Traditional Endolian Folk Dance

History

This kind of dance originated way back before the The Great and Holy Empire of Endolia ever formed. It was used in celebrations by the tribes around the winter and summer solstices. It was also used by certain tribes to celebrate the equinoxes as well. When the empire was being formed, the core of these dances was kept the same, except some of the variations were taken and codified into a proper dance; however, most people ignored these codes and it would soon evolve into the many complex dances that the nobility of the empire use. Over time, as the Alynan faith spread throughout Endol and the pagan religions were assimilated into the faith, the clergymen tried to reform the dance into something that would more correctly represent the faith; however, the peasants and mayors of small towns reused to conform and proved too stubborn to change their tradition, and so the tradition has been kept alive despite the wishes of other parties.

Execution

Though this can vary from town to town, usually, the dance forms different patterns based on what season is coming up. For summer, people get close together in circular patterns and with fast-paced, representing the full growth and life of summer and how enjoyable it can be. For fall, the people form square-like or rectangular patterns like that of a field of a farm with moderately paced music, representing the harvest, the falling of the leaves, and the colder weather. For winter, the music is a mix of slow and fast parts with the patterns being similar to that of snowflakes, representing the beauty and lonely colors of winter, of the loved ones we have lost, and that we should appreciate what we have because we do not live forever. For spring, the music is upbeat and similar to that of ancient war dances as it represents young men and women coming of age and joining the military, new life beginning to sprout, as well as love blossoming in the air.

Most of the dance includes swaying back and forth to a beat with your hands locked with the people beside you, making shapes and singing. Though variations exist between different sub-cultures in Endol and different shapes can be formed, they generally follow the same rules and types of songs. For instance, for the spring festival, a celebration in Odyssia will be about the adventure of the open sea, the return of the fish to the shoreline, and asking for protection about the incoming storms; meanwhile, Celestians' spring festivals will consist of many flowers decorating the towns and the people, talk of courtship and romance, celebration of goddess' blessings, and tournaments for the youths to prove themselves in many different skills.

Components and tools

Though most of the ancient gods have been converted into angels, their iconography is still used for some of the festivals in certain towns. Some towns construct large poles in the center and dance around; others, decorate the entire town in flowers and tree branches. It all depends on what town you are in when the celebration happens.

Participants

The leaders of the town (the mayor, a noble, head priest of the area, and any other important figure present there) will decide to either participate or not, but for the most part, this dance is for the common people.

Observance

These dances usually happen in tandem with celebrations of the equinoxes and solstices, but they also happen at other times when celebration seems appropriate, like weddings, when a war is won, when there is a major surplus of food, or when taxes aren't as high.

Primary Related Location

Endol

Related Ethnicities