Maintenance script at 18:10, 29 January 2009

2009-01-29T18:10:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:10, 29 January 2009
Line 147:		Line 147:
	[[Category:Book]]		[[Category:Book]]
	[[Category:Wedding Book]][[page type is::book\| ]][[race association is::elf\| ]]		[[Category:Wedding Book]][[page type is::book\| ]][[race association is::elf\| ]]
			[[Category:Snow Elf]]

CARAAMON at 01:37, 18 September 2008

2008-09-18T01:37:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:37, 17 September 2008
Line 146:		Line 146:

	[[Category:Book]]		[[Category:Book]]
	[[Category:Wedding Book]]		[[Category:Wedding Book]][[page type is::book\| ]][[race association is::elf\| ]]

Maintenance script at 18:53, 10 May 2008

2008-05-10T18:53:23Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:53, 10 May 2008
Line 146:		Line 146:

	[[Category:Book]]		[[Category:Book]]
			[[Category:Wedding Book]]

Maintenance script: Marriage Among the Elves, Volume 6 moved to Marriage Among the Elves, Volume 6 (book)

2007-11-19T13:52:07Z

Marriage Among the Elves, Volume 6 moved to Marriage Among the Elves, Volume 6 (book)

← Older revision	Revision as of 08:52, 19 November 2007
(No difference)

Maintenance script: Book:RsbEM6 moved to Marriage Among the Elves, Volume 6

2007-11-09T12:43:59Z

Book:RsbEM6 moved to Marriage Among the Elves, Volume 6

← Older revision	Revision as of 07:43, 9 November 2007
(No difference)

Maintenance script at 03:29, 7 June 2006

2006-06-07T03:29:56Z

Maintenance script at 03:29, 7 June 2006

2006-06-07T03:29:24Z

New page

=Marriage Among Elves=
==Volume VI: The Snow Clan==
-''An Investigation by Simon J. Bright''

Another reclusive clan is that of the Snow Elves, who inhabit
the alpine wastes high on the mountains. Myth states these
Elves withdrew from the society of the other clans in order to
purify themselves with the harshness of their chosen environment,
and one of their names for themselves suggests they view their
blood now as pure and rare.

The Snow Elves are withdrawn and avoid interracial relation
ships and friendships. They are intensely traditional and both
respect and revere all facets of their environment. They
believe contact with other races has contaminated the other
Elven clans and caused them to be unable to see the error of
Their ways. Not only other races, but also other clans of the
Elves, consider their reserved ways incomprehensible.

Inside their central hold among their own kin, they live in
stark contrast to the perceptions of the outside world. They
lead comfortable but simple lives. They surround themselves in
the colors of spring and abundant texture, celebrating the joys
of life and the arts.

The ice walls of most of their gathering places conform to the
most beautiful features of their environment, encouraged by care
ful carving or sculpting to display their most dazzling aspects.
The visitor is rewarded as every step reveals yet another trea
sure for the eye to behold or for the other senses to indulge in
a sense of heady intoxication.

Snow Elves arrange the wedding of their children, with the
husbands marrying into the family clan. All marriages occur
during the winter, when any excuse for merrymaking and festi
vities is sought after to break the long tedium of the cold
time. Quite often, although a young maiden may know the name
of her betrothed, she may never meet him until the time has
come for them to be united in marriage.

A recurring motif in all Snow Elves marriage ceremonies is the
use of flowers of any hue of red as well as a chill blue to
symbolize the ice and cold surrounding them. They have become
quite adept at carving gemstones mimicking spring flowers. Some
of the gems are found in their frozen wastelands, but more often
they are acquired through the limited trade allowed with the
outside world.

At the beginning of the winter season, wedding plans are
announced. This sets off a flurry of activity among the
families. The groom's sisters and other female relatives arrive
to visit with the bride and her family and often stay for a
month or so. They bring with them gifts of exotic perfumes and
cosmetics, as well as an assortment of carved flower gems
cunningly strung together in matched sets of earrings, bangles,
hairpieces and garlands. The sisters adorn their future sister-
in-law with the gem flowers, suggesting their affection for her.
The purpose of this ceremony is to increase familiarity between
the bride and her new family, creating an atmosphere that is
fragrant and beautiful.

Favored gems for the bride are star rubies, garnets, red jasper
and spinel. Less favored are coral, sunstone, and bloodstone.
The leaves and stems of the flower creations are carved from
peridot, green tourmaline and emeralds.

The bride's attire for her wedding day is a fine silk robe of a
bright springtime color, covered by the sleeveless coat called
"bal baharen guleni" or the coat of spring flowers, a lavish
creation of the finest piecework and needlework. The gift of
flower gems given her by her beloved's family graces the tiny
braids forming her elaborate coif, as well as her wrists and
ears. She seems to sparkle in the light cast for the ceremony.

