Saemund Traditions

Being compiled of many different tribes and clans that came or were forced into the Saemund, many different traditions have been put up for suggestion as additions for the Saemund's tradition list. However, many of them are often rejected, either due to being too similar to an already existing tradition, or because there have too little interest in the suggested tradition. For the past couple of centuries, no new traditions have been added to the list.

## Rite of Age

Upon reaching the age of 14, the members of the clan can choose to undergo a Rite of Age. They are never forced to undergo it immediately, and are given the freedom to undergo it by the age of 18. Upon reaching the age of 18, they must undergo the Rite of Age, or they will bring great shame to their families, and potentially be exiled.

The Saemund clan have 3 different Rites of Age one can undergo.

1. **By Sailing** ~ This is considered to bring the most prestige out of the three. The young member receives a small boat. With this boat, they are instructed to go to one of the islands, get an item, and bring it back to the one who assigned the Rite of Age. They are also given enough rations for just two days, a fishing rod, and a pair of harpoons. Passing this Rite of Age indicates immense Will, Strength and Determination. It is also considered to indicate how well connected the member is to the sea.
2. **By Hunting** ~ This is considered to be the toughest and most dangerous of them all. The young member is told to head to the Snow Country's main land, and hunt for a specific creature. However, they are not allowed to bring any weapons with them, only basic tools for survival. With the ferocity of the creatures in the Snow country, this is a Rite of Age can indicate many different traits, depending on how the creature is hunted down. Most commonly, it shows Courage and Intelligence. It also helps identify future hunters.
3. **By Labor** ~ This is the simplest and normally the longest of the Rites of Age. The young member is given the name of a family that requested aid in their labor. The member then needs to work for that family for a period that can go between three months, to a year. There have been an extreme case of someone working for 20 months. This Rite of Age shows Persistence and Determination. It can also help identify if the member has any particular skills that should be cultivated.

Should a young member fail a Rite of Age, they are given one more chance, to undertake a somewhat pathetic Rite of Age.

* **By Memory** ~ This Rite of Age is considered in the clan to be so easy, that a child of 6 could do it. The young member is given a simple blocks puzzle. He is instructed to take memorize it, take out all the pieces, and then leave the room. After an hour, he is instructed to return to the room and put the pieces back in their rightful place. After completing this, the member is dismissed, and told to reflect upon his failure in the first Rite of Age. The whole purpose of the test is to ensure the member has a proper memory and can learn from his past mistakes.

If the member still fails, then they are considered to have brought a LOT of shame on their family, and the family is given an option to request for the young member's exile, in return for bringing back their honour.

## Retirement

In the Saemund clan, Retirement is often seen as a sign of passing the torch forth. It both signifies that the person retiring is accepting that it is their time to move on to other things, along with showing that they have reached an age where their physical body is (normally) no longer in its prime. They are thus expected to let their children/apprentices/younger siblings take over from them, leaving their work for those who still have energy.

Those who refuse to retire at the age of 50 are considered to be Vitlaus, which is a word that describes someone who is considered to be a pariah. Those people are shunned, and tried to be avoided at all costs. If someone interacts with a Vitlaus, then they are often shunned for a short period of time too, normally for a week. Even after a Vitlaus retires, they still maintain the title of Vitlaus, ensuring people understand this person had broken something sacred for the clan.

The manner in which one retires is open for interpretation. The retired person, however, is always the one responsible, and must never delegate this responsibility to anyone else. Upon the retirement of a person, they often receive a title that is dependent on what role they had served during their life, and they must always be called using the title and only then the chosen name for the person. Those who are retired receive a small amount of monthly income, one that will allow them to sustain themselves even once they no longer work, in show of gratitude for their previous service for the clan.

When approaching a retired person that is not related, one must move to a kneeling position, before placing their hands on their knees. This is considered to be a sign of respect, and is accompanied by immediately stating what is the reason for approaching the retired person. By doing so, the approaching person ensure he does not waste more time of the retired person than needed.

## House Visitation Rules

There are a number of known traditions when it comes to members of the clan and visitors. While they are not written down anywhere, they can bring upon shame on anyone who dares defy them, and if they are severe, potentially exile or execution.

* Any member of the household must never let a guest see their backs.
* Any member of the household can never take a bite or drink before their guests (Even if requested by a Blooflaoi member.)
* Guests to any household must always show their respect towards their hosts by Putting their right hand on the door frame and offering a blessing to the house.
* Guests to any household must never bring snow into the house they are visiting, as it is considered bringing potential illnesses indoors.
* The owner of a household is expected to be present at a time of a visit. If he cannot be present, it is expected that he will find the visitor and offer a small token of gratitude for visiting, while apologizing for not being present.

## Weddings

For a long time, the Saemund clan did not have any special traditions for weddings. But upon taking in a clan that insisted upon it, a couple of traditions have been added for weddings, being the following:

* The marrying couple must each have a flower on their person prior to the ceremony. Before the ceremony ends, the two exchange the flowers, indicating that they accept each other, regardless of the flower they chose to bring.
* The parents of both sides need to share a dance. This is done to show that the two families are willing to co-exist, and not performing such a dance can show great disrespect towards the newly weds, and the other side.

