Gleðiganga

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Gleðiganga means "walk of joy" in the Froyalanish and Wintergleamish languages. It is the cultural term for an ancient custom regarding a formal public ritual of laudation and exaltation in the Froyalanish Ancient Ways.

The Walk of Joy

In this Vanic custom a Vanakvinna, either in a group of fellow honourees or solitary, walks a certain distance - of a maximum of thirteen miles - naked between two prominent sites, while being watched, praised and cheered by the (mostly Vanafolk) locals who are lined along the way. All men must kneel for her when she walks by. The Lady is accompanied by a band of merry musicians, male and female, who play their lutes and flutes to a fast-paced tune to the driving beat of several drums. The longer the distance walked, the higher the prestige and honour for the Vanakvinna.

At the finish the Vanakvinna is given the Sevenfold Kiss, anointed with sacred oil on the Seven Areas, and crowned. The Vanakvinna's body is then solemnly and ritually poured over with milk and honey. The former is usually performed by a Priestess, the latter by women selected at random from the crowd of watchers.

Solitary Walks

As an Honour

Performing a solitary walk of joy is one of the highest honours a Vanakvinna can be afforded and it is usually reserved for:

As Part of Investiture

The Lady Superior Mortal and Archsisters of the Daughters of Freyja as well as those Ladies of the same rank of the Daughters of Elwynn perform a walk of joy as part of their Investiture festivities. The same applies to the High Priestesses of the Thirteen Temples of Eluin.

Sæladróttning

A woman who has performed a solitary walk of joy is among the Vanafolk known as a Sæladróttning. It is a honorific which means "Queen of Joy" in the Froyalanish and Wintergleamish languages.

Should an Elwynnese Sæladróttning have performed thirteen or more solitary walks of joy, she will get a statue in (one of) the Godsgrove of one of the Thirteen Temples of Eluin of her choice.

Power to Call a Gleðiganga

In Elwynn, the sole mortals who have the power to call a walk of joy anywhere in the Elwynnese Union are the King, the Hjartardýrlafðir, or the Jólaslafðir. Most Gleðigangar, however, are performed in Froyalan.

Individual Deer and Yule Ladies can also call a Gleðiganga. The former only in her own Templedom, the latter only in her Elwynnese sister Templedom.

History

The custom has been around since times ancient beyond the memory of woman. It is one of the Vanafolk customs which is regulated by the Ancient Covenant.

Notable Queens of Joy