The stuff below represents my most current thinking about what the
Cedonian Church's theology is like. A caveat at the beginning: this is
how Cedonians see their religious world. The relationships that they
see may or may not exist, and if they do exist, may not be quite like
the way the Cedonians interpret them.
The poem probably sounds better in the orginal Cedonian. ;)
Andrew Janssen
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
First the Creator moved within the Void.
Time began to move, and with it,
The dance of Order with Chaos.
Inside the circle of the dance,
Wind blows over the waters,
Water lies on the face of the earth,
Earth surrounds the sacred flame,
The flame of the sun drives forth the wind.
And through it all, Life and Death
Circle entwined with Magic,
Which binds all things to each other
And to the Creator, who sets the beat of Creation.
Fragments or reflections, none can tell,
And which is the Dream, and which the Dreamer?
--Archprelate Hyrax I, 34AE.
The Creator
-----------
The Ultimate Source of all things. The Creator of the Dreaming and
Celandra. It is beyond human comprehension. All other Beings of the
Dreaming, with a few significant exceptions, are fragments or
reflections of some aspect of the Creator. Only the Creator has
Authority over Time.
Order and Chaos
---------------
The Prime Forces. Their interaction with each other and Time ultimately
creates all else. In Cedonian theology, Order and Chaos give rise to the
seven Elder Gods: the Lady of the Winds, the Lord of the Seas, the Lady
of Stone, the Lord of Flame, Coron, Kaskasoevin, and Miracradsa. Order
is associated strongly with Celandra, the Unyielding Land; Chaos is
strongly associated with the Dreaming.
The Lady of the Winds
---------------------
The Lady of the Winds is the Elder Goddess of Air. All other Beings of
the Dreaming who have Authority over air and wind ultimately draw it
from her. She is associated with the second month of the year and the
season of Winter. On Celandra, her worship is largely limited to sailors
and to diviners. Temples to the Lady of the Winds are often co-located
with temples to the Lord of the Seas, but one may find them on high
mountain peaks as well. Wind temples always have windchimes and Aeolian
harps, the voice of the goddess. Wind-priests claim that if one learns
to listen properly, one can hear any conversation on the surface of
Celandra. The Lady of the Winds is difficult for humans to deal with,
for she is flighty and mercurial, and her concerns are not those of
mortals. She is the mother of four Younger Gods: Cedon, Demerhaze,
Lucia, and Marmdal.
The Lord of the Seas
--------------------
The Lord of the Seas is the Elder God of Water. All other Beings of the
Dreaming who have Authority over water ultimately draw it from him. He
is associated with the fifth month of the year which is the time of
planting, and the season of Spring. On Celandra, his worship is largely
limited to sailors, fishermen, and those who live near sea-coasts. He
does not receive as much worship in the MidSea nations as he does in
those countries that lie on the outer seas, for the MidSea is relatively
tame. His temples are always built on the shore of the sea, often into
cliff-sides, and are often accompanied by a temple to the Lady of the
Winds. Sea-temples always have great bronze bells in high towers, with a
clever system that sets the bells to ring at the turn of the tide. All
ships carry a bronze bell consecrated to the Lord of the Seas;
Sea-priests say that a ship's soul is in its bell. The Lord of the Seas
is easier to deal with than some of the other Elder Gods, but contacting
him is difficult, for his thoughts are slow, moving with the rhythms of
the tides and waves. When roused to anger, his wrath is terrible to
behold. He is the father of four Younger Gods: Arlova, Arrumantha,
Cedon, and Marmdal.
The Lady of Stone
-----------------
The Lady of Stone is the Elder God of Earth. All other Beings of the
Dreaming who have Authority over earth and stone ultimately draw it from
her. She is associated with the eighth month of the year which is the
time of preparation for harvest, and the season of Summer. She is the
most difficult of the Elder Gods for humans to communicate with, and is
the least-worshipped upon Celandra. Her thoughts move in geologic time,
and only with great effort can she speed her thoughts up to a near-human
timescale. It is said that an Earth-priest can, with time, learn to
sense the landing of a fly upon the earth a mile away by the vibrations
in the ground. Earth-priests tend to live much, much longer than normal,
but they also move more slowly. The Lady of Stone is mother to four
Younger Gods: Arlova, Arrumantha, Mithrak, and Torronir.
