Ninda’s Wedding
Well, it’s an interesting question if I can describe Ninda’s wedding a consumable way.
So, the background. Location: Szúnahaum, the weirdest planet with human habitation, the edge of city of Jasszani, neighborhood Haugímú, on the meadows behind Ninda’s house which is called nindaran-hombé or nindaran-ségúmi, a circular jarráhi fence surrounding an area with two houses, either one Ninda’s where she is living with Aini and Szinensi, and their daughter Sileni, the other one is Hait and Ámmaít’s who are the closest to be Ninda’s parents but she refused an adoption. They’re raising three small kids. The wedding is held on the meadows because some 16,500 people wanted to be present.
Marrying are three girls.
– Ninda, reckoned 212 years old, once a stray child on Szindoria, then a refugee to a szúni ship, and now 1. the greatest philosopher of all time, somehow the living conscience of the Galaxy, now considered by billions the greatest personality who ever lived in the Galaxy, 2. the center of the so-called Ninda cult, the idol of billions on many worlds and in many countries, a fearsome figure for dictators because she tells the truth and people listen, 3. a renowned singer-songwriter, 4. the first chief of the nindaran tribe, the only tribe of the nindaran tribal family, created by Hangilaoran for the three girls, and no one else is a member, 5. coauthor (with her both brides) of The First Szían, a philosophical treatise considered both by experts and billions of fans the greatest work of all human history, sold billions of copies (yet only digital; the ornamented exclusive paper edition is published after the second wedding) and making them sky-high extreme rich (Ninda was already rich for a long while, received a lot of recompensations from Szindoria, but she’s totally uninterested about money).
– Szinensi, Ninda’s best friend and schoolmate since her second day in the Brotherhood, a szúni native, now a few days pregnant with their second child, conceived naturally, by her childhood crush Rongami.
– And Aini, native of Saunis, for whom they both travelled a long distance across the Galaxy.
Also playing roles on the wedding:
– Ainki, a little girl from their friends’ circle, as sinnarszési, one of the most important functions.
– Ámmaít, the one closest to be Ninda’s father, as dzsarantin-sinní, one of the most important functions.
– Límarrip, the captain of Hangilaoran, the only university of the Brotherhood, one of the largest such institutions of the Galaxy. Having the Brotherhood no govenment, the captain is the closest to be a head of state.
– Angrolími and his wife Lingdzsaéti, long-term friends of Ninda, philosophers and members of the sáhaddif which first assigned Ninda to the liktenit-upesz tribe, then, many years later, decided not to assign a tribe for Szinensi or Aini but to create the nindaran tribe family for them, something that didn’t happen for some 30,000 years. As a sáhaddif member, Angrolími’s name is Érahaung-szandzsé, which is the name of a star in the Cloud.
– Sileni, the daughter of the three girls, now 76 years old, was adopted from Jaungaimasz when a szúni ship arrived there to help after an enormous earthquake, and the girls found her buried under the ruins. No one from her family survived. Now she has been recovered from her injuries, and is a happy szúni child.
– The Fire Guard, whose task is to guard the eternal fire of the janníhaum, the szúni gathering place. There are janníhaums everywhere around where the szúni are living, and all the time a Guard is around each one. They perform many ceremonial roles, too. The Guard has no name and no personality while doing this duty, s/he gets it back only when handing the janníruan (the long metal rod used to take care of the fire) to the next Guard. The regular Guard attire is a black T-shirt with a red stripe from the right shoulder to the left waist, superimposed by the insignia of the Brotherhood, black pants and black shoes, all from very light material but fireproof.
– Members of the Ninda Service, found by young volunteers earlier, to keep contact with the Galaxy on behalf of Ninda.
– Many hilganil, little kids who move things and do other small jobs. For each little operation, another hilganil, because it’s a great honor to be a hilganil at Ninda’s wedding. They wear fahuddan, a black cloak with hood.
– A lot of sisunu, „ice spirits”, also little kids, for accompaniment, in white fahuddan, and a little colored szulmé lamp on the hood.
– The sinnisztu-szingrí, ten strong men who carry the sinnisztu.
– And the family and friends, sitting at tables, and 16,500 people sitting on a large tribune.
