children. The gwhdik zhrrg matyyn was a special variant performed by male Massassi for (and with) a Massassi boy when he came of age.
Hethafr nagrrg was a dance of respect reserved for particularly distinguished personages, usually Sith Lords, although it could be performed for others of very high rank. It employed Massassi lanvaroks.
Mourning dances[]
Massassi had three mourning zyrrhgk:
- The yzzhk hmragh was a generic mourning dance which could be performed by any Massassi for the death of a loved one. Yzzhk hmragh was a common sight at Massassi funerals on Kavez Massass. It was taboo to perform yzzhk hmragh for a Massassi who had died in a disgraceful fashion.
- Iyrshrk sglodott was a mourning dance restricted to current or former soldiers, and was employed only in mourning of a deceased Massassi soldier. On extremely rare occasions, it could also be performed in honor of one that a Massassi unit regarded as a comrade-in-arms.
- Tenrrfek nrrmnt was reserved for mourning those Massassi viewed as their leaders or masters. Historically it would be performed only for Sith Lords, although in the Golden Empire, Massassi often performed tenrrfek nrrmnt for Consuls of Kavez Massass.
Religious dances[]
Massassi had religious dances for a variety of occasions, coinciding with their various holidays and holy days. The two most common were chyalhshk nrrav and nrayzog yyri jymakkad. The former was used for routine worship in a Massassi temple, while the latter was restricted to worship "before the god"—in the physical presence of one the Massassi believed to be divine.
In ancient times, nrayzog yyri jymakkad involved sentient sacrifice, either of captured prisoners or volunteers among the dancers (or both). Khrado Ragnos allowed this to continue, but Tak Sakaros ordered the Massassi not to kill themselves, and Rin Sakaros further curtailed executions in the dances, though once in a long while she would allow the Massassi to incorporate the sacrifice of beings who had already been condemned to death for other reasons.
History[]
In the ancient Sith Empire, zyrrhgk were performed routinely up through the reign of Naga Sadow. After the Great Hyperspace War, most Massassi were slain. Those few who escaped with Sadow to Yavin 4 continued to practice war dances, but as the Massassi degenerated into more brutish versions of themselves under the influence of Sadow's Sith alchemy, many of the details were lost. Exar Kun's absorption of the life forces of nearly all the Massassi on the moon's surface put an end to the dances for millennia.
When Khrado Ragnos revived the species, he used ancient Sith records to allow his Massassi to learn "their" war dances. Over the following decades, the Massassi relearned or improvised many of the ancient dances. The art flourished in the Golden Empire, particularly when Rin Sakaros used her own alchemical skills to amplify the intelligence of her Massassi to a near-Human standard.
For non-Massassi[]
Most war dances were performed by and for Massassi exclusively, apart from those used to worship the Sith. On rare occasions, however, Massassi would honor other beings with dances usually reserved to Massassi.
- In 149 ABY, the 14th Massassi Cohort allowed Tekk Draykhan's body to lie with those of their own dead after the Battle of the Sith Star, and a company of the 14th performed the iyrshrk sglodott to honor him as a fallen brother-in-arms.
- The Massassi considered Eskol Kaartinen a special friend of their species. When seven Tomb Guards died defending Keltrayu's Tomb in the Battle of Keliso, Kaartinen allowed their bodies to lie in honor in the Tomb until they were transported to Kavez Massass. During the Battle of the Sith Star, two Massassi soldiers, Zyffrylek and Nrrghalan, died defending the door of the Citadel alongside Kaartinen, Vos'elk'eetash, and Te`net Organi; Kaartinen allowed both Massassi to lie in honor in the Citadel to honor their heroism and had their names inscribed on the door. At Kaartinen's own funeral in 157 ABY, a group comprised of one representative of each of the then-twenty Massassi Cohorts performed the iyrshrk sglodott to repay the honor.
Behind the scenes[]
The concept of Massassi war dances was inspired by a popular video online showing a wedding party performing a traditional Maori haka.
Sakaros found some inspiration for names of the Massassi dances in the Welsh language, which appears to share the Legendary Massassi language's aversion to vowels.