04-12-2010, 06:48 PM
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Word Count: 573 Dated: April 6. I've powerplayed everyone present already, so no one have to play out the arriving part. Dawali would have gone around the night in advance to prepare everyone for what was going to happen. Here's what's happening; Every seventh year, the spring ceremony is replaced with the Uku Dance (Uku = the title worn by the chief for the duration of the ceremony). The Chief then dons a particularly elaborate outfit, and performs the Uku Dance in a specially prepared circle in the stone square (by the ceremonial fire). His feet are not to touch soil before they reach the stone circle, and so a blanket of feathers from his hut to the ceremonial ground has been prepared. The tribe stands around the ring and watches, and as he passes them in his slowly moving dance around the area he nods his head to every member, who traditionally would return the gesture. The purpose of this ceremony is both to assert the Chief's position within the tribe, and to give the Chief a chance to formally acknowledge the presence of the tribesmembers. Near the end of the dance, sub-leaders and eventually everyone may join in inside the circle until the Chief stops dancing. After the dance, the ceremony proceeds as usual; the Chief extinguishes and relights the ceremonial fire, those that wish to do so may sacrifice goods to it, and the ceremony ends in three days of feasting and celebration of the return of spring. He felt silly. The chief had been preparing for the ceremony for some time, both mentally and physically. He'd repaired the regalia he was to wear, inherited from Ayegali. It was very ornamental, a large leather costume with feathers and beads literally everywhere. Along the length of his arms and legs were pieces of metal and stone that crashed together and chimed as he moved, and the much larger head-crown felt heavy and clumsy on his head. His belt was different, too, and on it hung several pouches and instruments, and a tobacco pipe. Really, Dawali was honored that it was his turn to perform this dance, and he was honored to have the title at all, but that didn't change the fact that most of the members of the tribe knew little to nothing of these traditions and what they meant. He would not blame them for judging him. Still, he would not ignore his responsibility, and luckily this time around he had both his daughter and his friend the hunter to watch out for him; this thought calmed him. If not for himself, he knew he had to do this for them. His feet stepped gingerly on the blanket of feathers as he proceeded towards the ceremonial fire, winds threatening to blow them away. Gvihita sat atop his shoulder looking as arrogant as ever, and today the eagle spirit added to the already mighty appearance of the red wolf, not only the wearer of feathers but also the companion of such a holy animal. He turned the corner along the path, cleared a house, and the members of the tribe all circling the ceremonial ground came into view. Dawali swallowed once, twice, nervously, and then continued walking without hesitation. Several steps later he was at the edge of the circle laid out in the middle of the square, paved ground, and he stopped for a moment, looking out at the crowd in ceremonious manner. His eyes lingered on Ember, on Nayati and Asha, before they went blank and he took one step forward into the ring and begun his dance. He did not need the accompaniment of drums; his feet struck the ground and sent waves of motion through his limbs, shaking the pieces of metal and stone. Strong muscles flexed as he moved. This was not a dance for the agile, but for the strong, the powerful, and the ceaseless and slow steps created a multi-pitched beat from the chiming metal and stone ornaments on his regalia. His body was a rhythm, was a melody without tones, and he moved decisively around with his eyes out of focus, every now and then looking up at a member and nodding to them before continuing. Never was the rhythm broken; it would not be before he was finished. After greeting every single member in this manner except Ember, he lifted his head and sent her one very decisive glance. He would dance with her, and then the rest of the tribe could dance as well. Reaching for his little bone flute, he started playing a cheerful tune on it whilst dancing on, as if to give the rest of the tribe a little more to go on as they danced. The high-pitched flute played together with the continued chime of his adornments, and he smiled as he released his breath into the ceremonial instrument. The whole thing was going better than expected. |