Erde-Tyrene civilization: Difference between revisions

{{Era|Forerunner|FA}}

{{Quote|multi=more|Ur-Didact|q1=The [[human]]s' [[human-Forerunner wars|actions]] threatened the galaxy, yet we have treated them as the [[Mantle]] requires. Their punishment was just.|Librarian|q2=Justice is reducing their genetics in such short generations from a [[Prehistoric human civilization|space-faring race]] to... this?|Ur-Didact|q3=They are closer now to the animals they behaved as.|A conversation between the [[Ur-Didact]] and [[Librarian]]<ref>'''[[Halo 4]]''', ''[[Terminal/Halo 4|Terminals]]''</ref>}}

Between approximately [[106,445 BCE]] and [[97,445 BCE]], a '''prehistoric civilization''' shared by various species and subspecies of [[human]] and related genera existed on [[Earth]], then known as Erde-Tyrene.<ref group="note">Although the narrative of ''The Forerunner Saga'' mainly concerns humans from [[Marontik]] and its immediate region, [[Riser]] mentions in ''[[Halo: Rebirth|Rebirth]]'' that ''"Any human on Erde-Tyrene would have known how to voice respect for those now gone"''; as such, it is assumed that the same civilization spanned the entire planet at least on a certain level.</ref> This civilization was a reduced remnant of humanity's [[Prehistoric human civilization|previous interstellar empire]], which was shattered by the [[Forerunner]]s at the conclusion of the [[human-Forerunner wars]]. Erde-Tyrene itself was considered an insignificant and obscure vassal planet of the Forerunners' [[ecumene]], with a Forerunner [[Miner]] presence on the nearby [[Mars]], known as Edom at the time.<ref>'''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''', ''pages 15, 17''</ref>

Humans first evolved and achieved civilization on [[Earth]], originally known as ''Erda'' or ''Erde-Tyrene'',<ref name="p237">'''[[Halo: Primordium]]''', ''page 237-238''</ref> before [[1,100,000 BCE]]. For over a million years,<ref>'''[[Halo: Silentium]]''', ''pages 67-68''</ref> humanity roamed [[Milky Way|the galaxy]], experiencing a number of technological dark ages in the interim.<ref name="p237"/> Around [[107,445 BCE]], their latest—and last—interstellar empire stumbled upon the parasitic [[Flood]], which indirectly forced humanity into a [[Human-Forerunner wars|millennium-long conflict]] with the Forerunners. Exhausted from fighting the Flood, the humans were eventually defeated.

The Librarian's beliefs about humanity were reinforced during the subsequent millennium: in only a thousand years, the devolved humans' population skyrocketed. Furthermore, the humans branched off into numerous species and subspecies, progress that should have normally taken millions of years. While this was partly due to the assistance of the Librarian and her ''[[geas]]'', there were also unknown factors not even the Librarian and her subordinate [[Lifeworker]]s could explain despite studying the humans' genetic code in detail.<ref name="s45"/> Over twenty of these species migrated across Earth and formed separate populations across the planet.<ref name="c25"/>

The development of civilization began anew; humans began to settle down and gather into tribal communities and villages. They began to grow crops and domesticated many animals, such as sheep, goats, wolves, cattle, and birds. They developed tools and basic technology; this spurred the development of trade and even fledgling industry.<ref name="s45"/><ref name="c25"/><ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 86''</ref> Others continued to live in [[Technological Achievement Tiers|Tier 7]] tribal communities, such as the one that was encountered by the Forerunners during the construction of [[Portal at Voi|the portal]] to [[Installation 00|the Ark]] in eastern [[Africa]].<ref>'''[[Halo 3: The Cradle of Life]]'''</ref>

[[File:H4-Terminal-Village-Mantle.jpg|thumb|250px|The Ur-Didact preparing to compose a population on Omega Halo.]]

After the Forerunners moved their own surviving population to the greater Ark, the Librarian's indexed humans—who represented the bulk of the species—were moved to the nearby [[Omega Halo]]. Most of this population, as well as many of the formerly diverse human species, were lost when the [[Ur-Didact]] used the [[Composer]] on the inhabitants of Omega Halo. However, the Librarian and her successor, [[Chant-to-Green]], managed to save enough specimens aboard [[Installation 00]] to successfully revitalize ''Homo sapiens'' and several other species. Following the firing of the Halo Array, the surviving humans were [[reintroduction|returned]] to Earth.<ref name="rebirth"/>

After their reintroduction to Earth, the human civilization regressed once again, and would remain as Tier 7 hunter-gatherers for nearly a hundred millennia. The Librarian had imposed a ''[[geas]]'' upon the species, which has been said to have greatly affected their later development; in particular preparing humans for their role as [[Reclaimer|successors]] to the Forerunners as stewards of the galaxy.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 375''</ref>

