Church of the Twain
In the beginning there was only Herta, the giantess who carried the world in her belly. When she squatted down to give birth to it, Anath and El came out with it. The afterbirth came in three parts. First there was time, then the sun, then the moon and stars.
With the world born and time and the gods born, Mother Herta moved on, for already her belly was swelling up with another world to give birth to. Left alone, her two children looked at the world that had been born alongside them, and divided it between them: Anath would take charge of the seasons, the fruits of the earth and all goodly growing things. Her brother took charge of the forests of the world, and all the animals that lived and loved and died in them.
In time the two grew lonely, and decided they ought to try and make more gods. So they lay together, and Anath fell pregnant. But as her belly grew rounder, El weakened, and when the last of the leaves fell from the trees, he died. Anath entered a deep mourning, and those months became the first winter the world ever knew. Her mourning was finally broken, and winter with it, when her child was born.
The child was as fair as El had been, and grew rapidly into the spitting image of her brother - until, at last, it became clear that the child was El reborn. Finally, on the night of the summer solstice, when El had regained his full strength, the two came together again and the cycle began anew.
"The Creation of the World, and the Story of Anath and El"
Lorian Creation Myth
Structure
There are two branches of the order, each dedicated to one of the two gods - the Green Folk, dedicants to El, and the Scythe-Bearers of Anath.
The Scythe-Bearers are the public face of the order, serving as midwives, lore-keepers, cunning folk, and teachers in their communities and presiding over births, deaths, and marriages. The Green Folk, meanwhile, are more reclusive, keeping to the forests in order to care for the animals and plants and only emerging for the yearly festivals, which they preside over with the Scythe-Bearers.
Culture
Both are semi-Druidic; the Scythe-Bearers are the law keepers, healers, and so on while the Green Folk are the more 'stereotypical' druid types, communing with nature and the god and performing nature-based magic
Public Agenda
Green Folk - preservation of the forests and animals therein, communion with El
Scythe-Bearers - healing, teaching, keepers of lore, presiding over marriages and funerals
History
The origins of the religion are shrouded in myth; the Twain almost certainly predate Lore itself, but whether they were spun off from the Elven tradition or the Lycoran or some sort of syncretism between the two isn't so clear.
Mythology & Lore
"In the beginning there was only Herta, the giantess who carried the world in her belly. When she squatted down to give birth to it, Anath and El came out with it. The afterbirth came in three parts. First there was time, then the sun, then the moon and stars.
With the world born and time and the gods born, Mother Herta moved on, for already her belly was swelling up with another world to give birth to. Left alone, her two children looked at the world that had been born alongside them, and divided it between them: Anath would take charge of the seasons, the fruits of the earth and all goodly growing things. Her brother took charge of the forests of the world, and all the animals that lived and loved and died in them.
In time the two grew lonely, and decided they ought to try and make more gods. So they lay together, and Anath fell pregnant. But as her belly grew rounder, El weakened, and died. Anath entered a deep mourning, and those months became the first winter the world ever knew. Her mourning was finally broken, and winter with it, when her child was born.
The child was as fair as El had been, and grew rapidly into the spitting image of her brother - until, at last, it became clear that the child was El reborn. Finally, on the night of the summer solstice, when El had regained his full strength, the two came together again and the cycle began anew."
Anath and El are the Eldest Siblings, equal and opposite. Anath is tempestuous, easily offended, and El provides a calming influence on his wilder sister. These roles are somewhat reversed in spring and summer, when El runs wild in his strength and virility. The religion also includes demigods (Elain the White Fawn, Galath Greenhand, possibly Vaniel Elf-Friend) and nature spirits (the River-Daughter).
With the world born and time and the gods born, Mother Herta moved on, for already her belly was swelling up with another world to give birth to. Left alone, her two children looked at the world that had been born alongside them, and divided it between them: Anath would take charge of the seasons, the fruits of the earth and all goodly growing things. Her brother took charge of the forests of the world, and all the animals that lived and loved and died in them.
In time the two grew lonely, and decided they ought to try and make more gods. So they lay together, and Anath fell pregnant. But as her belly grew rounder, El weakened, and died. Anath entered a deep mourning, and those months became the first winter the world ever knew. Her mourning was finally broken, and winter with it, when her child was born.
The child was as fair as El had been, and grew rapidly into the spitting image of her brother - until, at last, it became clear that the child was El reborn. Finally, on the night of the summer solstice, when El had regained his full strength, the two came together again and the cycle began anew."
Anath and El are the Eldest Siblings, equal and opposite. Anath is tempestuous, easily offended, and El provides a calming influence on his wilder sister. These roles are somewhat reversed in spring and summer, when El runs wild in his strength and virility. The religion also includes demigods (Elain the White Fawn, Galath Greenhand, possibly Vaniel Elf-Friend) and nature spirits (the River-Daughter).
Divine Origins
The precise origins of the Twain are lost to time; the orders themselves predate the founding of the Kingdom of Lore by at least a century, likely more.
The Twain have enough in common with the Talethi pantheon that they could conceivably begun as a splinter faction; the incorporation of nature spirits and semi-divine figures is likely a holdover from Lycoran beliefs, or a regional interpretation of.
