Mealia (may-a-lee-a)

You stand and face the waves. They crash and echo all around you; their voice calling you home. Since the day you were born you have been given the freedom of choice, the opportunity to take your own path. Now is the time you must choose...

Coming of Age

Rea by Frod0_baggins

The month before their sixteenth birthday is an important time for adolescent selkies because they are given the freedom to explore and create a life for themselves. Some begin lifelong relationships, others join a religious following but for a lot of selkies it reinforces a sense of belonging to their community back home.
Choice is important to the selkiefolk and a recognition that you should your life for you and no one else. This is the main reason for Mealia; to give young selkies the chance to pave their own way. Although very different from the traditions and rituals of the other peoples of Iastarene, Mealia is of great cultural significance to the selkiefolk and is to be protected at all costs.

The Sea

As with most Selkie traditions, the sea plays an important part in Mealia. It represents the ties that bind a community together and it connects all those who dwell in it. No matter where you are on the Isles, you can always look out on the ocean and know that the people you love can see the same. In the Mealia, the waves are symbolic of Alixya's love for all the sea-dwelling folks, whether they follow her or not.
Most land-dwellers don't understand the siginificance of the sea, even those who sympathise with the selkies, as it cannot provide for them. They see it as a barrier to their exploration and the many lives it has claimed makes it difficult to love.

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History

Just over 500 years ago, at the end of The Great War, two Selkie woman (Natalia and Emea) who were members of the High Council decided that no-one should ever again be slaughtered for a belief that they didn't choose themselves. For this reason, Selkie children are non-religious until their sixteenth birthday where they decide whether or not to follow in their parents footprints. The month before this, they are permitted to explore other cultures and religions, both on land and under the sea, before making their own choice.
Although most adolescent selkies choose to worship Alixya, alongside the majority of their communities, outliers are not judged and are welcomed back by their families and friends. For some, being related to a non-believer is seen as badge of honour as they refuse to be confined to one way of thinking and accept the differences and diversity of their community.
However, for others, the act of denouncing Alixya is seen as denial of the pain faced by the older members of the community. For those who survived The Great War their religion caused them mass suffering but was also the key thing that tied all selkiefolk together. Since the Mealia became law there has been some dissent among the older generation but for now it seems to be under control.

Execution

On the day of their sixteenth birthday, a large party is thrown for the Selkie who is coming of age. All their extended family, friends, and any important community members will be present. After the general festivities which include dancing on the beach late into the night and playing and splashing in the shallows, the adolescent Selkie will be asked to make their choice. They are given half an hour to spend alone, to make their decision (if they haven't already), before declaring their choice to those assembled.
If they choose to denounce religion entirely they are welcomed back into the community with no judgement given, but if the choose to follow Alixya, the ceremony continues. The Selkie in question is then submerged in the ocean before being given their Rea (a small wave tattoo surrounding their left ear) by an elder of their community. This tattoo means different things to different selkies but generally represents their unwavering tie to Alixya and the ocean. For others it is about community and the place they have in their great family of selkies. However, all selkiefolk agree that it is a key part of their culture.

Participants

The key members of the ceremony are the young Selkie themselves, their close family, and a community elder. For young selkies who choose to follow Alixya, the role of the elder is highly significant. They are the one who creates the Rea, the wave-like tattoo that signifies the following of Alixya.
Aside from that, Mealia is treated like a great party to celebrate the coming of age of the young Selkie. It is a party and often hundreds of selkie-folk will be invited. As of most cultural celebrations, it's about reinforcing a sense of community and a reminder that no-one is forgotten. There have only ever been a few occasions in written history when someone has been banned from attending Mealia, but this is usually for the safety of the young Selkie and is discussed by community elders on a case by case basis.

I watched as the beach came to life before me, a laughing, dancing crowd of family and friends. It was like magic.

— memories of a young selkie

Observance

Mealia officially begins one month before the sixteenth birthday but is celebrated on the birthday itself. This means the actual date differs wildly for each Selkie. However, most Mealias occur around the month before the Winter Solstice as the most Selkie children are born at this time.
A Mealia is seen to be blessed if it occurs on the night of a full moon. Whether true or not, many myths and tales predict good fortune on those who make their choice in the moonlight. No-one knows if there is any truth in these sayings but on the night of a full moon, many have claimed to see Alixya walking in the shadows.
Click Here For a Short Selkie Story

The sea wind whips around you as you stand at the shore and let the waves wash around your ankles. Ever since you were a child you have watched your older siblings, cousins and friends reach this day themselves. You have watched them make their choice and continue their lives in happiness.
Water is the binding force between all selkiefolk. At Least that's what the followers of Alixya say. For you, it’s something simpler. It’s not about religion, or community, it’s a feeling of safety and acceptance that doesn’t rely on others. That’s something they never prepared for; a choice that doesn’t fit the options they want you to choose. So what makes you so uneasy? Why are you so scared to choose between your god and your safety? A justified question when you think about it. But, even as you stand here, you can hear the sea calling to you as it will for the rest of your life; regardless of your choice.
When you spoke to your mother, she told you “not to worry”, she knows you’ll make the right decision in the end. Like she ever had this fear when she was your age. Like you weren’t risking your life just by standing here. For those born a few hundred years ago, they seem to forget the war raging across the island’s, and the freedom that has been taken from you. There never really was a choice, just an illusion that we can be different from the rest. Yet they cover their lies in a web of deception and ask us to choose the lesser of two evils. Death or family.
You sit down, your sealskin in your lap, and watch as the sun sinks closer towards the horizon. You wait in silence as your family and friends arrive, shedding their skins and stepping out of the ocean, water glistening in the moonlight. You think back to the many years you spent with these people, the people that raised you and gave you a home. They don’t know who you are anymore.
You don't worship their god; you don’t worship any god. Better to be alone and alive than together and scared. As you stare at the water, you hear them calling for you, ready to begin the ceremony. You are on the brink of a precipice but can’t bring yourself to take the leap. Instead, you take one last look at the people gathered on the shore and turn back to the ocean. You put on your sealskin and silently enter the water. The last thing you hear is them calling your name.

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