The Viridian Canticles
[Author's remark: This is an incomplete first draft. The content needs to be fleshed out with the actual myths told in the Canticles, and eventually with poetry excerpts. The word "Canticles" has been chosen very deliberately: It refers to Anglican musical settings psalms and various other Biblical texts such as the Magnificat, Nunc Dimitis, Te Deum and Jubilate]
The Canticles epitomise the Dominion worldview. In this document, the foundation myth is set forth from their perspective: That power was granted their founder through service that was denied his brother through mastery, leading to the death of their founder at the hands of his brother. Poetic excerpts are read or sung at daily gatherings in every village and city, whether sung communally or by a choir. People gather to hear these out of a genuine sense of thankfulness and faithful dedication to the future. Due to the ubiquity and frequency with which this tale is told, no other document or language approaches its influence. The sonorous cadences roll and thunder in the blood of all.
Music is not the only artform to have been influenced by this document: Twin traditions of manuscript illumination and icon painting have also grown up around the Canticles. The intricate knotwork of the illuminations has also been heavily influenced by the processes used for preserving ecosystem dynamics through the mindlinks of the Halls of Eidolae.
While it is doubtful that the Canticles were written at the time of the events they relate, it is probable that they were completed by several authors within 100 solar cycles of the Foundation. Initially intended as historical recounting, this document has evolved to become a powerfully unifying cultural devotional experience.
The oldest copies of the Canticles are kept within the Arx of the Magisters, with new copies being made in the Scriptorium for dispatch to the farming communities. Even with limited use, these archival master documents inevitably decay: Damp, mildew, rot, even rats and the occasional vandalism all make this link to the past increasingly tenuous. Hence they must be repeatedly recopied- a process during which errors inevitably creep in. Thus a body of scholarship has evolved to compare the textual variation within each of the oldest copies and decide which are the "correct" choice of words and which are errors. It is fortunate that the education and literacy standards are so high within the Protectorate, as this dramatically improves both the penmanship and reduces the chance of spelling errors. Although this committee may advise, nevertheless the final decision on such matters of doctrine restss with the Senate led by the sitting Praetor. In this sense, the Canticles are very much *living* documents, despite the best attempts of the Scriptorium scribes to remain true to the original.
The Canticles epitomise the Dominion worldview. In this document, the foundation myth is set forth from their perspective: That power was granted their founder through service that was denied his brother through mastery, leading to the death of their founder at the hands of his brother. Poetic excerpts are read or sung at daily gatherings in every village and city, whether sung communally or by a choir. People gather to hear these out of a genuine sense of thankfulness and faithful dedication to the future. Due to the ubiquity and frequency with which this tale is told, no other document or language approaches its influence. The sonorous cadences roll and thunder in the blood of all.
Music is not the only artform to have been influenced by this document: Twin traditions of manuscript illumination and icon painting have also grown up around the Canticles. The intricate knotwork of the illuminations has also been heavily influenced by the processes used for preserving ecosystem dynamics through the mindlinks of the Halls of Eidolae.
While it is doubtful that the Canticles were written at the time of the events they relate, it is probable that they were completed by several authors within 100 solar cycles of the Foundation. Initially intended as historical recounting, this document has evolved to become a powerfully unifying cultural devotional experience.
The oldest copies of the Canticles are kept within the Arx of the Magisters, with new copies being made in the Scriptorium for dispatch to the farming communities. Even with limited use, these archival master documents inevitably decay: Damp, mildew, rot, even rats and the occasional vandalism all make this link to the past increasingly tenuous. Hence they must be repeatedly recopied- a process during which errors inevitably creep in. Thus a body of scholarship has evolved to compare the textual variation within each of the oldest copies and decide which are the "correct" choice of words and which are errors. It is fortunate that the education and literacy standards are so high within the Protectorate, as this dramatically improves both the penmanship and reduces the chance of spelling errors. Although this committee may advise, nevertheless the final decision on such matters of doctrine restss with the Senate led by the sitting Praetor. In this sense, the Canticles are very much *living* documents, despite the best attempts of the Scriptorium scribes to remain true to the original.
Purpose
Originally conceived as a solely historical record, the Canticles have since grown far beyond this remit. Now they also encompass the purposes of teaching and of devotion. Moreover they are a vital means by which distant communities engage in a common shared purpose.
Type
Manuscript, Religious
Medium
Vellum / Skin
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