The Tome of Songs
The rest of Enarion didn't bother too much with written records for the future. It's a good thing we did, or a lot of our shared religious history would be gone.
The Tome of Songs is an ancient tome of rituals written many millennia ago.
Kept For The Future
Although this tome is so old, the original still exists. Kept in a locked box away from the public, the original book is rarely touched. It seems to be in good condition, yet the Keepers of the Songs won't handle it when not needed as they fear it will crumble in their hands one day.
All versions of this book that can be read are copies, handwritten with the greatest amount of care and precision to be as identical to the original, or in the last millennium, the oldest remaining copy, as possible.
The condition of the original book is so good, in fact, that many believe it is under divine protection. No other written work from this time still exist, all others havng turned to dust or small fragments by now. Actually, none of the older copies of the tome that were made during the first millennium after it was first recorded are still around. If the tome is, indeed, protected by the divine, it's probable that people still can read it without it falling apart in their hands. Yet, the only ones allowed to handle it are some very few members of the Keepers' clergy, and only to check for signs of damage to make sure it's stored correctly.
The Contents
The Tome of Songs sounds like a book of ancient songs and not much else. While this is some of the contents, it's surely not all. There are explanations on how to perform every ritual, why it is done this way, and what is needed to perform them correctly. All songs are recorded both with text and melody, the latter in a form of notation that's different than the one in use today among musicians. However, this notation system is well documented in other historical works from other parts of Shireon, so the old notations have been translated into a more modern notation in other derivative works.
Significance
The Tome of Songs is the most important religious artifact of the Keepers of the Songs, and one of the most important historical artifacts of the Nation of Enarion. Although there's only one original, fiercely guarded by the Keepers, the Enari historians have a couple of old copies in their possession. These copies are ancient, however, and not in a good state. Yet, the historians are doing their best to preserve them.
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