Believable cultures creation

[Johnny.JJ]

This topic is all about creating believable, sustainable, dynamic and realistic cultures.
We all may benefit from a decent exchange of a few tips, tricks, themes and core ideas regarding culture creation.

Are you ready to begin?
http://inkwellideas.com/worldbuilding/worldbuilding-reference-cultural-quirks/
http://www.d20source.com/2010/05/world-building-101-creating-cultures
http://rpgathenaeum.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/dd-world-building-week-part-iv-culture/
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/world-building-part-2-social-and-cultural-aspects/
And further on: https://www.google.com/search?q=world+building+cultures

What is your style? How do you do it?
And most importantly, give us an example of a solid culture of yours (including traditions, rituals, taboos, social class arrangement, division of labor, implicit values, etc.)

[Synvallius]

What I generally try to do is start from where the people came from, what events led to their becoming a people separate from what came before (such as a natural disaster or a new religion), and what religion (if any) they have; as religion tends to form the basis of all moral beliefs, and often bleeds over into everday conduct. I don't have any in depth examples, at the moment, but I prefer building off of real world cultures and then just changing the things that I don't like, or adding things that I do like. For example: I like the idea of European knights and their code of chivalry and honor. But I don't like how they have their ransom privileges. So, cut to Feudal Japan and the Samurai, I'm not so fond of their whole Bushido system, but I certainly like their honorable suicide tradition. So from there, make it so that there are knights who are chivalrous to master and minion alike, and will fight like a donkey at a horse show when provoked, but when the odds go against them they'll choose death over dishonoring their king. And then you can have that be because: a long time ago, the patron saint of knights (or the first knight), when faced with overwhelming odds, or an enemy's treachery, chose to kill himself rather than force his master to come to his aid. And ever since, all true and honorable knights have followed in his bloody foot steps.

[Johnny.JJ]

The method you just described (borrowing bits and pieces from existing cultures), that I consider a basic, fast way to do things.

It has got a few shortcomings, however. First off, not all pieces fit in together, as they originated in different eras, different belief systems, thanks to the availability of certain resources and technologies.
Secondly, this is just an advanced way of copying and pasting. I'm looking for something a bit more ... original, with a personal touch.

I'd like to do things differently: start from abstract ideas and then develop these into specifics. But that's not as easy as it sounds ... and I'm stuck (perhaps needing a kick or a little help).

Here's an example (and an exercise opportunity): Once upon a time, there was a settled ancient realm; even though the society of the realm was divided into provinces and the inhabitants of these provinces were attached to the land and worked on the farms, the social system used to be more-or-less permissive.
Then a huge war-like conflict with another empire escalated. A separatist group in the realm decided a huge city needed to be sacrificed in a terrifying magic explosion in order to win the war.
After a few dozens of years, the dust settled. But the sacrifice of the huge city caused severe social unrest, revolts, anarchy. Some individuals came with an idea of not letting any separatist group make any significant decisions in the realm ever again.
With this idea in mind, the former permissive society of the realm transformed itself into a restrictive, demanding and paranoid society.

The story I just wrote is way too much in an abstract form.
How would you flesh out the ideas of such a story? I.e. how would you put the whole story in concrete terms (enriching it with specific stories, rituals, customs, belief systems, etc.)?

[Johnny.JJ]

I would retell events from the perspective of real-world historians. It gains a bit of flavor and emotion, and I can then draw on the daily lives of the authors.
I'm sorry, but I can't seem to get what you were trying to say here.

Retelling it as a historian ... well, what you know, I happen to be enrolled in undergrad social history study program. And I can tell you, the way our elders write their works, there would soon be dozens of 400-page+ books, each one of them focused on a single insignificant element of the specified era/culture.

Why don't you give us a solid, practical example of what you had in mind instead?

[Johnny.JJ]

From a narativistic standpoint, it's the best!
You proved your point in a powerful way.

Still, what eludes me is the daily life in the realm (i.e. Fulgar) and the immersion. In my imagination, there was a concept of Fulgarians being forced to recite prescribed, ideological prayers like six times a day. There would also be bans on people grouping together and folk entertainment would be heavily restricted. Low-level officers would be supervising on the daily life of the people, telling the commoners what to do, what not to do, and arresting the free-spirited ones. Overall, the enforced moral code would be strict, tight, and leaving little room to breathe.

... capturing the feeling of such an environment, that's what eludes me.

[Yora]

Feel free to add anything you consider useful pieces of advice to the Worldbuilding-Guide (www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227507).