Fåɵk Lapp

Loving Bond

Execution

A week long celebration, eight days of feasts, competitions, ceremonial bathing, sharing of the skin, offerings to the All-Father and His Children, and gifting.

• Day 1- Initial offering to bless the ceremonies, a feast follows with the meat of the offerings.
• Day 2- Athletic competitions
• Day 3- A hunt with both families, the results being the meat for the feast that evening
• Day 4- Presentation of the Hätt Snyvɵ
• Day 5- Ceremonial bathing of the bride, to cleanse her of her past life and tell her about her responsibilities as a wife
• Day 6- Ceremonial bathing of the groom, to cleanse him of their past life and tell him his responsibilities as a husband
• Day 7- Final offering to the All-Father, to bless the marriage, after which a feast begins and the families exchange a Glasst Jöd
• Day 8- Marriage ceremony, a Gothi blessing them both for fertility and wishing them well in the name of the All-Father and then a feast, followed by the wedding night where the bride and groom are escorted to their chambers for consummation

Components and tools

• Fåra Plumt - "Lovers Crown" Heirloom headpiece that is handed down matrilineally and presented to the bride in preparation for the final ceremony.
• Glasst Jöd - "Pure Weapon" Heirloom weapons transferred from family to family to signify the pledge of protection from one family to the other.
• Hätt Snyvɵ - "Promise Offering" Gifts from the groom's family to show that they can provide for the bride.
• Spung Toä Dupt - "White Death Rat" Large burrowing weasel used as the meat of the final meat of the ceremonies, its musk being fermented into a hallucinogenic drink, taken after the bride and groom retire and the guests see who lasts the longest before collapsing. The guest who lasts the longest is believed to be the next person to get married if they aren't already.
• Toä Kronnsåg - "Death Milk" the fermented musk of the white death rat, known to cause vomiting and hallucinations, provided by Gothi in sealed barrels.

Participants

Main participants:
• Bride
• Groom
Important Roles:
• Married Family
• The married members of the family are constantly surrounding their respective participants, guiding them and helping them when needed. They are also the ones who wash their family members in the ceremonial bathing.
  • Family
• Family that is not married are responsible for ensuring the hall remains fed and the entertainment is flowing.
  • Close Friends
• Close friends of the participants share their stories with guests and family, and often will share the skin with each other, in a sign of trust between mutual friends.

Observance

Spring and Summer are the most common seasons for the scheduling of marital ceremonies.

Related Ethnicities

• Yotunn