Post by wordy on May 30, 2011 18:17:57 GMT 10
Holidays in Tortall
by Grifftastical and Rachy
Tamora Pierce’s books, set in the universe of Tortall, are not lacking in forms of merriment and ways of celebration. Following more traditional medieval holidays, rather than what we term as holidays nowdays, from Thanksgiving to Boxing Day; holidays in Tortall are concentrated upon the main celebration of Midwinter, or the smaller celebration of Beltane, celebrated in a fashion echoing their historical counterparts.
Midwinter, the celebration Tamora Pierce gives a strong focus to, is the celebration of the rebirth of the sun and the start of a new year. Midwinter is a lengthier and larger celebration than the celebration of Midsummer, which falls in mid June and celebrates the longest day of the year. Midwinter in Tortall is celebrated across a week, consisting of large banquets or feasts each night of the festival, and gift exchanging after the event of Midwinter, the longest night of the year and the start of the new year. Midwinter is also the time where squires take their Ordeals of Knighthoods, adding to the festivities. As Midwinter is the start of the new year, pages are also made squires at this time as well.
In our world, the Winter Solstice, or Midwinter, is an ancient holiday celebrated worldwide. For most ancient cultures, it was born of fear that the waning light and barren harvests would never return; a sensible fear to original small, subsistence-living cultures. The practice of charting the sun's movements and pinpointing the solstice is known to have been practiced from Iran, Ireland, all the way to the Californian Coast.
Beltane, as a holiday in Tortall, appears to follow the well-established pagan festival or tradition as a celebration of fertility. Beltane occurs sometime between late April and June, with bonfires lit at sunset and festivities overseen by priests and priestesses. Beltane is described as a celebration for “ a fruitful harvest of some kind” (Terrier), in crop harvest or in the birth of children, by jumping over fire embers. Like all major festivities, the King and Queen participate to show their continued respect for the Gods. Blessings are also asked from the major gods and goddesses, such as the Great Goddess, for the summer crops.
In our world, Beltane, unlike Midwinter, is a holiday with particular culture ties, practiced by the Gaels, Scots, Irish, Welsh, and other smaller groups in the area of what is now Great Britain. Beltane, sometimes confused with Imbolc, is not a celebration of the Spring Equinox,but takes place in May, as a marker of the sun's progress to the half-way point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. Though surrounded by many different tales depending on the culture, universally, Beltane is named for the Sun God, Beli, the husband of the Mother Goddess.
Beltane is believed to be a time when the veil between the world of man and faeries disappears, allowing to two to mingle. The celebrations mark the return of the Fae from their winter respite with hopes of a good harvest in the months to come.
Tamora Pierce highlights Beltane with the jumping of the fires, an act made by couples who wished a child in the coming year, but the holiday had many other activities such as: herding the cattle through two large fires to purify them from ill spirits, dancing around the May Pole, and the gathering of flowers for garlands and other decorations.
The rites and traditions that Tamora Pierce mimics in her books are known to have been common practice throughout Europe, credited largely to the spread of the Roman Empire. The Romans would celebrate Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, (translation: Birth of the Undying Sun) on Saturnalia, Midwinter's Day, with massive celebrations. Schools, courts and businesses would shut down; executions would be suspended and soldiers were given a day of rest. Friends would visit one another in the hubbub, bringing gifts of luck.
One amusing tradition Pierce chose to keep out of her version of Midwinter celebrations was the social upheaval later called 'The Lord of Misrule' in the middle ages, in which servants spoke to lords as equals, sitting together for the feast and electing a 'Mocking King' to oversee the revelry.
The holidays of Beltane and Midwinter are two celebrations celebrated in Tortall as an echo of our own celebrations throughout history and even in some circles today. While our celebrations and ideas of holidays differ from those that Tamora Pierce has created and been inspired by, it’s clear that holidays in Tortall share the sense of celebration, festivity, fun and enjoyment that we are all familiar with.