Clan Ceremonies
Oct 24, 2015 1:47:46 GMT -6
Post by ➤centipeetle ✿ on Oct 24, 2015 1:47:46 GMT -6
(It should be noted that all of these ceremonies are not always spoken word for word. These Clans are less strict about the wording in ceremonies, though the intent should still be clear and the same.)
APPRENTICE CEREMONY
LEADER: (kit), you have reached your sixth moon, and it is time that you were apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as (apprentice name). Your mentor will be (name of warrior). I hope that they will pass down all they know to you.
(Leader calls said mentor forward.)
LEADER: (warrior), you are ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent training from (former mentor), and you have shown yourself to be (positive trait) and (positive trait). You will be the mentor of (apprentice), and I expect that you will pass on all you know to them.
(The mentor and apprentice touch noses, and the Clan calls out the apprentice's name.)
MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE CEREMONY
Medicine cat: (apprentice), is it your wish to use your heart and mind instead of teeth and claw to serve your Clan as a medicine cat?
Apprentice: It is.
Medicine cat: Then come forward. My fellow medicine cat(s), I present you with this apprentice. (They) have chosen to follow our same path. We hope our ancestors might grant (them) their wisdom and insight so that (they) may understand our ways and heal (their) clan for many seasons.
(The new mentor and apprentice pair touch noses before going to sleep, with the intention of hopefully receiving dreams from StarClan. Keep in mind that StarClan cats interfere a little less often with these Clans, and their influence is not so highly regarded.)
MEDICINE CAT CEREMONY
Medicine cat: I, (name), medicine cat of (clan), call upon our ancestors to look down on this apprentice. (They) have trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with I know (they) will serve (their) clan for many moons.
Medicine cat: (apprentice), do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?
Apprentice: I do.
Medicine cat: Then by my power as a medicine cat I give you your true name. (apprentice), from this moment on you will be known as (new name). We honor your (virtues), and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of (clan).
(The mentor medicine cat now rests their chin on their apprentice's head, and they are encouraged to lick their mentor's shoulder.)
WARRIOR CEREMONY
Leader: I, (name), leader of (clan), call upon our ancestors to look down on this apprentice. (They) have trained hard to understand the ways of our noble code, and I commend (them) to us as a warrior in (their) turn.
Leader: (apprentice), do you promise to uphold the code which binds us, and to always stand by your Clan, even at the cost of your life?
Apprentice: I do.
Leader: Then by my power as a leader, I give you your true name. (apprentice), from this moment you will be known as (new warrior name). We honor your (virtues), and we welcome you as a full warrior of (clan).
(The leader now rests their chin on the apprentice's head, and they are encouraged to lick their leader's shoulder.)
DEPUTY CEREMONY
Leader: I say these words before my Clanmates and in honor of (previous deputy), so that you all may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of (clan) will be (warrior's name.)
(Note: In the case of an exiled or dishonored deputy, the part about honor will be left out. A retired deputy, however, will still be honored in this ceremony, typically.)
LEADER CEREMONY
(The cat who is to be made leader travels to the Lake and goes to sleep by the lakeside, waking up to meet with nine cats who are each to give them a life. These cats typically are significant in some way to the new leader or their Clan in general, or else simply have some wisdom to impart upon them.)
(Each cat comes up one by one to gift the new leader a life by touching noses. This process is usually somewhat painful, though some lives may be more pleasant, depending on what they represent.)
StarClan cat: (generally - words may vary) With this life, I give you (value.) Use it well to (____).
(Sometimes, a cat may provide a short anecdote such as speaking of why this value mattered in their own life; other times, they may simply use these bare bones to gift their value to the leader. Either way, the ninth and last cat to gift a life is typically the previous leader of the Clan, or, failing that, another past leader, if the previous leader has some reason to not attend the ceremony.)
(After the last life has been given, the ninth cat will 'strip away' the new leader's old life using a similar method, though this will likely feel more 'freeing' than actually painful. Then they will step back and address them. The following words will not always be precise, but they are typically more strictly adhered to than the Clan's day to day ceremonies.)
Ninth cat: We hail you by the new name of (leader name). Your old life is no more. You hold within you now the nine lives of a leader, and with them the strength to lead your Clan for many seasons yet. It is not by the powers of StarClan that you are to be granted guardianship of (clan), but instead by the power within yourself. Your Clan has chosen you for a reason, and your ancestors will always have faith that you will stand by your code and your Clan.
