my collection of herb brides (informal) "types" lore I made up & will hold as personal truth from now on
deliberations below
"Prophetess type"
Pythia-inspired
stay in the depth of the Abattoir where unused parts of slaughtered bulls are burned alongside sacred herbs
dance in smoke-induced trances
translate the words of the Earth into chants that the "priestesses" Brides bring to the surface and disseminate among the Kin (some chants that other members of the Kin and Brides sing are hundreds or thousands of years old, remembered from the depths)
may be blind or visually impaired from birth, illness or age
long hair or masks cover the eyes
"Priestess type"
your average Herb Brides
dancers
direct intermediaries between the Earth and the Kin
their dancing make the herbs grow
crucial role in times of and ceremonies around blooming, sowing and reaping, and the harvest
sometimes descend into the Abattoir to bring back to the surface the chants of the "Prophetesses"
wear wrists and ankle bracelets, pendants and hair accessories made of bone, hardened clay or stone that jingle and chime when dancing
some play instruments, especially the older others (cf. "Crones")
"Midwife (sub)type"
less a "type" than a specialization
"priestess" Herb Brides having shown skill in or dedication to midwifery
unless actively engaged in midwifing, indistinguishable in behavior from other Herb Brides as they dance and make the herbs grow
plenty of Herb Brides that don't fit the "midwife" subtype are also midwives (cf. Big Vlad's comment on Artemy's birth), but all Herb Brides of the "midwife" subtype are
differentiated from other Herb Brides by:
no tattoo/body paint below the elbow
hands and nails kept clean
hair short or tied securely with less loose leaves, herbs, beads,...
"Crones"
less a type than a title: Herb Brides over the age of 50
lead chants, as they've often spent their whole lives learning them
those too weak to dance as they once did may play instruments (bull bone flute, bull hide drum)
typically more covered than the younger Brides as they get colder more easily: are given clothes by members of the Kin (often their own family)
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— ages 15-19/20
— a very small portion of the Maidens have felt "called" to being a Herb Bride for as long as they can remember, most others have started to show a pull towards Herb Brides during childhood. Around 15 of age, the to-be-Herb Brides (nicknamed Herb Maids/Maidens, or Fledglings) will go through an Initiation ceremony in the presence of older Herb Brides.
— their outfits are heavy, layered, cloth and leather with minimal sigils as face and body paint since they still have to learn their meanings : they will rather have simple lines and shapes. they wear heavy bone and clay jewelry, and their hairdos stay pretty simple.
— they are very active, following older Herb Brides in dances. year after year, they develop their own dance, going through phases of very intense, frantic and kind of disorganized choreographies as they try to find their footings in the dance that will feel the truest and most meaningful to them.
— the heavy outfits are here to allow them to prove they can dance even with all of the weight on them. the to-be-Herb Brides often fall from exhaustion, more often than their older counterparts, and these instances are seen as important proof that they are giving it their all, losing themselves into Boddho and allowing her to take their energy and give it back.
"Mother" / Bride
— ages 19/20-45
— functioning as a coming-of-age rite, a Confirmation ceremony takes place around the 19th to 25th birthday of a Maiden having proven her determination and stood by her choice of becoming a Herb Bride. she is able, anytime before the ceremony is set to take place, to walk away from a future as a Herb Bride and reintegrate the rest of the Kin: it is understood that the life of a Herb Bride is tough, hard, exhausting, even if ultimately exhilarating and incredibly fulfilling to those who are able to follow through, and that not everyone is fit for it. Maidens reintegrating the rest of the Kin will still typically have an interest in herbs, and will tend to gravitate towards being herbalists, gardeners, botanists... some might take up entirely different trades, even if they tend to be anchored in Kin culture, such as becoming leather tanners, leather cutters, weavers, tapesters...
— the fledglings become Herb Brides in the presence of other Herb Brides and a/multiple Warden(s). they typically bathe in the Gorkhon or one of her tributaries and are expected to dance through the night.
