I may not agree with all the effects of the rituals, but that is secondary right now. Only when there is some consensus about the chronology is it worthwile to design the effects. So i'll leave those for later.
>*First Spring/Winter=EDs End Festival
Should be the celebratory aftermath of the LBQ during Orlanth's HHD, after which Ernalda (and Yelm) begins their ascent from Hell. I assume Voria's Blossom Run is performed three times - Thunder Week (imbolc), Sacred Time and Holytree Week (beltane)
>*Spring Flower Festival
Should be part of the Sacred Time rituals. Voria's HHD in the standard calendar falls on the first day after Sacred Time, but i would say that her day is the last day of Sacred Time.
>*Hunt Rite/Festival
I think the orlanthi have one Hunt Rite during Sacred Time, which affects the Summer Hunting, and one during Week of Plenty (Ernalda autumn festival), which affects the Winter Hunting. Implicit in this lies the assumption that the orlanthi have two mythical hunting seasons. I don't remember off-hand what John's calendar says about hunting, but i assume it could be made to fit.
>*Spring Fertility Festival (=ECBell Fires=EE)
This festival is roughly the same as my Holytree Festival, and marks the passage from spring to summer. Bonfires, Sacrificial Trees and Dancing-round-the-Tree figure prominently.
>*Festival of Ancestors, the Household Dead
Most households have their own private ancestor ceremonies, either on their birthdays or their deathdays. There is two communal ancestor rituals celebrated during the year - during Holytree Week (beltane) and Smallfire Week (samain).
Also, there is a special ancestor ritual during Sacred Time, where the ancestor participate in the reforging of the world.
>*Midsummer=EDs Eve Festival
The main marriage ceremonies IMG take place during Holytree Week. The SwordSpearShield feast is the midsummer ritual IMG. The easiest way of solving this discrepancy is to make the time marriage ceremonies arbitrary - - so some tribes have them during midsummer, and other during Holytree =46estival.
>*Harvest Festival
>[propitiatory worship of Malia?]
I think the propitiation of Malia is a private ceremony and not a communal one. OTOH, i also think most of the private propitiations take place around Smallfire Week.
Otherwise i agree completely with Mark's idea. But i would include the honey ceremonies of Minlister and Elmal in the Harvest Festival.
>*Market Festival
IMG all major festivals except Sacred Time are also (possible) Markets, so there's at least more than one during the year. Some bad years there may be difficulties producing enough marketable stuff to make many markets worthwhile, perhaps only one or two. In good years, there could be up to six or seven markets.
>*Domain Rite/Festival
Part of the Festival of Plenty around the autumnal equinox.
>*Year=EDs End Festival (or Saturnalia, Witch=EDs Night, Festival of the Dea=
d)
This one looks very much like my Smallfire Week, though some of the stuff mark included should IMO be separate ceremonies during the course of winter.
>*Hearth Fire Festival
I agree with Mark, but still think that Ernalda is more important than Yelm to orlanthi. It is also a Minlister HD (one of the few myths i have actually written in some detail).
>*Sacred Time Festival
I don't think the LBQ is a reforging of the world - it is the rescue of Ernalda and Yelm which is a prerequisite for the I Fought We Won rituals of Sacred Time, where the world is wrested from the tentacles of chaos.
The resurrection of Yelm didn't end the Chaos Wars - IFWW did.
One could even view the LBQ as commencing after the midwinter rituals, and ending in Sacred Time.
So my timeline for your list of rituals should be:
All the markets noted are included to denote where possible markets take place. The numbers note their realtive importance IMG (lowest being the most important)
SACRED TIME: (market x)
Spring Flower Festival, Hunt Rite
HOLYTREE FESTIVAL: (market 1)
Spring Fertility Festival and Festival of Ancestors (Marriage rituals)
MIDSUMMER (SwordSpearShield feast) (market 3) (the Marriage Rituals)
HARVEST FESTIVAL: (market 2)
(Marriage Rituals)
=46ESTIVAL OF PLENTY: (market x)
Domain Rite, Market, Hunt Rite
SMALLFIRE FESTIVAL: (market 1)
Year=EDs End Festival, Festival of Ancestors
MIDWINTER: (market 3)
Hearth Fire Festival
THUNDER FESTIVAL: (LBQ) (market 2)
=46irst Spring
Can you agree with this, Mark? Comments welcome.
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