Khu-Arzad is a major religious festival of the Starkmanir people.
###Historical Background When Arzad Hamri ascended to the title of Holder, his first act was to grant a day of rest to his slaves, naming it holy by the Amarr religion. This day was called the 'Hand of Solace,' and quickly became the most popular religious festival on Starkman Prime. On this day, Arzad himself would preside over the religious ceremonies, and his sermons in particular were an important factor in the festivals popularity. While many of these sermons were claimed as inspiration for independence among the more rebellious members of the Starkmanir, Arzad himself preached only dignity and humility.
When Arkon Ardishapur executed Arzad, the Starkmanir became increasingly hostile, eventually leading to a slave uprising started by Drupar Maak's killing of Arkon. In response, Idonis Ardishapur ordered the eradication of the Starkmanir people and destruction of Starkman Prime.
Today
Now more commonly called Khu-Arzad (Hand of Arzad), this festival has once again become the most popular one among the Starkmanir. While it is still a religious festival, it has become more a day of honoring the man the Starkmanir call St. Arzad, and who they look to as a kind of founding father. Much of the festival is still organized around Arzad's sermons, however, reenactments of Arkon Ardishapur's slaying of Arzad and Drupar Maak's slaying of Arkon Ardishapur, as well as periods of mourning for the lives lost on Starkman Prime, are now also major components of the festival. Despite the clear revolutionary undertones, this festival remains a controversial one, as it is so intricately entwined with the Amarr religion from the point of view of the Minmatar, and heretical to the Amarr.
Though there is no traditional food associated with the festival, both pickled lemon and roasted blackfowl can usually be found at any Khu-Arzad celebration.
See Also
- Arzad Hamri
- Drupar Maak
- Starkmanir
- Starkman Prime
- Chronicle:Khumaak