osingoihin

Osingoihin is a fictional term used in the ethnographic lore of the Osingo, a people in the fictional world of Verdantia. It designates a ceremonial gathering performed during the harvest festival, combining storytelling, song, and dance around a central fire.

The word is described in in-world dictionaries as a compound from Osingo roots: osi- meaning "together" and ngoihin meaning "tale" or "song-telling." In practice, the ceremony centers on a lead storyteller, the kineju, who channels ancestral narratives through spoken word, chant, and call-and-response refrains.

Participants form a circle, sharing personal and communal histories. Performers might improvise verses, while percussionists play the thunder drum; a string instrument called the rison provides pitch.

Variants exist by region; coastal communities emphasize sea lore and shipmate songs, inland communities highlight lineage heroes and harvest rites. Ceremonies typically last one to three hours and may occur on nights with certain celestial signs.

Osingoihin is regarded as a mechanism for memory preservation and social cohesion within Osingo society. In fictional scholarly and worldbuilding contexts, it is used to illustrate how ritual language and performance sustain communal identity.