Ticanee Wedding Traditions

From FiranMUX

Courtship

Out of the many stranger rituals of the Ticanee Clan, courtship is one that goes back as far as Ticanee can remember. Mostly, courtship exists of killing an impressive animal and delivering it to the one you wish to court, or marry. This can range to many little kills, to great big kills, such as a bear! The more impressive and earnest the kill, the better the chances one might have at their request to court another.

The reason for this tradition is to show that a potetential husband can provide for his intended wife. In return, if his intended wife accepts the gift she is expected to cook it for him to show her intended husband that she has the skills needed to provide for her husband. If she is a bad cook, he can refuse to marry her. Consequently, if she is a bad cook, it is grounds for divorce on the part of the husband within the Ticanee Clan.

This has lead to many different mishaps and misconceptions over the course of time. Sometimes, a Firan might send a fresh animal corpse to a Ticanee as a joke, not understanding that they have just offered their hand in courtship. It's created a humorous bind over the years and allows for interesting situations.

Weddings

Marriages are another interesting aspect of the Ticanee Clan. They are one of the most faithful clans when it comes to marriage of assertion, which means that Ticanee love to claim their mate and run off to consummate their marriage or "tent." Because the Ticanee are very mindful of raising their clan's numbers, they find marriage and children to be an integral part of their lives and waste no time getting to the point.

It is said, that for some period of time, wedding quests were given to brides and grooms to make sure that they are fit for each other and marriage itself. It was not always this way, and the new tradition started when Radik was to marry Lady Lotis. He was put through many trials to prove himself worthy to join her in her nobility, and when he passed, he became Lord Radik Dawn.

Since them, the tradition kept on, and many Ticanee couples after the marriage of Lotis and Radik were made to go through trials to prove their dedication to each other. Through the years, though, the marriage quests have slowly died off again as Ticanee revert to a more traditional form of marriage. This is not to say they do not exist at all, and often, quests will surface when a couple needs to be steered in the right direction - for better or for worse.

Wedding Rituals

When a ticanee couple decides to marry, it is a cause for celebration throughout their entire tribe or community. A great hunt is undertaken to provide food for the marriage feast and a colorful marriage tent is erected on the tribal grounds. While they can marry by a ritual of assertion, some Ticanee prefer to have a shaman bless their union and make it more formal.

Tradition varies on the dress for such joyous occasions. Sometimes there are elaborately beaded loincloths (worn by either sex) or dresses. Other times the bride and groom go proudly without clothing to show they are healthy and both virile. They will adorn themselves with blue paint as blue is a color of fertility and strength and is considered one of their 'clan' colors.

Once whatever vows or affirmations are made, the bride and groom enter the marriage tent to consummate their union. Family and friends stand around and shout ribald encouragement to the couple and sometimes toss in fertility potions and other 'restoratives'. A short 'tenting' is met with much mocking and derision. The guests leave gifts outside the tent for the bride and groom to discover once their union has been sealed. If a man is unable to satisfy his wife in the tent or furs, it is considered grounds for divorce on the part of the wife within the Ticanee Clan.