Tower of prayer
Blessed be the Sun, the source of all light and life. It is by the grace of the Sun that we are able to see, to grow, and to thrive. Let us praise the Sun and offer our gratitude for its eternal radiance.Towers of prayer are a familiar feature of the landscape of the cities and towns in Unhelion adorning them with their elegance and artistic beauty as well as their great height that seems as if they touch the very sky. They're not only an important part of the city's landscape but they also play an important part in the religious life of its citizens as they remember them about the moments of the day that they have to go to the temples to pray. According to the various holy books of the elven faith, and specially for the Sun Elves, they have to pray at least three times a day. The first moment is during Sunrise, the second during midday and the third and last one during sunset.
Origins
The first temples during the first and second dynasties used bells as happened with the temples of the other elven ethnicities. These were giant bells made of bronze often rung by either a priest or a designated person from the village or neighbourhood that were often located at the top of one of the pylons of the temple. Tradition says that one day in a little village west of the Wetlands due to an earthquake part of the temple collapsed and so the bell fell from the building. Due to its share size the villages weren’t able to put it on the other pylon and thus were unable to call the faithful to pray. But one of the priests of the temple came up with an idea, he climbed all the way up the pylon and began to sing the first verses from the book of radiance from there. The villagers heard his beautiful voice from the distance and began to arrive to the site of the temple almost like enchanted by the priest voice. So delighted they were to hear this melodious song that from that time onwards they demanded that the call to prayer should be done that way by that priest. This innovative way of calling the sun elves to pray didn't go unnoticed and people from the nearby regions came to see this curious tradition of that village and began copying this method until the entire country was performing this sung call. It was around the end of the 3rd dynasty that the first properly built towers of prayer began to be built. The oldest one being built at Tiruz, dated around 2190 BP, built under the reign of Araliel II. As temple architecture evolved the towers of light became an essential part of these religious complexes. A new job was also created, that of the "Singer", a layman or laywoman renowned for his or her voice and that everyday climbs on top of the power of light accompanied usually by a child bearing the Book of Radiance, and from there the Singer will began to sing the first verses of the book by memory and later (according to each specific day he would read another passage of the book hold by the child). The Singer must do it during the three mandatory times of the day that their faith stablishes. The humblest temples only have one singer, but the wealthier and most famous have more than one. Curiously there are festivals held at Ymhilean that rewards the Singer with the most beautiful voice.Structure and description
The towers of prayer are usually very tall, thin and elegant buildings, often several meters tall (the tallest are usually 20 or 30 meters tall). They usually have either a ramp or spiral stairs to climb to the balcony from which the singers call the faithful to pray. The widest of them have ramps that can be climbed on a donkey. There are a series of balconies as one climbs the tower from which the singer makes the call but usually the call to prayer is done from the upper most balcony.
Rituals associated with the use of the tower
The speaker and the child who carriers the book often wash their feet and mouth before climbing the tower. This is a way of purifying themselves and also for the Singer, washing his or her mouth symbolizes that his mouth is ready to sing the truth and the purity of the teachings of the gods. The fact that a child is always selected to carry the books is also related to purity as children are considered as the purest and innocent of beings, incapable of defying the laws set by the gods. In Ymhilean there are two traditions related to the towers of prayer across the city. The first dictates that the tower of prayer that will began the call to prayer is the tower of the temple at the Royal Palace and then the other will repeat the call. And the second tradition was a couple of centuries ago by a royal decree that orders that temples from other religions must wait until the call to prayer finishes in order to call their faithful to assists to these temples. (For example, the temples of the Blatians located at the foreign quarters cannot ring their bells before the call to prayer ends).
Type
Tower, Telecomms
I've never heard such a powerful and amazing sensation as when I visited Ymhilean. When I looked out on the balcony of the house where he was staying and hear the singers call the faithful to prayer it seemed that the entire ground was shaking like in an earthquake. In addition, it seemed as if it was heaven itself that called the faithful to pray.
Oh come on...shut up, SHUT UP!! I want to sleep, its too early, tell them to stop Why I would do that, its lovely to hear them and plus... its lunchtime already Nelli... Wait what?, do those bastards have to go to their temples to pray at lunchtime?, thank the gods we High Elves worship all the gods equally and thus we're blessed with not having such strict rules...
I love the detail that a child is usually the one to carry the book up the tower. That's a nice touch. I love this take on prayer towers. :)
Thank you!!. I hope you also like the art I'll add in the future!! <3