The Lord of Flames
------------------
The Lord of Flames is the Elder God of Fire. All other Beings of the
Dreaming who have Authority over fire and flame ultimately draw it from
him. He is associated with the eleventh month of the year and the season
of Autumn. As a force both essential for civilization and destructive of
it, he is an ambivalent figure. Fire-priests are at best tolerated, and
at worst are persecuted. Despite the actions of his worshippers, the
Lord of Flames, like all the Elder Gods, is neither inherently good nor
inherently evil, he simply *is*. Temples to the Lord of Flames always
have a fire continuously burning in a brazier upon an altar.
Fire-priests have some measure of control over fire, and some are able
to stare into one flame, and see out of another. The Lord of Flame is
the father of four Younger Gods: Demerhaze, Lucia, Mithrak, and Torronir.
Coron
-----
Coron is the Elder God of Birth, Death, and Transition. He is associated
with the Solstices and Equinoxes. He places the soul in the body at
birth, and collects it at death. His symbol is the diamond. He judges
the soul after death and decides its fate: incorporation into his Great
Work, reincarnation for improvement of the soul, or banishment into the
Halls of Nightmare. Coron is the implacable foe of necromancers and
those who would steal life from others to extend their own. His priests
wear robes of white, grey, or black, depending upon their role in the
order. Whites deal with the dead-in-life: those with incurable,
ultimately fatal diseases. Greys attend at births and deaths,
coming-of-age ceremonies, and coronations. Blacks prepare and bury the
dead, determine cause of death when necessary, and protect the rest of
the dead. Coron's worship is ubiquitous in Cedonia and former imperial
possessions.
Kaskasoevin
-----------
Kaskasoevin is the Elder God of Life and Pleasure. He is associated with
the Equinoxes and the Summer Solstice, and with the Leap Day. He has
many symbols, depending on his aspect, but the most common is the full
wine goblet. Kaskasoevin is best summed up by the phrase, joie de vivre,
"joy of life". He symbolizes all the good things in life: food, drink,
sex, love, music, dance, sport, games, gambling, and drugs. However,
while his priests indulge in all these things, they do not do so to
excess: the drunkard, glutton, pervert, and compulsive gambler have no
place. Kaskasoevin's priests expound the doctrine that when doing
something pleasureable, one should do so whole-heartedly, savouring the
moment: having fun is as worthy of one's full attention as doing
work--and at best, work itself should be fun. While usually referred to
as 'he', Kaskasoevin can be portrayed as male, female, or hermaphrodite.
Priests of Kaskasoevin wear rainbow-colored robes of the finest silks
and cloth-of-gold, decorated with gems.
Miracradsa
----------
Miracradsa is the Elder Goddess of Magic. She is honored and respected
in Cedonia, but is not worshipped. Miracradsa is too strongly associated
with the people of Mir for her to be worshipped in Cedonia, and the same
is true for much of the MidSea region. Still, in Cedonian theology, she
is considered to be a sibling of the other Elder Gods.
The Children of Flame and Wind
------------------------------
Demehaze and Lucia are the daughters of the Lord of Flame and the Lady
of the Winds.
Demerhaze is the Goddess of Night, the Moons, and Vengeance, and is also
called the Protector of Women and Children. She is associated with the
twelfth and last month of the year, when the days are waning in length
and the nights are longest. She is symbolized by the crescent moons. Her
worship often has primitive aspects, and she is not popular with most
Cedonians. However, her worship persists, even in the cities.
Demerhazite priestesses wear black robes and wimples, with silver trim.
