Post by Luna on Jan 8, 2011 21:37:51 GMT -5
The Ancient Lights
A long time ago, when the clans gave up faith on StarClan, they wanted to have their own family of deceased cats to talk to and ask for guidance. These cats, they knew they would be able to trust. They would be friends and family who the living cats knew within their lives. The tradition of the Ancient Lights, which are the Norther Lights, was passed down through the clans.
The Ancient Lights have always guided the three clans, and they have never been as untrustworthy as StarClan.
Terms
Time/Seasons
• Season of light - A few months with more sunlight than usual
• Season of ice - The rest of the year with barely any sunlight
• Quarter-moon - a week
• Moon - a 28-day period (one full moon to another), a month
• Moonhigh - 12 o'clock a.m. (midnight)
• Sunhigh - 12 o'clock p.m. (noon)
Lengths/Measurement
• Kittenstep - less than an inch
• Rabbitlength/Taillength - roughly a foot
• An ice block - commenting on a great amount ("The snow leopard was as big as an ice block!")
• A snow leopard leap - roughly a yard
Insults
• Snow mouse - similar to "sticking out like a sore thumb". ("You stick out like a snow mouse")
• Snow fox - greedy or sneaky ("Well aren't you just a greedy little snow fox!" or "They way you're sneaking around, I'd think you're a snow fox!"
• Dirty snow - stinky ("Why do you smell like dirty snow?")
• Ferret brained - stupid
• Starclan - untrustworthy ("I can trust you about as much as our ancestors trusted in Starclan.")
Phrases
• Great Lights - term of surprise or awe
• When ferrets fly - similar to "when pigs fly".
• Frozen paws - nervousness ("What's wrong, Silverpaw? Do you have frozen paws?")
Ceremonies
Traditional Clan Greeting
This is said at the beginning of all ceremonies or announcements. The leader will place him/herself on the Snowmound to start the meeting.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather by the Snowmound for a clan meeting."
Note: During emergencies Clan greetings may be shorter as every moment is vital.
Deputy Ceremony
"The time has come to appoint a new deputy. I say these words before the Ancient Lights, that the spirits of our ancestors may hear and approve my choice. __________ will be the new deputy."
Warrior Ceremony
"I, _____star, leader of ____Clan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. S/he has trained hard to understand the ways of our clan, and I commend him/her to you as a warrior in his/her turn. _____paw, do you promise to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do."
"Then by the powers of the Ancient Lights, I give you your warrior name: _____paw, from this moment on you will be known as _________. The Ancient Lights honor your _____ and your _____ and we welcome you as a full warrior of ____Clan."
Virtues
When become a warrior the leader says "The Ancient Lights honor your ______ and your ______ and...." These are what fill in the blanks.
Determination
Enthusiasm
Independence
Strength
Spirit
Honesty
Patience
Forethought
Loyalty
Intelligence
Faith
Apprentice Ceremony
"From this day forward, until he/she has earned his/her warrior name, this apprentice will be called _____paw. ______, _________________________________. May you pass down all you know to your apprentice."
Note: During the long blanks, the leader says who the mentor of the apprentice is, and says a sentence or two about the mentors skills, virtues, etc. Usually kept brief.
Dying Apprentice Ceremony
"I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He/She has learned to be a warrior and has given up his/her life in service of his/her clan. Let the Ancient Lights receive him/her as a warrior. His/Her name will be __________, because _________. Let the Ancient Lights receive him/her by the name of __________.
Note: This is said when an apprentice that is almost old enough to be a warrior dies/is expected to die before he/she becomes one. This was used in Brightheart/Lostface's case.
Elder Ceremony
"___________, is it your wish to give up the name of warrior and go join the elders?"
"It is."
"Your clan honors you and all the service you have given us. I call upon the Ancient Lights to give you many seasons of rest."
Note: Sometimes the warrior name of the cat is changed to suit new features. See Name-Change Ceremony.
Sage Ceremony
"_______________, is it your wish to enter into the mysteries of the Ancient Lights as a sage?"
"It is."
"Then come forward. Warriors of the Ancient Lights, I present to you this apprentice. She has chosen the life of a sage. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her clan in accordance to your will."
Name-Change Ceremony
"Spirits of the Ancient Lights, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you, for it no longer stands for what he/she is. By my authority as clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment on, he/she will be known as _______. We honor his/her ______ and ______."
