Clay Ancestor

Clay ancestors are small protective amulets worn by Faren children to ward them of the Wild Spirits.

Manufacturing Process

The amulets are small figurines representing the Táldar, ancestor spirits. Typically of the Faren art, they are often depicted as human figures tightly wrapped in funeral robes. If the figure is painted, the robes are blue (see also: Faren colour associations). Sometimes figures in the shape of a hand are also used. The figures are most commonly clay, but among the high classes they can also be made out of precious metals, bone or horn.

The amulets are small, one to two inches in lenght. They can be worn directly on a rope around the neck, or commonly inside a protective leather pouch to keep the figurine itself more private.

Age of use

The amulates are usually gifted to children soon after their birth, and worn through the whole childhood. Children usually give up wearing the amulet when they turn 15, and are considered young adults. Then they start wearing adult clothes, and receive their first personal belt design (See: traditional Faren belts), which is believed to continue the protective role of the amulets.

Warding of danger

The wilderness is filled with dangerous wild spirits, that prey on human souls. Especially children, whose own mental powers are still developing, are at the risk of being attacked and possessed by the spirits. However, the personal ancestors spirits of each person can protect of such attacks. Children are usually kept close to home, near the altar to their maternal ancestors, but amulets can help to extend the protective range of the ancestors. It is also believed that the amulets help the ancestor to recognise their own descendants.

History

In the early days the amulets were made of physical parts of the ancestor, often small finger bones. It was believed, that this way the wearer of the amulet was physically able to carry with them the ancestor spirit residing in the bones. During the First Republic Era, along with the funerary traditions shifting from body burials to cremation, carrying around a human remains fell out of favour, and were replaced by the clay representations. However, in some traditions small amounts of burial ash is still mixed with the clay used to produce the figurine.

Earlier the bone amulets were also worn by all age groups when special protection was needed. Nowadays they are used almost exclusively to protect children.