Legends of Belariath
The Quest of Festivals Common
Solonus - Festivals of Islasoros
Excerpts from Chapter 1- Home, of ‘The Piecemeal Memoirs of Zophiel de la Espada’
Introduction
Being that I intend to leave my homeland behind quite permanently, and therefore will consider myself thrice-blessed never to see those accursed isles again, I have taken it upon myself to pen as much as I can recall about the land that spawned me, on the narrow possibility that it may be of use to someone at some point.
Islasoros is a chain of islands, formed into a cohesive nation under the banner of the three founding merchant-lords. It lies roughly thirty leagues south and a bit west of the mainland, a sea voyage that could take approximately a week in bad weather, or half that under more favorable conditions. I have been told that from the nearest mainland port town, the center of the continent is approximately forty or so days due east by the most commonly used merchant roads.
(A small note scribbled into the margin reads: ‘Forty-one days from the coast to this Lonely Inn I’ve heard so much about. But then again, I was trudging through untamed wilds for part of it.’)
Concerning Holidays
As I’m sure I have stated in an earlier section of this writing, my peoples’ obsession with mercantile affairs and the accumulation of coin is all pervasive throughout their society. Days of celebration are hardly an exception. While some of the outlying provinces on the main island, and some of the smaller satellite islands as well, have their own little festivals, I won’t bore you with those details. Below I offer a thorough sampling of the most important holidays of Islasoros.
El Fundando (midwinter).
This celebration of the nation’s founding is held on the forty-sixth day after Rey del Cielo, and marks the midpoint of the winter. Islasoros was almost assuredly not founded in the dead of winter, but some historians speculate that the three most influential lords of the archipelago did meet during this time. Personally, I think they agreed on this date to liven up an otherwise dreary and dull season. The upper class uses this night as an excuse to commission the most gaudy and ridiculous finery possible, as a means of demonstrating the wealth of one’s house. Then they congregate to drink and gossip and dance well into the morning hours. The lower classes are much simpler in their revelry. They gather at someone’s farmstead, or the largest festaus in town, then drink and sing bawdy songs, and regale one another with adventurous and amusing anecdotes. Personally, I far preferred slumming with the lower classes on this night. The drinks were worse, but the company was infinitely better.
Dia Contrato (spring equinox)
The Day of Contracts marks the beginning of spring in Islasoros. Traditionally, this means the beginning of a new fiscal year, as well. As such, large contracts are often sealed and declared binding on this holiday. Lesser business arrangements will happen during the week leading up to it, with affairs of greater importance dealt with closer to the holiday itself. For upper-class children, this marks the beginning of a new year of studies, and for freely hired servants and laborers, it signifies the renewing of their service agreements. Indentured servants enjoy no such privileges, but such is their lot. The day is generally closed with large meals with one’s family, as the heads of households sometimes will not have another opportunity to dine with their loved ones for several months to come. Of course, this doesn’t keep them from dallying with their mistresses when the opportunity permits. After all, courtesans are much more time-efficient than wives, and the season to come is incredibly busy.
Comerciovías (mid-spring)
The Tradeways holiday marks the traditional opening of northern ports. While particularly harsh winters have kept the ports closed beyond this date, by and large, they are open very close to this holiday. In either event, ships generally do not set sail until this day, just to be safe. The ports swell with citizens on this holiday, and many merchants set up booths with candies and trinkets just off the main portside roads. Entertainers will gather to amuse the crowds, and priests will congregate to offer their blessings to the ships and crews about to embark. The entire district turns into a carnival of sorts, as the people celebrate the coming of a new year of opportunity to amass more wealth.
Terrica (summer solstice)
This holiday, once known as Tierra Rica, but bastardized down to its current Terrica over the generations, commemorates the discovery of the first large vein of gold on the archipelago. Since that land happens to be held by the most influential of the three ruling houses, the holiday dedicated to it occurs on the longest day of the year, the beginning of summer. This is a fine time of year, where most meals are cooked outdoors and people gather in large groups in market squares or open fields to share food and drink. The different cities vie for the prestige of having hosted the greatest celebration of this national holiday, and to that end they decorate the streets and hire bards and minstrels to entertain their citizens. The only prize for being the ‘best’ city on this day is pride, but to the Islasorans, pride is no small affair.
