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Joined: 13 Feb 2011
Location: Somewhere... anywhere.. not here...maybe there... (GMT -8)
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A MULHORANDI MARRIAGE CEREMONY
Written by Belaeos Turanin, A Traveler of Saerloon, DR 1243 During my travels in Skuld, it was my pleasure to be invited by the Mulhorandi (sic) to a marriage ceremony. I had been told by some that this was a barbarous ritual, full of ritual bloodletting, but little of this turned out to be true. The groom was one Pareb of the House of Ehrekau, was a tall fellow, darker skinned than many of the Mulani (sic), while the bride was the Lady Ash, daughter of a merchant Prince, a lady of sallow complexion, though she was still quite beautiful.
The husband asked the bride's father for permission to marry, and the bride-father agreed to hear his claim at a feast of troth. There, the petitioning husband paraded men who spoke well of him, displayed his wealth, treasures taken from the evil Mulani of Thay in battle, and finally he displayed his physical prowess and the firmness of his body. When he was convinced the husband would make a good match (and in this case, when the bride was agreeable - a woman of strong will often resists such unions), the bride-father then offered a bride-price, and when this was accepted, the wedding proceeded.
One ten-day after the bride-price was paid, came the marriage. This was not a church service or a public exchange of vows, as is the habit of the civilized West. The bride spent a solemn night in a high place. As they were in Skuld, this was a marriage tower provided by the woman's temple, though in the wilds, I am told this is a pavilion tent placed on a hill, there the bride was forced to sit alone and contemplated her life to come.
Then the husband came, sounding a great horn, and calling for any challenger to keep him from his prize. In days long past, this was often (or so I am told) a moment of great rivalry and violence, though now such enmity is rare. When no one answered the challenge, the priests released scorpions and small vipers at the foot of the tower - the husband must move through these (minor) dangers, take his bride, and then lead them both safely away to a place of his choosing. There three bondsmen shed their blood in ritual (this is the bloodletting of which I was told, though it was not at all gruesome, being a simple cutting of the hand by a holy dagger, and a few drops of blood upon the sand) and pledged to protect the wife from all harm, even from the husband in case of madness or foul magics. The husband and wife then entered the marriage-bed, guarded by their bondsmen, and consummated their union.
After their passion, the bondsmen escorted them to a nearby temple, where a wedding feast was prepared. The family and friends of the couple came in holy procession, dressed in wedding black, and the holy aurke (sic) of the god - this was a vessel like a small ship, emblazoned with the gods emblems, and containing his blood and breath, the church considered it their holiest object - was brought forth from its sacred chamber and placed behind the couple to offer the blessing of the god, and each laid hands on it three times during the feast. The couple were blessed by clergy, many horns were sounded and marriage songs were sung.
I am told that the wedding of a poorer or less important family in the Mulhorandi lands is not dissimilar, though the temple will not bring out its aurke (sic), but parades a statue of the god instead.I was later told that Pareb was not a good and fit husband, and (compelled by spell), the bondsmen spoke ill of the husband's treatment of his wife before his god. The priest accepted their words as truth, and the marriage was made no more. The bride was given a fortune equal to three times the bride-price, and allowed to remarry anyone without shame, except for Pareb, the bondsmen, and those of the house of Ehrekau.//Just a little piece of culture. By Scott Bennie Taken from http://oracle.wizards.com/scripts/wa.ex ... ms-l&P=978_________________ Vaeros ~ Forged of Dragonfire
Kestrel Swiftwing ~ Warpriest of Tempus
Ilharess Tagnik'zur d'Vilrath ~ l'Har'oloth zhah dro 'sohna!
Sir Khayri Aphaeleon ~ Avenger of Hoar, Knight of Fort Cystana
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