Pame: The Festival of Renewal
Everyone prepares the afternoon before Pame. Sweep and clean. The old things are gathered up and put over your clothes. A light meal is eaten. The Jho memorial statues are set by the door with pitchers of water and a mirror or a silver talent or copper coin. If you have dried garlands, now they are brought out and worn. As the sun sets we blow out candles and lanterns and sprinkle the Jho with milk and dried flower petals, and maybe grain or ground flour while we say prayers to the ancestors. Then we run into the streets seeking the parade of priests ringing bells and chimes, with everyone dancing and singing, tossing dried flower petals or handfuls of flour in the air. The priests give out garlands and flower petals. Street sellers have sweets and treats. Everyone drinks, sings and dances. The Bane Keepers wear the wicker bodies of malign spirits and pull ropes behind them. They call all the evil spirits into the celebration. The people grab the ropes and attempt to pull Bane keepers to the squares and plazas that have been prepared. More Bane Keepers may appear to pull against the rope pullers while children race around them cheering on the rope pullers. The spirit houses have been set up in squares and plazas on pyres of wood. The spirits are offered the spirit cups- blessed pure alcohol from skins carried by priests, and are piled around the Spirit house. The Bane Keepers are slowly pulled to the pyres. The wicker demons are pulled from their backs and given spirit cups and placed on and around the pyres. The dancing and singing, bells and chimes continue until dawn when the pyres are set on fire. The old clothes, garlands and discards are thrown in along with prayers to Hasagyjo, on slips of paper asking to help with goals for the new year. Songs to Xantzojo are sung as the sun rises. Finally, everyone goes home tired and happy, and washes away the old year and bad habits with the water from the pitchers, now blessed by the ancestors.
For Torga people primarily, but among all faithful of the Order of Heaven, the Festival of Pame occurs the night before the winter equinox. it is a celebration of the return of the Sun and the wakening of the soil as plants will start to rise, sprout, flower and leaf out. It is renewal and revitalization. The priests of The Order of Heaven and householders bring out garlands of dried flowers to wear. These are frequently spare or saved garlands from the spring Festival of Lights.
In the afternoon the home should be swept, cleaned and prepared. Pitchers of water prepared for the night and ready by the door. Jho memorial statues of ancestors are set at doorways. They guard the door. and are given offerings. The Goddess Cheyarxi is invoked with a mirror or a piece of silver- most frequently a silver Talent coin. Piazamadi is invoked by copper, and both she and the Goddess Aspanara are called in milk, garlands and flour or grain.
The bells and chimes start at sundown. The priests sing and hand out garlands and pouches of flour and dried flower petals. People follow with dancing and joining in the songs.
In the dark of the night come the Bane Keepers all in white of the god Kazollo, patron of the life of virtue and spiritual progression. Wicker demons ride on the backs of the junior priests and church officers who are the Bane Keepers. The malign spirits are called with handclaps and join the celebration. The Bane Keepers dance and chant, dragging a rope that is tied to the waist. Celebrants grab the ropes and start to pull the Bane Keepers to the place prepared for the bonfires. Bane keepers pull back. The tug-o-war eventually pulls the Keepers to the pyres where the Wicker demons are toasted, dressed in discarded clothes, rags, garlands and given spirit cups at the Spirit House. Dancing and singing, drinking, and prayers continue to the first lightening of dawn. The demons host spirits of bad feeling, bad habits and ill luck. They are danced with and given Ebi's blessed pure alcohol to make them drunk, sleeping or in stupor.
As the sky lightens the priests light torches invoking the God Mozahon and set fire to the pyres, wicker demons, and spirit houses. The cleansing fire banishes evil spirits. Now prayers to the Steward of the Gods asking for blessings and help breaking old habits and bad ways are inscribed on slips of paper and cast into the bonfires along with broken dishes, and anything else damaged and to be discarded.
When the first rays of the sun are seen, the songs of praise for Xantzojo are sung by priests and the celebrants. The priests bless the celebrants with water and the blessed alcohol of Ebi. Once the sun is up, everyone goes home. The Ancestors of the Jho have now blessed the water in the pitchers or bowls and it is splashed and poured over the celebrants, washing away the old year, bad habits and bad feeling. Now all are Renewed and the home pure and ready for the new.
For Torga people primarily, but among all faithful of the Order of Heaven, the Festival of Pame occurs the night before the winter equinox. it is a celebration of the return of the Sun and the wakening of the soil as plants will start to rise, sprout, flower and leaf out. It is renewal and revitalization. The priests of The Order of Heaven and householders bring out garlands of dried flowers to wear. These are frequently spare or saved garlands from the spring Festival of Lights.
In the afternoon the home should be swept, cleaned and prepared. Pitchers of water prepared for the night and ready by the door. Jho memorial statues of ancestors are set at doorways. They guard the door. and are given offerings. The Goddess Cheyarxi is invoked with a mirror or a piece of silver- most frequently a silver Talent coin. Piazamadi is invoked by copper, and both she and the Goddess Aspanara are called in milk, garlands and flour or grain.
The bells and chimes start at sundown. The priests sing and hand out garlands and pouches of flour and dried flower petals. People follow with dancing and joining in the songs.
In the dark of the night come the Bane Keepers all in white of the god Kazollo, patron of the life of virtue and spiritual progression. Wicker demons ride on the backs of the junior priests and church officers who are the Bane Keepers. The malign spirits are called with handclaps and join the celebration. The Bane Keepers dance and chant, dragging a rope that is tied to the waist. Celebrants grab the ropes and start to pull the Bane Keepers to the place prepared for the bonfires. Bane keepers pull back. The tug-o-war eventually pulls the Keepers to the pyres where the Wicker demons are toasted, dressed in discarded clothes, rags, garlands and given spirit cups at the Spirit House. Dancing and singing, drinking, and prayers continue to the first lightening of dawn. The demons host spirits of bad feeling, bad habits and ill luck. They are danced with and given Ebi's blessed pure alcohol to make them drunk, sleeping or in stupor.
As the sky lightens the priests light torches invoking the God Mozahon and set fire to the pyres, wicker demons, and spirit houses. The cleansing fire banishes evil spirits. Now prayers to the Steward of the Gods asking for blessings and help breaking old habits and bad ways are inscribed on slips of paper and cast into the bonfires along with broken dishes, and anything else damaged and to be discarded.
When the first rays of the sun are seen, the songs of praise for Xantzojo are sung by priests and the celebrants. The priests bless the celebrants with water and the blessed alcohol of Ebi. Once the sun is up, everyone goes home. The Ancestors of the Jho have now blessed the water in the pitchers or bowls and it is splashed and poured over the celebrants, washing away the old year, bad habits and bad feeling. Now all are Renewed and the home pure and ready for the new.
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