Guild Wars Lore: The Spirits of The Wild
“I pray to the Spirits of The Wild, but they rarely answer”
Surprise lore post! Gonna try and get back on schedule though! Today we are going over the faith of the Norn, the Spirits of The Wild!
The Spirits of The Wild are a collection of animals spirits that the Norn look up to and revere. Each spirit is revered as the animal itself, with all the virtues and even vices that each embodies. This varies from the human gods, with each representing a broad ideal, such as Balthazar and war, the Spirits of the Wild are more focused in their influence. The Spirits can also be seen as a balance to the sometimes overconfident Norn, keeping them in check, and teaching them to not despoil the land. According to Norn, the Spirits have always been with the Norn, and will always try to aid them, even if it isn’t directly. Likewise, if a Norn receives no answer when calling on a Spirit for help and guidance, it is not see as being ignored, but rather that the Norn requires no help in their situation, another lesson for the Norn, rather than a slight.
The Norn will normally choose a Spirit to revere over the others, finding a Spirit that most aligns with their choice in how to build their legend. While the Norn may choose to pick a main Spirit to guide them, they won’t completely ignore the others, rather they will still call upon their guidance in specific situations. Another way for Norn to become closer to their Spirits is through shifting into a were-form of the spirits. In Guild Wars: Eye of The North, this was only shown as them shifting into a bear form, called ‘Becoming the Bear’, but in Guild Wars 2 this ability has now expanded to the 4 main Spirits for the Norn, Bear, Raven, Wolf, and Snow Leopard. When Norn shift they become closer to the spirit, it is said that in these forms the Norn are able to understand the power of the wild.
Many of the Spirits have Shamans that dedicate their lives to the reverence of a specific Spirit, feeling this is their calling. These shamans usually maintain shrines out in the wilderness and care for the animals that they revere around the shrine. An specific type of shaman, one who is able to actually meet with their Spirit is called a havroun. Only one havroun for each spirit can hold the title at one time. The havroun is responsible for actually caring for the Spirit they are tied to, in both the physical world, and beyond into The Mists. They actually have the ability to “Spirit Walk”, which takes them directly into the Mists with no need of a portal, or ritual. In the Mists, the havroun is able to directly commune and speak with their patron Spirit, giving the other Norn a direct insight into the specific Spirit’s advice and motivations. While the Spirits may have a havroun, it is not required, and as such, some Spirits do not have a havroun to commune with.
While there are many Spirits of The Wild, four are revered above all the others, those are Bear, Raven, Wolf, and Snow Leopard. These spirits hold a high place with Norn, and were responsible for helping the Norn find their home in what is now Hoelbrak. When the Elder Dragon Jormag first arose in 1165 AE (After Exodus) the Norn met this foe as they have any other, by treating it as yet another challenge to be overcome and a chance to become legend, each Norn trying to slay it and secure their place in immortality. This strategy was doomed to fail, and the Norn stood ready to fight Jormag to their own extinction, but like all the times before, the Spirits were there to guide them. The Spirits convinced the Norn to flee and fight another day, knowing that this was a fight the Norn could not win now. Bear, Raven, Wolf, and Snow Leopard led the Norn away and further south, out of the Far Shiverpeaks, and eventually to what is now, Hoelbrak. To help them escape, four other lesser Spirits of The Wild, Ox, Owl, Eagle, and Wolverine, stayed and fought directly with Jormag. Once the Norn had escaped, Owl’s havroun attempted to contact the Spirit in the Mists. When they entered the Mists however, they found nothing, confirming that Owl had been consumed by Jormag. The other three Spirits did not, and still don’t, have havrouns’, so their fate is unknown, but they have not been heard from since the Norn fled their homeland.
Now that the basics of how the Spirits fit into Norn culture, now for a look at the individual Spirits and what they stand for, starting with the four most revered ones.
Bear
“Bear approves of you. I can feel her little tail wagging in my heart.”- Bear Shaman Marga
Bear is the most prominent of all the Spirits, including among the four that helped the Norn flee Jormag. Bear is sometimes called the Great Spirit and is said to be the most powerful of all Spirits of The Wild. Bear is said to represent fortitude and self-reliance.
Raven
“ Raven’s beak! Don’t tell me you’ve got no sense. Put the blade in all the way, THEN twist.”- Eastern Watchpost local
Raven to the Norn represents wisdom, cunning, trickery, and knowledge. This Spirit is also mostly linked to the Underworld and spirits of the dead. Norn turn to Raven when they seek knowledge, and when they decide brute force may not be the best way to solve a problem.
Wolf
“Even Wolf can know fear. There’s no shame in being afraid, only in letting it freeze you.”- Shaman Fierena
Wolf for the Norn represents the virtues of loyalty, ferocity, and strength in numbers and is often invoked for help in tracking prey for the Norn. For the Norn and their usual way of going it alone and seeking personal glory, Wolf is seen as a good counter and balance for their lives. Wolf helps the Norn to remember that while strong on their own, they would be wise to remember their strength when together.
Snow Leopard
“…Snow Leopard cloaks the sound of your steps, and she guides your blade.”- Snow Leopard Shaman
Snow Leopard is seen as independent and solitary, preferring to use strategy and stealth to take out her foes, laughing in the face of danger. She is mostly revered by thieves and others who prefer subtly over a big show.
There are several other ‘lesser Spirits of The Wild, but for many, the Norn have not talked much about what they represent, or they have simply been forgotten.
Owl
Owl is one of the 4 lesser Spirits of The Wild that stayed behind to fight Jormag to help give the Norn time to escape. It is remembered and still revered even, with much sadness, as the Havroun of Owl was able to confirm that Owl was consumed and killed by Jormag. It is said that while Spirits have gone missing before, only to return later, Owl is truly dead, and cannot come back. Owl represents family and hearth, giving teachings of taking care of one’s children as well as being a keen hunter.
Ox (or Dolyak)
Ox was one of the 4 lesser spirits to fight Jormag to help give the Norn time to flee. Ox is known for representing strength and perseverance for the Norn. The fate of Ox after its fight with Jormag is unknown, as there has been no Havroun to directly try and contact the Spirit in The Mists. The reverence of Ox seems to have dropped steeply with Kern, father of Warmaster Forgal of The Vigil, being the last of the Dolyak Spirit Shamans.
Wolverine
Other than being one of the 4 spirits to face Jormag to protect the Norn, nothing else is currently known about this Spirit.
Eagle
While it is named as one of the 4 spirits that fought Jormag to help protect the Norn, it is curiously absent from Lost Spirits’ Hallow in Hoelbrak, this discrepancy has not been explained.
Minotaur
Minotaur was a spirit not seen in generations, but recently made itself known after the Sons of Svanir started hunting down minotaurs to enrage it. Minotaur is said to represent untamed strength and savage cunning.
Griffon
The only thing known about Griffon is rumors of it being a ‘festive’ spirit. The Spirit is sometimes called upon when the Norn hunt a griffon seen as a worthy hunt however.
Otter
Said to be a fickle spirit that will rarely answer prayers, but if she does decide to lend her power, it is said to be a powerful gift.
Hare
While she does have a few shrines, and shaman, many Norn actually question whether or not Hare exists as a Spirit of The Wild.
Two other Spirits have almost no information on them, and that is Wurm and Gorilla. No information on what these two represent can be found, and the only evidence that Gorilla is considered by anyone to even be a Spirit of The Wild is from an Ascended accessory, Totem of the Gorilla.
While on the subject of Spirits of The Wild, The Sons of Svanir and their worship of Dragon should be noted. Not actually Spirit of the Wild, but nonetheless, it is revered just the same by the men in this Cult. They are named after Svanir, who was corrupted and turned into the monster known as the Nornbear after hearing whispers of power from Jormag’s champion Drakkar as it slept under a frozen lake. Some Norn saw Svanir’s transformation, and the power exuded by Jormag itself when it arose, as a gift they could receive, and as such started to revere it as Dragon. They believe Dragon to be the strongest of all The Spirits of The Wild, and will kill anyone to prove their worth to Dragon, in hopes that they will gain power. The cult itself is a very chauvinistic male centered religious cult, as such, while women can be corrupted and reanimated as Icebrood by Jormag, the men of the cult will kill them before they can, believing they are unworthy of Jormag’s ‘Gift’.
The Spirits of The Wild for the Norn are not exactly prayed to, but rather, seen as examples by the Norn on how to live their lives. The Norn seek guidance in times of need, and whether or not they receive an answer, insight is gained. Balancing out the Norn and their brash nature, the Spirits are a big part of what make the Norn the heroes they are today. Strong in the face of adversity, but smart and cunning enough to know when to retreat to help plan the next move The Spirits saved the Norn from assured extinction in the maw of the Elder Dragon Jormag. Now the Norn seek a way to reclaim their homelands, and rest assured, the sacrifices made by the other Spirits to save their race will not be forgotten.
Ok guys hope you enjoyed this one! I am gonna REALLY try and go back to posting once a week (Sunday nights) but since I missed last week, here is one post, and hopefully tomorrow I will have another one up as well! And as always feel free to drop us a message on any topics you would like to see lore posts cover in the future!
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