Crossdressing Brides and Grooms
Mythic Historical - this post describes a real thing that happened in Egypt, but gives it a Mythic spin to make it more interesting in a saga. What we know of this practice is from a short responsa from the Cairo Geniza written in around 1200 and translated in Noam Sienna’s excellent book A Rainbow Thread.
A tradition among the Mizrahi Jews of Egypt is to celebrate a wedding by cross dressing. The bride and her friends dress up in the style of the local non-Jewish Arab men. This includes a turban and a sword. They ladies dance around the synagogue waving their swords around and singing. At the same time the groom is made up with cosmetics like eyeliner, lipstick, and blush.
The party happens in the synagogue after religious wedding itself. This joyous event fulfills the mitzvah of celebrating with the bride and groom. The affair can get out of hand, of course, with some brides coming home with a few bumps and bruises from mock sword fights, but it’s all in good fun.
The Sephardi Jews of Egypt strongly disapprove of this custom, which violates their understanding of the Torah prohibitions against cross dressing. Rabbi Avraham ben HaRambam, the son of Maimonides and most prominent of the Sephardi rabbis of Egypt wrote a disapproving responsa, “this is a crooked path and the path of sinners, that they do this in public, in the synagogues, in the midst of the congregation and community of Israel, on holidays, and no one takes any heed.”
The Sephardi rabbis have had no luck stopping this popular practice, which is perfectly acceptable in the eyes of Mizrahi rabbis.
This delightful celebration is of interest to magi as well, since the gender play can cause the creation of Muto Vis. A wedding celebrated on the auspicious day of Tu B'Av (in August) will generate the vis. It is gathered by collecting the turban worn by the bride and soaking it in the water the groom uses to wash off his makeup. This can be a vis source for a covenant in the Levant Tribunal, or anywhere that this custom may have spread. (See COV5 page 72 for recommendation on how much vis this source might give in your saga).
Story Seed - Securing the Vis
The covenant discovers the source of vis by happenstance, perhaps a grog with Magic Sensitivity. They then must figure out how to actually collect the vis. Will they gain the trust of the Jewish community and simply ask for their discarded party clothes? Or will they try to steal from the Jews, risking upsetting them?
Story Seed - Rabbinic Party Pooping
A Sephardic rabbi writes a fiery responsa on this practice, citing the Torah “A woman must not put on man’s apparel, nor shall a man wear woman’s clothing” He is influential enough that some of the Mizrahi rabbis even support him, and may put an end to the practice, destroying the vis source. Can the covenant defend the practice? If their meddling is discovered will that only strengthen the side of the Sephardim?
Story Seed - The No Fun Emir
The local Emir finds out about this practice and decides that the brides are mocking him. Perhaps he’s got a point, but his anger threatens to end the practice and destroy the vis source. Worse, if it becomes common knowledge that Jews are mocking their Arab neighbors it might result in a pogram. Can he be placated or deceived?