píkazu

Píkazu is a traditional social ritual and performance art described as part of the culture of the fictional archipelago Naluba. It combines music, dance, and ritual speech to mark rites of passage and to reinforce community decision-making.

Etymology: The term píkazu is said to derive from pík- meaning "to bind" and -azu meaning "action" in the Nalabic language. The word is used both for the act itself and for the ceremonial agreement that accompanies it.

Practice: The ceremony typically takes place at dusk in a communal clearing. A chief facilitator leads with a chant, aided by a drummer and a dancer. The ritual usually consists of three phases: invocation, binding performance, and oath retelling. A woven cloth or staff is passed among participants to symbolize consensus.

Function and significance: Píkazu serves to reaffirm social contracts, resolve disputes, and pass down oral histories. It reinforces communal memory and legitimacy for collective decisions; non-participation can carry social consequences within the community.

Variants: In the northern isles the ritual emphasizes seafaring motifs; in the southern forests it centers on harvest and land rights. Contemporary forms may occur in staged performances outside of governance contexts, sometimes for educational purposes or tourism.