Mysum Birth Ceremony

During the Season of Birth, when the forest thaws and the rainy season begins, the mysums emerge from their tunnels and begin a very important ceremony. During this time, three important things happen: spores are released, the previous year's spores are born, and the birth of all mysums is celebrated.

Spores

During the Season of Rest, while they hide from cold weather in their underground tunnels, mysums are also growing spores. On the day that mysums first emerge from the tunnels, they travel to the clan's birthing site and begin to dance and sing. This sends the spores out into the ground, where they will lay dormant for a year, until next birthing season.

Birth

At this time and over the next ten days the spores from last year begin to hatch, and the mysums are sure to be there to welcome them before moving on to travel through the forest the rest of the season. When a mysum witnesses a spore hatch, they approach the young mysum with song, then present them to the rest of the clan, asking them what name the new mysum should have. The first name offered is then given to the new mysum.

Celebration

Mysums do not keep a strict calendar and do not truly have a concept of a birth day, instead celebrating this event as a whole. While the mysums wait for spores to hatch, they spend time congratulating each other for another year lived, singing songs about spring, and enjoying the pleasures of being above ground again.

The world once dead
Revived again
All things new, all things new.

Welcome, welcome,
To the spring
To the sun
To the moons
To the wind
To the trees
To our home, to our home.

-Traditional Bolet Balad