## Funerals

The Saemund clan have different ways of respecting one's legacy upon their passing. This is due to incorporating the passing rituals from seven different tribes over time, as each tribe offered a good method of paying respect towards someone in a different rank/role within the tribe or clan. As time passed, the funeral traditions did decrease by a couple, but several ways have been maintained and honoured to this day. One thing that has remained consistent among the entire clan, is that graves are considered to be a heresy, as it means the spirit of the deceased has remained trapped within their body.

### **Hunters**

Those who served the clan as hunters, helping provide food, furs and protection from the wildlife. They are honoured by becoming a part of a ritual known as the 'Hunter's Circle'. Since the hunters help decrease the number of wildlife creatures in the islands, they understand that they must still make sure it does entirely fade away, in order to maintain a balance.

Upon a Hunter's passing, either in the job or from another cause, their body is placed in the wild by fellow hunters. Once it is carefully placed, a strong-scented spice is spread over the body, before a moment of silence occurs. Following this, the hunters quickly move away, and allow for the wildlife to take the body, thus creating a complete circle of life.

### **Warriors**

Those who served the clan as part of the militant forces, always looking to make sure the clan stands strong and the civilians are protected properly. These receive a 'Warrior's Engulfment". The body of the now passed warrior is placed amidst numerous logs. After the body is properly covered by the logs, to the point of concealment, a horn is blown, to indicate the loss of a valued life. Once this is done, the logs are lit, allowing the body to become engulfed by the flames, thus releasing the spirit from its bodily ties.

There is a variant of this ritual, known as 'Warrior's Brethren Engulfment'. This variant is essentially the same, except it is only perform at a time when a great deal number of warrior have fallen together. All the fallen warriors receive a singular ritual, but a longer horn blow is heard, and the seasonal, local flower is also spread over the logs, as an additional thank you from the people.

### **Sailors**

Those who served the sea. This includes specifically those who served in the naval forces of the clan. These men, who are often regarded as the best men in the clan, receive a 'Burial By Sea'. The body of the deceased sailor is placed on a special boat, one that is built from a certain wood that slowly soaks the water and becomes heavier. This allows for those paying their respects to send the sailor off to the sea, and be able to watch him for a few minutes, before the boat slowly begins its descend into the water, thus allowing the Sailor to become one with the sea. Once the boat has vanished, a prayer to Raekjur is said, the guidance one.

There are a couple of possible alterations to this funeral ritual. The first is letting the body of the sailor be accompanied by his closest family members, via a small rowboat, until its sinking. This is often done only if the sailor did not live what is considered to be a full life. The second alteration is leaving the trinket that was closest to the sailor, as it is believed that once the body fully sinks, then it may also take the trinket with it, allowing the person to keep said trinket close to heart.

### **Commoners/ Blooflaoi**

Those who make up the remainder of the clan. The commoners of the clan, while not regarded as highly as the militant side of the life, receive a funeral that is mostly the same, but changes slightly, depending on the status of the deceased, and what they did in their life. The shared fact in all of the scenarios is that the body first gets burnt in a special oven, the ashes are collect, and then spread by family or friends where ever they feel is fit.

Farmers get burnt with a few crops, before their ashes get spread somewhere in their farmlands. Fishermen get burnt with a few fish, before their ashes get spread somewhere at sea. The Blooflaoi get what is considered to be a 'higher quality' burning, by using better types of woods. There are many variants of this ritual, but the spreading of the ashes is the most important part, as allows the spirit to be fully released. There is also a small belief that, by spreading the ashes in a certain area, the spirits will always look after that area.

## Day of the Sea

The oldest known tradition that is purely from the original Saemund Blooflaoi, the Day of the Sea is a tradition that is celebrated across all of the Clan, on the same date each year: The 9th of the 4th month. It was during this day that, according to the legend, Raekjur saved Elfar and gave the clan the role of "protectors of the sea".

During this day, there is at least one ceremony that takes place on each of the Saemund Islands. The ceremonies last for an hour, beginning with the dawn of the sun. They are immediately followed with the beginning of the festivities. The festivities take the form of many sea-related activities, or normal activities that have been disguised as sea-related.

On this date, anyone who has a sea-related occupation may take the day off, and show the appreciation for his occupation and the sea by taking part in hosting activities. The shrines of Raekjur also get decorated specifically for this day, as it also celebrates the great "Deity of the Depths". The Navy of Saemund receive a gift of appreciation, one which was selected by the Meistari.

## Water Festival

With much of the culture and life in the Saemund clan being influenced by the sea, the Meistari of old found it right that a celebration for water, the element that fills the seas and helps maintain all life, occurs. But a normal celebration or festival did not seem right to them. In order to give this a more special meaning, a small circle of boats is connected, and anchors near one of the Saemund's many ports.

This festival lasts for a week, and occurs twice a year. Once, in the 2nd week of the 2nd month, and another time in the 3rd week of the 8th month. This was done as the Meistari of old understood that with having many islands, not everyone could always make it in time, and thus created a Winter and Summer variants of the Water Festival.

The water festival includes many activities that include in some form, water. This can be fishing (Several different variants), swimming contests, epic telling of water-based legends, and so forth.

The Festival begins and ends in the same manner. One person on each of the ships in the circle, normally the ship's captain, comes forth and calls out what is known as the 'Water's Call'. This is a short speech, always told in a respected manner, that explains to all present about the importance of water in all of life and creation. Once this is done, the person who called out the 'Water's Call' takes out any vessel containing water, and takes a sip, before passing it to the others on their ship.