Laid down on the grass, there is a 100 rígin long sinní carpet, richly ornamented, very old work. At either end, the Fire’s Home, a low, circle-shaped, white wall, with some sorgitin inside, the white, solid, special fuel used for the eternal fire. Behind it, the tables for the family and the tribune. At the other end, the áharin-sildatu, a building created from plastic boards, all of these were made by robots this morning. Another carpet, light blue (the color of the sinní, the marriage happiness) leads from the middle of the carpet to the door of the nindaran-hombé.
1.
Eight torongi are blown to fanfare, and the door of the áharin-sildatu opens. The Guard appears, accompanied by a little boy hilganil. They go to the Fire’s Home. The Guard says: „Let’s light this fire, the eternal fire of Jasszani-Haugímú, the eternal fire of the nindaran-sinní, to be with us and raise the light of the sinní for the nindarans.” The hilganil lights a fire stick, the Guard raises a sorgitin piece, touches it with the stick, and throws them into the Fire’s Home.
2.
Members of the Ninda Service are coming out from the áharin-sildatu and going to the audition. There they sit down. First, the personifications of 19 channels and rivers, in blue gowns. Then five mountains, in brown. Finally, the national flag, four young people in red, yellow, green and gray. The musicians are playing. Then comes 24 tiny sisunu, forming lines on both sides of the carpet, accompanying the spirits: Hangillíszan-rind-Angé szunn Áharahangídí, the spirit of knowledge, in white gown. Jangaurillí-szisszun áng sinní-Haujallíní, the spirit of sinní, in light blue. The Pair Spirits: Szingru, the light, in gold, and Sumszi, the darkness, in black. Then Sziane, the spirit of the New World, in gold, and Szemnoru, the spirit of the Old World, in black.
3.
Appears Ámmaít, comes to the Guard and greets him by placing his palm on his forehead. „Guard, please”, says the choir of 16 thousand people. „Who is disturbing the work of the Guard of the fire of Jasszani-Haugímú?”, asks the Guard, as if not knowing. Choir: „The dzsarantin-sinní of the nindaran tribe is calling you.” Guard: „May the dzsarantin-sinní be honored.” Choir repeats this. Guard: „What does the dzsarantin-sinní of the nindaran tribe wish from the Guard of the fire of Jasszani-Haugímú?” Ámmaít: „I’m asking you for the donation of darkness.” Guard: „A heavy wish, ohangi-sinní! Do you want the Guard of the eternal fire to extinguish the fire they’re guarding for thousands of years?” (Ohangi is the general calling used by members of Hangilaoran, both singular and plural.) Ámmaít: „Yes, Guard. We would like to call the Third Light to be witness and protector of the sinní of the nindarans.” Guard: „So. All other lights shall retire before the Third Light. Please have a little patience. Haurímú!”
A black spot appears on the sky. Flying closer, it’s an enormous haurímú tent, carried by a lot of robots. They lower it above the scene, covering everything in darkness. In the meantime, people stand up and don their fahuddan, hoods folded back, and sit down. The Guard reaches the janníruan, and the fire is put out (someone pressed a button somewhere). Guard: „I fulfilled your wish, ohangi-sinní. But it’s your task to bring the Light to us.” Ámmaít: „So be it. Let’s call the Third Light to Jasszani-Haugímú.” Guard announces: „Stand up in the presence of the Light of Knowledge! Cover your heads for the shining not to harm you!”
4.
A group brings a large disk to cover the Fire’s Home, another one the equipment to enlarge the fire (we saw both at an earlier ceremony). 16 thousand people stands up and covers their head with the hood.
The baungá, the large drum beats, and the Light appears in the door of the áharin-sildatu, carried by three people: Angrolími and Lingdzsaéti, in black fahuddan and the conical sáhaddif hat, and Límarrip in the middle, in golden gown and cap, with no fahuddan, because if the captain is holding the Light he doesn’t need a fahuddan, the Light is his fahuddan itself. 24 sisunu are accompanying them both sides, and the Cloud Stars (the other members of the sáhaddif) come behind. They bring the Light to the Fire’s Home, carefully place it there, and at the sound of the baungá and the dzsógir (the big gong), the large white fire flares up.
This is the symbol of Hangilaoran: the Light of Knowledge. They call it the Third Light because the First Lights are the Cloud Stars, the 75 stars that shine inside the Cloud, and the Second Light is Sínisuál, Szúnahaum’s golden ring. Límarrip insisted they have to call the Light to the wedding, because of the girls’ many achievements, The First Szían at the first place, but even more because they are the nindaran tribe, the first tribe family since tens of thousands of years, and the importance of this can’t be emphasized enough. Ninda said: „You are the captain. You stand at the Fountain of the Light and the Voice of the Light sounds from your mouth.” Thus it happens this way.
