Golden Ceremony

This is the investiture ceremony of the honey chief that takes place at Little Lake.

Execution

As an initiation rite, the new zipa must:

1. Seclude himself in a cave and is forbidden from taking chilli peppers, salt and women.
2. On the day of the coronation, he is stripped naked and entirely covered in a sticky layer of honey resin. Fine gold dust is then blown onto him until he glitters like a gilded statue.
3. He would then board a reed raft with four attendants, less spectacularly dressed, and weighed down with heavy gold jewellery on any part of the body where it can be hung from.
4. Songs and music play on the shore while the raft travels to the centre of the lake.
5. Then the attendants throw the gold and jewels into the lake. Followed by the people observing from the shores, who also throw smaller golden offerings into the sacred waters.
6. The finale comes when the golden man himself leaps into the lake and emerges cleaned of the gold and honey.

Components and tools

The colour gold represents the energy contained within the trinity. It constitutes the creative power of everything that exists.

Honey and Gold Dust

The honey communities work industriously as a whole to acquire honey and gold through long expeditions and trade.

Tunjos

Gold figurines that represent people carrying objects such as shields, weapons and musical instruments in fine detail.

Participants

Zipa

The zipa are the 'kings' of the Honey People who populate Hananhallpa. His royal being is considered the greatest treasure to be offered to the gods.

Observance

Yearly

This tradition is used to mark the ascendancy of a new honey chief. But it is also done every year from the first time the zipa did so to mark continuity.

Important Locations

• Kamachina

Related Organizations

• Third Quadrant

Related Ethnicities

• Honey People