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« Thread Started on Dec 8, 2007, 7:55pm » | |
A basic overview of what is done on the island.
Names
One's name means a lot. Names are always two-part, no matter what. However, the name changes by rank. The second part of the name will be the same from birth, but the first part will change by rank.
For Leaders, the name begins with Seaborn, to honor the waters that the islanders would be nothing without.
ex. Seaborn Arrow, Seaborn Claw
For Generals, the name begins with Sandblown, to honor the beaches that the islanders make their homes on.
ex. Sandblown Arrow, Sandblown Claw
For Healers, the name begins with Skylit, to honor the sky goddess Kita Heekun and sky god Mikwun, whom the Islanders pray to.
ex. Skylit Arrow, Skylit Claw
For Apprentices and Healer Apprentices, the name begins with Learning to signify their training.
ex. Learning Arrow, Learning Claw
For Warriors, the name begins with any adjective other then one that is reserved for another rank.
ex. Flaming Arrow, Sharp Claw
For Children, the name begins with Young to signify the fact that they have only just begun their lives.
ex. Young Arrow, Young Claw
For Elders, the name begins with Wise, to signify the things they have seen and the lives they have led.
ex. Wise Arrow, Wise Claw
Mothers keep their names.
Ranks
There are many different ranks.
There are two Leaders, one per gender. Leaders must be at least twenty-two years old, and need to have already had at least one apprentice. When a Leader dies or steps down, their General takes their place.
Leaders are in charge of everything to do with the island.
There are two Generals, one per gender. Generals must be at least twenty years old, and are chosen by the Leader when the old General dies, steps down, or progresses to leader.
Generals are in charge of things like gathering food and building homes.
There are six Healers, three per gender. Healers must have had a Healer Apprenticeship, and progress to the rank of healer when one dies. Healers serve until death. The Eldest Healer per gender is the one with the most power. The Eldest Healer preforms the most important ceremonial tasks.
Healers are in charge of things like preforming tasks for ceremonies, contacting Kita Heekun and Mikwun, and healing the Clan.
There are up to six Healer Apprentices, three per gender. Healer Apprentices are mentored by Healers. They must be at least six years old. When a Healer dies, the eldest Healer Apprentice takes the Healer's place.
Healer Apprentices help their mentors in the tasks assigned to Healers.
There are an unlimited number of Apprentices, but each one is assigned to a Warrior. If there are not enough Warriors then a Child's Apprentice ceremony will be delayed or they will be apprenticed by the Leader or General. Apprentices must be at least six years old and become Warriors when their mentors decide they are ready.
Apprentices train with their mentors, and are in charge of things like bringing food to the Elders, Mothers, and Healers, as well as cleaning for said ranks.
There are an unlimited number of Warriors, regardless of gender. Warriors usually graduate from their Apprenticeships between ten and fourteen years old. the Leader chooses the first part of a Warrior's name. They are the major part of the Clan. Warriors often have Apprentices multiple times, but can only have one Apprentice at a time.
There are an unlimited number of Mothers, but they must all be female. It is not possible for a woman to become a mother until she is thirteen years old. Mothers are either pregnant or nursing children, and go back to their rank when their child is three years old. They must have mates before having children, but they do not have to reveal their mate to anyone except their children and the healers, and may chose when they reveal it to the children. They must tell the healers when they find out about their pregnancy, but the healers are required to keep it a secret if the mother wishes. They must wait nine months before giving birth. They may have either a single child, twins, or triplets, and must wait a month after giving birth before they can possibly become pregnant again.
There are an unlimited number of Children, up to three per mother. Children stay with their mother until they are six years old. Male Children go to the beach of white sand when they reach this age. The second part of a Child's name is chosen by his or her parents[see traditions and religion]. If a Child's Mother dies, another Mother will take care of it.
There are an unlimited number of Elders, whom have all either retired or become permanantly unable to preform the duties for their prior rank. The youngest age that someone can retire at is fourty-five. Elders may not have Apprentices or Children.
Elders are in charge of entertaining Apprentices, Healer Apprentices, and Children with stories.
Ceremonies
There is a ceremony whenever someone changes rank. For the ceremony, the Leader calls "[Insert leader's name here] requests the entire beach for a meeting!" He/She then calls the person up to the Ceremonial Stone [There is one in the center of each beach] and gives them their new name. Then they are taken to the Contact pool by the Healers and Healer Apprentices. The person stands in the shallow part of the pool. The Eldest Healer then pours water over the person's head from the pool and cuts the person's hair to his or her shoulders. Hair is only cut during a ceremony.
For the advancement to Leader, the new Leader calls out his or her own name when they get back from the Contact pool.
For the choosing of a new General, the Leader calls everyone to the Ceremonial Rock and says the following: "I, [insert Leader's name here] have decided upon the new General. [insert name here], please step forward." The warrior chosen then steps on the rock and the Leader says "You are now [insert new General name here].' before placing his or her palm on the new general's forehead. The new General the goes to the Contact pool.
For the retirement of a Warrior, Leader, or General, the Leader calls everyone to the Ceremonial Rock and says the following: "[insert name here], are you prepared to give up the life of a [insert rank here] and live the life of an Elder?" If the person says "I do" then the leader says 'You are now [insert new Elder name here]" before placing his or her palm on the new Elder's forehead. The new Elder then goes to the Contact Pool.
