Wemic marriage customs
To be reviewed by the team - under construction
Courting
Male wemics try to impress the female wemics by gathering fame and glory. They roam the lands trying to make a name for themselves. Once in a while the males meet with the pride and swap stories of their deeds (and lots of liquor) with the young listening at their feet.
At these times the elder female wemics, the pride elders, keep a good eye on the males to see if there is a prospective consort amongst them. This is even more so, if there is a female unmarried young adult in the pride.
The young female, her mother and the pride elders come together later and the young one gets suggested to pick herself a male to get married for the continuation of the pride. Females usually see this day coming by the teasing of her mother and pride elders that precede it and start courting a male themselves or, in rare cases, run away from the pride. It is very rare for the courting to go the other way around, a male courting a female and the female agreeing.
The male's mother, the female's mother along with the pride elders meet and talk about the possible marriage. When all agree it is a good marriage the proposed couple joins them and a date is set for the marriage. The male has little to say in this process.
Marriage ceremony
The day of the marriage is a great day for the pride. The pride's den is cleaned up, the males and the little cubs are groomed and there are flowers everywhere. Representatives of the neighbouring prides and wandering males come to visit that day. With the whole pride gathered in a circle and the pride elders waiting in the middle, the male and female are lead in by their mothers. The mothers stand alongside the elders across from the proposed couple.
The elders address the pride and the proposed couple. They welcome all and tell them about the importance of consorting for the pride, the continuation of the pride, and the duties in marriage. Then the mother of the female talks about how she raised her, taught her her duties in consorting and that she vouches for her. The mother of the male does the same after that.
The elders ask the couple, first the female then the male, if they understand their duties in marriage and will fulfill them. The female then marks the male as her own and the elders pronounce the marriage and bless it. The shaman, one of the elders, leads a prayer to ask The Mother and The Father to bless this marriage. This ends the ceremony.
What follows is a big feast with lost of dancing, drinking and eating and a litter of cubs 6 months later.
Marriage
The females, the mothers, the grandmother and all the 'aunts' of the pride, usually take care of the cubs and kick the males into doing the heavy work.
<to be continued>