wedding cups

Although marriage traditions vary widely across the Cluster Islands, some form of the wedding cups appears in all. The unifying feature of this ritual is the two-handed transfer of one or two cups of wine between the married couple.

History

The custom of sharing food or drink with the same hand is one of the few remnants of Ocean worship still seen in modern times. During the Oceanic Era, the first portion of every meal eaten aboard ship was put into the water, acknowledging the ocean itself as the most important member of the crew. When the crew was on land, they would designate one of their number as the ocean's proxy, and place a small amount of food and drink into her mouth to be eaten before the meal could begin. This tradition fell largely into disuse after the Cluster Islands were settled, invoked only at celebratory meals at which there was a guest of honor. In the case of weddings, this grew into a ritual where the married couple would feed each other the first bites.

Execution

The participants sit opposite each other across a small table. If one cup is used, each holds the base or stem by the same hand so that the cup is centered between them. They pass the cup first to the west, then to the east, and each drinks once.
If two cups are used, the participants hold one in each hand so that the cups rest to either side of center, and the couple's arms do not cross. They pass the cups first clockwise, then counter-clockwise, and each drinks twice.

Notable examples, by region

Galtern

As the first Cluster island to be permanently settled, Galtern is the source of the modern wedding cups tradition, and home to the version most closely related to the original. The participants exchange a single cup once between them, then raise the cup together and face their guests to announce the beginning of the meal.

Miridaswi

Miridaswian couples are gifted with a stone cup with two stems. They must use this gift throughout their wedding meal, and it is considered an ill omen if either person releases their grip before all the food is consumed. After the wedding, the cup is displayed in their home's social room.

Pudarog

The tradition of offering a blessing or toast along with sharing the wedding cups appears to have originated on Pudarog. The most commonly repeated expressions often contain rhythms or rhymes based on the Pudarogi dialect.

Aktergea

The Aktergean variation is perhaps the most elaborate. While the guests enjoy the meal, the couple often spends more than an hour passing two cups back and forth. Each round begins with the participants giving toasts according to a prescribed theme, taking turns speaking first on alternating rounds, and ends with the transfer of cups.

The couple performs two rounds on each theme. The cups are required to remain filled until the toasts are complete, so that guests frequently visit the couple's table to replenish their supply. This does not have to be with alcohol--it does not even have to be with liquid, since the toasts sometimes outlast the meal itself, and the couple might have nothing at all to eat without the generosity of their guests.

"I didn't fetch you and a bottle of your favorite to go through the boredom of a formal wedding ceremony."

— Kalnen, to Derawn

Primary Related Location

Cluster Islands

Related Ethnicities

• Galternene
• Miridaswian

Miridaswian wedding cup by The Big G

"To all friends, both those we've met and those we haven't yet."

— Pudarogi toast

Aktergean toast themes
(a partial list)

• good wishes
• good fortune
• remembrance
• hope
• praise
• gratitude
• family
• friendship
• the past
• the future
• the land
• the sea
• health
• prosperity
• tides
• weather
• work
• pleasure
• safety
• comfort
• water
• wind
• peace
• welcome
• life
• death