For an Apprentice or Healer Apprentice, the Leader calls everyone to the Ceremonial Rock and says the following: "[insert apprentice[s]' name[s] here] is[are] prepared to advance in rank. [insert apprentice[s]' mentor[s] here], do you agree?" Mentor[s] then nod, and the Leader says "You are now [insert new name[s] here]" before placing his or her palm on the new warrior/healer[s]'s forehead[s]. The new Warrior/Healer[s] then goes to the Contact Pool.
For a Child[ren] becoming an Apprentice or Healer Apprentice, the Leader calls everyone to the Ceremonial Rock and says the following: "[Insert Child[ren]'s name[s] here] is[are] prepared to advance in rank. Please step forward." When the Child[ren] is/are on the stone the Leader says "[Insert mentor[s] name[s] here], you are [both] ready for an apprentice. [Insert first mentor's name here]Please teach this Apprentice all that you know, so that he/she may become a sucessful warrior/healer. [Insert first apprentice name here], You are now [insert new name here]. Train with [insert mentor name here] so that you will become the best you can be." The Leader places his/her palm on the new apprentice's forehead. The Leader then repeats that for other Apprentice[s] if neccesary. The new Apprentice[s] then go to the contact pool.
For a Child[ren]'s Birth, the Leader holds the new Child[ren] in her arms and calls everyone to the ceremonial stone. She then says "[insert mother's name here] gave birth to a/two healthy Child[ren]. [insert Child[ren]'s name[s] here] will be a welcome addition[s] to our Clan. The Leader places his/her palm on the new child[ren]'s forehead[s]. The leader then carries the Child[ren] to the Contact pool with the Mother following close behind. Then the Leader, Mother, and Eldest Healer wash the Child[ren] in the pool. If one or more Children are male, the Eldest Healer's Apprentice informs the male Leader. If the Eldest Healer does not have an Apprentice, then she sends the eldest Healer Apprentice.
Religion and Traditions
The Religion of the island is very particular. They pray to both heavenly bodies, Kita Heekun and Mikwun. Every night, the entire beach is led in prayer by the Leader and Eldest Healer. Prayers are also held when someone dies, to bring them safely to The Good Land, or when someone is born, to grant them a healthy life.
It is believed that when someone has been good in their life they go to The Good Land, where Kita Heekun and Mikwun reside. Anything that anyone could ever want is there. There is also what is called The Bad Land, where people who have been bad most of their life go. The Bad Land is where people are separated and not allowed to see anyone else. Its temperature varies from below -1000 degrees to above 1000 degrees. It is never between the two.
Traditionally, when a mother is pregnant, The Eldest Healer will tell her the gender and number of babies she will have, as told to her by Kita Heekun and Mikwun. The mother will then decide on name[s] for the girl[s], while a healer apprentice will be sent to the father so that he can choose name[s] for the boy[s]. The mother will then make anklets for the children. Anklets are very important, made of palm fronds, leather cords, and seaweed. The anklets are braided, with one strand of each material. The anklets are then painted with berry juices many different colors. When the mother is finished painting an anklet, she takes it to the Eldest Healer, who will seal it with a special oil made of coconut milk, animal fat, and herbs. The anklets are given to the children, and will be worn always until the person dies. Then the anklets are hung on their graves.
When a Leader or Healer dies, their bodies are placed in specially made stone coffins before being put into a large tomb made of sandstone. The one on the black sand beach is black, and the white sand beach has a white one. When someone else dies, their bodies are placed in specially made stone coffins, in a much larger tomb made of the same material as the Leaders' and Healers' tomb.
The Eldest Healer teaches the other Healers the special ceremonial things needed as an Eldest Healer. These teaching sessions take place twice a month between Sunhigh and Sundown.
While they count the years, years are counted from the time the first isleanders arrived, 500 years ago. So that year would have been year 0, and 346 years after that would have been year 346, etc.
Months have names that are different then the months we are used too. Their months are:
Dreaming[January]
Awakening[February]
Growing[March]
Feasting[April]
Hunting[May]
Relaxing[June]
Dancing[July]
Swimming[August]
Gathering[September]
Storing[October]
Hiding[November]
Healing[December]
The names are not to be interpreted as what is done in the month, rather, they are named after different things done in the life of an islander.
Often hunted as prey are eagles, hawks, monkeys, rabbits, deer, and at times bear. The skins of these animals are made into clothing, while the bones are made into tools.
People also sleep on nests made of moss lined with feathers. More feathers are used for Elders, Eldest Healers, and Mothers to ease their bones and keep them comfortable.
Time of day is told in terms of the sun. Sunup, when the sun rises, is the start of the day. Sunhigh, known to us as noon, is the time to eat the First Meal, and the time where ceremonies are held. Sundown, the time when the sun sets, is when everyone prays and eats an Evening Meal. Sundeep is known to us as midnight, which is the time where everyone must be in their beds unless there is an emergency.
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Seaborn Arrow-Female Leader
Frozen Fire-Female Mother
Young Moon-Female Child
Wild Smoke-Male Warrior
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