Marriage / Bonding / Handfasting / Soulfasting
The rite / sacrament / ceremony / ritual of people becoming spouses.
History
Marriage is an ancient institution, whatever the name given to it. While some believe that it may have initially been devised as a method of reproduction, most people and religions believe that the sentient drive to avoid loneliness is what necessitated marriage.
Today, most species enjoy the rights and ceremony of this ancient rite, though for some of the non-human species, this particular recognition has been barred until recently.
During the Fractuous Time, several tribes believed that this institution was a connection between two opposite sexed people, during the first years of Gennon's reign after unifying Aefeodel, access on human marriage was quickly expanded, allowing same sex as well as polyamorous marriage. It should be noted that followers of Drycraeft have always believed that the rights of the institution could not me mandated or restricted by sex or number, or to any one sentient race and believed that all people of any sentient race had a right to marriage/bonding/handfasting/soulfasting.
Execution
The ceremonial execution varies wildly by the tradition and beliefs of those being bonded, but in Qethanvale, there is a legal contract portion the bonding also, which must be carried out in the presence of a magistrate. Many faith houses have magistrates who are members and thus have easy access to legal witness, though for secular bondings, an appointment must be made at a magistrates office for the signing of the documents that bind the participants.
King Archem removed the legal fees that made the legal status prohibitive for the poorer peasants.
Marriage / Bonding / Handfasting / Soulfasting in Qethanvale does not allow for any participant to be the property of another participant and all involved are legally seen as equals.
Components and tools
In some religions there is no specific tool or component for the rite.
However for the ceremony of the Baharute followers, a thin, copper wire is used in the Handfasting ceremony, to tie the hands and wrists of the participants together. This often draws blood because of how thin the wire is and this is seen as a good omen for the wedding as it often means the participants bloods mingle, illustrating the participants becoming one.
For Drycraefters, a Vedik is required, and the Soulfasting is done barefooted. All particpants are laced together with strips of unbleached fabric in an intricate knot that while strong, allows individual movement, illustrating that the individual does not become lost and that fasted souls are stronger because of their individuality, that the whole is stronger and more than the sum of its parts. The vows made by the participants are ancient, predating antiquity and many believe that they may in fact be an incatation that binds the souls of the participants for this life and the next. For Drycraefters, because of how tied the participants become, there is no going back and is therefore one of the most protective of its bonding rites.
For followers of the 12 Whispers, a Curate must preside over and vows supposedly written by Gennon herself are used.
Related Organizations
Comments