(The StarClan cats present will call out the leader's new name. The cat may have a few moments to say their farewells or thanks to the cats present, or, if this is not necessary, may simply wake up now.)
APPRENTICE CEREMONY
LEADER: (kit), you have reached your sixth moon, and it is time that you were apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as (apprentice name). Your mentor will be (name of warrior). I hope that they will pass down all they know to you.
(Leader calls said mentor forward.)
LEADER: (warrior), you are ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent training from (former mentor), and you have shown yourself to be (positive trait) and (positive trait). You will be the mentor of (apprentice), and I expect that you will pass on all you know to them.
(The mentor and apprentice touch noses, and the Clan calls out the apprentice's name.)
MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE CEREMONY
Medicine cat: (apprentice), is it your wish to use your heart and mind instead of teeth and claw to serve your Clan as a medicine cat?
Apprentice: It is.
Medicine cat: Then come forward. My fellow medicine cat(s), I present you with this apprentice. (They) have chosen to follow our same path. We hope our ancestors might grant (them) their wisdom and insight so that (they) may understand our ways and heal (their) clan for many seasons.
(The new mentor and apprentice pair touch noses before going to sleep, with the intention of hopefully receiving dreams from StarClan. Keep in mind that StarClan cats interfere a little less often with these Clans, and their influence is not so highly regarded.)
MEDICINE CAT CEREMONY
Medicine cat: I, (name), medicine cat of (clan), call upon our ancestors to look down on this apprentice. (They) have trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with I know (they) will serve (their) clan for many moons.
Medicine cat: (apprentice), do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?
Apprentice: I do.
Medicine cat: Then by my power as a medicine cat I give you your true name. (apprentice), from this moment on you will be known as (new name). We honor your (virtues), and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of (clan).
(The mentor medicine cat now rests their chin on their apprentice's head, and they are encouraged to lick their mentor's shoulder.)
WARRIOR CEREMONY
Leader: I, (name), leader of (clan), call upon our ancestors to look down on this apprentice. (They) have trained hard to understand the ways of our noble code, and I commend (them) to us as a warrior in (their) turn.
Leader: (apprentice), do you promise to uphold the code which binds us, and to always stand by your Clan, even at the cost of your life?
Apprentice: I do.
Leader: Then by my power as a leader, I give you your true name. (apprentice), from this moment you will be known as (new warrior name). We honor your (virtues), and we welcome you as a full warrior of (clan).
(The leader now rests their chin on the apprentice's head, and they are encouraged to lick their leader's shoulder.)
DEPUTY CEREMONY
Leader: I say these words before my Clanmates and in honor of (previous deputy), so that you all may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of (clan) will be (warrior's name.)
(Note: In the case of an exiled or dishonored deputy, the part about honor will be left out. A retired deputy, however, will still be honored in this ceremony, typically.)
LEADER CEREMONY
(The cat who is to be made leader travels to the Lake and goes to sleep by the lakeside, waking up to meet with nine cats who are each to give them a life. These cats typically are significant in some way to the new leader or their Clan in general, or else simply have some wisdom to impart upon them.)
(Each cat comes up one by one to gift the new leader a life by touching noses. This process is usually somewhat painful, though some lives may be more pleasant, depending on what they represent.)
StarClan cat: (generally - words may vary) With this life, I give you (value.) Use it well to (____).
(Sometimes, a cat may provide a short anecdote such as speaking of why this value mattered in their own life; other times, they may simply use these bare bones to gift their value to the leader. Either way, the ninth and last cat to gift a life is typically the previous leader of the Clan, or, failing that, another past leader, if the previous leader has some reason to not attend the ceremony.)
(After the last life has been given, the ninth cat will 'strip away' the new leader's old life using a similar method, though this will likely feel more 'freeing' than actually painful. Then they will step back and address them. The following words will not always be precise, but they are typically more strictly adhered to than the Clan's day to day ceremonies.)
Ninth cat: We hail you by the new name of (leader name). Your old life is no more. You hold within you now the nine lives of a leader, and with them the strength to lead your Clan for many seasons yet. It is not by the powers of StarClan that you are to be granted guardianship of (clan), but instead by the power within yourself. Your Clan has chosen you for a reason, and your ancestors will always have faith that you will stand by your code and your Clan.
(The StarClan cats present will call out the leader's new name. The cat may have a few moments to say their farewells or thanks to the cats present, or, if this is not necessary, may simply wake up now.)