![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridlore"Eminence, understand that the elves do not build temples, or have a written set of holy texts. Indeed, they can hardly be said to have a church of any kind."
"Nonsense! I have met elves who channel the divine as well as any priest of the Holy Church and can discuss theological concepts with as much cunning as any instructor at the greatest monastery. Now you tell me they do not worship the Gods?
"No, Eminence; just that they worship in a way very different from our own."
Given how closely the dwarfs adhere to the Building Father, one might expect the elves to be equally dedicated to Neamhord, the Growing Mother. In practice most elves consider the Gods to remote, powerful and capricious to deal with. Neamhord especially is considered a dangerous deity to appeal to for help for the elves understand that the Bringer of Joy is also the Lady of Pain. In general, elves tend to spend more effort venerating the powers found in nature the are expressions of the gods' collective powers. Druids form the bulk of the elvish clerical corps. There are some small orders of more formal clerics; these are mostly found in areas where there is a heavy "civilized" influence. Such orders are loosely organized around one of Neamhord's many aspects, and tend to be very temporary affairs, with orders breaking up and reforming on an unpredictable timescale.
Worship is equally informal. Elves tend to consider a personal relationship with the divine powers sufficient for most daily affairs. They don't see the point of large church services or organized clergy (to be honest, most elves don't see the point of large organized anything) and if they need spiritual advice or aid, they will seek out a druid or cleric on their own. Services, when held, tend to be at specific holy sites, such as an ancient oak or a spring with magical properties. In interface settlements where elves and humans mix, one might find elvish temples. Such temples are usually open to the sky and contain as many living things as can be maintained. The transient clerical orders will meet in whatever space will accommodate them.
Like humans, Elves mark the changing of the seasons with large festivals. These aren't dedicated to specific deities, but instead are marked by community gatherings and feasting. In the Elvish British Isles, the festivals are traditional time for leaders of the various elf tribes to gather and negotiate ranges, weddings, and mediate disputes between the tribes. These meetings are known as Comhairlí Aithreacha and are the only time when peaceful meetings between elf tribes can be assumed to remain peaceful.Lár-samhradh, the mid-summer festival, is when the the clans elect their Thar-Phríomh or King.
Religious symbols are simple. Elves tend to use circular themes for their holy symbols. A common theme is a snake eating his own tail, and labyrinths. Elaborate knot work designs are used in many places. For Athair na Dlíthe the God of Law, the elves use the image of an ancient, massive tree with deep roots. Dea-shaol, the Child of Life and Good, is either depicted as the Sun or as an androgynous elvish child. Elves depart from the other intelligent, civilized races in their frank inclusion of the Devourer in their faith, Lobhadh is shown as either a ravenous black wolf or a dying, withered tree. Those who have survived encounters with the fell Drow report that those evil elves use a black sword wreathed in white flame for the Unspeakable God.
Elves also hold a very different view of death and the afterlife. Elves believe that a soul cannot be complete until it has lived many lives, both as an animal and an intelligent being. Elves consider all life to be sacred, and will not kill an animal without first offering prayers for its soul. Elves tend toward vegetarian diets for this reason, and consider keeping domestic animals with everything from amusement to sheer horror. Elvish religion sees the abominations twisted by Lobhadh as mockeries of the cycle of life, and can be freely slaughtered. Likewise, killing in self-defense is perfectly allowable.
Yes, I've switched the elves from Esperanto to Irish. As always, let me know what you think, Suggestions always welcomed.
"Nonsense! I have met elves who channel the divine as well as any priest of the Holy Church and can discuss theological concepts with as much cunning as any instructor at the greatest monastery. Now you tell me they do not worship the Gods?
"No, Eminence; just that they worship in a way very different from our own."
Given how closely the dwarfs adhere to the Building Father, one might expect the elves to be equally dedicated to Neamhord, the Growing Mother. In practice most elves consider the Gods to remote, powerful and capricious to deal with. Neamhord especially is considered a dangerous deity to appeal to for help for the elves understand that the Bringer of Joy is also the Lady of Pain. In general, elves tend to spend more effort venerating the powers found in nature the are expressions of the gods' collective powers. Druids form the bulk of the elvish clerical corps. There are some small orders of more formal clerics; these are mostly found in areas where there is a heavy "civilized" influence. Such orders are loosely organized around one of Neamhord's many aspects, and tend to be very temporary affairs, with orders breaking up and reforming on an unpredictable timescale.
