Every month, when the moon disappears from Hesli's night's sky for one night only, the
Elves who follow the teachings of
Gaelach gather to pray.
Tonight, we have come together to keep the moon in us alive while she renews herself for the next month. Let us pray for prosperity and guidance and share wisdom with our brothers and sisters. Gaelach Gu Brath!— A senior at a gathering for Urnai Gaelach
Evening of Companionship
The ancient texts of Gaelach describe the origins of this ritual to be one of companionship. In a time of great tumult and chaos, it was important to instill a sense of brotherhood to make sure everyone sticks together. Getting left behind was a surefire ticket to the afterlife, so this ritual was put in place to involve everyone in the community.
An additional component to this ritual is the sharing the wisdom of the day to help the community grow. This wisdom could be of any kind. At the time, finding food and a place to live was very important to the elves, so everyone wanted to share their bit of information about that. Later on, when the need for such knowledge wasn't necessary any longer, this turned more into philosophical wisdom.
While it is possible to perform this ritual alone, the ancient texts advice against it. Of course, when the need arises because one is travelling alone, it is accepted to do
Aonar Urnai Gaelach. Since the main premise of the ceremony is to bond with fellow bretheren, it would be unnatural to do this alone for an extended period of time.
Clashes Between High Elves
Unfortunately, following
Gaelach and all its rituals has caused a fair few clashes within the
High Elves of
Eilmari. Most Eilmari have discarded Gaelach as a belief and switched over to
The Mind, condemning anyone who still performs the ancient rituals of the religion and calling it old-fashioned. This is one of the many reasons why the
Quani have left their homes en masse.
Elvish Druids
The Elvish Druids follow the teachings of
Gaelach stricter than normal participants. They perform this ritual every night with their clan of fellow druids. The actual prayer changes based on the shape of the moon, but other than that the rituals are virtually identical.
This is really interesting. I like that there are different versions out there for if you are travelling alone, or for different groups. I think it sounds like a really cosy ritual to be a part of.
Thank youu! <3