Knives among the People

For The People, a knife is essential for survival. They create them out of stone, using flint or slate to create razor-sharp blades.
However, they make a big difference between adults and children: only adults are allowed a "full" knife, where the entire blade is made out of one piece of sharpened, knapped flint.
Children get a knife with a shaft made out of antler or wood, and small sharp shards of flintstone (called microliths) embedded within to form the blade.
In Blood and Chains, Geld's knife is a typical child's knife of the People.

History

This practice has been going on for as far as anyone can remember, and there is no oral history of the time before it existed.

Execution

The adult knife is presented to the child once they come of age (turn 15 years old), during the general adulthood ceremony celebrations.

Components and tools

The components used are simply a child's knife and an adult's knife. The adult's knife is made beforehand, usually the same year or the year before the child becomes an adult.

Participants

The present participants of this ceremony is typically the child's parents, the tribe leader who presents them with the new adult knife, and the shaman who oversees the celebrations.

Observance

This ritual is observed on the child's birthday.

Primary Related Location

The Forest

Related Ethnicities

• The People (ethnicity)