Eating Raw Meat
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The consumption of raw meat used to be a common practice throughout Dutan. It started with the Bear King who was known to be able to acquire the traits of animals he consumed. The ritual consisted of prayers to Valtena and the Bear King prior to departing on a hunt. The animal must be killed as cleanly as possible, and additional prayers are said before laying the final cut to sever the throat. Sprigs of borage, rue, and hyssop which grow natively in the region are inserted into the dead animal's mouth. The meat and organs are collected and brought back home. The meat must be eaten that night while it's still fresh, and it must be consumed raw. Any attempts to preserve or cook the meat strip it of magical properties. Until the next sunset, the person who ate the meat and organs will have heightened abilities. Afterwards, the remaining night is spent in vigil giving thanks to the borrowed animal and to the Bear King for his generosity.
Following the epidemic of 398 IA, the practice of consuming raw meat was abandoned due to it contributing to cases of Yellow Fog. For many rural areas, it was a difficult practice to abandon, but necessary for survival. Over the decades, the warning in the story with the young prince dying due to consuming raw meat rose to prominence. Where that part of the myth was once a warning against using animal abilities for dishonorable reasons, it was later interpreted as a warning against the practice at all. People now believe that only the Bear King is able to acquire the abilities of woodland animals, and anyone else who tries will fall ill and die. Partaking in the ritual is now viewed as a sign of arrogance and selfishness. Those would would attempt it must believe themselves to be equal to a god. Outside of old books, even the rituals surrounding the practice have fallen out of cultural memory.
Among the catfolk, partaking in the ritual of eating raw meat is seen as an even worse affront. They are able to consume raw food without issue, it's now associated with human customs and is very uncatlike to do. They believe that any consumption of raw meat is a rejection of what it means to be a catfolk in Dutan. The participant must believe that humans are superior to want to emulate them. Out of all the traditions the catfolk generally reject, none are more egregious than eating raw meat like the humans and their Bear King.
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