Re: USAGE: Translation challenge: GBS

The Lrarhan are celebrating Covenant of Renewal which is the begining of
their year.  They observe the winter solstice as a symbol of Yehlu's promise
of regeneration and restoration of Truth.

The celebration involves a joyous bilingual liturturgy with call and
response between the two groups of priests and priestesses speaking the two
liturgical languages and the people speaking the vernaculars.  This is
interwoven with other songs and symbolic dances as well as the observation
of a huge hourglass filled with violet sands.  When the sands show that the
moment midway between sunset and sunrise has been reached.  All present
shout "Nlengur nga nahayan!" the Promise and it's Coming.  This singnals a
communal dance that lasts for at least twenty minutes and involves everyone
present.  Even the lame and other non-ambulatory, have a special way to
participate.  Even babes-in-arms "dance" by being passed from embrace to
embrace.  At the end of the dance a feast ensues till dawn when prayers of
thanksgiving are offered spontaneously and joyful wishes and blessings are
shared and bestowed on kith and kin. Finally, the ranking priest present
envokes the blessing of Yehlu and dismisses the community to their dwellings
to sleep till dinnertime!

I am unaware of any Graavg'uurdan holidays at this time.

I'm pretty sure the Tvern An have a festival at this time, but I don't know
the details.


The Trelkairn traditionally fast on the day before the solstice and
sacrifice to the Great Mother.  No spittle is allowed to leave the mouth
until sunrise on the day after the solstice.  As soon as the sun of the
first day of Lengthening has risen the Trelkairni spit on the floor and
curse the past year for all its misfortunes small and great.  If some
particularly great evil occurred in the previous year the curses may be
directed at the Great Mother herself.  The women then break their fast on
special broths prepared by their husbands.  This is followed by feasting and
a few hours later the women challenge each other to violent wrestleing
matches.  It is not unusual for a woman or two at any given celebrtion to
start the new year off with a broken bone.  Strangely this is concidered a
sign of good fortune in the coming year.  It's sorta like getting your bad
luck out of the way at the beginning.

Adam


>From: Matthew Kehrt <matrix14@...>
>Reply-To: Constructed Languages List <CONLANG@...>
>To: CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU
>Subject: Re: Translation challenge: GBS
>Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 22:58:52 -0500
>
>Il airen melethis elé!  Happy solstice!
>
>ObConculture:  What do your various concultures do for the
>solstices/equonoces?
>The Mererail have large celebrations on the first day of every season.
>Of especial note is the Vernal Equonox, the Festival of Bells.  On that
>day, everyone goes to big parties and all the bells in the nation are
>rung, as much as possible, from dawn till dusk.
>
>-M

_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com