Saniachad
In Estain there is a church dedicated to healing the sick and the wounded. The story behind the healing pond goes back to -746 BGD is the Hailan Sania cried for all the people who suffered and could not help. After three day a pond was formed from Sania's tears, and the Goddess Irath gave Sania the ability to heal people, if they believed in her power. Irath also blessed the pond, and made people spread the message, that those who believed in the pond's healing ability, would be cured of any ailments. Ever since, people had swarmed to the pond to be cured.
After a few centuries the Irathian Church decided that a church were to be build around the pond, in order to commenmorate the Hailan Sania.
Most people, who comes out of the church, are healed from their ailments. Since only those who truly believes in its power, will be able to be cured. But there are some people does not step outside the church ever again, and no one, except for the pristesses and the Siwel knows what happens to them.
Most people, who comes out of the church, are healed from their ailments. Since only those who truly believes in its power, will be able to be cured. But there are some people does not step outside the church ever again, and no one, except for the pristesses and the Siwel knows what happens to them.
Purpose / Function
The purpose of the church is to help and cure anyone in the need of help. In the beginning they only wanted to help no matter which social or economic class you belonged, however, after a few centuries the church made priority for those who brought "gifts" with them. The higher prize of the gift, the further in line you get. Everyday the line outside the church is long, and not all are able to get in to be cured the same day they arrive.
The Church provide food and water for those waiting, therefore the "gifts" are not only used on those working for the church, but the people as well.
The Church provide food and water for those waiting, therefore the "gifts" are not only used on those working for the church, but the people as well.
I had waited outside for three days, provided with food and water by the Siwel, who had frightened me in the beginning. But when it finally became my turn, I actually smiled and thanked the Siwel for taking care of me while I waited, though I did not recieve any respons at all.- Kyrana's note of graditude
Some people, are a bit frightened by the Siwel who pass on water and food to the line of people. They are covered in simple grey robes and a cowl, but their faces are covered all time by a thin white cloth, almost like a veil. They do not talk under any circumstances, since they have taken a silent wow.
Only one person who want healing is permitted at a time. And the church is not open during nighttime, since night is the Goddess Rathias time of the day. For those who need to cure a disease or a wound outside the body, they have to dip the part that needs healing into the pool. If it is inside the body, they have to drik from a cup that hold the water from one of the fountains.
Only one person who want healing is permitted at a time. And the church is not open during nighttime, since night is the Goddess Rathias time of the day. For those who need to cure a disease or a wound outside the body, they have to dip the part that needs healing into the pool. If it is inside the body, they have to drik from a cup that hold the water from one of the fountains.
Architecture
The first sight of 50 meters high round church, from foundation to the eye of the dome, is a sight that becons awe from anyone who sets their eyes upon it. With its white limestone walls, to the bronze tiled roof, this massive building is not only beauty on the inside. Though the large round church's only light is the eye of the dome, it is placed in such way, that the Glux can cast its light down almost at all time. three smaller attached buildings are placed on their own side, the entrance being the largest and most beautiful of them all.
The entrance building is 10 meters high, and more square than the main building. It has an open gabled, bronze-tiled roof. The entrance is placed on the side opposite of the main building, and the doors are also made of bronze, with symbolism of dualism. The symbol of Porthint’Glux in the middle of the door. And on each side walls are one stained glass windows, one of the Goddess Irath, and the other the Hailan Sania, who is the patron of this church.
The entrance building is 10 meters high, and more square than the main building. It has an open gabled, bronze-tiled roof. The entrance is placed on the side opposite of the main building, and the doors are also made of bronze, with symbolism of dualism. The symbol of Porthint’Glux in the middle of the door. And on each side walls are one stained glass windows, one of the Goddess Irath, and the other the Hailan Sania, who is the patron of this church.
The priestess and nuns of the church asked me, what healing I needed, and I told them that I could not conceive a child. They asked me to take off my shoes, And when I finally stepped inside the room behind the tall golden doors, they gave me a cup from which I had to drink from. My heart filled with the belief that this would help me conceive.- Kyrana's note of graditude
Stepping inside the entrance, there are two beautifully carved, wooden benches beneath each stained glass windows. On the far end of the room, are a pair of large golden doors, with motives of Irath and Sania welcoming inside while standing in a pond. Large vases filled with flowers are placed in each corner, small intricate blue and yellow mosaic motives borders every wall.
Pass the golden doors is the main building, the round church. There are also mosaic motives on every wall inside, telling the story of Sania, Irath, and the pond. The floor is made of white and golden ceramic that centers the pond, in the middle is a line of blue ceramics that works as drainage for the pond.
