lagundajad

Lagundajad is a ceremonial rite described in the fictional universe of the Lagund archipelago. The term comes from Lagundian languages, combining elements meaning “gather” and “water.” The rite is traditionally observed annually to mark the end of the rainy season and to renew communal bonds among island communities.

The event takes place on the first new moon after the solstice. Villages gather along rivers or shorelines, carrying lanterns shaped like fish. Participants sing a call-and-response chant, and elders pour ceremonial water from carved gourds into a communal pool while narrating ancestral deeds. A rotating lead group coordinates the songs, storytelling, and offerings.

Lagundajad serves social functions: it reinforces kinship, transmits oral history, and resolves minor disputes through ritual dialogue. Its structure varies by locality; some communities emphasize storytelling, others place more weight on rites of purification or divination. The rite is often accompanied by shared meals and the exchange of crafts.

In fiction and world-building texts, Lagundajad appears as a central cultural motif in several novels set in the archipelago. Scholars discuss it as an example of syncretic ritual blending, and some authors portray it as endangered by modernization and climate change, prompting conservation-themed plots.