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Numme pwes pheža numme.
"A dead frog is indeed dead."
Considered by some to be the greatest and only truth in the known universe, this izanyoža prompted Rage Nasko to destroy the royal cemetery that was the final resting place to all the previous rulers of Ansenlas. He decreed that the dead, thenceforth, should be considered dead, effectively outlawing memorial services. This izanyoža became a rallying cry for several radical dead frog cults, who took it upon themselves to teach the world that dead frogs were, indeed, dead. Groups of them would fill baskets with dead frogs and travel to the churches of the Njaamala and hurl dead frogs at the buildings, chanting over and over again, "Numme pwes pheža numme!" Though Sathir historians are loathe to admit to it, this directly led to the twenty-third great war between the Sathir and the Njaamala.
After a year of violent conflicts, Rage Nasko, in the presence of Pókómú Mazú (ruler of the Njaamala), declared that dead frogs, while dead, cannot be proven not to be alive. Further, he concluded that their death could not, in fact, be verified by any living being. Thus, should anyone wish to prove otherwise, they would have to be put to death. This put an end to the war (which was not going well for the Sathir), as well as the various dead frog cults that had sprung up throughout Ansenlas.
Today, this izanyoža is used to remind the careless to hold their tongues. In particular, it's used when a person is about to say something that will greatly offend someone else within earshot. The reasoning is that it is better to say nothing at all, than to risk starting a war (especially a war one will probably end up losing).
As to the nature of frogs that no longer hop around or take in food, the Sathir have resolved to never resolve the issue. Thus, if you're ever talking to a resident of Ansenlas, don't be surprised if they turn silent should a frog cross your path. As the issue of their existence remains unresolved, the Sathir prefer to pretend that frogs (and even their amphibious cousins, the toads) don't exist at all. It is advised that you not broach the subject at all, in order to avoid an international incident.
Vocabulary List
- numme (v.) to be dead; (adj.) dead
- pwes (adv.) truly, indeed
- pheža (n.) frog
- pókómú (n.) ruler, monarch [Njaama]
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