Belerysh fishfeast

The big roast

History

Due to comestible shortages and a great storm seperating from mainland in 1108 the Belerysh people were forced to sail into unkown seas in hope to find new food supplies. After many months drifting over sea they returned unfruitful.
Astonishingly an senegath, a fish five times larger than a blue whale, was washed ashore. Calm it laid there while the senegath was cuddled by a young girl. She painted his head with a darkgreem colored salve trying to protect him from the sun.
Immediately the returned fishers tried to tow the large wale back into the sea. They did not cared that they were hungry and drained through their long journy. An animal was in danger and they saw at as their duty to help. But sesemingly it did not wanted to be rescued.
All along it did not made a sign of moving but rather seemed to stare in the eyes of the young girl. With his last breath it let out a calm scream. It did not sound through pain. After its death the peopkle decided to eat the flesh because of their desperation for food. saturated the people realized that the remaining flesh would be enough for the next months and even for the whole winter.
As the winter had gone and the spring began they could not believe their eyes. A pod of senegaths had settled in the near of the Ilses. The people were lucky and decided to hunt only one animal in the year because it was enough for everyone. The day where the first senegath was washed ashore was marked a the Belerysh fishfeast where people tried to roast a fish at once.

Execution

First the people gathered on the main island Cyvae Ilse to celebrate the fishers departuring for catching a senegath. Usually their returned exactly when the sun had reached its zenith. Then a girl who was reenacting Cyva honered the large fish by painting a mark on his head. Afterwards the senegath was roasted on a fire at once. In the light of the first summer moon the fish got eat.
On the next day, the remaining flesh was evenly split between the inhabitants of Belerys Ilses. Leftovers were giving royal visitors.

Components and tools

A long sharp knife was used to cut the senegaths flesh.

Participants

Participants

Anybody was welcomed to join the feast. Some inhabitants of Ral'day as well as ships from Alethac and Wuurthac notably visted only for this occasion the Belerys Ilses. Futhermore the king of Vandaryen was one of the persona grata. Even empress Sanjia I. visited in 1302 to participate and see how Belerysh lived.

Key roles

The most important role was the child who portrayed Cyva to reenact the first friendly encounter ever between senegaths and humans along the Ryval who had the honor to make the first cut. Usually it was the baron of Belerys Ilses.

Observance

The people of Belerys convened on each midsummer to celebrate the dawn of summer. Usually 20th or 21th of June. They began to observe when the sun reached her highest point and stopped in the rising light of first summer moon.

Primary Related Location

Belerys Ilses