pokyiais

Pokyiais is a term used in speculative fiction and worldbuilding to denote a traditional ritual of communal memory within a fictional culture known as the Pokyians.

Etymology: The word pokyiais is a constructed term created for narrative purposes; there is no real-world etymology. In the fiction, it is described as deriving from imagined Pokyian roots meaning memory and gathering.

Practice: The core of pokyiais is an annual gathering during which participants share memories—personal, familial, or communal—through storytelling, song, or spoken chronologies. Small tokens representing memories are exchanged and kept to mark the year.

Objects and roles: Ritual objects include carved tokens, memory cards, or small votives passed among participants. Roles commonly include storytellers who frame the history, hosts who organize the circle, and memory keepers who record and preserve the memories.

Contexts and variations: In different fictional works, pokyiais may occur during a harvest season, a winter festival, or a lunar ceremony. Some depictions emphasize quiet personal reflection, while others frame the ritual as a public, celebratory rite with music and feasting.

Cultural significance and worldbuilding: In fiction, pokyiais serves as a device to explore memory, reciprocity, and intergenerational responsibility. Writers use it to seed social norms, kinship networks, and ritual calendars within imagined societies.