Various Birth Rites in the Empire of Kyrnia

Throughout the Middle Lands, the birth of a new new life is celebrated and honored in many different rites and rituals. This document compiles some of the traditions collected by those most familiar with their own practices. The Children of the Light recognize that each culture has their own traditions that go back thousands of years and they celebrate each new life as a point of Light that Anno the Light has blessed upon the Lands. While each culture has their own rituals, in the end they are all celebrations of the entrance of a soul into the Middle Lands.

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The Gnomish Peoples

As explained by Maladbe Fiddlehoope

Most Gnomish births are a huge celebration for the whole community. When the mother's water breaks, the community gathers in the village hall with all sorts of food prepared for this special day. While the cooks work on getting the feast prepared, the rest of the community dances and sings and makes merry in the hall, and outside of it, weather permitting. The father of the child is often carried about on shoulders, or in a chair supported by several others, as the community tosses flowers and coins for the father to catch, those that he misses are gathered up by the children of the community and placed aside for the new-born's arrival.

The mother is not left out of the festivities as she goes through her labor. Her immediate female family members as well as her close friends attend to her with the nurse-wife. They sing for her and dance and do what ever they can to ease the labor. Once the child is born, the child and the mother are cleaned up by the gathered women, and made ready to present to the community at the hall. But before they leave, the village priest is brought in to bless the child and the mother. Then the priest leads the assembly to the hall, where the doors are thrown open as they arrive and all shout for joy and happiness as the mother and child are brought in and presented to the father. The father then usually gives a speech, introducing his new child to the village, and then the real party begins as the alcohol is opened up and everyone drinks and dances and makes merry throughout the night. At some point the father and mother and newborn babe are lifted up and carried about the hall, and then carried back to their home where they can have some rest with the newest member of their family, but the party in the village hall continues until no one is left awake.

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Halflings of the Western Empire of Kyrnia

As explained by Amanda Proudmead

We halflings likes a good party, and there always is one whenever tis a reason to celebrate, and don't you know, a birthing tis a perfect thing to celebrate. But unlike some of the other small people of the Empire, we halflings don't start the celebrating until after the child is born. The actual birth is usually a quiet affair with just the immediate family members present, and if the village has one, a good doula, or wise-woman. Tis not until the following market day that the celebrating usually begins, and usually not til after the sun has reached its high point. The baby, if it is a male child, is carried into the square by his dad, and by her mom if it be a girl, but those traditios have been slowly changing and sometimes not followed too closely. The child is brought to the center and surrounded by family and friends as they are introduced, and the village finds out the child's name, which was given just after birthing, but is kept in the family until this point. Being the first baby introduced is a bit of an honor, as everyone is there at that time, but if multiple babies are being introduced, some of the crowd heads off to start the celebrating early, so the honor of going first is hotly contested by the fathers the morning of the market.

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The Orcs of the Khaziram Mountains

As explained by Gruc Brainbasher

Little ones born all the time in clan. No time to stop for orc-woman. Orc-woman squat for a few minutes in hut, or along side of trail. If other orc-woman close, maybe she help, maybe not. Orc-woman expected to catch back up to clan as clan moves. If orc-child no good, left for the gods to decide fate. If orc-child good, at end of day around fire, orc-child presented to orc chief and orc-shaman. Orc-child given no name until orc-child old enough to carry weapon, until then just called daughter of mother, or son of father. When old enough to walk on own, orc-child given weapon and name.

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The Horse Clans

As explained by Rheangru of the Ked-Buqa

When a woman of the Horse Clans determines that she is with child, she first seeks out the Shidten of her clan. The Shidten will confer with the woman, and will discuss the rites that she must now complete. At midnight, on the night of the next full moon, the woman will make a sacrifice in front of the assembled clan women to the moon and stars that will guide the child through the night and protect it from the dangers of the world, and the following day at noon, the woman will sacrifice in front of the men of the clan to the gods of the clan to insure the child has strength, speed, courage, and wisdom.

On the day of the birth, the father and the Shidten will attend to the mother in the privacy of the father's tent. The Shidten may also bring in some apprentices to assist and learn the rituals of birth. If the birth is successful, then after the babe is cleaned by the Shidten, the father carries the child out of the tent to present it to the members of the clan, and he announces the birth name of the child (see Horse Clan Names).

After the birth of the child and the presentation to the clan, the child is brought around to each of the children that has been born in the last year and introduced to them, and each of the children's hands is dipped in the blood of a sacrificed animal and placed over the heart of the newborn, creating a bond amongst the same aged children that will carry through their lives together.

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Wood Elves of the Sylint

As explained by Dyrol of the Sylint

When a mother discovers that she is pregnant she immediately begins a diet consisting of only Green Spears (Asparagus), coushoots (new,green growth from various vines from the forest trees, and Rose Apples (a mild flavored apple that grows from the rose thorn vine) to promote a pain free and healthy delivery.

As the time draws near for the child to be born, the family builds a solitary shelter next to the lake in the middle of the forest. The family then takes the mother, along with midwife if she desires, to the shelter all the while chanting and singing with rejoicing. The mother is then left at the shelter to give birth alone.

When the time comes, the mother gives birth to her child either standing or kneeling, but never laying down. The midwife brings an assortment of leaves and soft underbrush to catch the child when it is born. When delivery of the child is complete the mother takes the child to the lake submerging and bathing it; symbolizing new life and warding away bad omens.

When the mother returns to the village with her child, she takes the newborn to the elders where they pray blessings over the mother and child. The mother and child then return to their home to begin their new journey.