Hunt Songs (Na'vi name: Taronway[1]) are often used to accompany rites of passage, including a precursor to the moment when a Na'vi first bonds with his or her banshee. They may be sung in unison, but more often are chanted breathlessly.
Other hunt songs focus on hunting activities, extolling the strength of both hunter and hunted, praying for the worthiness of the hunter, speaking to the spirits of the forest creatures, etc. These may be sung in many contexts: before or during a hunt, prior to battle with external forces, and during social events.
Many of the songs for puberty rituals and hunting are performed as non-melodic group chanting in a very forceful, rhythmic grunting style. In this style, the glottal stops and ejective consonants inherent in the Na'vi language are emphasized. It is believed that this chanting or grunting style is the oldest extant Na'vi expressive style, because of the way the song style incorporates and emphasizes these linguistic elements.
During some rituals, members of the clan will perform agile "hand-dancing" in which their long, tendril like fingers weave a deeply symbolic and poetic narrative. Rapid, controlled shifts of the dancers bioluminescent spots often add to the magical beauty of the performance.
Here is a typical example of hunt song lyrics, which often display great respect for the potential prey:
| English | Na'vi |
|---|---|
| We are walking your way | Terìran ayoe ayngane |
| We are coming | Zera'u |
| We are singing your way | Rerol ayoe ayngane |
| So choose | Ha ftxey |
| Choose one among you | Awpot set ftxey ayngal a l(u) ayngakip |
| Chorus (repeated):
Who will feed the People |
Awpot a Na'viru yomtìyìng. |
| Let my arrow strike true | Oeyä swizaw nìngay tivakuk |
| Let my spear strike the heart | Oeyä tukrul txe'lanit tivakuk |
| Let the truth strike my heart | Oeri tìngayìl txe'lanit tivakuk |
| Let my heart be true | Oeyä txe'lan livu ngay. |
| You are fast and strong | Lu nga win sì txur |
| You are wise | Lu nga txantslusam |
| I must be fast and strong | Livu win sì txur oe zene |
| So only | Ha n(ì)'aw |
| Only if I am worthy of you | Pxan livu txo nì'aw oe ngari |
| Chorus (repeated):
Will you feed the People |
Tsakrr nga Na'viru yomtìyìng. |
References[]
- ↑ http://naviteri.org/2013/08/taronway-the-hunt-song/ (Paul Frommer's blog)
Source[]
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|---|---|
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