The groom wears pale blue leggings and a cape reminiscent of the
color of pure ice on a summer morning. His voluminous cape is
edged with a thin band of white ermine. He wears a shirt of
stark white, studded at the open neck with a crimson jewel. He
goes unarmed to his wedding, for weapons are prohibited within
the stronghold.

Although Snow Elves recognize all the traditional Elven forms of
marriage, the one most often used is Bile Janis oc Hul Haizean.
Although all the major facets of the ceremony are present, there
are a few variations in the ritual.

The family lines of the bride and groom are never chanted. The
bride and groom each sing their own lines, accompanied by the
witness and often by the entire assembly. They maintain the
rhythm of the singing by clapping the palms of their hands on
their thighs, using no other musical accompaniment.

As noted before, no one bears weapons within the stronghold.
Each of the challengers bears instead a staff of ice. When the
challenge is completed, the staff is raised high overhead in
display before being struck sharply on the floor and shattered.
It is quite a dramatic sight to see.

Once the Four Challenges are made with no objection issued to
halt the wedding, the officiating Elder takes a long chain that
has been painstakingly carved from a single block of ice. He
binds the left palm of the bride over the right palm of the
groom in a complicated pattern before the ceremony continues.
This is the last, unspoken challenge. If the ice chain melts
before the ceremony is completed, it is a sign these two were
not meant to be bound together and the marriage is not binding.
Snow Elves believe it is a most auspicious omen if the chain
melts precisely at the close of the ceremonies, showing not only
the strength of the bond between the two, but also demonstrating
the belief that no mortal may possibly separate them.

At the close of the ceremony, carved bone geldanto are exchanged
between the bridal couple. These geldanto carry symbolic
representations of the totems of the couple, worked over the
entire surface of the geldanto in exacting detail, with all the
carved lines acid darkened to display the minute detail. The
artisans who create such works of art strive to never replicate
the design of one geldanto with another, but to complement its
mate with different elements, yet still designate the two
torques as part of a pair. The ends of the geldanto are left
without decoration.

The entire gathering celebrates the joining of the bridal
couple, with all contributing to the bridal feast. When the
couple becomes weary, they simply retire to their new home.
There is no period of solitude as most of the other clans offer
newlyweds, but immediate assimilation as functional members of
the bride's family.

*Author's note: The geldanto is a fascinating artifact dis-
playing the life of the marriage. At the time of marriage, the
ends of the geldanto are left plain. Significant anniversaries
are later documented with bands of geometric etchings on the
side of the torque closest to the right hand, and the birth of
children with specialized bands decorating the left.

Should a marriage be sundered by death, the entire geldanto of
the surviving spouse is repeatedly rubbed with a special com-
pound during the mourning period. The degree of darkening of
the geldanto describes graphically the sorrow felt at passage of
the spouse to the Starry Road. It also indicates to others in
the clan how open the surviving spouse might be to offers of
remarriage. Those who choose to darken their geldanto to the
color of deep ash are not considered good marriage prospects.

[[Category:Book]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:29, 6 June 2006
Line 129:		Line 129:


	*Author's note: The geldanto is a fascinating artifact dis-		*Author's note: The geldanto is a fascinating artifact dis-
	playing the life of the marriage. At the time of marriage, the		playing the life of the marriage. At the time of marriage, the
	ends of the geldanto are left plain. Significant anniversaries		ends of the geldanto are left plain. Significant anniversaries
	are later documented with bands of geometric etchings on the		are later documented with bands of geometric etchings on the
	side of the torque closest to the right hand, and the birth of		side of the torque closest to the right hand, and the birth of
	children with specialized bands decorating the left.		children with specialized bands decorating the left.


	Should a marriage be sundered by death, the entire geldanto of		Should a marriage be sundered by death, the entire geldanto of
	the surviving spouse is repeatedly rubbed with a special com-		the surviving spouse is repeatedly rubbed with a special com-
	pound during the mourning period. The degree of darkening of		pound during the mourning period. The degree of darkening of
	the geldanto describes graphically the sorrow felt at passage of		the geldanto describes graphically the sorrow felt at passage of
	the spouse to the Starry Road. It also indicates to others in		the spouse to the Starry Road. It also indicates to others in
	the clan how open the surviving spouse might be to offers of		the clan how open the surviving spouse might be to offers of
	remarriage. Those who choose to darken their geldanto to the		remarriage. Those who choose to darken their geldanto to the
	color of deep ash are not considered good marriage prospects.		color of deep ash are not considered good marriage prospects.

	[[Category:Book]]		[[Category:Book]]

Marriage Among the Elves, Volume 6 (book) - Revision history

Maintenance script at 18:10, 29 January 2009

CARAAMON at 01:37, 18 September 2008

Maintenance script at 18:53, 10 May 2008

Maintenance script: Marriage Among the Elves, Volume 6 moved to Marriage Among the Elves, Volume 6 (book)

Maintenance script: Book:RsbEM6 moved to Marriage Among the Elves, Volume 6

Maintenance script at 03:29, 7 June 2006

Maintenance script at 03:29, 7 June 2006