5.
The eight torongi blown thrice, the door of the áharin-sildatu opens again and appears, accompanied with the third 24 sisunu, the sinnisztu, the golden-shining wedding canopy. Its name is Áharihaurang-aindzsílan szingí farranin Ílgarri-hingandzsé Jáhanurgi. In dark red, gold and black colors, ornamented with imposing pictures from the handika legendary. It’s 38 thousand years old, used 123 times so far. It can travel only carried by humans, on a sinní carpet, and a sinnarszési or a deputy sinnarszési must walk under it, so, after Ainki chose it in a storage room of Hangilaoran, it was brought here by more than a thousand volunteers, in twelve days.
Under the sinnisztu, comes Ainki in a black fahuddan with a light blue sash on her chest, then the three girls in light blue, hand in hand. Behind them, Ámmaít. They walk to the Fire’s Home and stop before the white fire. On its other side stand the Cloud Stars, the captain and the Guard. Ten hilganils bring rods to the sinnisztu, apply them at the appropriate points, and the carriers (szingrí) release the handles, the sinnisztu now safely standing on the rods.
6.
The sinnarszési goes forward (all walking happens the ceremonial, slow szúni way) and covering her forehead with her palm, greets the Light. Now they speak in Ancient szúni what most szúni don’t understand, but it’s used for ceremonial purposes. Érahaung-szandzsé: „Henni sá, fangédzsilan, hirfangil-haupan íraruahp sinnun-Árahangillalliúp-sirdangil?” The captain translates: „Who are you, tiny person, who spelt the Light of Knowledge?” Ainki: „Nindaran-sinnarszési.” „Dzsinnahp sintud rikasszíhp hpáran hilgaruarangí-sillalgómi Árahangillalliúp-dzsangirrat honnit fáhí-sinnarszési áhparan!” „It’s unusual and impertinent to disturb the Light of Knowledge for the sake of a little sinnarszési!” „Dzsauhp. Hirgissut-fáhpan sziem szisszan Argéman-dzsáhí fórannit-szingarhpat.” „Indeed. So I called my fellows to give the Light the honor together.” „Hennuhpi?” „Who are they?” „Hpí Hangilaorangihp sífan aungdzsríhí.” „Hangilaoran’s folks and captain.” „Lbíandainnuhp?” „All of them?” „Dzsí.” This word is untranslated since it didn’t change over time. „Ósarangil-himmuat. Írgamdzsil-jumiddu áng Árahangillalliúpaurgan.” „We accept. The Light of Knowledge kindly accepts your company.”
Four hilganils run forward, greet the sinnarszési and the Light, and they light up their ráhadaun torches on the fire. They flare up with a light blue fire, and they stand around the fire with them.
7.
Now the sinnarszési, in modern szúni, greets the fire and tells it there are three girls here, members of the nindaran tribe, to tie their knot by its light. She doesn’t expect an answer since a fire cannot speak. A little hilganil steps there with a yellow ráhadaun torch, and they both go round the fire, to the captain. Choir: „Captain, please.” Captain: „What do you wish, sinnarszési?” Ainki: „Nothing. I stand in front of the White Light and Hangilaoran’s captain – no sinnarszési may wish more. I came only for the sinní-ilpan.” Captain: „Reasonable. It’s the captain’s duty to hand over Hangilaoran’s sinní-ilpan for these children who now came to the Light’s Home and want to go together on the road of sinní. Do I say it right, sinnarszési?” Ainki: „You say it right, captain.” A hilganil brings the sinní-ilpan on a brown and golden tray (Hangilaoran’s colors), and the captain hands it over to the sinnarszési. While she is going back, a hilganil puts a small table before the girls, and she places Hangilaoran’s wedding gift on it. „Hangilaoran’s sinní-ilpan”, she tells them as if they didn’t know. „Silvud glass cut with gold leaf”, says Hilvekund, the artist. They uncover it. A milk white, round glass plate, with the three girls’ portraits in a golden relief. Meandering thin lines form an adornement around it, in Hangilaoran’s golden and brown color, the sinní’s light blue and the Knowledge’s white. Above their heads the nindaran’s tribal badge, and below them the liktenit-upesz one.