In this time period, Earth was home to numerous sapient species of [[Wikipedia:Homo|human]], [[Wikipedia:Hominidae|hominid]], [[Wikipedia:Ape|hominoid]], and [[Wikipedia:Simian|anthropoid]], all of whom were understood, or regarded themselves, as being part of a single "People".<ref name="p169">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 169''</ref> The multitude of species among the human genus itself was generated rather rapidly, most of them over the course of only a thousand years, after the humans' forced devolution at the hands of the Forerunners. There were more than twenty species regarded as human,<ref name="c25">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''pages 25-26''</ref> with over 120 different subtypes known.<ref name="p188"/> These various forms represented species and subspecies both new and ones that had once existed but were suppressed over the course of the devolution.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 48''</ref> While given human species had stayed remarkably similar to their ancestral forms during their regression and re-evolution in superficial terms,<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 129''</ref> humans never fully recovered to the level of their ancient ancestors in terms of size, strength and intelligence.<ref name="wp hum">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/species/humans '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Humans'']</ref> This meddling was noted to have considerably distorted Earth's natural fossil records,<ref name="c127">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 127''</ref> and made it difficult to determine the exact lineage for a particular human species.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 242''</ref>

Some, although not all, of these species were saved in the Lifeworkers' [[Conservation Measure]] and made it to [[Installation 00]] for preservation when the [[Halo Array]] was fired. In the endgame of the Flood war, the Librarian estimated that only four or five human species remained intact, and due to the scarcity of healthy and intact specimens the recovery of all of the genetic composites the Lifeworkers had stored may be impossible.<ref name="s317"/>

*[[Neanderthal|K'ta''manush'']] (''Homo neanderthalensis''; Neanderthal): roamed the northern ice flats of Earth,<ref name="c25"/> which was undergoing a glacial period at the time<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 20''</ref>

*[[B'ashamanune|B'asha''manush'']]: a thin and lithe species which inhabited Earth's equatorial grasslands<ref name="c25"/>

*[[Denisovan]]: close relatives to both ''Homo sapiens'' and ''neanderthalensis''; tall and lean in stature<ref name="p169"/>

The names of these species were changed to reflect significant changes: when most members of a given species were dead or away from a major spiritual center, the species' name would be prefixed with a glottal click. These rules were known to all humans across Erde-Tyrene but were kept secret from non-human species such as the Forerunners.<ref name="rebirth">'''[[Halo: Rebirth]]'''</ref>

Upon humanity's defeat, the Forerunners restricted the humans' access to all forms of technology, regressing them back to a hunter-gatherer state. Still, as Erde-Tyrene gradually faded into obscurity in the eyes of the [[Ecumene Council|Old Council]] and the [[Builder]]s, the [[Librarian]] encouraged the humans to begin redeveloping civilization and technology.<ref name="s45"/> By the final years before the Halos' activation, rudimentary cities were in evidence, most notable of them being [[Marontik]], located amidst a region of expansive grasslands. By that time, humans had also developed primitive industry,<ref name="s45"/> hot-air balloons and steam-powered waterborne vessels as a relatively recent invention.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 59''</ref> This led to a strange hodgepodge of the humans' relatively primitive tribal culture and tradition mixed in with these comparatively sophisticated technologies.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''pages 21-22''</ref> As one other curious feature of note, certain customs and traditions were shared across all humans on Erde-Tyrene,<ref name="rebirth"/> a trait typically unheard of with civilizations of this technological level.

The humans of this civilization followed the way of [[daowa-maad]], the basis of which had survived humanity's devolution from their prior, [[Prehistoric human civilization|advanced civilization]].<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 55-56''</ref> Their most sacred beliefs regarding life and death as well as the power of names were tied to this concept.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 207''</ref><ref name="p210"/> In addition, they worshiped the Librarian as "the Lifeshaper" or "the Lady",<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 48''</ref> viewing her as a sort of goddess who personally visited humans at birth and gave them a purpose.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 46''</ref> This belief had a basis in truth; the Librarian did subconsciously appear to newborns via a remote imprinting system to give them her ''[[geas]]''.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 374''</ref> This faith was practiced in dedicated temples, one of which was located in Marontik.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 30''</ref>

A dying relative would be prepared for the afterlife through a farewell rite which involved the recitation of a prayer so the dying individual would safely pass over the "western waters" to the [[Far Shore]] and that the gods that await on the other side—[[Abada|Abada the Rhinoceros]] and the Great Elephant—would not reject them. It was feared that Abada and the Elephant might turn away if they smelled fear, or if the proper rites were not conducted. In that case, the individual would be left to hyenas and buzzards and would not be granted into a peaceful afterlife,<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 16, 54, 205-207, 219''</ref> instead being forced to roam the earth restlessly as a ghost.<ref name="rebirth"/> According to some old stories, the dead would continue to walk forever without knowing where they were going.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 286''</ref>

*''Shalimanda'', the heaven-snake, was told to have swallowed an original, jewel-covered stream of worlds. It exploded the next night, bringing forth the Earth-like worlds which gave birth to humans.<ref name="p210"/>

**''[[Terminal/Halo 3|Terminals]]'' {{Im}}

**''[[Terminal/Halo 4|Terminals]]''

*''[[Halo: Rebirth]]''

<references group="note"/>

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[[Category:Human]]