CARAAMON at 05:30, 31 January 2009

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	Throughout history ~~Bards~~ have been the keepers of lore		Throughout history [[guild association is::Bard]]s have been the keepers of lore
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	To this end I start this, the first of my journals		To this end I start this, the first of my journals
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	... Siraan Lisange ...		... Siraan Lisange ...
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Book:HslRBV1 moved to Remembering the Bardic Voice, Volume I (book): standardization

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Maintenance script: New page: Category:Book Remembering the Bardic Voice, Volume I
by Siraan Lisange -- Introduction Throughout history Bards have been the keepers of lore and oral traditions handed down ...

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New page: Category:Book Remembering the Bardic Voice, Volume I<br> by Siraan Lisange -- Introduction Throughout history Bards have been the keepers of lore and oral traditions handed down ...

New page

[[Category:Book]]
Remembering the Bardic Voice, Volume I<br>
by Siraan Lisange

-- Introduction

Throughout history Bards have been the keepers of lore
and oral traditions handed down through many lands.
To this end I start this, the first of my journals
that tell of my wanderings. Shortly I shall retire to
the quieter life, as I have been offered a place in
the Therengian court, but my heart remains on the
dusty roads where the tones of a lute can be heard
coming from a distant tavern.

Recorded in this book are ceremonies that I found to
hold us somewhere vital in their enactment. I
encourage the reader to make their own research of
these events during their travels, as nothing can
truly compare to witnessing them first hand. It is a
Bard's duty to see that tradition and history are kept
alive, and that is the trust I place in you, my peers,
students, and future descendants of Bardic kindred.

See that the lore is not forgotten.

-- The Dancing of The Flames

Fire has myriad meanings in the foreign lands a Bard
travels. In those that honor the Thirteen, however,
you will almost always find flames associated with
Tamsine Hearth-Keeper, the goddess of homes and
families. With the presence of a flame borne by even
the simplest of lamps or candles, her blessing is
sought for new homes, marriages, and the naming and
well-wishing of newborn children.

In the more populated towns of late, a new tradition
has been growing increasingly popular. During mid-
spring an area is cleared in the heart of town, the
Square if the town has one, and dozens of uncovered
lanterns are placed in its center to form the shape of
a reclining cat. After each lantern is lit at sunset,
a Bard or dancer is then called upon to leap and turn
among the flames until the sun rises again.

Aptly called The Dancing of the Flames, this is a much
more perilous tradition than the mere lighting of a
candle. After several people were seriously burned by
falling amongst the burning oil lanterns, towns that
practice this celebration required that the 'Dancer'
be a Guilded Bard or Gypsy trained in the ways of
dancing. Very few have been burned since these
regulations came to pass, since both group's inherent
gifts and training lent them a nimbleness that few
others possess.

Music is used to aid the 'Dancer' in evading the
flames, and can be performed by any number of
minstrels who wish to participate. The swift beat of
a drum or voice gives them a rhythm to concentrate
upon as their feet move in a set pattern of dance
steps. No more than one singer or performer is
needed, indeed in some areas a competition is held to
grant one talented prodigy the honor of 'Singing the
Flames.'

This is no bar to those who wish an extravagant show,
however. I myself had the luck of being invited to
the palace of Queen Morganae last year to witness a
pair of Bards dancing above real beeswax candles to
the music of a full orchestra. Their feet were so
quick that they barely disturbed the brightly burning
tapers, and not a single one was knocked over by the
rapid dancing. It was truly a magnificent sight.

As the sun rises on a new day after the Dance, a
Cleric devoted to Tamsine will give the ritual prayer
asking for the protection and warmth of the Goddess to
be bestowed upon the town for the upcoming year. No
one is really sure which part of the ceremony is that
which truly calls upon Tamsine, however, since
occasionally in the more remote towns it is remarked
upon that a tabby cat can be seen among the flickering
lanterns, walking among the flames.

-- Story Circles

The tradition of sitting in a circle and telling old
tales is one that goes back to even the early times of
the Elves. Not always a venue for compositions and
contests, storytelling is also a manner in which
ancient history is passed on in many cultures
throughout Elanthia.

Bardic participation in story circles is not an
essential requirement, but one that almost universally
accepted without question. Having learned the old
ballads from their fellow guild members, we can always
be counted upon to provide another story or epic even
into the early hours before dawn breaks upon a weary
group of revelers. Always welcome are our new tales
from foreign lands, and our seemingly never-ending
supply of exotic drinks that some bring with them to
these gatherings.

Keep in mind, however, that traditional tales can vary
from town to town, valley to valley. Names get
misspelled, switched, places forgotten and substituted
for others, and often parts are misunderstood. It is
the responsibility of the Bard in these instances to
provide the 'true tale,' the one closest to the events
that had originally taken place and was preserved in
the Bardic lore. This isn't always greeted with
enthusiasm, but rare is the group that doesn't listen
in with curiosity when a Bard says, 'This is what
really took place.'

In this manner Bards preserve the history in the minds
of the people around them, while making a celebration
of it rather than an arduous class. Story circles can
be found to be held at almost any time of the year,
depending upon which lands you travel. Why, this year
alone I traveled from a Therengian Shosando story
circle to a Lormandu circle in Elirach. How very
lucky I felt to make it to both in the same year! Wine
flowed like rivers to our parched throats and, thanks
to the efforts myself and my fellows, stories flowed
as thickly until dawn broke over the hills.

When planning to attend a story circle, always
remember to bring some gift for your host. Not only
is it good manners, but they may also make sure your
tankard is kept filled as you bespeak your tales. On
the rare occasion that the host is offended by a
storyteller, they have been known to keep the
tankard dry 'just until the story is finished,' and
that can make it seem a very long time indeed. Only
by modifying the tale so that it flatters the host
will he or she often be appeased.

Rare does this happen, however, for during these
modern times story circles are held for such large
groups that not everyone can be expected to bring
gifts for the host or hostess. Becoming ever-
increasingly popular is the custom of bequeathing
gifts upon the last person to stay awake through the
story circle, the one keeping the tales going until
dawn. Still, whichever side of the tradition one
takes, you will likely want to bring a gift of some
sort with you to a story circle. Look for story
circles at the solstices and yearly celebrations in
each land, for those are the times I seem to find them
most often. Who knows, someday perhaps you, reader,
and I shall meet.

Good traveling.

... Siraan Lisange ...

Remembering the Bardic Voice, Volume I (book) - Revision history

CARAAMON at 05:30, 31 January 2009

Maintenance script: Book:HslRBV1 moved to Remembering the Bardic Voice, Volume I (book): standardization

Maintenance script: New page: Category:Book Remembering the Bardic Voice, Volume I by Siraan Lisange -- Introduction Throughout history Bards have been the keepers of lore and oral traditions handed down ...

Maintenance script: New page: Category:Book Remembering the Bardic Voice, Volume I
by Siraan Lisange -- Introduction Throughout history Bards have been the keepers of lore and oral traditions handed down ...