As most cultures do,
Bocraeans have a variety of traditions, rituals, and taboos. The vast majority of these traditions can be traced back to worship of the old
Druidic Gods. As a result, these traditions hold most strongly in the countryside and those who travel the wilderness, while only the most important tend to be practiced in major cities.
Season's First Hunt
The first flower to bloom in spring marks the new year in Bocrae, and a time to celebrate the doe goddess of Life, Guðrún. As the stories go, she spends each winter fleeing from her brother, the
wolf god of Death. The worst snowstorms during winter are said to be the times in which Guðrún is in the greatest danger. After a season of fleeing and fighting, she is left weak and vulnerable. It is said that if she were ever to fail and be caught, it would herald a time of endless winter.
The first kill of each season is to be offered to the god of death to sate his bloodlust, and distract him while his sister revitalizes the land. In the cities, where hunting is less common, instead a ritual sacrifice of a doe is held. It is a somber affair, but often followed by a celebration of living life for another day.
Taboos and Superstitions
To see a buck backed by the sun is a sign of the goddess of life, Guðrún. To kill it is a great evil. The most devout of worshippers may even take this as a sign that the forest is being protected, and shouldn't be hunted in at all. Despite this, even devout hunters continue to hunt deer, thanking the goddess for her strength.
Hjálmarr punishes those who stare at the sun by blinding them, to prevent any from gleaning information about her home. Those who disobey her divine laws are struck with blindness.
Yelling during a rainstorm is a sure way to be struck by lightning. The gods of the storm see it as a challenge to their authority.
