Ru’Edan Home world
Timestamp 01-090-19-7298451
Scene – Zenith
Solstice
Several high
priestesses gathered around a single rock monument, in the middle of the desert
sands of Fu’jar province. Women holding their naked, newly birthed daughters in
their arms, waited for the ceremony to begin.
Other female priestesses take their places, squatting among the rocky
outcrops, many holding ancient instruments in their hands. They start chanting in time with the lowing
horns of the beasts of burden, and the beating measure of drums. A breeze blows warm air, faintly scented with
the grasses being harvested in the distant fields.
Fiemanskar, the high
priestess, steps from the circle of four practitioners positioned around the
monument. The robes of her ceremonial gown, adorned with glittering gold and
silver, drags on the dirt and rocks as she moves. She takes an offered child in her hands, lifting
the babe into the air; it wriggles and squalls in distress at the removal from
its mother. The child is an offering to
the goddess who protects this planet; she is now destined to become one of the
priestesses, virginal and pure, tending the sacred fires. Her mother sobs piteously behind the
priestess and for an instant a stab of pain moves through the priestess,
knowing the long and lonely life the child will experience. Then she brushes it aside. The child is chosen.
The four priestesses around
the stone begin to gyrate, their eyes closed as they move to the beat only they
can hear. The herbs they took before the
ceremony have opened their minds to a higher plane of thought, allowing them to
interact with the goddess in this time honored fashion.
This single Zenith
Solstice Ritual can only take place once in each solar cycle. At the solstice, they gather before dawn, the
cooler air refreshing before the heat of the day fills the air with oppressive warmth. She nods as the child finally ceases its
movements, as if it’s spirit has now absorbed the will of the goddess. Slowly Fiemanskar lowers her arms, the
precious bundle lying silent and still in her arms. The act of the offering will bring the planet
good fortune for the ensuing cycle. The
mother will be well compensated, entering into the band of handmaidens who
serve within the temples.
“Eiis Ellane Vorgar
Schevst Eiis Eiis Eiis” are intoned with great ceremony, the same words that had
been spoken for generations at this time.
A handmaiden proffers her the ceremonial wrap of gold and silver, and
the child is carefully enfolded within the soft folds. A flying prey creature, squawks in the
distance and Fiemanskar smiles, knowing the goddess has accepted this offering.
In this blog, I thought I would bring you just a snippet of
what I imagine, would be a ritual that only takes place in high summer.
Because most of my books take place either on a ship, or for
the coming Star of the Fleet, on an inhabited asteroid, I wanted to paint a
picture of something that takes place on the Ru’Edan home world. I like to think that the planet-based citizens are similar to
us, though. With their religions and
ceremonies, strictly observed by a public who worships them, they have little
understanding of the daily life of a priestess, of the planet they inhabit.
This is a planet that does not necessarily see women, as the
equal of men, hence the reason for the interruption between the genders which shows up in the books.
You will notice none of the fathers are present. The women, as I have imagined them, are
secretive, considered lesser to the men, and the fathers take little or no
interest in the upbringing of their daughters.
This is essentially borne out in the actions of Crick Sur Banden, who
sees women as nothing more than breeders of his army. It is an intensely patriarchal society, although the more enlightened high class (caste) members are more likely to value their daughters.
As for the child who will become a priestess? Her lot is to be taken
back to the temple, her mother accompanying her for as long as the child needs
her for the child is not yet weaned. In this case, the child is only
newly born, I imagine less than a month old, so her mother is required to feed her still. Once the child is old
enough, the mother will relocate to another temple to serve another priestess.
The child sent to a different province, maternal ties smashed, as the child’s
future includes being brought up to be a priestess, immured in the roles and
rituals.
This is singularly,
the most important ritual of the cycle for these women. This is the only time when priestesses are chosen
and only one can be accepted at each temple per cycle. This scene takes place in the main
temple, where Fiemanskar resides with fellow high priestesses, it is the most
prestigious, situated on the main continent, making the child doubly blessed. There is no choice the mothers must present their daughters as offerings.
Once the ceremony has
ended, the priestesses then commune back to the temple to participate in a
feast and a solemn ceremony. Ancient and forbidden, it cannot be discussed with
those outside the temple walls. (Which is why I can’t tell you any more about
it.)
In the streets people
celebrate the coming year, leaving
offerings of food, clothing and even coin for the priestesses. It is a general holiday among the
populace. Of course, such celebrations
will only be for half the globe, as the other half will have to wait for their
Zenith Solstice to occur.
Imogene
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