Songcord

This article is about the Na'vi mnemonic device. You may be looking for Neytiri's song The Songcord performed by Zoe Saldaña.

Songcord
Item Information
Na'vi name	waytelem
Location	Pandora
Purpose	Mnemonic device
Used by	Na'vi
Behind the Scenes
First seen	Avatar (worn by Eytukan) Pandorapedia (first written description)

The songcord (Na'vi name: waytelem) is a mnemonic device used by Na'vi individuals as well as entire clans for recounting information, stories, and mythology.

Description

Individuals create a songcord that is used as a tactile representation of their own personal or family/clan history, whereas community songcords can represent much more complex information such as astronomical and historical data. As they journey through life, from youth to death, each Na’vi individual creates and maintains their songcord. When memorable milestones of life are reached, such as a triumphant hunt, a first love, a fierce battle, or the loss of a loved one, a new bead is selected and woven into the cord. Together, these beads form a tactile narrative of the owner’s life.

Songcords serve a similar purpose to the Na'vi as writing does to humans and are their primary form of record-keeping. However, the songcord does not replace their oral tradition, as the cords serve merely as mnemonic aids to assist in oral storytelling and recounting.

Accompanying the physical cord is a song which recounts each bead and the moment that birthed it. The song is traditional and ancient, with consistent rules dictating melody, rhythm and verbal composition. However, only the individual owner and those closest to them will understand the meaning of each bead and thus, how to sing their songcord.

For the Na’vi, songcords are equally a record of the past and the hope for a future. An unfinished songcord represents the potential of a life to shape the future of a family or clan. It has been said that the Na'vi are also superstitious about their songcords, believing they can ward off evil spirits.

Conversely, a songcord which has reached its final bead may be sung by those who loved them the most in mourning or remembrance. When a Na'vi dies, their friends and family sing their songcord during their funeral in mourning and remembrance. While an individual may be buried alongside their cord, it is also common for Na'vi children to inherit the songcords of their parents.

Materials and Construction

The cords are created using various materials such as beads, crystal, bits of bone, and plant material, strung onto a long piece of twine or thread. Individuals create their own songcords and expand on them continuously, adding a new item to the cord for any significant life event that occurs. It's unknown who is in charge of creating larger, community cords.

The color, the material used, the kind of knot used, the number of knots, the distance between knots, and when the knot was made are all aspects that tell the songcord's reader what exactly happened. It is implied that if the color violet appears, it symbolizes Eywa and may represent the death of a loved one.

A Na'vi child's songcord is short in length given their young age. But should an individual ask to hear sung aloud, the song is surprisingly long. Often, the songs are packed with thrilling stories and grand adventures. However, the child's parents may sing a different version, perhaps closer to the truth.

Neytiri's Songcord

Neytiri holding her songcord while singing The Songcord

In Avatar: The Way of Water, Neytiri sings a part of her personal songcord at the beginning and end of the film. In the song, Neytiri thanks Eywa for the life of her children, especially Neteyam's, and welcomes Kiri into the Sully family. The song was released as The Songcord as part of the film's official soundtrack on December 15, 2022. It was composed by Simon Franglen and performed by Zoe Saldaña.

Known Songcords

• Neytiri's songcord - Contains a bead depicting the birth and death of Neteyam, as well as a bead for the adoption of Kiri.
• Jake’s songcord - Contains, among others, a bead for the birth/adoption of each of his children and a bead for the day he met Neytiri.
• Neteyam's songcord - The first bead represents the first lullaby he remembers from his childhood and the last bead is for joining the Metkayina clan.
• Lo'ak's songcord - Contains a bead depicting the day the Sky People arrived on Pandora.
• Tuktirey's songcord
• Tonowari's songcord - Features a small shell totem that his partner Ronal can sing about for a long time.
• Ronal's songcord - Contains a shell representing the birth of Tsireya.
• Tsireya's songcord - Contains a shell shaped like a water drum, representing her first breath ritual.
• Aonung's songcord - Contains an ilu tooth and carved beads from the bottom of his father's canoe.
• The Sarentu's songcord - Given to them by So'lek
• Kataru's songcord - Stolen by John Mercer and retrieved by Kataru's child

Gallery

Concept art of Jake's songcord

Concept art of Neteyam's songcord

Concept art of Neytiri's songcord

John Mercer holding Kataru's songcord

The Sarentu's songcord

Ruk'e with his songcord on his walking stick

Trivia

• The usage of the cords is similar to the historic use of Wampum by the Iroquois, an Indigenous American tribe.
• The songcord also bears resemblances to the rosary, an item that is used primarily in the Catholic Church to aid in prayer.