Freelance Traveller

The Coyns of the Droyne: Symbolism and Interpretation

by Jeff Zeitlin

Introduction

Although there is no reliable research available on the meaning and interpretation that Droyne impute to the Coyns and their use thereof, several institutions have been able to gather information best classified as ‘anecdotal’, and it is this information that has been ‘distilled’ into what we hope is a coherent and interesting look at the Coyns.

Origin of the Coyns

The one ‘universal’ with respect to the Coyns is that all Droyne claim that the Coyns were given to them by ‘Yaskoydray’, a word generally translated as ‘Grandfather’ but perhaps more accurately translated as the technical anthropological term ‘Apical Ancestor’. It is not entirely clear whether the intent of the statement is that each individual set of Coyns was given to each specific Droyne grouping (variously tyafelm, dreskay, or oytrip) by a specific individual designated as ‘Yaskoydray’, or whether it simply indicates that the origin is lost in legend, and assigned to a mythical figure.

The Two Patterns

There are two styles of Coyns that have been found and which have been proven as not forgeries. Common designations are “Old pattern” and “New pattern”, indicative of the relative ages of found examples. The names of the Coyns in both styles are the same, and equivalences have been established; the appearances are different, though particular named Coyns may show greater or lesser variance in the depicted symbols. All of the Coyns in both patterns are somewhat abstract

In general, the “New pattern” Coyns are found on Droyne worlds “Behind the Claw”; Droyne worlds elsewhere generally exhibit “Old pattern” sets. However, no stellar region in which Droyne communities are found exhibit a complete absence of either pattern.

Special Coyn Groups

There are two particular sets of six Coyns that seem to have special significance when drawn in ceremonies by Droyne. These sets have been designated (by humans studying the Droyne and the Coyns) “Caste Coyns” and “Six Peoples Coyns”.

The Caste Coyns

The six Coyns that represent the six castes of Droyne are, naturally enough, referred to as the Caste Coyns. When drawn in the ceremony that a Droyne goes through at maturity, it ends the ceremony, and represents the caste that the Droyne joins. In other Coyn-drawing ceremonies, there are indications that the drawing Droyne is either expected or induced to discuss the situation with a member of the drawn caste, if possible. Social characteristics of the drawn caste are also believed to be considered in the interpretation of the drawn Coyns.

The Six Peoples Coyns

There is some controversy in academic circles as to whether the six Coyns that are said to represent Humaniti, Aslan, Hiver, Vargr, K’kree, and Droyne actually do represent those peoples. Some sets of Coyns seem to date to periods where one or more of the races depicted were at such a developmental level that assigning them significance at the interstellar level would not be ‘reasonable’. Generally, however, they do seem to correspond in ceremonies to the involvement of the peoples depicted, though less rigorously than with the Caste Coyns, and they are more often treated as representing certain characteristics typical of the depicted peoples.

The Drawing and Symbolism of the Coyns

Coyn Symbolism

Tentative meanings – or rather, keywords or phrases that imply meanings – have been assigned to the Coyns. As noted previously, “reading” the Coyns in context seems to require that all keywords/phrases apply; how any particular keyword/phrase is weighted against the others, or how any particular Coyn is weighed against the others, remains unclear. In addition, certain Coyns may be identified as “positive”, “neutral”, or “negative”; this appears to possibly have relevance when drawing Coyns for Casting and Appeal. A table of the Coyns, showing both the Old and New patterns, and including the keywords/phrases for each Coyn, appears at the end of this article. If the name is followed by “+” or “-”, the Coyn is “positive” or “negative respectively; all others are “neutral”.

Drawing Coyns

Tentative identification of ceremonies or conditions under which Coyns may be drawn has been made:

• Caste Selection: At maturity, the young Droyne is brought before the family group, and Coyns are drawn until one of the Caste Coyns is drawn. This Coyn indicates the caste that the young Droyne is assigned to; the others are presumed to be future influences on the Droyne’s life, including possibly the general class of duties within the caste (i.e., the Droyne’s ‘subcaste’).
• Prediction: At the beginning of any major undertaking, a Coyn is designated as symbolic of the undertaking, and Coyns are drawn until the designated Coyn is drawn. The drawn Coyns are interpreted to apply to the undertaking; it is not clear whether they predict the outcome thereof.
• Appeal to the Coyns: Under certain undefined circumstances, if an encounter between Droyne does not result in a preferred outcome for one of them, that Droyne may choose to draw a single Coyn. If this Coyn is one of those classed as ‘negative’, it reinforces the existing result of the encounter, and the Droyne who initiated the appeal is expected to commit ritual suicide.

With the possible exception of the Caste Coyn drawn in the maturity ceremony, none of the Coyns is considered to have meaning in isolation, and no meaning is considered singular – that is, a Coyn doesn’t mean A or B or C or…, it means A and B and C and…. Coyns with ‘simple’ names, such as Heat, Cold, Fire, etc., may, in addition to the symbolic meanings listed below, carry the ‘plain’ meaning as well – that is, the “Cold” Coyn may in fact mean that low environmental temperatures will be meaningful to the Droyne.

The Coyns
Coyn	Old Pattern	New Pattern	Keywords
Worker			One of the Caste Coyns. Routine, subordination, duty
Warrior			One of the Caste Coyns. Conflict, lawfulness, power-projected
Drone			One of the Caste Coyns. Family, hearth-and-home, hospitality, caring, leadership-by-consensus
Technician			One of the Caste Coyns. Special knowledge, tool, functionality
Sport			One of the Caste Coyns. Independence, inventiveness, insight, proactive
Leader			One of the Caste Coyns. Guidance, dominance, coöperation
Void-			Non-existence, abnegation, closing of opportunity
Soil			Stability, nourishment, encouragement
Air			Support, dispersal, interest
Gas			Suppression of growth, smothering, disinterest
Water			Preservation, conformity, adaptability, reactive
Fire+			Destruction, severance of relationships, danger, new directions, revelation
Darkness-			Obscurity, hidden, failure to understand,
Cold-			Loneliness, isolation, dormancy, discomfort
Noise-			Disinformation, falsity, secrecy
Signal			Communication, information, truth
Heat+			Success, Comfort, growth, community,
Light+			Insight, new ideas, understanding
Humaniti			One of the Six Peoples Coyns. Flexibility, steadfastness, ingenuity, parochialness, variability
Vargr			One of the Six Peoples Coyns. Mercurial, changeable, subordination to the group, rebellion, pride, treachery
Aslan			One of the Six Peoples Coyns. Honor, protective, steadfastness, territoriality, constancy
Droyne+			One of the Six Peoples Coyns. Family, completion, wholeness, attainment
Hiver			One of the Six Peoples Coyns. Curiosity, manipulativity, enigma, cowardice
K'kree			One of the Six Peoples Coyns. Intolerance, teamwork, intransigence, unrestrictedness, denial of one's nature
Genesis			Beginnings, goals, directions
Aspiration+			Hope, direction,
Sacrifice-			Tradition, subordination of goals, yielding
Defeat-			Failure, surrender, denial
Death-			Endings, Irrevocable change,
Achievement+			Success, victory, goals, plans
Beast-			Uncontrolled power, impatience, weakness, fear, unthinking
Mercenary			Subordination to another's goals, impersonal opposition, rewards
Voyages			The unknown, separation, exploration
Justice+			Balance, equity, judgement, impartiality
Chance			Unpredictability, uncertainty, lack of knowledge, lack of control
Phoenix+			New beginnings, rebirth, refusal of death, new relationships