Melitele

Melitele is a mother goddess worshipped in the Northern Kingdoms. The center of her cult is the temple in Ellander headed by the high priestess Nenneke.

Overview

     The worship of Melitele is one of the oldest and most widespread religions. Original human cultures such as the Dauk and Wozgor worshipped her, and as time passed the worship spread to further lands and gained more followers. Melitele is considered by her followers as a patroness of fertility and birth; the guardian of midwives. Several of her priestesses made sacrifices to her, such a vow of silence.
     The cult of Melitele have a chain of large and small sanctuaries spread throughout the Continent. If it is necessary to decide some matters on a nationwide scale, abbesses of the major centers meet in selected temples and discuss various issues; though this happens rather rarely and every major center remains, in point of fact, self-contained. Priestesses of Melitele often criticize priests of Kreve, argue and carry out disputes with them, however they can cooperate together on important issues. They also stay in good terms with druids or priestesses of Skelliger Freya, similar to Melitele in many respects.

The future handmaidens of the Goddess are entered into the novitiate at the age of fourteen, fifteen; adepts learn arithmetic, biology, botany and medicine, they also acquire general knowledge about the world. The closing ceremony of the novitiate, connected with admission into Melitele's priesthood, is organised on each Birke day. Young priestesses receive new robes and tasks from the abbess; usually it is taking care of the rural community or service in one of temples. Many of them travel around the world as midwives or healers specialized in illnesses of women and children, as wandering druidess, teachers and governesses.