When Comes the Dawn: Worldbuilding #5
“And so did she create, with her very hands, the earth below, the skies above, and the oceans deep. Mother of worlds, of man and beasts. Hail to you, oh bringer of life.” --the Aelied
The Raian Pantheon: Meidther
The Goddess of Creation, Life, Fertility, and Motherhood, Meidther is the first of the Trinity and the most widely worshipped of the three. She is said to have been born from the explosion of the First Star, signifying Chaos at the start of Creation.
In many statues and paintings, Meidther is depicted as ‘golden.’ Artist usually interprets this as gold hair, gold eyes, and plenty of golden or yellow motifs surrounding her. There’s much discourse over the color of her skin, with those of the north preferring more paler tones, and the south depicting her with olive/tan skin. Though there are a few outliers have actually taken the meaning of ‘golden’ literally.’
(Centuries later, mythologians theorized the enduring feature of ‘gold’ in a fertility/creation goddess was due to the color’s association with the sun--the nearest star to earth and an important factor of life on the planet; and wheat fields--the main staple food of ancient Raians.)
“Oh, how the universe rejoiced! Out from the cradle in an explosion of bright light, came the First Star Child. Her hair shimmered like starlight, her eyes the color of Vi’s burnished gold. Born of Chaos, she is the catalyst of the new world. See how the universe loves her so that they imbued her very hands the ability to create anew.
She is Meidther, mother, the goddess of life.”
--The Aelied
According to legends, Meidther is the one most likely to interact with humans, often taking the guise of a young woman or an old mother. She is characterized as helpful, motherly, but fierce in her anger.
She has no temple of her own, for that would imply worshipping her separately to her siblings, though Meidther does have numerous festivals made in her honor. The Planting Festival and the Harvest Festival are two of the biggest ones as it ties in the most with the farming season. Prayers and offerings are also made to her to aid in conception, a healthy pregnancy, and the successful birth of a child.
“Hail to you, great Mother, and look upon us with mercy
Bless our fields with fertile harvest
And our animals with good health
Sow your magic into the earth
And let the soil sprout anew.”
— An old prayer for good harvest
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