Pass the golden doors is the main building, the round church. There are also mosaic motives on every wall inside, telling the story of Sania, Irath, and the pond. The floor is made of white and golden ceramic that centers the pond, in the middle is a line of blue ceramics that works as drainage for the pond.
Yellow stones are placed as steps into the pond, and in the middle of the pond is a blue stone from which the water comes from. No one knows how or where the water comes from except the blue stone. There are six small fountains on each side of the pond, making it represent the Matem Ynsulas. The dome is painted in gold, and lights up when the Glux shines upon it though the eye. When it rains, it rains directly into the pond and excessive water flows away through the drainage.
On the far right side is a normal sized wooden door, that leads to the archive and the church office. The room has small windows, tall wooden bookshelves, and a wooden table in the middle of the room with chairs around it. Two benches is placed on each side of the door.
On the left side of the main part of the church, is the exit. It is rather plain, with small windows and benches. The Doors both entering and exiting this room is of wood and quite simple as well.
On the far right side is a normal sized wooden door, that leads to the archive and the church office. The room has small windows, tall wooden bookshelves, and a wooden table in the middle of the room with chairs around it. Two benches is placed on each side of the door.
On the left side of the main part of the church, is the exit. It is rather plain, with small windows and benches. The Doors both entering and exiting this room is of wood and quite simple as well.
History
According to the Church records, the first Church was built of wood in -424 BGD, and was only half the size of the church today. Since the wood that was in the ground would rot and make the structure unstable, they had to rebuild the wooden church almost twice.
In -506 the Church wanted a new church to be built, one made of limestone and with several stained glass motives that shows the Goddess Irath, her Disciples, and the Hailans. Of course the motive of the Hailan Sania is depictured a lot, since the Church is solely based on her myth. This was due to the second time they had to consider rebuilding the wooden church, and they thought a stone church would last longer.
It took several decades to first make the layot of the church, then get the stones transported several kilometers, and order the stained glass motives. Then came the large problem that the soil around the pond was really wet and proofed to be difficult to build on. Also the problem was not to cut of the ponds watersurply so it would run up dry. It was the master-builder Liem Caestormafi who figured out a way to make a solid foundation. He ordered granite from a quarry several kilometers from the pond, to be transported there. He ordered tht people should try to compress the ground as much as possible with clay, so the foundation would not be uneven and to rise the foundation enough for it above waterlevel. It was a also a neccessity to prevent the area to become too dry, which would also affect the foundation negatively.
In order to move the stones from the quarry, the quarry workers and the masons were using a combination of Quarry Donkey, a some sort of sled, and boat on rivers. It took several months to have the stones transported, and the river crossed into The Kingdom of Aistana, which brought few problematic encounters with some people, trying to steal the stones for their own houses. This made the church contact the King of Aistana, and he sought to it, that the stones were guarded while in his country, since he did not want to stir the Goddess' anger.
The masons carved to lines in the fundament, so the excessive water from the pond would not flod the church. Some ceramist made ceramic drains that fitted the lines in the fundament, so the water would not seep through the fundament, and slowly destroy the fundament from within.
Then the time came for the walls to be built, and for that the master-builder ordered limestones from another quarry to be transported to the church. Unfortunately the church records of how the walls and dome was created, were lost to a fire in -103 BGD, and therefore no one knows today how this massive structure managed to be built without the techniques of today. The fire was an accident that only burned down some of the church archive, which is in another part of the building, than the main part of the church
A bell tower was built seperately from the church at the same time as the church. the bells are quite heavy, and they therefore had to make the bell tower as light as possible, without it compromised the structure that held the bell.
The monestary for this church was built in -605 BGD, though it is much more simple and a kilometer away from the church, in order to avoid the wetland as much as possible. But as the popularity of people wanted to be healied rose, so did the demand for priests and nuns, and throughout the time, the monestary has been expanded. Now the monestary has approximately 16 priestesses, 60 nuns, and 24 Siwels.
Today it is still an important church for many due to its healing pond, however, the Irathian church find it difficult to maintain it, due to the slow drainage of the wetland. The pond has also begun to shrink in size, and even during rainfall, the pond no longer reaches the drainage built in the fundament. Some have even argued that the church should be moved away from the pond, so the pond can have its natural surrounding, which in theory might help its shrinkage. But moving the church is expensive as well, and they would lose what gifts is being given to the church, thus no one has actually done anything, except keep the money flowing to maintenace.
