Daoine Teague Feer

Daoine Teague Feer also called The Star Enchantment is an ancient ritual perfomed by the forest elves of Shilmista in the Snowflake Mountains.

The ritual is usually attended only by elves. Cadderly and Danica are offered the honor of attendence by Elbereth the forest elven prince after helping defeat a group of marauding goblins in the forest of Shilmista. Cadderly followed his strive for knowledge, watching and recording the ritual rather than attending it himself. Elbereth later included Cadderly in the ceremony.

Procedure
The ritual takes place at night, preferably at full moon. It can only be performed by an elf of the ruling line, as for example by Galladel the king or Elbereth the prince of the forest elves.

All elves attending the ritual dress in their ceremonial robes and gather in an open spot in the forest with a clear view of the starlit sky. They form a circle and begin their song of Shilmista. The song starts as a spoken chant with the elves walking in a circle and lifting bowls towards the sky. Later the walk becomes a dance and the chant a melodic song. Cadderly describes the song as "sad and sweet at the same time and edged by the experience of centuries long past". The ceremony goes on for more than an hour and ends gently with again becoming a chant and a walk and finally fading away.

The ceremonial leader then moves to the first elf. He takes his bowl and quietly chants to the heavens and the million of stars. Then he reaches into the bowl and throws its content skyward. A glitter of stardust then descends over the standing elf.

Effects on Elves
The Star Enchantment is an ancient ritual of rejuvination - it causes a cleansing of body and soul. When the stardust settles on the elf it seems to be making his or her eyes sparkle more and the hair shine more brightly and leaves the elf glowing from inner contentment. The stardust cleans the body from dirt and blood and even heals wounds. From inside the shower one sees a million stars reflected a million times. The stars themselves seem to be reaching out and communicating a sense of universal harmony, a rightness of nature.

Effects on Humans
The ritual does not seem to have as strong an effect on humans as it does on elves. After receiving the ritual it allows one to see the world as an elf does if only for a short time. The Enchantment lifts the spirits of humans as well and forms a strong bond of friendship with the elves and their forest.

To have the opportunity to attend the Daoine Teague Feer is said to be "offering elven experience more fully than any book ever could."