Kerelian: Difference between revisions

* When an adult approaches a table the children must stand and greet him

Rituals are taken very seriously by Kerelains.  They have many rituals but the following three are rooted in their history and religion and are considered sacred and protected by law against blasphemy. For one to ridicule a ritual is a crime. It is not a crime however for those who do not follow the Heart of Kerelia. Many who are not followers do partake in the rituals out of respect for their culture and families.  

* '''Hekla (Ritual of Birth)''':[[File:Ceremony.jpg|150px|thumbnail|right|Hekla Tea Set]] The Hekla rituall is performed seventy three days after a Kerlian female gives birth.  The parents are required to compose three unique compositions of music, one for each child. The mother will compose one for the first child to enter the world and the father for the last.  Together they will compose one for the middle child. During the ritual each piece of music is played by members of the family as the children are presented individually to the gathering of well wishers. The music is archived and will not be played again until the Ritual of Death. All present meditate for an hour praying for the reborn souls. To conclude the ceremony the parents drink tea from a ceremonial tea set called a Hekla. Each Hekla is unique and made for the family by a craftsman. The parents will sip from three cups, each adorned with the childs name on it.  The individual tea cups are destroyed during the Death Ritual if hallodor has been attained by that child.

* '''Naris (Ritual of Marriage)''': Kerelian men and woman join as life long companions at the age of 24 for males and 26 for females. It is the longest of the Kerelian rituals and consists of three parts; the proposal, the betrothal, and the union.

** '''Proposal''': [[File:Statue3.jpg|150px|thumbnail|left|Utra Stone]]The Naris begins with an elaborate marriage proposal and acceptance. The parents of the woman are responsible for the wording of the proposal that she will recite to the man. The parents of the man prepare a song acceptance that the man will perform for the woman. After the woman approves of the song the couple will move into the mans parents house.

** '''Betrothal''': Both sets of parents exchange family histories and Lomin's (family crest).  They consult with an artist to combine the Lomins and give him permission to carve the new one. The parents of the couple work together to choose names for the expected children. The parents of the bride choose the first names while the parents of the groom choose the middle names.  Between the Betrothal and the Union the couple must undergo a journey. The bride must travel to the island of Adatlina and meditate facing the east.  The groom meditates on Clessa facing west. They join together on Edela and meditate on Mt. Urys.

** '''Union''': The Naris is complete after the Union ceremony.  All Union ceremonies are held on the island of Tanis. The ceremony is lavish and can take over five hours.  During the Betrothal period the couple was required to write a Comic Opera about the history of both families. Friends of the families perform the opera. The elders of both families pretend they are offended by the comical depictions of themsleves and throw vegetables at the couple who are in a booth of honor. The couple has time to change into formal attire and stand before a priest who performs the ceremony. After the vows have been recited in song the couple is stripped to the waist and a tattoo of the new Lomin is painted on their left shoulders. To complete the ceremony the couple hold onto each side of an Utra stone that contains three pieces of straw.  The straw is a fertility symbol representing the three children they will be entrusted with. A large party follows lasting through out the night.

* '''Linal (Ritual of Death)''': [[File:Dais.jpg|150px|thumbnail|right|Death Dais]]The Linal is an elaborate and the most ritualistic of the Rituals. Great care is given to the preperation and protection of the body. The body is the vessel for the soul.  While alive the body, by its actions and deeds, is responsible for protecting the soul.  After death this responsibility falls to a select group of Eota's, literally body guards. The body is stripped and an artist make likeness's of the deceases tattoos. Then the body is washed and wrapped in linen. Chosen friends and family carry the body to a dais that has a carving of the Heart of Kerelia in the center. The body is layed upon the dais. A priest gives a prayer and the body is left until morning. If the body is left undisturbed by the elements and animals by sunrise then it is believed that the soul has achieved hallodor. Once hallodor is achieved the soul is liberated and sent to heaven where it becomes a God and sits with the other Gods. If the body is disturbed in any way hallodor is not achieved and the soul will be reincarnated. If the body is no longer on the dais the soul will cease to exist.