vící

Víci is a term used in speculative fiction and worldbuilding to describe a traditional method of oral history and memory preservation within a fictional culture, often associated with the people of the Aurelian Archipelago. In these imagined settings, vící functions as both a social practice and a repository of communal knowledge, encoding genealogies, laws, oral literature, and environmental lore through performative memory.

Etymology and conceptually imagined roots vary by author, but the name is typically presented as originating from the archipelago’s constructed language, with diacritical marks signaling emphasis or tonal patterns used during performance. The practice is usually described as ancient, having survived through centuries of isolation and contact with neighboring cultures in the fiction.

Practice centers on memory circles or gatherings in which designated memory-keepers recite or chant consolidated narratives. These performances may alternate with call-and-response segments, mnemonic tunes, and ritual gestures designed to aid recall. Participants listen, memorize, and later transmit or adapt the material to new contexts, keeping the community’s legal codes, familial lineages, seasonal calendars, and mythic histories alive. Social status in some depictions is linked to proficiency in vící, with custodians or archivists responsible for maintaining accuracy and performing updates as the culture evolves.

Cultural significance in fiction often includes reinforcing social cohesion, legitimizing authority, and transmitting practical knowledge across generations. Variants of vící appear across different fictional regions, reflecting local customs while preserving a common core emphasis on memory, storytelling, and communal identity.