Kin Falduhr Tradition / Ritual in Esseand | World Anvil

Kin Falduhr

Kin Falduhr is a sacred ritual that the dwarves have been doing for generations. It takes place on the first full moon of winter. For an entire week dwarves cease working to devote themselves to the ritual festival. The events that happen throughout that week vary from region to region, but they include feasts, religious ceremonies, pilgrimages, etc.

History

Kin Falduhr originated as a way for the dwarves of ages past to beseech the gods to protect them during the winter. This was during a time when dwarves were still between being nomadic and starting to develop their own agricultural practices. So winters were challenging for them in either capacity, their crops could be decimated or they wouldn't be able to find enough game to make it through the season.   For the most part each clan developed their own idiosyncratic way to ask for the gods' blessing depending on what their family's specialty or focus was. The more nomadic clans would find a nice patch of forest and hunt some special animal which they would then offer up to Asleif. The clans who focused on agriculture would make a similar sort of offering of their crops to Asleif as well.   But not all dwarves made Kin Falduhr about seeking abundance from Asleif. The warrior clans of the Hill Dwarves were known to offer up their strongest fighters to Khezotz to seek protection against Ioketill's plots. They would have large melees or tournaments where everyone of fighting age would demonstrate their prowess and fight for the honor of being sacrificed to the gods. There are still fighting celebrations in present day but they tend to be non-lethal as the Empire has gone to great lengths to eliminate such sacrifices.


Cover image: by Ganapathy Kumar