The Anda is a rite of passage ceremony that every Uigan male goes through when he comes of age at fourteen. The ceremony is presided over both priests of Qu'uan the Warrior, and the father of the boy undergoing the anda, invites as many males from the clan as possible, and prepares a grand feast.
At the commencement of the anda, the boy is brought before the priests by his father, and is expected to recall the lineage of his family as proof of his worthiness. The priests then cast brass knucklebones to foresee omens around the lad's future, and then smoke his body in a sacred fire of willow wood and dung.
Near the end of the ceremony, the boy receives his facial tattoo and is given a man's name. From this point on, the lad is considered a man of his tribe and is the guest of honor at the feast.
References[]
- Time of the Dragon, p.15-16