Galtic Druidism
Druidism is the name given to the galtic religion in the continent of Bruna. Though it is divided into thousands of regional branches, the druidic faith shares holy dates and a pantheon of notable Old Gods.
Pantheon
The Old Gods of the Wild are mysterious and elusive, therefore it is nearly impossible to know all of Them by name. However, most druidic circles can identify a few specific gods:Garunnos
The Father of All, creator of the world and Lord of the galtic afterlife. Garunnos is a tall, humanoid god with large, majestic antlers and round, white eyes. He likes to wander, and thus takes the form of an old wanderer. Some tribes have laws regarding the welcoming of outsiders, so they will not run the risk of accidentally turning Garunnos away. His name is never spoken by commoners, warlods nor druids, and he is simply referred to as the Lord of the Wild. [Domains: Life, Nature, Grave]Cailea
The Great Mother, Cailea is the physical manifestation of the land itself. It is said that every year, during the winter festival of Yule, Garunnos and Cailea make love, and she gives birth to the spring. [Domains: Life, Nature, Light]Andrasta
The goddess of knowledge and victory, Andrasta oversees all wars, and whichever side wins her favour emerges victorious. That is why warring tribes will pay very close attention to omens before fighting. [Domains: War, Knowledge]Thanurix
The warrior god of storms and blacksmiths. Whenever thunder booms, it is believed to be Thanurix forging new weapons for the gods. [Domains: War, Tempest, Forge]Makonos
The Prince of the Forest, Makonos is the trickster god of youth. When teenagers sneak out of their tribes at night to cause trouble, they justify their deeds as offerings to Makonos. That excuse may convince druids, but not their mothers. [Domains: Life, Trickery]Cosmological Views
In Galtic mythology, the world was created by the hermit god Garunnos, so he might have a place to wander. He first created the dark forests of Bruna, giving the trees branches to resemble his antlers, and then went on to create the rest of the world. After Every mountain and lake had been created, Garunnos created life from the trees, and made the mother god Cailea.
Garunnos impregnated Cailea with the first living beings, and while pregnant she became pale and cold, before giving birth and becoming bright and warm once again (this is the origin for the seasons). Cailea gave birth to all the other gods, and they in turn created the lesser beings known as the fey. The fey came to be the elves, and created the first civilizations.
Garunnos was pleased with his creation, but he was not quite satisfied. He found that neither gods nor fey nor beasts shared his spirit for wandering. So he journeyed to the heart of the Brunan forests, and in the sacred First Grove, he spilled his own blood into the dirt, creating the first man.
Tenets of Faith
The Old Faith does not feature strict rules, but it is generally understood among its faithful that the following tenets form the core guidelines to win the gods' favor:
The natural world is to be respected above all else.
As human blood is sacred, it must not be spilled outside of the field of battle.
The meek are to be protected, and their wisdom valued.
When mortals have sex, they are engaging in a celebration of the goddess Cailea. Therefore, tainting this celebration by violating consent is to profane Cailea's gift.
Worship
Sacrifice
The deepest form of worship for the Gods of the Wild is sacrifices of blood. Since Garunnos spilled his blood to create mankind, spilling human blood at an altar in his honor is a very powerful offering. However, full human sacrifices are quite rare, happening mostly when a member of a galtic tribe has reached a very old age and wishes to willingly leave the mortal world. Instead, the biggest rituals of the Wild Faith involve a congregation spilling blood from their palms. The vast majority of sacrifices are animals such as pigs, oxen, and very large game.
Runes
Praying to the gods requires either a pre-carved rune on a small stone or totem, or the knowledge to carve them.
Priesthood
The priests of the Old Faith are called Druids. Every region in Bruna will have its own druidic circles with slightly different rituals and rules of worship, since the Gods of the Wild are elusive and mysterious, and interpretation of Their wishes will vary from time and place. Regardless, druidic circles follow roughly the same paths and fill the same roles as community leaders, lore keepers, seers and counsellors.
Some galts are chosen to be members of a druidic circle very early on: if a child is born with a deformity, for example, it is generally understood to be a sign from the gods, and an indication that it will possess the gift of The Sight, and thus they are brought to the local circle to be trained.
Others may be accepted into a circle at an older age, if they undergo a spiritual revelation of some sort (and are able to explain this revelation to the circle to a satisfactory degree).
At the end of years of training, acolytes of a circle will be taken to the tribe or clan's local Place of Power, and imbibe hallucinatory elixirs. After a summoning, the elders will leave the place and allow the gods to approach the acolytes and, if they are suitable for the role of druid, will make love to them. Assuming they are chosen, the acolytes will now be a full part of the circle.
Type
Religious, Druidic Circle
Alternative Names
The Wild Faith, The Woodland Creed, The Old Faith
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Divines
Related Ranks & Titles
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