while normally a culture prone to hiding more vulnerable feelings behind masks of strength and ferocity, every year the avvar spend three days celebrating that which they may scorn at any other given time: love, affection, and human connection. this celebration is referred to as the hearthfire days, or hearthfire.
this tradition originally stemmed from one of their many myths, in which one of their gods, specifically a famed god of rage and bloodshed ( though his name varies depending on which hold you ask ), approached rilla, goddess of the hearth and fertility, and demanded her affections. as the myth goes, rilla spurned him due to his rough and callous approach, believing that his gruff nature was proof that his feelings for her were neither strong nor true. but a warriorâs determination is not to be underestimated; he put away his shield and spear and courted her, and courted her, and courted her, setting aside his reputation as a fierce warrior and invincible god all for the sake of proving to his lady love that his feelings were as true and undeniable as the blood flowing through his veins. after three days and three nights had passed, rilla eventually accepted him into her arms and pulled him to her hearth, upon seeing the man behind the mask and loving him for it.
following the mythâs example, avvars, too, put away their bared teeth and barbed arrowtips in favor of a pursuit that is no less passionate. during these three days, every man, woman, and child goes out of their way to express their affections to those that they love â be it in the form of gifts, food and drink, song, or some other form. many choose these three days as the perfect time to confess affection to a special partner as well, since ( though not officially forbidden ) itâs regarded as taboo to ridicule or chastise someone for gathering the courage to confess their feelings. hearthfire also serves as a wonderful way to welcome new wives into a hold, especially if she is having difficulty acclimating to her new family.
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