Leadership Ceremony
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A leadership ceremony is the ceremony in which, when the leader dies or retires, the deputy receives their nine lives and their leader name with the suffix -star.
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How the Ceremony Originated
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The leader ceremony originated when the early warrior ancestors promised Shadow, River, Wind, Thunder, and Sky that if they found other cats like themselves, chose a home in the forest, and set down borders in the forest, they would reward the five cats with eight more lives, so that they may lead their Clans for many more moons to come.[1]
ProcessEdit
The new leader goes to the Moonstone (or Moonpool) with the Clan's medicine cat. After touching the stone (or drinking from the pool), the new leader cannot move for a short period of time, because their old life is being ripped away so they can receive nine new ones.[2] Upon awakening, cats of StarClan come down from Silverpelt.[3] Nine cats, normally ones who were significant during the new leader's life, although this is not always the case[4], give them their nine lives with these words:
- Life-Giver: (Touches nose to the top of the new leader's head) With this life I give you (gift). Use it well (to, in, as, for, etc.) (use of gift).[5]
When all of the lives have been given, the previous leader says these words:
- Previous Leader: I hail you by your new name, _____star. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of ____Clan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity.[6]
Just as the forest-cats would call a warrior by their new name, the StarClan cats acclaim the new leader.[6] After the ceremony, the new leader is not allowed to tell any cat what happened during the ceremony.[7]
Getting nine lives does not necessarily mean that a leader will live longer, but they can survive certain accidents or injuries that would claim the life of a cat.[8] However, they cannot survive if they have major injuries such as the injuries Scourge gave Tigerstar.[9] If a leader does not lose a life, they will die of old age nine times.[source?]
If a leader no longer wishes to be the leader, they must go to the Moonstone/Moonpool to revoke all but one life, so their deputy may have their full nine lives. Sunstar only had eight lives because Pinestar never officially retired at the Moonstone.[10]
See AlsoEdit
References and CitationsEdit
- ↑ Revealed in Secrets of the Clans, page 5
- ↑ Revealed in A Dangerous Path, page 45
- ↑ Revealed in A Dangerous Path, page 46
- ↑ Revealed in Crookedstar's Promise, pages 442-443
- ↑ Revealed in The Darkest Hour, page 47
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Revealed in The Darkest Hour, page 54
- ↑ Revealed in The Darkest Hour, page 67
- ↑ Revealed in A Dangerous Path, page 302
- ↑ Revealed in The Darkest Hour, page 234
- ↑ Revealed in Erin Hunter Chat 4
