Rituals Contribution

Maintenance

For the Anokótan the First Fall ritual maintains structure by keeping village bonds tight. Those who have surplus food share with the villagers who do not have enough to eat. This ensures there will always be enough food to go around and everyone in the village can depend on one another. The First Fall ritual establishes social bonds that allow everyone to survive. The Element Nation Battle is a ritual that maintains military strength by encouraging warriors to train and master their element skill. This is necessary in order to protect the nations from opposing element nations. The battle promotes armed forces that keep other nations at bay. The Religious Retreat ritual maintains structure because it is a rite of passage that allows the youth of a village to announce they are ready for marriage but only after proving sufficient in their element skill. This ritual prepares the young villagers for adulthood and grants them access to marriage. The First Full Moon ritual maintains marriage ties for the Anokótan. This permits the youth to find a partner and allows the parents to oversee the dating. This ritual is where young people decide who they will marry which is key to the Anokótan because married couples have children and this allows nations to thrive. Marriage is what builds villages and cements unity.

Perpetuation

Religion is very important to the Anokótan because it ties everyone to their elemental ancestors. Practicing and mastering an elemental skill is a way of life for the Anokótan. The Element Nation Battle reminds the Anokótan of their roots, how the elements were cast to a new planet for fighting with each other. The battle celebrates their history of conflict and struggle. The First Fall festival is a continuance of the kindness that Akena showed to the elements after they were banished from their home planet. Everyone shares food and pays homage to Akena who showed the elemental ancestors kindness and mercy by giving them humans to keep them busy from fighting. They dance and practice their element as a way to remember their past. Marriage is used to pass the traditions and history of each family. The marriage rite of passage is used to test the strength and will power of the newlyweds. This is done to show how the elements had to survive and work together when they were first brought to their new planet. Marriage also exemplifies the fact that the nations are divided because only people of the same element nation can marry. All of these celebrations, battles and retreats are used to bind the Anokótan to their ancestors and history. Each tradition is a way to celebrate their lineage.

Ideologies

            All of the rituals represent the norms and values of the Anokótan. The Anokótan believe that one must master change, conflict, peace and wisdom in order to fully understand the element they are born to. The battle represents conflict, marriage represents change, religion represents wisdom and family represents peace. These are the values that the Anokótan are founded on. The rituals support these norms and values because it instills what culture is for the Anokótan and how it was shaped. The First Fall ritual is about sharing and building with your family. The Anokótan put a special emphasis on family because unity is what keeps everyone safe and fed. If there were a division within a nation they would fall apart or be taken over by other nations. Families, villages and nations must be united and take care of one another. The Element Nation Battle keeps nations on guard for war. At anytime a war between nations could start and every nation must be ready to battle. The Anokótan understand that conflict is necessary for growth. Marriage is about changing in social status, in order to do this a person must know their history and show they are prepared for adulthood. Once married a person must contribute to their society by hunting, farming, military allegiance or child rearing. Before marriage the only expectation is element mastering after marriage they are adults and must conduct themselves in that manner.  The Religious Retreats are used to impart the knowledge of the element and help a child master their element. This is where they learn what it is to be apart of an element nation and what role they play in the family. For the Anokótan religion and education are one in the same, a child must master their element before they are even suitable to be eligible for adulthood.

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Rituals of Classification

Family Institution

            My culture classifies the first fall ceremony as a rite of exchange and communion. During the first fall ceremony the elders pray to the elements and ask them to continue to bless their village with food and longevity. In exchange for the provisions and a long life they promise the gods to always pay homage by sharing the harvest with everyone in the village and practice their element. This is a right of exchange because the elders ask the elements to show favor on them and in return they will share and practice the element until it is mastered. The village believes as long as the elders divide the food then the elements will give them bountiful harvest. 

Religion Institution

The sacred element retreat is a rite of passage in my culture. It is a rite of passage because it is typically an eight-year process that teaches the child how to master their element. Starting from eight years old to sixteen years old they must prove they understand and can harness the power of the element. After years of work, practice and training if they can prove themselves at the sacred element retreat by mastering their element they become eligible to marry. This is a rite of passage because it marks a great step into adulthood. After the ceremony the village recognizes you as an adult and as a marriage candidate.

Marriage Institution

The Anokoan place a great emphasis on marriage, for us it is a rite of intensification. During the marriage process the bride and groom are reminded of their history from each other’s family, this instills social cohesion by bringing the families together in the spirit of unity. Traditions are remembered and continuity with the past is paramount because to even be considered for marriage a person must have mastered their element. The values of family and village norms are past down in the four day process to prepare the bride and groom for married life and what is expected of them.  A celebration is always held at the end of the marriage process to denote the great honor of becoming apart of a bigger family and stepping into adulthood.

Government Institution

The battle of the element is an anti-therapeutic rite for my culture. Many people will train their entire life to be good enough to participate in the battle only to lose in a matter of minutes. The greatest element masters battle it out to prove their strength all hours of the night until there is a victor. Some 30-40 people will fight til the death if need be to appease the rage the elements once knew. It is a great honor but comes with a great price for many who enter the battle. Fighting is typically frowned upon and a great offense amongst family but the battle of the element is done in each nation and celebrated for its display of brute strength and elemental mastery. 

Rite of Passage & Ritual

*Rite of Passage*

Before a marriage can be official the couple and their families must go through a union process. It starts with separation, a four-day engagement between the families in which they interact and bond with the couple and their new family. Day one consists of the bride going to spend the day with the groom’s family. She will learn his family history, bond with the family and gain their acceptance through cooking and housework.  They will make things hard for her, badger her and try to break her spirit. The second day the groom goes to the bride’s family and spends the day bonding with them. While there he must learn her history and gain acceptance through hunting and showing his element mastery. Her family will test him as well. On the third day the couples return to their own families to get feedback and spend a last day with their inner family before their new life starts. The fourth and final day both of the families come together to give approval and decide where they will live. This four-day process is done to show your in-laws you are worthy of their child and iron out details.  

Next is the liminal phase, after the four days the bride and groom must leave with nothing but the clothes on their backs for a week long test to survive in the wilderness, they have nothing but each other and their element strength. They must rely on each other if they want to be successful. They are together but alone and away from their village. They must decide if with struggle and hardship they can depend on each other and build a lasting union. Even though it is meant to test them in this phase they are free to live their last days of youth with no expectations. After this week there is no turning back they will be expected to have children and be productive in the village. Potential lies in finding ones true self and showing you are capable of a life long union. If they are not ready to grow up or decide they can not manage a life with eachother they return home before the seventh day and are not a considered a valuable part of society.

The last stage is reincorporation, on the seventh day when the couple returns home and their union is cemented. The families throw a festive celebration for the new union of family. They are now recognized as a married couple and get words of advice and wisdom from their in-laws and their elders. They are now active members of the village and expected to be fruitful.

Family

The first day of every fall all the families in a village bring their surplus harvest or meat to the center of the village. After everyone has put their extra food into a pile the eldest villagers do an element praise to thank the creator that provided them with power. The eldest start the ceremony because they have been on this planet the longest and are closer to the elements. After the element praise any new child that was born is walked to the center of the crowd and the entire village does an element chant on the youngest villages to ensure longevity and prosperity.  After the old and young leave the middle of the circle the ceremony kicks off with dance and element practice. The first fall ceremony is to thank the creator for providing food, pay homage to the elders and bless the young. The families that do not have enough food for the winter get to take as much as they need until all the food is gone. Sharing and praising the elements allows for the village to flourish and enrich family bonds.

Government

            Every four years the elites of the element nations throw elaborate extravagant celebrations. No one has to work or labor that day the children do not have to practice elements and everything stops for the event. Each nation leader provides food, drinks and entertainment for the villagers. At the end of the night there is a tournament, the tournament is held in honor of the elements and re-enacts the original offense that lead to the elements being sent away.  Ten of the strongest villagers men and women battle through the night. Each person showcases their power and diligence with the element. The battle appeases the elements and satiates their need for war. The battle lasts until there is only one person standing. At the end of the battle everyone chants the element and praises the victor of the battle. It is a great honor and grants you access to the elites. The winner is often chosen to teach at the military schools or head military campaigns, both being great distinctions in any nation.

Religion

            Every two years the elders of the village take the children to on sacred element retreats that last two weeks. Starting around the age of eight and ending around sixteen the children go to the camps to learn and master their element skills. In the camps the children must pray for patience, peace, wisdom, restraint and strength these along with other virtues are necessary to master a skill. The children learn their element history and work to control and harness the element. The sacred retreats are to impart the knowledge of the elders on the youth and help them mature their powers. If a child is not successful they bring shame to their element, which brings shame to their family. The younger children take the lessons and learn while the teens demonstrate proficiency. At the end of the two weeks a ceremony is held for the youth that successfully master their element. They are praised and do element dances to worship their element. This retreat is important because for a person to even be considered for marriage they must master their element.

Marriage

            The first full moon of every New Year all of the youth from surrounding villages that are twelve and over join together for a union ceremony. The ceremony is held in a different village each year. Everyone dresses up in formal element wear and goes to see if they are interested in marrying any of the other youths. The ceremony starts with the boys doing elemental battles to show strength and gain favor from the elements. The girls then do an elemental dance showing their elemental prowess. While the youth can participate in the union ceremony they cannot be completely spoken for until they master their element. This allows time for the children to mature, pick who they want to be with and gives the parents an idea of who they like. While it is generally up to the children arranged marriages do happen when families are trying to pair up certain families. At the of the ceremony youth that have chosen a partner and mastered their skill announce their engagement.

Fieldwork

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Symbol Theory

The marriage symbol demonstrates condensation because for the Anokótan marriage is the key to a successful tribe. Marriage represents lineage because members can only marry inside their tribe so for a tribe to flourish there has to be weddings. Because the livelihood of the tribes depends on new unions arranged marriages are common. For the Anokótan this brings social order and ensures there nations will thrive. Getting married is a celebration of your culture and religion. At the weddings both the bride and groom families come together and spend time with each other in a ceremonial bond.  Over a four day period the bride and groom must divide their time between their new families this signifies the addition of family. The four days represents the four elements and as the couple ends the fourth day they become official married. In the Anokótan culture this denotes a raise in social status because you can now truly contribute to your tribe.

