Ebakorrapära

Ebakorrapära is a traditional ritual and art form in the fictional culture of the Sélari archipelago. The term combines elements meaning "to weave memory" and "story," roughly translated as "memory woven into story." The practice integrates textile weaving, song, and narrative recitation to preserve genealogies, land rights, and communal histories.

Scholars locate its origins in ancient seasonal gatherings that marked the transition between harvest and sea seasons. While the ritual predates written records, it has been described in several traveler accounts dating from the 14th century, and has evolved through regional lineages on different islands.

Ebakorrapära is typically conducted at the equinox and occurs every three years in many communities. A processional route is taken through village spaces to a central platform where an elder weaver leads the ceremony. Participants weave memory tapestries on loom frames, incorporating motifs that represent families, land, and historical events. During weaving, a master storyteller recites genealogies and local legends while a drum choir provides rhythm. The ceremony ends with the unveiling of the completed tapestry, followed by a communal feast and the sharing of recorded memories.

Regional variants include wooden plaque memory panels on some islands and maritime chants on others. The practice functions as a framework for education, conflict resolution, and the negotiation of land and title claims; it reinforces intergenerational bonds and social norms, linking past to present in a tangible, observable form.

Today, ebakorrapära is maintained by a network of weaving houses and cultural associations within the Sélari diaspora. Efforts to document performances and preserve traditional motifs coexist with debates about commercialization and adaptation for public performances, which some communities see as preserving while others worry about eroding their original meanings.