Night Gnaws

A tradition of the old world when a child is born, the community gathers together to witness the birth. The hunters of the village will increase their outings in the weeks leading up to the birth, killing a wider variety of animals. Craftspeople bring reeds, yew boughs, leather, feathers, string, and an assortment of other decorative materials. They gather these items to construct a festooned hoop, called a night gnaw. A night gnaw consists of a ring made of a yew branch that is wrapped and decorated, and the center is crisscrossed with strings or ligaments that are decorated mainly with the teeth of various animals. 
Constructing a night gnaw according to old ways is a sacred and important rite for any child coming into the community. Orphaned or other foundling who are adopted into the village have one made for them as a symbolic birth as one of the community. The size of the hoop is determined by the length of the labor, with the night gnaw symbolizing a portal that the child enters the world through. Details of the labor and the baby itself factor into what kinds of teeth end up on their night gnaw. Things like eye color, hair color, how much hair they have at birth, birthmarks, the time that the child is born, all have specific meanings that are interpreted by a soothsayer. If one isn't present, then whoever in the village has attended the most births will act as the caller who will instruct those creating the night gnaw. Sometimes petty arguments can erupt as to who should act as the caller. 
Each night gnaw is unique. The ornament is to be hung above the baby's cradle, with the teeth hanging down from it. They are said to protect the child from night spirits while they are asleep, as well as marking them as a child of the village. People tend to keep their night gnaws throughout their lives, and it is considered good fortune to be buried with it when they die. 
People in the central kingdom, who by and large live a more modern life than those in the Fringes, make night gnaws of ribbons and beads for their children. It is not a community affair like in the Fringes, but is generally made by a grandparent or other relative. Central citizens regard the night gnaws more as a quaint tradition without any real significance.