Coronation of the Northian monarch

The coronation of the Northian monarch is a series of ceremonies where, following the demise of the crown, the royal successor is proclaimed and inaugurated as the constitutional monarch of the Northern States. The coronation was a de facto transition of power under the auspices of the Congress of the States until 1580, when it was statutorily declared that the successor's reign began immediately following the death of the precedessor.

In modern times, the coronation typically takes place several months after the demise of the crown, as this event is hard to predict, and the premises of the coronation are not exclusive for this use. Preparations have usually taken several months since the 15th century due to the complexity of the ceremonies and the need for all necessary parties to be notified and assembled.

There are several parts of the coronation ceremony distributed over seven or eight days, depending on the schedule. The royal successor is introduced to the assembled Congress of the States and informed he or she is to be the monarch. Then, they are brought to the Valley of the Sun in the outskirts of Cleiden and caused to make oath while sitting on the altar, binding themself to the law of the land and never to quit its borders and inhabitants. After this, the monarch becomes the patron of several Ponθōiš Wiḥštō sacrifices. Priests then bless the new monarch's faculties, limbs, voice, and reign. They are then greeted by the leaders of the constituent states, who kiss the new monarch on the cheeks. The monarch then departs from the Valley of the Sun and is greeted by their retainers.

History

Northians during Epic times did not know kingship as understood in the later sense, existing rather as a collection of families and higher-order families under the local governance of a council of chieftains. A priestly function known as the rāi̯ksiharōi̯o (King of Sanctity) existed, but as a temporary intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, not a political leader. To enter into the persona of the King of Sanctity, the officiating priest performed certain rituals that were clear antecedents to the coronation rituals of the Northian kings.

By the early 8th century, the Acrean Empire's rule of western Eracura was challenged by regional centres of power that would give rise to Svinia, Shalum, and Æþurheim. The Northern States remained under sound Acrean rule for some decades into the late 8th and early 9th century, as local political structures there had evolved to be complimentary, rather than competitive, with Acrean governance. At the Acrean withdrawal in 897, the function of the Acrean governor devolved on priests and burgesses who attended regional religious festivals, eventually giving rise to the Congress of the States, an assembly that met four times a year under the auspices or pretext of religion to deliberate the affairs of the Northian cities.

Though these assemblies quickly became more relevant politically rather than ecclesiastically, the guise of a religious ceremony was maintained, and the the president of the assembly was named King of Sanctity, a role of honour for the holder. For the next two centuries, the Northian states grew closer to each other as the threat of Viking raids and burdens of ransoms grew severer and more frequent. In 1120, the Congress decided to appoint a king for the express function of raising and leading an army to defend the cities against the Vikings. The Northian term and model of kingship was, somewhat ironically, based on the Viking one—called koningar. The office was, however, so laden with responsibilities and risks and deprived of benefit, that none of the Northians wanted to be king.

In June 1123, the first-ever coronation of a Northian king took place in a somewhat legendary event that served as the model for later coronations. Holō Mai̯θōnumān, a respected elder of Cleiden, became the president of the Pātodaoi̯šiš. Having delivered the disappointing report that that nobody in Northian lands wanted the kingship, the burgesses suddenly rose up and confined him to the altar and compelled him to read the oath prepared for the king and then declared that a king who undertook the safety of the Northian cities had been found. Holō objected that he could not be made to take the oath and absconded from the assembly, with the citizens in pursuit.

At nightfall, he arrived at river that blocked his way. As the night was moonless, he could not find a bridge or boat to cross the river. Then the clouds cleared, revealing him to the citizens of Cleiden searching for the "king". Moreover, he was horrified that in his flight he had transgressed the Valley of the Sun, a site sacred to the Sun Goddess. The citizens of Cleiden then summoned their priests to take hold of Holō and compelled him to give atonement and sacrifice to the Sun. There, in the Valley, the priests agreed with the citizens that Holō should be consecrated so that he could not escape from the duties of kingship without incurring divine wrath. These consecration ceremonies lasted days and invited more onlookers, while the priests talked the new king into accepting his duties as a fait accompli.

Returning to Cleiden, the new king was greeted by the leading citizens as the perpetual King of Sanctity, who had the dignity of presidency permanently. The representataives of the cities then kissed the new king as an act of adoration.

Procedures

Solar rituals

Consecration of the body

In the second step of the solar rituals, the ascending monarch's physical body, part by part, is given sacerdotal blessings and then consecrated as holy to the elements. The exact phrases used differs from body part to body part, but the general progression is that the purpose of the body part is first declared by the anti-priest, confirmed by the priest, pronounced sacred by reason of their functions, and then anointed by libations. At the end of the consecration of each body part, the officiating priests ask the laity to re-affirm the priestly action by considering any act harmful to the body part to be an act of sacrilege. To this the lay nobility answer θī išarōi̯ taṯ estu kāmti stitaṯ-ho "on account of all things that are sanctioned, let it so be and be established".

The blessings begin with the ascending monarch's mind, which is "first and greatest" of the faculties; the mind is formless, so it is the head that is the physical subject of this blessing.

Then the eyes are given benediction.

Third, the new king's blood is blessed. The blood that flows in the king's veins is compared to the water that courses around in the world's oceans; as the waters bring fishes and wealth to the nations' coastlines, so the king's blood is considered to bring life to the other parts of the body. The priest says the blood should never cease to course around the veins, and the anti-priest adds that "as far as this holy earth extends", may the king's blood never spill upon anything and "stay in this blessed body". Though some authors takes "holy earth" to mean the consecrated earth on which sites of worship sit, most accept that the holy earth is the entire earth, and the king's blood is warded against injuries that cause it to spill out. The assembled people confirm it shall be in their eyes an act of sacrilege to spill the king's blood.

The ascending monarch's right hand is the third to be blessed, followed by the left hand.

Legs

See also

• Northern States