— from there, they wear lighter clothing which allows them to move freely. having learned the meaning of the sigils during their earlier years, and now in the company of more knowledgeable Herb Brides, sigils become part of their face and body paint. intricate hairdos become more common as Herb Brides help each other with them.
— at this point, a Herb Bride will have settled into a dance of her own, something that feels true and meaningful to her. she will continue to change, morph and adapt it as she grows and learns more, but she has, now, come into her own.
— the "Mother" title is not really accurate, as Herb Brides are celibate per their customs; they will be mother figures and mentors to to-be-Herb Brides, and some will learn midwifery.
— whether or not a Herb Bride does become an actual midwife, Herb Brides will tend to to-be mothers and be around for births even if they do not help with the birth itself.
— the Voice of Boddho grows stronger during this time, and many Herb Brides will pick up chants directly from the Earth.
— a Herb Bride might still walk away from being one years, sometimes decades after her Confirmation ceremony. while these cases are rare, a Bride reintegrating the Kin at this point will typically gravitate towards herbalism, herbal medicine, poetry or storytelling inspired by the chants of the Earth.
— even more rare than the previous cases, but having been seen nonetheless, adult women might want to become Herb Brides past the usual age of Confirmation ceremonies. they might or might not go through the Maids "trial" period, as they are typically more sure of themselves and more convinced of their desire to devote themselves to the dance.
Crone
— ages 45+
— as some herb brides age and do not have the vigor to dance they once had, their knowledge of sigils, plants, and for some, childbirth, allow them to focus on these aspects of the Kin rather than the frantic dances as the new generation of Herb Brides fill that role.
— with sometimes 30 years of being a fledgling/maidens then full-fledged Herb Bride, their knowledge of sigils, herbs and the myths is vast and crucial to be shared. some Herb Brides become more sedentary, settling in with family members, and are reached periodically like Elders.
— for some, having been trained in midwifery by other Brides; and for others, having been witnesses to these births, a number of Herb Brides of that age settle in a midwife role. their knowledge of herbs allows them to make births less painful for the mother, and they either shoulder the Menkhu during birth, or take care of it themselves, surrounded by younger Brides.
— with age, some Herb Brides start wearing warmer clothing again as they handle the cold less well than when they were vigorous young women. their outfits welcome layers again and often intricately braided grass and herbs into sleeves, vests or skirts.
— the Brides who keep dancing tend to settle into a slower, softer, less brutal dance. they grow closer and closer to blades of grass swaying in the wind with the knowledge that they, soon, will go back to the Earth and be reborn as these very same blades.
— mentorship of to-be and younger Herb Brides is a crucial part of their life.
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Consider re: herb brides, because of the rituals and nature around ripping and tearing seams and fabric what if like “very nice” or formal ware was styled around clothing that CAN’T rip? Either very very thick and sturdy material OR like loophole designs…. Dresses and tunics woven out of like layers of cords draped over the body?
the whole of the herb brides' Things is that the uncovering of the body is the point, you have this line in p1 of a dancer saying "The body is sacred. The naked body is the most accurate image of the world." so the uncovering/the tearing/the ripping appears as like the point [one of the points] of the capital-d-Dance ("Why do you strip your sacred body naked?"/"Because I know the Dance and have the right to do so."). it's interesting thinking about material that Can't rip because it'd be like... a test of strength and of fortitude, almost. "how passionately are you willing to dance in order to make this un-rippable material, rip?" type of thing. in the same way they are forbidden from wearing shoes because the tippytapping of their steps/connection of their bare footsies to the earth is thought to be the one thing that brings the harvest i wonder what would be the #consensus on what they can wear. but also a sturdier/thicker material would make it harder for them to dance, and their whole point is that they dance, but referring to what i mentioned above maybe it's a test of sorts... it's kinda how i see the herb maidens [lore i made the fuck up] the many layers is a burden for them to prove they Can dance but they shed them during adulthood. many things to consider!