The Twain have enough in common with the Talethi pantheon that they could conceivably begun as a splinter faction; the incorporation of nature spirits and semi-divine figures is likely a holdover from Lycoran beliefs, or a regional interpretation of.
Cosmological Views
The giantess who birthed the world walked away, but the Twain couldn't bring themselves to do the same. Still, they're not so much divine parents as divine older siblings left looking after the babies - with the equal turns of care and resentment that implies. Anath, in particular, is known to hand down blights and droughts if the mortals don't show sufficient gratitude for a good harvest. But she's also been known to cause bountiful harvests by simply walking through a barren field, and to be generous with the blessings for her favored. El is less interested in direct interaction, typically communing with the Green Folk through dreams and visions; when he physically manifests, it's generally as a king stag and usually done for a specific purpose (to convey a message, to lead the way to a quest object, etc).
They are simultaneously siblings, lovers, and mother and son; Anath is given more weight/seniority because she is El's mother; this might also be a holdover from Elvish traditions.
Those who live decent lives and get the proper burial rites go on to the Fields of Gold, an afterlife of peace and plenty. Active Green Folk and Scythe-Bearers, and those who "die restless" become part of El's eternal hunt - which chases the souls of the wicked for eternity. If/when the wicked repent and face their punishment, then they'll be able to get to the Fields of Gold.
Those who live decent lives and get the proper burial rites go on to the Fields of Gold, an afterlife of peace and plenty. Active Green Folk and Scythe-Bearers, and those who "die restless" become part of El's eternal hunt - which chases the souls of the wicked for eternity. If/when the wicked repent and face their punishment, then they'll be able to get to the Fields of Gold.
Tenets of Faith
The core principals are respect/worship of the earth, appeasement of the forces of nature, and sustainability/conservation of resources. The Twain are a harvest goddess and hunting god, so they do things like prayers of thanks and harvest tithes to avoid offending the Twain and having their crops blighted, their hunts fail, etc.
They follow an agricultural calendar, since appeasing Anath is considered more *necessary* than appeasing El, as "a man can subsist without meat, but not on meat alone." This also means that hardening things like sowing and harvest into religious ritual was an obvious step. Events like the solstices got incorporated to mark the yearly rebirth, growth, and death of El.
They follow an agricultural calendar, since appeasing Anath is considered more *necessary* than appeasing El, as "a man can subsist without meat, but not on meat alone." This also means that hardening things like sowing and harvest into religious ritual was an obvious step. Events like the solstices got incorporated to mark the yearly rebirth, growth, and death of El.
Ethics
The main guiding principal is to be grateful for all the Twain provide - through that lens, cruel and/or wasteful behavior (such as cruelty to animals or destructive farming) is generally considered sinful or at the very least impious.
Priesthood
The Green Folk don't have much of a formal hierarchy; generally the oldest member of a given commune will act as their spokesperson and be the point of contact between the Green Folk and outsiders; issues tend to be decided by discussion and vote.
The Scythe-Bearers are more organized most major settlements have a shrine/house of healing run by them; like the Green Folk, leadership is generally decided by seniority. The healers and midwives in these houses train apprentices from the community, and send out newly-graduated journeymen to serve the more rural settlements.
In Cordonia, there's one additional step of hierarchy: the elders of the chapel there elect one of their number to serve as a direct link between the order and the monarch; this priest or priestess serves on the royal council as Chapelmaster. The current Chapelmaster is Eirian Rees.
The Scythe-Bearers are more organized most major settlements have a shrine/house of healing run by them; like the Green Folk, leadership is generally decided by seniority. The healers and midwives in these houses train apprentices from the community, and send out newly-graduated journeymen to serve the more rural settlements.
In Cordonia, there's one additional step of hierarchy: the elders of the chapel there elect one of their number to serve as a direct link between the order and the monarch; this priest or priestess serves on the royal council as Chapelmaster. The current Chapelmaster is Eirian Rees.
Political Influence & Intrigue
The Scythe-Bearers are frequently called upon to advise the monarch; they also preside over weddings, births, and even crownings. The head of their order is considered an agent of Anath and has a fair amount of political clout on account of it, though the Scythe-Bearers traditionally hold no titles (besides the elected Chapelmaster). The Green Folk aren't active enough in the political sphere to have such a concrete role, but they're accorded just as much respect based on their closeness to the god.
Both orders are largely made up of smallfolk, even in the upper ranks; they have closer ties to the smallfolk than the ruling class, and more direct influence on account of it, which makes the relationship between church and crown uneasy at times. (Queen Alissende, famously, was incredibly wary of them but never dared move directly against them for fear of causing a revolt; Athan, by contrast, has been too deep in the bottle for much of his reign to care one way or the other.)
Both orders are largely made up of smallfolk, even in the upper ranks; they have closer ties to the smallfolk than the ruling class, and more direct influence on account of it, which makes the relationship between church and crown uneasy at times. (Queen Alissende, famously, was incredibly wary of them but never dared move directly against them for fear of causing a revolt; Athan, by contrast, has been too deep in the bottle for much of his reign to care one way or the other.)
Founding Date
400 AD
Type
Religious, Druidic Circle
Alternative Names
The Lady and The Hunter, the Green Folk, the Scythe-Bearers
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Divines
Location
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments