--- "Mark J. Reed" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> what holidays do your various concultures
> celebrate, and how?

Well, the Telerani are in the middle of the
Metranes, which marks the virgin birth of Metras
in a cave. Some also mark the virgin birth of
Yeshue in a cave... Metras is one of the Aças, or
saints, who leads people towards enlightenment.
The cycle of his deeds is read out or enacted;
and legend has it that on the twelfth night, a
taurobolion is still made in the undertemple at
Illenere. Yeshue is one of the Maxa Mamstayyas
(Great Sages) and others read out or enact the
journey of Maryyam and the Astrologers; and there
is a full liturgy to follow, including the lawwat
(lavabo, or washing) and wacariças (cibodabo, or
meal).

Anyway, the Bishop's Dance Thursday is this week:
"At the December Quarter (the fourth quarter),
the theme of the Dance is purely social and one
of celebration in mid-winter. At Sunset, the
people gather in the yard before the temple and
the band strikes up a raucous processional. The
bishop, accompanied by all the priests and
accolytes (all dressed in red) dance out into the
yard. Rather than the usual staff of office, the
bishop carries a wand of pine with the leaves
still on (never fir or holly). Once out in the
yard, the priests and accolytes form two dancing
rings around the bishop. When their dance is
done, the music quickens and the priests dance
off to be replaced by all the young boys and
girls of the locality. They wear white with
colourfully embroidered collars and cuffs. The
twelve tallest girls each bear a green painted
torch (or candle if inside); the twelve tallest
boys each bear a red torch. Amongst all of them,
they carry a long streamer of woven pine boughs,
interspersed with holly, and they all wear
wreathes of pine on their heads. Once they’ve
danced around the bishop, the music changes again
and everyone joins in. All along there is singing
(sometimes more bawdy than others), and there is
mead and beer for refreshment. When everyone’s
tired out from dancing, they retire to the
prepared feast. This feast is often of the
Twelve-Night feasts (on one of the twelve nights
before Metranes); and the food is rich and
plentiful. The dishes often tend to the exotic,
making use of animal parts or delicacies not
usually seen in the diet. Some common dishes are
Apple Stuffed Cow Stomach, Knuckle and Knee Stew,
Queen-o-Hearts (dumpling stuffed cow heart), Pork
Testicle Surprise. Normal foods like pies and
pasties are found in abundance as well. At this
feast, the bishop ladles out cider for everyone."

In Auntimoanye, they will be celebrating Yule
(not a religious holy day anymore), which is a
time for families to come together and eat
themselves silly on pork and fish and all sorts
of pies and cakes and make toasts to the Lord and
Lady of the Sea and light bonfires all over town
to call the Sun back from her holidays in the
South so the fleets can go out again. On the
twelfthnight, the Nine Yolamen, winter pixies
basically, riding sledges drawn by hillcats will
sweep down out of the mountains and deliver
presents of toys or sweets to good children.
Naughty children, or children who didn't make or
receive new mittens on one of the twelve nights,
are snatched away by the hillcats and savagely
rent to tiny bits out in the mountains. They say
that one can sometimes hear gleeful yowling and
terrified screeching on twelfthnight... There are
Kristians in Auntimoanye as well, and they will
hold nativity pagents (commemorating the virgin
birth of the Lord Krist in a cave) before the
midnight liturgy (no lavabo); and afterward they
will go home and eat themselves silly and make
toasts to Our Lady of the Waves and participate
in the bonfires set up all around town. They too
give gifts to each other, hanging stockings upon
hooks by the window. You have to leave the window
open a crack on twelfthnight, lest the Yolamen
become cross and break through the window in
order to get the presents in. The Daine of the
town follow neither way, and tend to keep quiet
at this time.

In Westmarche, the Daine will be celebrating Yule
as well, by sitting around the fire and telling
stories and singing long into the night. Feasting
will revolve around apple stuffed boar and lamb
kebobs and honey glazed baked apples and all
sorts of similar goodies. The Daine have no idea
why Men celebrate Yule, but they do like to feast
and give each other presents; so it is natural
that special gifts are given at this time. They
also get out into the village green and drink
large quantities of mash and dance in a big
circle or snaky queues around the central
firepits.

The Daine of the Holy Hills have no truck with
Mannish nonsense and stick to traditional Daine
wintertime entertainments of storytelling and
song without all the dancing outside in the cold.

Not sure about Husyck and Heckla (to the west of
Teleran); but I know that apples figure
prominently in their festivities. Possibly even
jack-in-the-poke, which as everyone knows is made
from apples.

> This is a topic I'm trying to devote some
> attention to, especially
> the religious aspects, since the culture I'm
> dealing with was
> separated from the rest of the planet long
> before any of the current
> major religions existed

That's a long time. How were they separated?

> (I know, religion is just as taboo as
> politics, but this is speculation, not
> proselytizing.)

There is a difference! "Real" religions might
best be left for elsewhere; constructed religions
and especially as they pertain to conlanging is
fair game here.

> It's hard to imagine what sort of path the
> older religions might have taken if left to
> grow across a planet without
> those major influences.

Could look at Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism and
how they grew and spread. Very little Christian
influence there.

> Would some other monotheistic, prophet-centric
> religion have cropped up, human nature being
> what it is?

Who 's to say? It is curious to note that all of
our big religions that fit your bill cropped up
in the Middle East: Aten in Egypt; Yahweh amongst
the Israelites; Ahura Mazda in Persia.

> Is there a natural
> point of cultural development at which
> something of the sort is practically
> inevitable?

An interesting question. Such religions did not
occur in the West - Rome was fond of Mystery
religions and Mithraism; nor in the East.

> Or would we have a planetful of
> people still following the
> nature-religions; global not-so-neo Paganism?

Could be. Ecumenism between Asatru, Mithraists
and devotees of Isis could be interesting!

If you can get some prophet type to convince
people of the Truth of his vision (i.e., figures
like Akenaten, Moses, Mohammed, Smith) then who
knows how rapidly such a religion could develop
and spread! It really would be interesting to
note what was particular to the Middle East that
such religions cropped up in the first place.

Padraic.


=====
la cieurgeourea provoer mal trasfu ast meiyoer ke 'l andrext ben trasfu.


--

Ill Bethisad --
<http://www.geocities.com/elemtilas/ill_bethisad>


Come visit The World! --
<http://www.geocities.com/hawessos/>







.