In -506 the Church wanted a new church to be built, one made of limestone and with several stained glass motives that shows the Goddess Irath, her Disciples, and the Hailans. Of course the motive of the Hailan Sania is depictured a lot, since the Church is solely based on her myth. This was due to the second time they had to consider rebuilding the wooden church, and they thought a stone church would last longer.
It took several decades to first make the layot of the church, then get the stones transported several kilometers, and order the stained glass motives. Then came the large problem that the soil around the pond was really wet and proofed to be difficult to build on. Also the problem was not to cut of the ponds watersurply so it would run up dry. It was the master-builder Liem Caestormafi who figured out a way to make a solid foundation. He ordered granite from a quarry several kilometers from the pond, to be transported there. He ordered tht people should try to compress the ground as much as possible with clay, so the foundation would not be uneven and to rise the foundation enough for it above waterlevel. It was a also a neccessity to prevent the area to become too dry, which would also affect the foundation negatively.
In order to move the stones from the quarry, the quarry workers and the masons were using a combination of Quarry Donkey, a some sort of sled, and boat on rivers. It took several months to have the stones transported, and the river crossed into The Kingdom of Aistana, which brought few problematic encounters with some people, trying to steal the stones for their own houses. This made the church contact the King of Aistana, and he sought to it, that the stones were guarded while in his country, since he did not want to stir the Goddess' anger.
The masons carved to lines in the fundament, so the excessive water from the pond would not flod the church. Some ceramist made ceramic drains that fitted the lines in the fundament, so the water would not seep through the fundament, and slowly destroy the fundament from within.
Then the time came for the walls to be built, and for that the master-builder ordered limestones from another quarry to be transported to the church. Unfortunately the church records of how the walls and dome was created, were lost to a fire in -103 BGD, and therefore no one knows today how this massive structure managed to be built without the techniques of today. The fire was an accident that only burned down some of the church archive, which is in another part of the building, than the main part of the church
A bell tower was built seperately from the church at the same time as the church. the bells are quite heavy, and they therefore had to make the bell tower as light as possible, without it compromised the structure that held the bell.
The monestary for this church was built in -605 BGD, though it is much more simple and a kilometer away from the church, in order to avoid the wetland as much as possible. But as the popularity of people wanted to be healied rose, so did the demand for priests and nuns, and throughout the time, the monestary has been expanded. Now the monestary has approximately 16 priestesses, 60 nuns, and 24 Siwels.
Today it is still an important church for many due to its healing pond, however, the Irathian church find it difficult to maintain it, due to the slow drainage of the wetland. The pond has also begun to shrink in size, and even during rainfall, the pond no longer reaches the drainage built in the fundament. Some have even argued that the church should be moved away from the pond, so the pond can have its natural surrounding, which in theory might help its shrinkage. But moving the church is expensive as well, and they would lose what gifts is being given to the church, thus no one has actually done anything, except keep the money flowing to maintenace.
Tourism
Most Irathian people who suffers from uncurable ailments comes to this church, the line of sick people waiting to be healed is too long, for anyone else to consider visiting the church, though some tend to pass this way on their pilgrimage and pay homage to the Goddess and the Hailan, they do not enter the church, however. People tend to stay in line during their time there, since they do not want to loose their spot. They experience the Siwel, who frightens most because their masked faces and their unresponsive nature.
After one and a half year after I went to Saniachad, I gave birth to a beautiful daughter. My husband and I feels very blessed, and we hope another is on its way. We are very grateful to the people of Saniachad, and therefore we sent this letter of graditude.- Kyrana's note of graditude
The nuns and priestesses of this church makes sure no one lacks anything vital, they also make sure to keep the waiting people's spirits high, hold outside masses. This is also to make sure people believe in the pond's healing power. And they take rotation shifts of 8 hours per team. There are four teams in total, each containing 4 priestesses, 15 nuns and 6 Siwels.
When the people steps inside the entrance, a nun asks them what kind of healing they need, and they are asked to take off their shoes to show respect for this holy ground. A nun carries the shoes outside of the entrance to the exit, so the shoes never enters the room, where the pond is, and the wearer of the shoes can thus retrieve them once they enter the exit room.
When the people steps inside the entrance, a nun asks them what kind of healing they need, and they are asked to take off their shoes to show respect for this holy ground. A nun carries the shoes outside of the entrance to the exit, so the shoes never enters the room, where the pond is, and the wearer of the shoes can thus retrieve them once they enter the exit room.
Founding Date
The church around the pond was built in -583 BGD
Alternative Names
Sania's Healing Pond, Healing Church
Type
Temple / Church
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