sikerehez

Sikerehez is a traditional communal storytelling ritual in the fictional Nilamari Highlands. It centers on reciting ancestral legends and local histories through spoken narration, song, and dance. The ritual is performed during seasonal festivals and harvest ceremonies, and is led by a storyteller known as the sikerehz.

Etymology: The term comes from the Nilamari language, with roots meaning to tell or recount and to gather or ceremony; exact forms vary by village.

Structure and practice: A typical sikerehez unfolds in three stages: invocation of ancestors, the central narrative performed with musical accompaniment, and a communal celebration with refrains and dance. Instruments include a frame drum, a reed flute, and a lyre. Participants wear tunics and belts that indicate clan ties or narrative roles.

Cultural significance and variation: Sikerehez serves memory, social norms, moral instruction, and conflict resolution. Variants exist across communities in story content, gender participation, and ritual objects; some communities allow both men and women to lead, others restrict leadership to certain lineages.

Contemporary context: Today sikerehez appears at festivals, cultural events, and educational programs, sometimes adapted for tourism or media. Documentation aims to preserve language, motifs, and performance practices while allowing new creative forms.