Naming Ceremony

Execution

When a Shirk has reached their twentieth cycle, the High Priest/Priestess of Terra hosts a ceremony heralding that Shirk into adulthood. This Shirk also recieves their adult name during this ceremony, a high honor, as the Shirk believe their adult names are hand-picked by Toloc, Arch of Terra himself.

Components and tools

The ceremony hall is decorated with yellow cloth, draped over the nuropi'ga so the ambient lighting has a yellow hue. The Shirk receiving their adult name wears a yellow and grey robe made specially for the ceremony, and their face is painted with sacred yellow and black clay paint. Yellow gems tied to many strands are dropped in front of the nuropi'ga on stage as the new name is revealed. Smaller versions of these same gems are embedded in an obsidian head piece, which the High Priest themself places on the head of the Shirk who is crossing over into adulthood.

Participants

Before the ceremony, the Shirk entering adulthood meets with the High Priest and their acolytes. They are anointed with yellow and black clay paint, drawing an intricate design on their face which imitates what the Shirk believe Toloc, Arch of Terra looked like. The family and close friends of the Shirk receiving his adult name all attend.

Primary Related Location

Shirk'la

Related Ethnicities

• Shirk

Childhood names are typically descriptive. Many Shirk have names like "Emika" which means "she of the red hair", or "Konpat" which is the gem used to signify one is a member of the gem-miner class. Adult names usually describe an aspect of that Shirk's personality, or even what class they belong to. "Yishin" is an old word that means "to serve", and "Theron" means "one who is daring".