Biba Khani: Chewing White Tree Bark

During both the pre-Empire Period and the Five Empire Period, it was widely believed that chewing the bark of The White Tree would provide healing. The ritual itself was known by a variety of names, depending on the location and period. By the end of The Rending War, the most common reference in documents and other materials is Biba Khani.

History

Biba Khani is believed to have begun as a simple ritual of nourishment and comfort at the end of the long pilgrimage to see The White Tree, a tradition that was firmly established by the Five Empires Period. The name itself was likely very late in comparison to the ritual itself, and referred to the formal actions taken leading up to collecting the bark, eating it, and leaving the area of the White Tree itself. The White Tree was long viewed as an area of refuge and peace. It was one of few places not involved in violence until the very end of The Rending War. The actions of Biba Khani became increasingly convoluted over time, in part due to the formal recognition of the White Tree as a place of refuge from war, but also because it became especially difficult to reach the Tree itself to collect the bark.

Execution

Initially, conducting the Biba Khani would have involved little more than making a ceremonial approach to one of the Tree's exposed roots or climbing up to the trunk to tear off a strip of bark. However, as the ritual became more formalised, it became more elaborate. Pilgrims arrived generally from the west along the Pilgrim Trail rather than along the Asylum Trail, and would halt on the western bank of the estuary to spend several days visiting local shrines and temples in the area. Once they had spent the required amount of time in the area "under the branches", as it was called, they would join a formal walk to the Tree itself. At first, bureaucrats resisted attempts by pilgrims to access any part of the Tree, but after a series of riots in the early years of The Council of the White Tree, it was established that pilgrims could access specific roots with permits that had to be applied for and granted (usually with a heavy fee) prior to leaving their home location. The Council attempted to mitigate harm to the Tree itself by selecting a particular root that could be denuded during the pilgrimage season. It would then be fenced off so that the bark could regrow and another root selected for the year. Pilgrims, meanwhile, could purchase souvenir bark knives, with special blades for peeling off a chunk, prior to their final walk to the root. It is likely that basic paring knives were used at first, or even fingers, but as the Tree became more denuded, it became necessary to use specialist equipment. It was traditional that the knife should be blessed prior to use by one of the local temple priests. During the last years of the Rending War, when members of The One Hundred Thousand arrived at White Tree, they too partook of Biba Khani, in the hope that it would provide them with comfort and protection for the final, hardest part of the journey through harsh Keshwari terrain and The Eastern Desert. As the Council had now been formally disbanded and much of the City was in ruins, the ritual was adapted. The Hundred Thousand gathered around the emissary Iyarina, who guided and provided water to the travellers. A foundational myth surrounding Iyarina and her actions is that she used her own curved knife to tear off strips of bark from the burnt Tree and gave them out to everyone travelling with her with a personal blessing.

Primary Related Location

The White Tree

Important Locations