Lucia is the Goddess of Light, the Sun, and Justice, and is also called
the Guardian of the Mind. She is associated with the first month of the
year, when the days begin to wax in length and night retreats. Her
symbol is the sun. Lucia is a very popular goddess in Cedonia. Lucian
priests are deeply involved in education and the administration of
justice. Any prisoner charged with a felony in a Cedonian Court has the
right to demand that he be questioned by a Truthsayer of Lucia, but he
cannot be compelled to do so. The oath taken by witnesses in a court
case is administered by a Lucian cleric. The Order of Lucia funds
schools around the MidSea, and also operates lunatic asylums. Lucian
clerics wear robes of white and gold, and Truthsayers bind their eyes
with strips of undyed linen.
The Children of Wind and Water
------------------------------
Marmdal and Cedon are the sons of the Lady of the Winds and the Lord of
the Seas.
King Marmdal is the God of Storms and Lord of Horses. He is associated
with the third month of the year, when storms become more frequent. His
symbol is a horse charging out of a thunderhead. In Cedonia proper, he
is only regularly worshipped by those who take their living from the
sea. In Burcancy, however, he is the primary god, and in Selaria he is
worshipped as the Lord of Horses. Marmdal's priests wear robes of
slate-blue and storm-grey, shot with threads of silver and gold.
Cedon is the God of Rivers, Roads, and Merchants, and the Patron of
Cedonia. He is associated with the fourth month of the year, when the
rivers rise. His symbols are a bridge over a river, and a golden coin.
Cedon is third in importance in Cedonia, after Coron and Lucia. His
priests are intimately involved in banking, roadbuilding, and the
regulation of trade. They often serve as notaries for contracts. Priests
of Cedon wear robes of brown, blue, or gold, depending upon their role
in the Order.
The Children of Water and Earth
-------------------------------
Arrumantha and Arlova are the daughters of the Lord of the Seas and the
Lady of Stone.
Arrumantha is the Goddess of Agriculture. She is associated with the
sixth month of the year, the time of early growth. Her symbol is a sheaf
of wheat. Her worshippers are mainly in the rural regions of Cedonia.
Arrumantha is sometimes portrayed as a god, Arrumanthus, in other
regions of the MidSea, but in Cedonia, she is always depicted as female.
Priests of Arrumantha bless crops and livestock.They wear robes of green
and brown during spring and summer; robes of red, brown, and gold in
autumn; and robes of black, brown, and white in winter. Arrumanthan
priests go barefoot in spring, summer, and autumn, and wear only sandals
in winter.
Arlova is the Goddess of Health and Healing. She is associated with the
seventh month of the year, the time of late growth. Her symbol is the
mortar and pestle. She is worshipped by doctors, dentists, apothecaries,
midwives, and surgeons. Most Cedonian hospitals are run by the Order of
Arlova. Arlovan clerics wear robes of white trimmed with red.
The Children of Earth and Flame
-------------------------------
Torronir and Mithrak are the sons of the Lady of Stone and the Lord of
Flames.
Torronir is the God of Smiths and Craftsmen. He is associated with the
ninth month of the year, the time of harvest. His symbol is the hammer
and anvil. He is worshipped throughout Cedonia, but of late is becoming
more popular in the cities as manufactories begin to appear. His priests
bless tools and workshops, improving quality and preventing accidents.
Priests of Torronir wear robes of white or tan linen, styled like a
workman's clothes, with a leather half-apron.
Mithrak is the God of War. He is associated with the tenth month of the
year, the end of harvest and the time of slaughtering livestock. His
symbol is the spear and shield. Mithrak is worshipped by soldiers, naval
sailors, generals, weapon- and armor-smiths, and battlefield surgeons.
His priests bless armies, weapons, and warships, and can cure
battle-wounds and diseases of the camp. Priests of Mithrak wear a white
woolen tunic and leggings beneath either red-dyed leather armor, or
red-enameled steel armor, depending on whether the priest is on the
battlefield or nor. All Mithrakite priests wear army boots.
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