Condolence ceremony
Part of the Great Law of Peace
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The condolence ceremony[a] or condolence council[4] is a part of the Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace. It governs succession to political offices after a leader dies.[5][6]
The ceremony is held in the community whose leader has died.[5][7] Attendees are divided into two moieties: the clear-minded and the downcast or bereaved.[5][8] The ceremony progresses through several stages, including a recitation of the Great Law.[9][10] Through the ceremony, new leaders are appointed to replace those who have died.[9] It was typically the first item on the agenda when a Haudenosaunee council met.[11]
Among other things, the ceremony recalls the Great Peacemaker's condolence of Hiawatha and the "transformation" of Tadodaho from a state of confusion and disorder to a state of peace.[12]
