A Guide Book to the Great Tree by Kathryn Huang

were rumors that he finally joined the Glauxian Brothers, but no one knew for sure. Then there were other tales that intimated that Theo never joined the brothers and, in fact, followed Ivar. The recently discovered Theo Papers indeed prove this to be so. I am still in the process of translating them, and have yet to find out all the details of his life after he left the great tree, and his residence in what we now call the Sixth Kingdom. But I do know one thing—and that is that this Great Horned left behind an incredible legacy, not just of battle claws, but of creations that bettered owlkind. The Great Ga’Hoole Tree’s loss was the Sixth Kingdom’s gain.

A Year of Celebrations at the Great Tree
    I n the world of owls, many holidays are celebrated and numerous festivals are held throughout the year. Some of these are boisterous and grand while others are solemn and intimate. Some are universally observed while others are unique to the Great Ga’Hoole Tree. We revel all night and into the day to mark those things that are most meaningful to us, for such is the way of owls.
    FOUNDER’S NIGHT (OR LONG NIGHT)
    Founder’s Night is the first and last holiday of the owl year at the Great Ga’Hoole Tree. It begins at twilight on the shortest day of the year. Before Hoole came to power, Founder’s Night was simply known as Long Night. Long Night had been one of the most festive holidays in the N’yrthghar, for it celebrated the disappearance of the sunand the longest darkness of the whole year. And in the universe of owls, where night is more valued than day, it became a festive time when young owls and older owls could fly to their gizzards’ content and waste little time sleeping. The days would thereafter begin to lengthen and the long dark of the night would disappear sliver by sliver until, come summer, it would all begin to reverse again and there would be still another celebration on the shortest night to welcome back the darkness.
    Shortly after the great tree was established, the owls of the tree renamed the holiday Founder’s Night for their new king, Hoole, who was hatched on Long Night. Many owls from the Northern Kingdoms still refer to it as Long Night. Whatever you call it, it’s the liveliest celebration of the year! There are all sorts of sports and games, and gad-feathers come to sing and do their lively sky jigs against the moon.
    At First Lavender, throngs of owls emerge from their hollows and nests and take to the skies for a tween-time flight to kick off the celebration. This leads to the most exciting activity of the night—the flying contests. There’s always a contest to see who’s the fastest flier, of course. But we owls can get pretty creative when it comes to flying. I’ve seen (and even flown in a few) contests forthe steepest dives, the sharpest turns, the fastest spirals, the most number of somersaults in a row, the tightest formations…You name it, an owl has flown it. And if the conditions are right, there are colliering contests, too. Winners are greeted with roaring cheers and crowned with wreaths woven of humble materials such as vines and shoots of the Ga’Hoole tree. This reminds us of two things; that Hoole wore no crown of gold and needed no kingly trappings, and that each and every owl is noble in spirit if noble in deed.

    There is also a hunting contest to celebrate the spirit of lochinvyrr, taught to Hoole in his day and Coryn in ours by the dire wolves of Beyond the Beyond. Only a few owls, the best hunters, are selected to participate. Owls compete to see who gets the quickest kill, the largest prey, and the quietest approach. When the hunters bring back their prey, they are greeted with much gratitude. Following the hunting contest, there is a great feast. Theraw prey is shared by all to remind us that we have been able to survive only through the sharing of resources.
    As the night goes on, owls return to the