Worship is equally informal. Elves tend to consider a personal relationship with the divine powers sufficient for most daily affairs. They don't see the point of large church services or organized clergy (to be honest, most elves don't see the point of large organized anything) and if they need spiritual advice or aid, they will seek out a druid or cleric on their own. Services, when held, tend to be at specific holy sites, such as an ancient oak or a spring with magical properties. In interface settlements where elves and humans mix, one might find elvish temples. Such temples are usually open to the sky and contain as many living things as can be maintained. The transient clerical orders will meet in whatever space will accommodate them.
Like humans, Elves mark the changing of the seasons with large festivals. These aren't dedicated to specific deities, but instead are marked by community gatherings and feasting. In the Elvish British Isles, the festivals are traditional time for leaders of the various elf tribes to gather and negotiate ranges, weddings, and mediate disputes between the tribes. These meetings are known as Comhairlí Aithreacha and are the only time when peaceful meetings between elf tribes can be assumed to remain peaceful.Lár-samhradh, the mid-summer festival, is when the the clans elect their Thar-Phríomh or King.
Religious symbols are simple. Elves tend to use circular themes for their holy symbols. A common theme is a snake eating his own tail, and labyrinths. Elaborate knot work designs are used in many places. For Athair na Dlíthe the God of Law, the elves use the image of an ancient, massive tree with deep roots. Dea-shaol, the Child of Life and Good, is either depicted as the Sun or as an androgynous elvish child. Elves depart from the other intelligent, civilized races in their frank inclusion of the Devourer in their faith, Lobhadh is shown as either a ravenous black wolf or a dying, withered tree. Those who have survived encounters with the fell Drow report that those evil elves use a black sword wreathed in white flame for the Unspeakable God.
Elves also hold a very different view of death and the afterlife. Elves believe that a soul cannot be complete until it has lived many lives, both as an animal and an intelligent being. Elves consider all life to be sacred, and will not kill an animal without first offering prayers for its soul. Elves tend toward vegetarian diets for this reason, and consider keeping domestic animals with everything from amusement to sheer horror. Elvish religion sees the abominations twisted by Lobhadh as mockeries of the cycle of life, and can be freely slaughtered. Likewise, killing in self-defense is perfectly allowable.
Yes, I've switched the elves from Esperanto to Irish. As always, let me know what you think, Suggestions always welcomed.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 12 Apr 2011 22:01 (UTC)Overall, I like it.
no subject
Date: 13 Apr 2011 01:44 (UTC)no subject
Date: 13 Apr 2011 10:42 (UTC)The elves in my own fantasy world, I haven't worked on their religion(s) yet, but while they tend to prefer eating plants, they do eat meat, usually hunting it on their own with bow and arrow (or in higher-tech areas of Orion, sun-guns, which are basically laser weapons powered by magic). They apologize to prey they've killed, and honor its spirit. They usually put the skulls on altars, as a way of honoring the animal's spirit. They generally have a "circle of life" philosophy.
The Fae, on the other hand, are their own Gods, and do as they please. My main fantasy storyverse has a race called Vecerti, which are also called Gods (because they are; they're not as powerful as Q in Star Trek, but they come close), but the Fae regard the Vecerti with anything from amusement to contempt. Fae tend to be capricious or sometimes malevolent, but some are mostly benevolent.
Elves, in my main fantasy storyverse, are basically like super-fit humans with exceptional senses; all Elves can do magic, whereas only about 15 or 20 percent of humans are mages. They can heal more quickly than humans, but not a great deal faster unless someone uses healing magic on them. The Fae, on the other hand, are *made* mostly of magic. They're extremely hard to kill, even when taken by surprise, and they can heal right before your eyes. A typical Elf's level of magic is equivalent to a slow stream of water from a faucet. A typical Fae's magic is equivalent to Niagara Falls.
no subject
Date: 13 Apr 2011 10:45 (UTC)