This is a traditional courting ritual outlining how to properly find and approach a suitable partner of the opposite sex in order to mate and produce offspring. It’s considered appropriate to execute this ritual when there’s no intention of forming a lasting relationship, and both involved parties are typically under a mutual understanding that they’ll part ways once it’s concluded.
Etymology & Definition
The name for this traditional ritual is derived from the courteous invitation made by the party seeking a mate, usually spoken somewhere along the lines of ‘I would like to share with you the warmth of my bed, from now until we part ways’.
‘Kienkii’ is the gjevasudit word for ‘to share’ and ‘to gift’. ‘Lhukkjan’ is a compound word that stems from the roots ‘lhukka’ for ‘bed’ (literally it's a term for any location where you would sleep or rest) and ‘jan' for ‘mine' and 'my’, and is typically translated to ‘my bed’. For localization the ritual’s name is thus most commonly translated to ‘share my bed’.
History
Origin
It’s difficult to date to when the tradition first arose and where it originates from, but it’s safe to say that it’s ancient and a deeply ingrained in all tribes found so far. The ritual is thought to have served as the practical solution for retaining their cultural view on familial relations while still trying to lessen the chance of high consanguinity between breeding individuals.
The bieggjan appear aware that promoting genetic diversity is necessary to avoid bearing offspring with genetic abnormalities and congenital birth defects. It may be that the choice to abandon a staked-out trail, even if it’s safe and rich in resources, and find a new one is done for similar reasons. Changing trails lessen the chance of crossing paths with tribes you’ve met regularly for several seasons – possibly with your members sharing bed with theirs on numerous occasions – and give the chance of encountering new ones to blend blood with.
Modern Practice
While the ritual is meant to be used only for finding a partner to produce viable offspring with, it’s become increasingly frequent to also initiate it in any situation where only sexual fulfillment is desired. In these cases, the biological sex of the two participants is irrelevant as long as they both meet the requirements, and the act is consensual.
It’s still frowned upon by many tribes to engage in sexual activity solely for sexual fulfilment, but an individual is typically only confronted if their behavior is considered a problem. Sleeping with more than one individual in the same bed or sleeping in multiple individuals’ beds during the same meeting with another tribe, tend to be the most common type of perceived problematic behavior needing to be addressed.
Observance
While the tradition is in practice among all of the currently known bieggjan tribes, the decision some have made to abandon nomadic life and settle in a permanent location has led to some logistical problems, including in how to reliably meet other tribes and find partners. Though these tribes initially had higher average populations than the nomadic ones, a steady decline in birth rates suggests that they have significantly less opportunities meeting with outsiders.
Participants
The participants of the ritual are typically only made out of the initiating party seeking sexual companionship, and the individual that they hope to share their bed with.
Preparation
Normally a tribe crosses path with another once or twice a year along their customary migration trails and may have exchanges with as many as four different tribes on a regular basis.
Despite this limitation in opportunities for seeking partners, an individual is still encouraged to be conscious about the timing. Most will try to ensure that any offspring that result from the courtship will be born on a favorable time of the year – typically either of the late spring or early summer seasons.
They are also considered obligated to ensure that the partner they want to approach is appropriate, typically by first making sure they’re a recognized adult. It’s also considered very distasteful to approach someone already engaged in a relationship with someone else through either this ritual or bonded in Kienkii Bieggjan. Approaching someone who already has a life mate and expecting they’d want to share bed with anyone else is seen as especially insulting.
Tools & Components
There typically are no tools or components associated with the preparation or execution of the ritual itself, aside the obvious need for a sleeping spot to share.
After the ritual is concluded it’s often considered courteous, but not required, to gift the tribe that’ll end up rearing the hoped-for offspring some of your tribe’s foodstuffs and amenities. This is by many considered a way to express you care for the wellbeing and health of the expected child even if they’ll end up not belonging to your tribe and family.
Should the ritual result in no offspring, the other tribe will often try to pay back what they were gifted next time they meet.
Execution
The conduction of the ritual is typically a fairly straight-forward affair, where the individual seeking sexual companionship approaches the member of the other tribe they’re attracted to and invite them to share their bed ‘from now and until we part ways’. The approached individual is then free to accept or decline the invitation as they please, with the full expectation the inviting party will respect their choice.
It’s not required, but often considered courteous, to state whether or not your intention is to produce offspring or if you only seek sexual fulfilment – especially in the cases where the approached individual is of the opposite biological sex. This appears to be a means to alleviate any sense of obligation of, should their engagement result in an offspring when it wasn’t explicitly intended, having to share their tribe’s resources with the one the child will be born into.
Both participants are free to, at any point during an ongoing engagement, decline further bed-sharing and need not express a reason as for why. The other party are to respect this decision and part ways with their partner on good terms. Otherwise, the pair typically continue to share bed for as long as the two tribes remain in the same location. It’s considered concluded and the participants will part ways when either or both tribes break camp and leave.
Lasting Affection
It happens that the individuals who engaged in Kienkii Lhukkjan together may end up developing deeper feelings for each other, and mutually agree that they’d not want to share bed with anyone else. If this also extends to them not wanting to be apart at all, it’s often considered an appropriate course of action to initiate the Kienkii Bieggjan ritual custom to see if they can become life mates.
Common Restrictions
Both individuals of the ritual must originate from different tribes and be recognized as adult individuals in their respective tribes (typically 10 years of age or older).
The ritual and involved sexual activities must be consensual, and the ritual is considered ongoing until either of the involved decide they no longer want to participate or until either tribe is to pack up and continue on their way – whichever comes first. Engaging in sexual activity, regardless of reason, is fully voluntary and should either party decline at any point the other is expected to respect the decision.
Common Taboos
A bieggjan may not engage in sexual activities with members of their own tribe, or with members of a tribe they’ve been adopted from, regardless of actual blood relation. Doing so may be grounds for punishment or even exile, depending on the perceived gravity of the crime. The only exception to this rule is recognized couples bonded through the Kienkii Bieggjan ritual, who may share bed with each other.
As well, a bieggjan may not engage in sexual activities with non-adults, regardless of whether they themselves are a recognized adult or not. Regardless of a child’s own words, they are not considered capable to give their consent to sexual engagements.
Non-adults caught engaging in such acts with other non-adults will typically be punished and let known why it’s a non-acceptable behavior. Should the child be caught repeating the behavior, they may end up marked and exiled. Adults caught engaging in such acts with non-adults will immediately be forcibly marked with the goosujati symbol for the Tjaetsiimaj and exiled.
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