Aosak

The time of Aosak is a vital point in the lives of Dumylan youths. It is during this ceremony that a young Dumylan is given a knife or small hatchet and sent into the wilderness - only returning once they have slain a beast in combat. The caveat of combat eliminates creatures they kill in the course of hunting, as a rabbit or deer will simply run away. Rather, it must be something like a wolf, bear, or particularly aggressive stag that they slay.
During this ritual, the youth - referred to as a "Baril" - must survive the harshness of the Baliklavan wilderness, supporting themselves on nothing but what they can obtain themselves. During this time, nothing is technically off limits, as things like stealing from travelers or taking crops from a farm are accepted parts of the Aosak. The expectation, however, is that the Baril won't do this, as the ritual is meant to shape who they will become. If they enter adulthood on the premise of thievery, they are starting their path poorly. Still, dying is far worse.
The underlying belief of the Aosak is that one must first be completely self-sufficient in order to take on the lives of others. The Dumylan people have a society entirely built on support of others. Husband and wife are believed to be one soul, towns are a macro-organism that relies on each person doing their part for the whole. As a result, each person has to take on immense responsibility and may be asked to fill any role in society, no matter how temporarily. If the baker dies, someone must fill that need for the community. That requires a flexibility, adaptability, and self-sufficiency that is believed to be tested by the Aosak.
Furthermore, the Dumyla believe that the act of killing a beast the Baril has engaged in combat draws the eye of Moira, as she is a goddess of death and combat. To overcome the obstacle placed before them, the Baril must face death and defeat it, thus earning the blessing of Moira. Additionally, they believe that the beast the Baril slays - and eats the flesh of - will shape the path of their future. For example, a Baril that kills and eats of a wolf is said to be destined for a life of leadership and a strong family. One who kills a bear is supposed to go on to great feats of warfare and heroism. To kill a boar is to have a future as a protector and defeat a great danger to their people.

Execution

The traditional execution of the Aosak is held on the night of the Winter Full Moon, lasting until the Baril return. All of a settlement's children that turned fifteen before the full moon participate in the Aosak.
The night of the full moon, the soon-to-be Baril are treated to a lavish feast and clothed in finery. However, the following morning, they are bathed and washed before a statue of Moira and must throw a token of childhood - a toy, blanket, etc. - into the brazier in front of the statue. After their bathing, they are clothed in little more than their underwear, given a weapon of some kind, and granted their first drink of alcohol. Once the day reaches noon, the Baril are sent into the wilderness.
The individual experiences of each Baril will vary greatly, but, once they have secured their kill and eaten of its flesh, they burn the remaining meat as an offering to Moira, and take the skin back to the grounds of the Aosak's beginning, where their parents are awaiting them.
Upon their individual returns, the Baril are crowned with a hawthorn circlet and given a gift by their parents. The skin of their kill will be made into an artifact of some kind - generally clothing - and returned to the now-adult after a seven-day period back in their home settlement. During those seven days, they are granted leave from all duties and permitted to rest.

Participants

The most important participants are the Baril, as it is a ceremony both in their honor and for their testing. Additionally, the start and end of the Aosak are attended by the Baril's parents, and overseen by a priest of Dumyla.
The parents are there to participate in the "putting to death" of their child's role as their dependent, and acknowledge their rebirth as an adult. This is symbolized in their providing a feast for their child - their last act of being the care-giver - and witnessing the washing away of their old self and ritual burning of an artifact of youth. Upon the Baril's return, the parents' giving of a gift further symbolizes their acknowledgement of their child's now-adult role, as the gift is meant to be a symbol of the new task placed before them (something that would have been established beforehand). An example of this would be giving a forging hammer to a Baril who intends to become a Smith, or an oaken barrel for one who means to become a Brewer.
The priest, meanwhile, is meant to serve as a spiritual overseer of the proceedings. It is they who bless the water the Baril use to bathe themselves, and they that say a prayer before sending the Baril into the wild.

Primary Related Location

Baliklav

Related Ethnicities

• Dumylan