Traditions

Traditions done by the Meeting Wall clan, other clans, or the Folk altogether.

## Actions

**Turn three times, honor the life-givers:** a tradition that a cat does before going to sleep. Often in the context of hoping to have good luck, good dreams, or something similar. The life-givers are Allmother, Goldeneye, and Skydancer.

**Firsthome greeting:** a greeting from Firsthome; a roll and a twist of the head.

## Meetings

**Meeting Night:** also known as “the Meeting”; the night at which the Eye is open and the Folk meet to tell stories and sing songs of the Elder Days; known to be done only by the clans around Old Woods and Edge Copse.

**Nose-meet:** a meeting for Elders and hunters, reserved for important business between other clans.

**Thane-meet:** a meeting the First-Walker Thanes have to discuss important business. Thanes are bound to hold silence about such business toward outsiders until this meeting.

**The Celebration of the Song of Whitewind:** also known as simply "the Celebration" is a meeting in which Folk from all around Rootwood and beyond gather to celebrate Whitewind. It takes place during the first opening of Meerclar's Eye of the wintertime, where the Prince Consort tells stories and everyone sings song. It's said to be "awfully boring" and most Folk just arrive for the catmint and to see the royal family.

## Ceremonies/Rituals

**Dance of Acceptance:** also known as “Joining” or “the Ritual”; when two cats join together as permanent mates. This is an uncommon practice, due to the fact that it's rare for the Folk to stick to one mate.

**The Naming:** a ceremony that takes place for three-month-old cats to earn their face names at their first Meeting.

**Initiation to the Hunt:** a ceremony in which an Elder sings a cat’s crossing into adulthood; also known as “the Hunt-singing”.

**Giving blessing to an expectant fela:** presumably, the Elders give blessings to a pregnant fela. It is unknown if there's an official name for this ceremony.

## Ritualistic Phrases

**Meeting Night Beginning:**

> *"We thank our Elders, who watch over us. We praise Meerclar, whose Eye lights our hunting. We salute our quarry for making the chase sweet. Thanks. Praise. Salutations. We are the Folk, and tonight we speak in one voice of the deeds of all. We are the Folk."*
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**Meeting Night End:**

> *"We are the Folk, and tonight we speak in one voice of the deeds of all. We are the Folk."*
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**Initiation to the Hunt End:**

> *"Welcome, hunter/huntress."*
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**First-walker Prayer:**

> *"Tangaloor, fire-bright*
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> *Flame-foot, farthest walker*
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> *Your hunter speaks*
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> *In need he walks*
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> *In need, but never in fear."*
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## Songs

**Initiation to the Hunt/Hunt-song:**

> *'Allmother, the hunt-gifts*
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> *We praise now,*
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> *We praise now.*
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> *Keep us in your Eye;*
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> *Our true-tails*
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> *You compass us.*
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> *The sun is but fleeting,*
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> *The Eye is of Always . . .*
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> *Allmother, listen us*
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> *We pray you,*
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> *We pray you.*
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> *Claw, Tooth, and Bone*
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> *Is our pledge to your light.'*
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**Song of Thanks (sung during the Celebration):**

> *'Who passes by*
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> *so softly gleaming?*
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> *Is it just the falling snow?*
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> *Watches us*
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> *in quiet dreaming—*
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> *winter quiet, sweetly slow?*
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> *Whitewind with his*
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> *coat a-beaming,*
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> *where the stars*
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> *are dancing, gleaming,*
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> *where the winter winds*
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> *are streaming—*
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> *gentle Whitewind*
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> *there will go . . .*
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> *If the darkness*
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> *calls us sweetly,*
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> *if the day is gone*
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> *completely,*
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> *we will give it all*
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> *up meetly,*
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> *only, Whitewind, tell us so . . .'*
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