The Pardons
The Pardons are communal ritual processions that occur throughout the Duchy of Letha, a communal expression of devotion to a particular saint or spirit to seek forgiveness or blessing.
History
The Pardon ceremony has its origins lost to time, but it was found in the Druidic religious traditions of the Armorican Peninsula before being co-opted by the Southern Church.
Execution
The Pardon typically begins in the early morning, or the preceding night, with the arrival of participants at the gathering point. Lethan tradition suggests that, upon the first sighting of the church steeple or great tree, that the journey should be completed in song.
Every Pardon is different, but typically begins with a religious celebration in the local Church or Nemeton, followed by a formal procession of banners, relics and effigies carried by the local population, dressed in their finest clothing, with the destination of the communities Kalvar or other point of significance, such as a sacred fountain. Drinks or ablutions are common at these sacred wells, should they be feasible. Some pardons feature animals in the procession to bless these creatures at the wells, but there are largely local variations. The procession itself is typically completed in silence and barefoot, but this latter has fallen out of fashion in much of the region. In coastal districts along the Ar Mor, the procession of relics might continue to the harbour, where the clergy complete the trip on boats to bless the ships in the harbor.
In the event that two Pardons from neighboring communities meet, the primary banners of each are lowered and made to touch in a special ceremony called the salutation of the banners. In the past, when two Pardons arrived at a narrow pass, the obstinate stubbornness of the Lethan people was evident here, where rival communities would not yield to the others, often leading the blows. In most contemporary cases, this salutation is meant to assuage those rivalries (or at least delay them to later in the day at competitive events), but they can often be fraught affairs as rival communities, faiths and factions manufacture the slight of being asked to retreat to settle existing scores.
Following the procession, a tantad bonfire is lit and local festivals occur, featuring Hastiludes, feasts, games of Soule and Gouren wrestling matches, culminating in a nocturnal Fest-Noz (Night Festival) of music and dance.
Components and tools
Participants were their best traditional clothing and travel in groups based on their community, guilds or parish. Participants carry banners and flags, competing for the most elaborate as a sign of their affluence. These banners, symbolizing communities, Noble Houses, or Guilds are of special significance and treated with the full pride of the group carrying them. Relics and religious icons are also frequently carried.
Participants
The leader of the procession, usually a high-ranking cleric or noble lord, walks in front, carrying the relics or icons associated with the individual Pardon.
Observance
Pardons occur throughout the Duchy, but are more prevalent in the Penn-Ar-Bedd of Western Letha, and are typically confined to Summerule, but can occur at any point between Emwalc'h and Kalan-Goañv. These often occur on important days in the life of the entity at the centre of the event.
Primary Related Location
Related Organizations
Comments