Stag's Day

Written for the "Love Seasons" Flash Challenge

The King of the Forest is known for many things. But even the most wild and free of beings must fight for the thing it loves once a year. So should we, as each man a king, fight for the right of unconditional love for them we care for at least one day a year.

History

Stag's Day is a special time for the Hellic peoples of Elgerlia. It is also especially important to those who follow the Diamen Faith as this day is the dedicated Day of Diamen herself as well. Stag's Day is a day where the Hellic passion for lovemaking becomes romance for commitment.

The Stag's Day originates from the Kingholder Hart, a unique species of deer native only to Hellaland. The Kingholder ruts much later than other deer species, choosing to mate after they have survived the hardships of winter rather than before. As such, Gerrary is the most common rutting season and the 14th is believed to be the height of the season. On Stag's Day, the Hellic are presumed to embody the animal they associate with, rather than the passionate human beast they are the rest of the year.

The Fall of the Survivor Faiths

After the Order of Saint Vortarius' deposing of the Diamen Faith as the religion of the Empire, many Hellic people have come into ideological conflict with the faith of the One True God especially over rituals such as Stag's Day due to the Order's more conservative approach to courtship and love. To compensate, Order missionaries in Hellaland have promoted an alternative Hart's Day (A mix between the Hellic Stag and the Dagor Heart Day).

Execution

Stag's Day

Lover's sonnets fill the air from sunrise onwards as the men of settlements venture forth into market or forest until midday. As the man is out in the morning, they take into consideration which of their lovers they care for the most. While deciding who they must focus their loving attention to, they must take into consideration any other men who may share the same desire as themselves. Here, the competition - or rut - truly starts to take place. The man strikes out to buy, find, capture or kill the most impressive thing they can tailored for the woman in mind.

As this occurs, the woman listen to the sonnets and music filling the air while making themselves look as beautiful as possible, using the most expensive and rare tools at their disposal to do so, thus attracting a stag to bed them by the end of the night. As midday approaches, the teasing before the competition begins as everyone makes their way to the local town square where the Church will have prepared an open-aired banquet feast. This feast will often include a menagerie of biscuits. The men will admire their doe and size up potential challengers, while the women play games with the men vying for the attention of specific stags.

In the afternoon, the men will appear outside the houses of the women they wish to be caring and protective of for the rest of the month. With them will be their gift they seek to give the woman. If multiple men appear, they will "rut" by trying to impress and convince the woman to take them over the other. Whoever the woman chooses, the couple will be a singular relationship until the new year appears. Often, the couple will start a period of courtship that, if goes well, the man may conduct a Hellic "marriage" to make their monogamy "official".

Hart's Day

Hart's Day is largely similar, though promotes these ideals to be withheld the entire year. In addition in some way to capitalise on the holiday, as well as bring some more over to the faith, pro-Order inn owners are encouraged to keep free one room for any travelling monogamous lovers to use that night. These inns signify themselves by a wreath of lilies on the door, which introduces the Dagor Heart Day influences. On this theme, true marriages made under the watch of the One True God are encouraged to occur on Hart's Day and will be crowned Lily Lovers.

Observance

Stag's Day is observed on the 14th day of Gerrary (Winterwane to the followers of the Order of Saint Vortarius), which is the last month of the year before spring brings about the new year. The nature of fertility of the holiday personifies the start of the end of winter and life is renewed to the earth. To those who follow the Order, it is the first day in which winter truly starts to wane.

Related Ethnicities