Taide - Goddess of the Arts

One of the most beloved gods of Mirintha is not even a god, but a demigod. As the goddess of all arts, Taide is considered to be the muse of endless creation. Her father is Pimedus, and her mother was a Valoperi artist whose name was lost to time. Or perhaps the deliberate intervention of Cahaya, who wasn't too fond of her husband's bastard daughter. Nevertheless, she too was quickly won over by Taide's engaging nature.

Her father took Taide to Noctareth, his personal God Isle, as soon as she was weaned. But he visited her birth mother regularly, so that Taide wouldn't forget where she came from. During her time in Vaelora, she spent many days on the Gods' Isles of her older siblings. Primarily those of Kära and Daba, who taught her the importance of love in all its forms, including the love for nature. But she also spent quite some time with her older brother Mirtis. It's safe to say that he is the reason not everything in art is about sunshine and rainbows, but instead often enough includes darker themes, even death.

Doesn't sound like she had an easy childhood.

In her younger years, Taide visited Mirintha in humanoid form, and many accounts tell of how she inspired individual artists to excel in their fields. Over the centuries however, those obvious visits declined, though exceptional works of art continued to appear. No wonder there are rumors of her still visiting artists in disguise. You can read more about that in the final paragraph of this article.

Depiction

The depiction of Taide is a diverse one. Hundreds, if not thousands, of portrayals exist, each reflecting the mood the artist wanted to capture and revealing different aspects of her being. On the one hand, you have the cheerful depictions of her, with vibrant colours and a joyful atmosphere. Paintings or sculptures that show the goddess dancing, singing, laughing. And on the other hand, you also have the darker, more melancholic interpretations, those that focus on her sadder side, which can't and shouldn't be ignored.

Both visions are true. Taide is the embodiment of all emotion within art: joy and despair, brilliance and burden, woven together into one divine muse. To say otherwise would be a sacrilege.

Classical portrait of Taide

Domains

Each and every single form of art falls primarily under the jurisdiction of Taide. Those are the obvious ones, such as painting, singing, or sculpting. Buther influence also extends to less immediately considered forms, such as the art of tattooing, flower arranging, or embroidery. Some individuals working in more questionable professions have claimed that their craft is a form of art as well, and, therefore, under Taide's patronage. However, as skillful as it might seem to them, we must assert that assassination or robbery do not fall within her domain.

There is another aspect to Taide that especially artists tend to "forget". We are, of course, talking about the fact that one of her domains is idleness. Artists like to say that being idle is part of the creative process. But idleness is still idleness, and while there is nothing wrong with taking a brake, it should never become a refuge from effort or a mask for fear of failure, as true creation demands not only inspiration, but also discipline.

What a lazy excuse for being lazy ...

Tenets of faith

1. Creation is Eternal

Art is never truly finished. Even if an artist has stopped to work on it, the way she affects those who come into contact with her allows her to continue evolving even then.

2. Emotion is the Soul of Art

Art is not just form and technique, it must carry meaning. Whether joy, sorrow, passion, or fury, true artistry is fueled by raw emotion. Those who seek Taide’s favor must be willing to pour their heart into their craft, even at the cost of their comfort.

3. Genius Walks the Line Between Inspiration and Madness

The pursuit of artistic mastery is both a gift and a curse. Taide inspires, but she does not grant balance. Devotees are taught to embrace inspiration, but also to beware of losing themselves in it.

Symbols

No other god has as many symbols connected to them as Taide does. One of the most universal is the rainbow. In addition, there is the lyre, which is also the stellar constellation associated with her. It is unclear why a lyre was chosen over, for example, a lute, but the general opinion is that it was simply easier to find a lyre in the night sky then a lute or even a rainbow.

Besides those two symbols, there is a whole other category commonly used in reference to Taide: birds. But not just any bird. There are specific species that are frequently associated with her, such as the peafowl or the hummingbird. Depending on the form of art someone practices, one might prefer to use one or the other. We will explore this in more detail later in the article.

That is just too funny. I imagine them, looking into the sky for months, trying to find anything that resembles a lute, and then just giving up and agreeing on a lyre instead!

Worship

Some say that the worship of Taide is possible in any form of artistic expression, be it dancing at a wedding, doodling on a scrap of paper, or humming a tune while doing household chores. But such a view would trivialize her worship, and we align ourselves with those who cannot support this way of thinking.

Worship should always be done with intent, with a purpose and focus. It shouldn't be something you are doing casually. Just because you are dancing, you are not automatically worshipping, there must be a conscious act of devotion. A farmer who is tilling the field and sowing seeds is not worshipping Karas or Daba just because their domains are related to his work. He still has to pray to them for a bountiful harvest and plentiful rain. If you are creating a new piece of art and dedicating it to Taide, then this can be considered worhsip.

Somehow I agree with them. Worship should be practiced with intend.

Holidays

Melitharan Muse is a beloved three-day celebration during the month of Colormoon. It is a time when creativity overflows and the boundary between divine inspiration and mortal expression feels thin. Each day of the festival carries its own meaning and rhythm, inviting all people to take part in this radiant tribute.

Day One - The Spark

The first day of the festival is dedicated to the limitlessness of art, the fact, that it should not have boundaries. Streets become open canvasas, houses are draped in blank cloth and performances can happy anywhere and at any time. There are neither rules or critique, just pure, unfiltered creation. Colored powders fill the air in great bursts, mimicking the divine spark said to ignite every masterpiece.

This looks so amazing and fun ...

There’s a kind of magic in the first day. You smear paint across a wall with your hands and suddenly you feel her. Taide. Watching. Smiling.

— Yuki Kazama, street painter from Hanoshiro

Day Two - The Weave

The second day is all about collaboration and community. Artists of different disciplines are working together to build something neither could have made alone. For example, a musician might perform a self-composed piece while a painter captures on canvas what they see in their mind's eye. Or a sculptor creates a statue while a poet simultaneously writes a poem about it. Many belief Taide herself wanders trough the crowd in disguise, subtly guiding hands and harmonies.

Day Three - The Offering

The final day is one of reflection and reverence. The pace slows and artists prepare their creation for a ceremonial presentation. Offerings in form of whispered poems, sculptures being left where they were made, or melodies performed quietly are made to Taide. It is a more quiet and intimate day then the first two, often ending with shared silence beneath the stars.

Myth

As we already mentioned, Taide no longer visits Mirintha as frequently as in her early days. At least not in her humanoid form. However, there are some reports of extraordinary artistic creations that all share one thing in common: all artists claim to have seen a bird shortly beforehand and to have been kissed by the muse afterward. Interestingly, and further supporting the rumor, the bird seen is always the same depending on the art form.

• Blue Fairy: Writers and poets claim their best works were produced after they had seen the rare blue-orange coloured bird
• Hummingbird: According to some of the most famous painters, they saw one of the many hummingbirds before starting a masterpiece
• Peafowls: The dance of the peafowl has inspired dancers to create many a grandiose choreography
• Nightingale: There is no bird that would be more fitting to inspire singers and musicians to compose music that reaches the soul of the audience
• Woodpecker: For sculptors, it is the woodpecker that seemingly guides the artist's hand once they have caught sight of one

I have seen a peafowl once, but I certainly can't claim that it made me a better dancer ...

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TLDR for my players

Taide is the goddess of all forms of art and at the same time of idleness.
She is the daughter of Pimedus and a Valoperi, whose name is not known anymore.
To all artists she is obviously the most important deity and people often argue about how to worship her correctly.
Her holiday is a three-day spectacle during Colormoon.