Religion demonstrates unification of disparate significata because it ties together fire, water, air and earth and their animal symbols. The fire tribe is represented by the dragon, which signifies conflict. The air tribe is represented by the eagle, which signifies wisdom. The earth tribe is represented by the elephant, which signifies remembrance and peace. The water tribe is represented by the dolphin, which signifies change. These animals and the tribes they epitomize are religion of the Anokótan. There will always be conflict or change in the world but one must always remember the peaceful spirit of the gods and be wise enough to overcome or use temperance. Each element is tied to an animal; the animal is equivalent to their belief system, a symbol of their nation. The Anokótan understand that all of the animals and what they represent are their history and must be practiced and overcame to achieve religious enlightenment.

The family symbol demonstrates polarization of meaning for the Anokótan because family is the basis of every tribe. Family is unity, order, and ancestry. While family has many positive attributes for the Anokótan it also symbolizes division of the tribes, conflict and the cultural law of marriage separation. These are the ideological beliefs of family. Sensory elements are rage and anger for opposing tribes and a since of ancestral pride in ones own lineage.  The symbol is used to maintain social order and segregate the tribes; it negates all out war but promotes division. This division is what fuels pride and tribal loyalty; the family symbol evokes dignity and strength in a time of civil unrest. The belief is as long as you have your tribe you have your family.  For the Anokótan family is what glues together society and what keeps a tribe strong and successful. While the elements are at odds the tribes must stay unified. 

Anokótan Culture

Anokótans

The history of my people is a mystical and sordid one, many hundreds of thousands of years ago water, fire, air and earth, our forefathers, cohabitated harmoniously on a planet on the outermost galaxy that was filled with dense lush vegetation and beautiful rainforests. However, after many years the elements' peace was destroyed when fire and water decided they were more powerful than earth and air and made plans to overthrow them. Before the devious plan could be carried out Amokana, the mother of all life, decided the elements were ungrateful of the beautiful planet she had given them and banished them to a far away planet known as Anokótan. Akena, the daughter of Amokana, pleaded with her mother to take mercy on the elements. Amokana agreed but only if Akena could end the war between them. To ensure her will be done she sent Akena to watch over them and make sure tranquility was restored. This brings us to the story of my people the Anok’s.

My name is Allena; I am descendent of the water god, I live on the wetlands of Anokótan where most of the water tribes survive. We are spread out on the coast so climate can vary from icy tundra to swamp plains. My family has been on the wetlands for many centuries thriving on fish and marine life for sustenance. We trade with small villages up and down the coast for goods and services but most of us have never been west of the watery plains of our village. This is not to say that they do not exists, the air tribes live high in the mountains and valleys on the west of Anokótan and in between the east and west live the fire and earth people. You see we all live together but not how Akena meant. Indeed they lived in peace, water, earth, air and fire were again happy. Amokana was so pleased with her daughter’s kindness and patience for the elements that she sent for her to return home. The elements begged Akena to stay and live in happiness with them. Akena took pity on them and decided to create beings in their honor that would populate Anokótan and keep them to busy to start war. Soon after she left the elements sorrow turned to anger as they blamed each other for her departure. It was not long after that each group broke off creating the four lineages of the Anok’s.

 We live in a divided world where our history is what still largely shapes our present. Each tribe thrives and survives in a self-contained environment but all four of us must obey certain cardinal rules known as institutions. Family institution consists of any member of your tribe. You must show hospitality to your family member whether you know them directly or not. This philosophy is what allows the tribes to thrive independently of each other. Marriage institution dictates union can only take place between family members. A water tribe member can only marry another water tribe member breaking this law is forbidden. The government institution controls military and village alliances. Each of the four tribes is run by monarchies so every element has a government that consists of birth right lineages. Everyone underneath these royal families takes menial jobs working for the elites, joins the army or hunts and gathers to make provide. One government starts where the other stops so a fire king would not be able to dictate his agenda to an air queen. The religious institution is integral part of our culture it is what gives us our power and how we educate ourselves. For us education and religion are one in the same. To master your element is religion and to teach your children is the process of educating.   

SYMBOLS

This symbol represents the government institution. Each level of the pyramid signifies one of the three caste in Anokótan society. From the elite royal family to the subsistant commoners. This symbol stands for the natural hierarchy, war, oppression and order.

This symbol represents the family institution. The three rings symbolize your  immediate family, the family you marry into and your extended family or tribe. This symbol stands for unity, kinship, ancestry and reciprocity. 

This symbol represents the marriage institution. The circle is used to show  the completness of  marriage and the lines are used to both tie together and divide the tribes disecting them into the four tribes. This symbol stands for tribe tradition,  union of love and coming of age.

This symbol represents the religious institution. It combines all of the tribes symbols and has a center signifying they all originated from the same place. Each element is the same size and distance from the circular middle which denotes equality. This symbol stands for power, spirituality, origins and education.