Phryne Wedding
A phryne wedding is a special anniversary party which celebrates eighteen years of marriage. The custom is specific to the lands of northern Punjuki in the regions where phryne is harvested and traded.
Editor's note : Readers who are familar with the standard duration of an Earth Zero year, should be aware that on Magicians' End, the years are only two thirds as long. A phyrne wedding can therefore be thought of as occuring around the same time as a twelfth wedding anniversary on Earth Zero. See the article about timekeeping in Magicians' End for more a more detailed discussion of the calendar.
According to the accepted best practice for phryne cultivation, seedlings only reach maturity after eighteen years, which is the first time their leaves can be gathered into the crop. A phryne wedding, by analogy with its botanical inspiration, represents that maturing of a marriage into a strong and sturdy element which can actively contribute to the social life of neighbours, friends and wider society.
The hope and belief behind the custom is that in a successful marriage, any early relationship difficulties will have been resolved harmoniously after eighteen years. There will most often be growing children and the couple will have found a stable and happy way to live together which can be celebrated with the whole community. The flowering of their love does in some abstract way, now yield benefits for everyone, just as the young phryne plants now contribute their leaves to the success of the farm.
Components and tools
Phryne itself naturally plays a very important role in the service of a phryne wedding, both for decorative purposes and more substantially in the bowls of special ryne which are offered to all the guests. Bright red phryne leaves are typically hung in chains around the walls, crafted into little bouquets, and artfully included in the table settings. Ginruthim ferns and other red folliage which complements the phryne leaves will often be used to provide further adornments to the dining room and tables.
Plentiful glasses and bowls of ryne are provided by the hosts, brewed in traditional styles but also supplemented by various exotic infusions, laced with spirits and aromatic herbs according to time honoured recipes associated with the occasion.
Participants
At a phryne wedding party, the husband and wife renew their marriage vows and publically exchange gifts reflecting their mutual love and respect. Whilst these ritual presents are certainly not expected to be extravagant in nature, the husband and wife will still typically devote a great deal of care and attention to chosing the right gift for their partner on this important occasion.
It is customary to invite all their old friends, particularly those who attended the original wedding, together with new friends, neighbours and colleagues. Phyrne wedding parties can be lavish affairs, particularly amongst the wealthy, but more modest, small scale, celebrations are common even in poorer households.
Observance
A phryne wedding party is always on or around the date of the eighteenth anniversary of a marriage, although naturally there is a little flexibility allowed within the customary rules. It should be noted that not all couples observe the tradition for a variety of natural reasons, but this carries with it a certain amount of social risk. Those who do not choose to celebrate might be thought of as either mean or poor. Or perhaps, malicious gossips may suggest, their marriage is in some jeopardy and would not withstand the public scrutiny of a phyrne wedding. There have been times and places where it was considered a little shameful not to hold a phryne wedding at the right time, but equally it has also been seen as unnecessary and old fashioned as the tradition has waxed and waned and waxed again.
Primary Related Location
Important Locations
The illustration below comes from volume 4 of Clarise Vabatan's Diary, and shows the high table at the phyrne wedding celebrations for the Raja of Katrapetch, Amarshiva Rajput and the Rani, Mehera Rajput in 3083 APC.
The Phryne Wedding of Amarshiva and Mehera Rajput by DMFW with Leonardo AI
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