A long time ago, when the clans gave up faith on StarClan, they wanted to have their own family of deceased cats to talk to and ask for guidance. These cats, they knew they would be able to trust. They would be friends and family who the living cats knew within their lives. The tradition of the Ancient Lights, which are the Norther Lights, was passed down through the clans.
The Ancient Lights have always guided the three clans, and they have never been as untrustworthy as StarClan.
Terms
Time/Seasons
• Season of light - A few months with more sunlight than usual
• Season of ice - The rest of the year with barely any sunlight
• Quarter-moon - a week
• Moon - a 28-day period (one full moon to another), a month
• Moonhigh - 12 o'clock a.m. (midnight)
• Sunhigh - 12 o'clock p.m. (noon)
Lengths/Measurement
• Kittenstep - less than an inch
• Rabbitlength/Taillength - roughly a foot
• An ice block - commenting on a great amount ("The snow leopard was as big as an ice block!")
• A snow leopard leap - roughly a yard
Insults
• Snow mouse - similar to "sticking out like a sore thumb". ("You stick out like a snow mouse")
• Snow fox - greedy or sneaky ("Well aren't you just a greedy little snow fox!" or "They way you're sneaking around, I'd think you're a snow fox!"
• Dirty snow - stinky ("Why do you smell like dirty snow?")
• Ferret brained - stupid
• Starclan - untrustworthy ("I can trust you about as much as our ancestors trusted in Starclan.")
Phrases
• Great Lights - term of surprise or awe
• When ferrets fly - similar to "when pigs fly".
• Frozen paws - nervousness ("What's wrong, Silverpaw? Do you have frozen paws?")
Ceremonies
Traditional Clan Greeting
This is said at the beginning of all ceremonies or announcements. The leader will place him/herself on the Snowmound to start the meeting.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather by the Snowmound for a clan meeting."
Note: During emergencies Clan greetings may be shorter as every moment is vital.
Deputy Ceremony
"The time has come to appoint a new deputy. I say these words before the Ancient Lights, that the spirits of our ancestors may hear and approve my choice. __________ will be the new deputy."
Warrior Ceremony
"I, _____star, leader of ____Clan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. S/he has trained hard to understand the ways of our clan, and I commend him/her to you as a warrior in his/her turn. _____paw, do you promise to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do."
"Then by the powers of the Ancient Lights, I give you your warrior name: _____paw, from this moment on you will be known as _________. The Ancient Lights honor your _____ and your _____ and we welcome you as a full warrior of ____Clan."
Virtues
When become a warrior the leader says "The Ancient Lights honor your ______ and your ______ and...." These are what fill in the blanks.
Determination
Enthusiasm
Independence
Strength
Spirit
Honesty
Patience
Forethought
Loyalty
Intelligence
Faith
Apprentice Ceremony
"From this day forward, until he/she has earned his/her warrior name, this apprentice will be called _____paw. ______, _________________________________. May you pass down all you know to your apprentice."
Note: During the long blanks, the leader says who the mentor of the apprentice is, and says a sentence or two about the mentors skills, virtues, etc. Usually kept brief.
Dying Apprentice Ceremony
"I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He/She has learned to be a warrior and has given up his/her life in service of his/her clan. Let the Ancient Lights receive him/her as a warrior. His/Her name will be __________, because _________. Let the Ancient Lights receive him/her by the name of __________.
Note: This is said when an apprentice that is almost old enough to be a warrior dies/is expected to die before he/she becomes one. This was used in Brightheart/Lostface's case.
Elder Ceremony
"___________, is it your wish to give up the name of warrior and go join the elders?"
"It is."
"Your clan honors you and all the service you have given us. I call upon the Ancient Lights to give you many seasons of rest."
Note: Sometimes the warrior name of the cat is changed to suit new features. See Name-Change Ceremony.
Sage Ceremony
"_______________, is it your wish to enter into the mysteries of the Ancient Lights as a sage?"
"It is."
"Then come forward. Warriors of the Ancient Lights, I present to you this apprentice. She has chosen the life of a sage. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her clan in accordance to your will."
Name-Change Ceremony
"Spirits of the Ancient Lights, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you, for it no longer stands for what he/she is. By my authority as clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment on, he/she will be known as _______. We honor his/her ______ and ______."