Exchanging Words

History

Exchanging Words has been an important part of the transition from one Storyteller to another since records began.
The story goes that when the first storyteller stepped down to become a Storykeeper they wanted to ensure that their successor understood the weight of the responsibility they would be carrying. In order to do this, they created a ceremony which would provide their successor with an insight into this impact and a physical reminder of this lesson.

Execution

The ceremony takes place at dusk, on the outskirts of the village or settlement where the Storytellers live. Every member of the village is there, and together, they create a line in front of the new Storyteller. The old Storyteller places their hands on the shoulders of the new Storyteller, who kneels on the floor, symbolising their service to those who stand before them.
One by one, each person steps forwards and tells the new Storyteller what they gained from the work of the old Storyteller, before placing a bead in the new Storyteller's hand. The new Storyteller threads the bead onto a ribbon, each bead representing the expectations and needs of one person in the village or settlement. The person then steps to the side so that they can watch the rest of the ceremony.
Once everyone has had their chance to speak, and all the beads have been threaded, the old Storyteller takes the ribbon and wraps it around the wrist of the new Storyteller, speaking the following words:

These are the voices to whom you shall listen

These are the lives which you shall influence

These are the people to whom you make your vow

These are the persons whose stories you'll tell

In return, the new Storyteller speaks the following words:

These words were your words and now they are mine

These are the voices to whom I shall listen

These are the lives which I shall influence

These are the people to whom I make my vow

These are the persons whose stories I'll tell

They then lead everyone back to the settlement for an evening of celebration and storytelling. 

Primary Related Location

Vellikka

Related Ethnicities

• Vellich