Gernararum

Write about a day that celebrates the youngsters living in your world. The Gernararum is celebrated only in Elven culture, and is well known for delicious cakes and specially for the initiation rituals. In the shortest day of year, the winter solistice, all childrens born , and all youngsters who finished twenty years that year are brought to a forest, or under a tree, to in the asist of the entire community get "marked".

History

That tradition begun before the Humans imigrated in Kendros, and no one knows from where it arrived. It changed at the times of the First War, when the majority of grown-ups was on the front or died. Then the initiation age was changed, from 50 years to twenty.

Execution

For the babies

: They're brought to a tree, and the oldest in the village draws with charcoal a symbol on their forehead. The symbolisym is varius in dependence of the age, gender and character of the child.

For young men

: With a dominant hand on the tree, the other on heart, they recite an oath. Nasar, zal tarolag. Jesar gort. Bire tral. Nat dorel. (I, today swear. To be brave. To don't kill. To protekt my family.) When it's done, the oldest of the village gives to each of them a little figurine of a plant or a animal, with a name engraved underneath. That name is known only to this person and his mother. Apart for them, the "secret name" will know only the future partner of the swearing.

For young women

: With the dominant hand on the heart, other on the tree, they recite an oath. Nasar, zil tarolag. Beraeni. Gortin uinas. Salin dorel. ( I, today swear. To be reasonable. To gain strength every day. To keep the family together.[Literally- to stick together] When it's done, the oldest of the village gives to each of them a little figurine of a plant or a animal, with a name engraved underneath. That name is only known to the person and her father. Apart for them, the "secret name" will know only the future partner of the swearing.

The "secret name" is given by the mother (for men) or by the father (for women). If the parent is not alive, or unknown, that name can be used as a normal name.

Components and tools

A tree or a litle forest, preferably oak. Little personalized figurines of plants or animals. Charcoal.

Participants

The oldest of the village- leader of the ceremony.