Gilohii

The Gilohii are the priestesses of the temples to the four-faced Goddess in the town of Meza. These goddesses are both individuals in their own right and different aspects of the same goddess i.e. The patroness of the town. At each of the four directions around the central-pillar, is a temple dedicated to one of the Goddesses. Muut: Lady of the herds in the north. Maht: in the west with her son Yoniga and daughter Yoniwya personifying sun and moon. Mar: patroness of water and her two sons the Thunders in the south. Mir: Keeper of the birds and flying creatures in the east. The temples are keepers of the calendar and the performers of public ritual. The Priestesses teach the sacred stories, tend the sick, and mark important life events. A priestess is present to usher you out of this world, and to welcome you back into it. They bless the raising of roof-poles and gather in the first sheaf at harvest. The Goddesses have no dedicated consorts and no mythic or metaphorical fetters on their sexuality. This is in keeping with the responsibility accorded to women in the Moat to produce viable offspring by any means available. The Priestesses managed five annual feasts, three of which are proceeded by fasting of the general population. Sun-return includes a two day fast, that culminates in a foot race around the foot of mountain sanctuary encircled by the Moat. Festival of the Thunders is celebrated just before spring planting begins, and emphasizes ritual cleansing. The Cob festival celebrating mid summer harvest is proceeded by one day of fasting and followed with fourl days of public sport including, Busk a type of football. The harvest of apples for cider is dedicated to romantic trysts. and the first Full Moon after autumn equinox is a time to assume new contracts and apprenticeships. A stand out is the Courting of the Lady, which takes place every seven years when the solar calendar includes 13 full moons. During that festival the handsomest son of the 16 primary families is selected to court the Goddess, usually but not always Muut. Starting with the feast of Thunders, the selected young man announces his intentions at the Goddess's Temple. He makes himself into a bit of a public nuisance demonstrating his athletic prowess, and appearing publically intoxicated on numerous occasions. These violations of custom are meant to demonstrate to would-be suitors, how to not pursue love. Meanwhile, young folk are encouraged to seduce the young man. It being a mercy to distract an innocent from a foolish and self destructive course. Babies fathered by the young man are considered favored by the Goddess. In the 13th Moon the young man parades through the town singing and dancing before throwing himself off the parapet of High-town to land on the temple steps below.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion