Poratut

Poratut is a ceremonial practice described in a fictional ethnography set in the Poratu archipelago. In sources within this imagined corpus, the term is drawn from the Poratu language and is often translated as "shared memory" or "voices together," though translations vary by interpreter.

The practice centers on dusk gatherings in which participants form a circle. An appointed lead storyteller, called the poratutani, recites genealogies, legends, and customary laws, while others answer with refrain chants. Instruments such as shell trumpets and hand drums accompany the recitation. Sessions may last from a few hours to an all-night vigil, depending on the occasion.

The activity functions to transmit history, reaffirm social obligations, and facilitate dispute resolution. It also serves as a formal setting for introducing new members and for making communal decisions through consensus built during the narrative.

In the contemporary portrayal of the fictional world, poratut persists in small coastal communities and is preserved by elder circles and cultural groups. Some communities publish anthologies of performances or stage them for educational purposes, while others integrate poratut into tourism. Threats include modernization, diaspora, and the erosion of intergenerational teaching, prompting preservation efforts that emphasize recording performances and teaching poratut in schools.