Summer Anfylk

Summer Anfylk
The summer anfylk are what most people think of when they hear the word anfylk. They’re the most populous of the anfylk breeds and they’re the ones who best embody all the preconceived notions people in general have about the fylkin.

Habitat
The summer anfylk prefer to live in temperate climate where the summers are long and the winters mild. They seek out areas where grassland mixes with forest. The ideal locations have hills enough for burrows but no mountains.

Summer anfylk work the land for food. They grow crops and keep livestock. For the most part the sheep is the livestock of choice but in some regions miniature cows and small pigs are common. Anfylk, as a rule, aren’t comfortable herding livestock that are bigger than they are.

The traditional fylkin hole, or burrow, is the preferred dwelling of the summer anfylk. Living with, in and under soil is an old saying that well describes the preferred living conditions and occupation of summer anfylk.

Marriage and family
As is traditional among all fylkin, summer anfylk marry for life. A couple, once married, generally also stay together, monogamous and faithful to each other for life. Families are large with plenty of children. It’s not uncommon that a couple are still caring for infants of their own long after the first sons and daughters have moved out and started their own families.

The father of the house and his oldest unmarried sons work to keep the rest of the family fed and clothed. The mother and the oldest unmarried daughters stay at home to maintain the household and look after the younger children.

The large number of children in their families has led to inbreeding becoming something of an issue in summer anfylk communities. As with all anfylk adventuring is highly frowned upon, even if it’s just travelling far in order to find a wife. As such, marrying a girl from the same or a neighboring village has become something of a status symbol among summer anfylk. This type of marriage is often pre-arranged and reserved for the firstborn sons and daughters of the richest or most influential families of a village.

Summer anfylk daughters do not go travelling in search of future husbands but stay at home waiting for someone to come court them. In the past young anfylk males would bring with them the names of females in their village ready to marry when they went out searching for their own bride to be. In the modern day, different types of dating services have sprung up and gained widespread popularity. Mostly these are based on placing adds in newspapers, but a few dedicated publications also exist.

In the last few years some attempts at Internet based dating sites geared towards summer anfylk have been made. However, the lack of high-speed Internet coupled with the traditionalist summer anfylk’s reluctance to embrace new technology has lent these attempts very limited success.

Picnic
Summer anfylk are as a rule highly religious. The most commonly practiced form of worship is the family picnic on Restday. The picnic basket is filled to the brim with goodies. The father of the house gathers his family members and herds them in a noisy, cheerful procession to one of his favorite picnic spots. Once the brought goodies are consumed the adults and the older adolescents rest or nap in the grass, preferably in the shade of a big tree, while the younger kids are free to play as they wish – as long as they don’t disturb their elders too much.

In the ideal world it should always be sunny and pleasant on Restday but unfortunately that isn’t always the case. To this end many summer anfylk communities have erected shelters in pleasant locations where picnics can be had without fear of getting ruined by rain.

If the weather conditions are extremely bad, such as during storms, or in winter, the picnic can be relocated to the local pub.

Siesta/napping
Traditionally farmers the summer anfylk are used to working outdoors. When the day is at its warmest they prefer to take a nap or siesta instead of wasting their energy in the heat. The daily afternoon nap is a central part of summer anfylk worship and something that’s commonly practiced even by summer anfylk not actually working outdoors. In modern society this is often a source of conflict between summer anfylk and non-fylk employers.

Hobbies
Summer fylkin women generally don’t have much time for hobbies. Most of their time is spent tending to their home and their family. What time they have for recreation is often spent on things that will benefit the household in some way, usually via some kind of handicraft such as weaving or embroidery.

However, summer anfylk women are well known and respected for their skill at making cider. Most households don’t have the facilities for making their own cider, but in almost all summer anfylk villages there is at least one cider making facility operated by the women of the village. The local cider is served at the local pub and it’s a source of pride for all inhabitants of the village; both men and women. Competitions are held yearly to determine what village produces the best cider of the region, country or even the world.

The male summer anfylk have more spare time than the females, but often don’t use it to pursue hobbies. Rather they prefer relaxing with their friends and neighbors at the local pub, enjoying a pint of ale or two. When they do spend their free time on something else it is often related to some kind of community project; Mending or raising a rain shelters, helping the lone and elderly or just assisting in any kind of project undertaken by the village as a whole.