8.
After some rejoicing, Ámmaít: „Sinnarszési and dzsarantin-sinní of the nindarans greet the captain and the Cloud Stars.” Límarrip: „The captain greet the sinnarszési and dzsarantin-sinní of the nindarans.” Angrolími repeats this in the name of the Cloud Stars. Captain: „And we together greet the three members of the nindaran tribe. Ninda, Szinensi and Aini called the Light from its Fountain, made us to erect the Light’s Home and approached it in sinní ornament to celebrate their love and belonging together.” Angrolími: „And to let us celebrate with them.” Captain: „This is a special wedding, ohangi! All members of a newborn tribe are marrying each other – this didn’t happen yet in the whole history of the federation of tribes. We’ve got all reason to bring the Light to us for such an occasion.” Ámmaít: „So we did, and it’s now with us.” Límarrip: „The Light is with us, so this three young people can join their lives. Aini, Ninda and Szinensi, from the nindaran and liktenit-upesz tribes, you called us before the Light to help you when you start on your way, with Szúnahaum’s eternal fire in your hearts.” Ainki: „We’ll bring the fire with ourselves.” Choir, including the girls who speak now for the first time: „Simnunná.” („It is so.”) The baungá begins sounding. Angrolími: „You start your way, with the Light of Stars in your hearts.” Ainki: „We’ll bring the Light with ourselves.” Choir: „Simnunná.” This is repeated with the Light of Knowledge, too.
The girls stand opposite to each other, in a triangle form above the table, placing their hands on the sinní-ilpan, still touching each other.
Límarrip: „Szinensi, Aini and Ninda! Children of the nindaran and liktenit-upesz tribes, children of the Cloud, children of the Three Lights, children of the Szúnahaum Brotherhood! You are married, a new family, a new sprout of the Tree of Life. May your lives be long and happy, among your children and later grandchildren, and may the Brotherhood’s love and honor always surround you.”
Sileni, Ámmaít and Ainki hugs and kisses them.
9.
Guard: „Captain, please.” Captain: „What do you wish, Guard?” Guard: „Captain, invited by the nindarans, the Third Light is among us. But it can’t spend any time here, it must return to the Bridge to enlighten Hangilaoran.” Captain: „Wise words, Guard. We have to take the Light home. Come with me, let’s thank it for shining on this notable event.” The nindarans approach the fire, but to do so, they have to step out from under the sinnisztu. So, a hilganil gives Ámmaít a piece of white cloth, the fahuddan-dzsittir. Ámmaít, the captain, Angolími and the Guard are holding it by its corners above the girls, and they all eight, with Ainki, approach the fire, and cover their foreheads with their palms. Ainki: „Ja Árahangillalliúpi, ja hauhíningámi dzsáhirrahp Hangilaorangisúman, dzsáháfi szisszan angirraúhp suap jalgisszimmatun dzsaurgahp, szísszillahpatun jaufárahp. Light of Knowledge, forever shining, white Light of Hangilaoran, thank you for coming among us and you made our celebration brighter, our world more colorful.” The fire shrinks back. The girls lean down, grab handles, and Ámmaít folds the fahuddan-dzsittir and gives it back to a hilganil.
The sinnisztu-szingrí are raising the sinnisztu, hilganils remove the rods, and Ámmaít goes back under the sinnisztu to allow it be moved. Accompanied by 24 sisunu, the sinnisztu leaves towards the end of the carpet. The girls set out, too, carrying the Light, led by the sinnarszési, surrounded by the four ráhadaun torches and 24 sisunu, to the aungir that brought the Light here. It was waiting at the end of the tent the whole time, but now it goes around the sinnisztu, before them. There is only a pedestal inside, no seats. They enter, first the captain to accept them as homeowner from inside, then 12 sisunu, the girls with the Light, and the other 12 sisunu. The girls gently place the fire on the pedestal, greet it and leave.
Being the door closed, the robots remove the haurímú and sunlight returns. The aungir takes off.
10.
After some rejoicing, the aungir returns, now without the Light. Choir: „Captain, please.” Captain: „What do you wish, Guard?” Guard: „The Light left. But there is no janníhaum with no fire, and no wedding with no janníhaum. We must light a fire again. You are the captain, you’ve got the right to light the fire.” (As if the captain wasn’t nearby when he set up the previous fire.) The tiniest hilganil brings a fire stick, and they light the fire again.