Festivo Del Purezo (midsummer)
I have trouble deciding if the Festival of Purity is the absolute most, or only second most, hypocritical and abhorrent holiday my people celebrate. Most are petty, and a couple are truly enjoyable, but this day and Rey del Cielo are prime examples of my former society at its worst.
According to legend, the main island of the chain was once inhabited by elves. The human civilizations that had emerged on some of the larger satellite islands allied together and slaughtered them all. Allegedly, these elves made frequent raids on the humans, stealing and eating children, butchering men, raping women, and burning entire villages to the ground. Allegedly, having procured some forbidden fragments of said elf society, I highly doubt the validity of this claim. Just the same, at the midpoint of the summer, during one of the hottest days of the year, the worst prisoners are released in the large forest that sprawls across most of the main island, but not before having their appearance cosmetically altered to make them resemble elves. They are given crude wooden spears, and a couple hours to disperse. Then come charging in the ‘heroes’ of Islasoros to hunt and destroy these ‘elves’ like diseased dogs. Then the bodies are burned in a large bonfire, and praise is given to the bravery of our ancestors. And the clergy considered me dangerous, depraved and deviant. And that’s the hypocrisy of it; for such an educated and advanced society, my people are extremely xenophobic.
Trigal Caidos (autumnal equinox)
The Fallen Wheatfields, as the name implies, celebrates the harvest and marks the beginning of autumn in Islasoros. Several sweet and nutty breads are baked only for this occasion, so as you can imagine, this day is greatly anticipated. Where the Tradeways bolsters spirits after a bleak winter, and Terrica is time of free-spirited revelry, Wheatfields marks the end of the business year’s most active cycle, and so is seen as a time of peaceful reflection on a profitable summer. Young lovers will often procure some of the aforementioned breads, gather cheeses, and select some fruit, then go camp in the tranquil near-wilderness around the cities to spend an intimate evening together. Mothers and younger children often tidy up the house during the day and gather together after sunset to hear wizened old sages tell stories of the nation’s history.
Rey del Cielo (winter solstice)
This high holy day, translated to mean King of the Sky, is the most sacred day of the Celestial Church, which is the only legal and recognized religion in all of Islasoros. The Celestial Order, which maintains the Church’s holdings and offers spiritual guidance to the lay followers, takes great advantage of this day to goad the people into donating their hard-earned money. They use the premise that failure to properly venerate the High One will result in a harsh and long winter utterly devoid of his warmth. More importantly, such a winter will slow the growth of new crops and keep northern ports iced over longer than usual, cutting into the beginning of the commerce season. What most people, being largely uneducated in theology outside of the Order’s propaganda, do not realize is that the High One of old was a benevolent guardian deity. Where he became twisted into a greedy bully is beyond me, but I believe that he remains true to his original calling. Yes, his servants extort great masses of wealth from their followers, but in return, they do offer the protection that He promised to give to the Islasorans. So now you see why I have trouble deciding which is the most hypocritical holiday in my homeland. One epitomizes their capacity for unprovoked brutality, while the other serves as a shining example of their ruthless amorality when a hefty profit stands to be gained. Now, I have no problems whatsoever with ruthlessness or amorality, but the people are so dishonest with themselves about all of it. In their worldview, they are the epitome of culture and civilization. Genocide is too sloppy and impersonal a means of dispatching one’s enemies, and public large-scale extortion is just so clumsy. It would be much better to simply convince the people to want to give up their tithes. The coming of winter would be a much more joyous occasion, and it would involve a lot less cajoling and intimidating. One could open the doors of one’s church and cordially invite everybody to hand over a portion of their earnings. But what would I know; I’m a ‘heretic’.