Zési

Zési is a traditional communal practice described in ethnographic literature as originating in the eastern highlands of Varendis, a fictional country. It blends storytelling, weaving, and ritual song to mark seasonal changes, resolve disputes, and reinforce social bonds among members of the Zé community. Accounts describe zési as both a performative event and a material craft.

Etymology: The term zési comes from the Zé language, with the root z- meaning 'to gather' and the suffix -ési designating a process or practice. The word is attested in early travelogues and village chronicles and is sometimes used to refer to the woven mats created during the event.

Practice: A zési session centers on a circular gathering around a central fire or loom. Participants tell a cyclic zési tale in alternating voices, while skilled weavers interlace bamboo or reed plaits to produce mats and talismans, which are then kept as communal property. Ritual leaders coordinate song sequences, greetings, and reciprocal exchanges of small gifts.

Contemporary context: In recent decades, urbanization has reduced the frequency of full zési ceremonies, but related crafts and songs persist in rural communities and in diaspora groups. Scholars view zési as an example of intangible cultural heritage illustrating oral tradition, craft production, and social governance in a single living practice.