kekakanë

Kekakanë is a term used in the fictional culture of the Arvee Islands to denote a practice of communal storytelling that weaves individual memories into a shared narrative. The word is associated with a tradition of collective memory-making, where personal histories are braided into a broader cultural story.

Etymologically, kekakanë is described in the lore as deriving from the Arveen language, with components meaning bind or braid and story or voice. The diaeresis over the final vowel is said to indicate a distinctive, ritualized pronunciation that marks the speech form used during performances.

In practice, kekakanë occurs during communal gatherings such as the Night of Echoes. Participants contribute short vignettes from personal or family histories, often accompanied by call-and-response singing and subtle percussion. A facilitator arranges the fragments to form a coherent narrative, while the group adds musical, visual, and performative elements like shadow play or woven screens to enhance the storytelling.

Historically, written references to kekakanë appear in 17th-century voyage accounts and later ethnographic surveys, with regional variations over time. Some communities foreground ancestral lineage, others emphasize local or island-wide memory. In modern contexts, kekakanë is studied as a form of collaborative memory construction that privileges communal authorship and shared responsibility for the narrative.

Ethical considerations emphasize consent and attribution of contributions, acknowledging that memory in this form is a collective resource. Today kekakanë remains a living tradition within its fictional setting, valued for cultural preservation, education, and artistic expression.