The Selkie are Pagans, following a religion formally known as Selkie-Paganism by religious scientists,
The other two major religions in the Free Lands are Judaism, practiced by the Selkie-Jews, and the Paganism, practiced by the Spiorad Ainmhithe.
One of the most important works and collection of primary sources on Selkie-Mythology is the Dréachthar.
Deities and Genealogy
Despite some other people's words, Selkie are pious people, taking their own Gods and the Gods of others very serious and rising to the defense of those, who's Gods were insulted. It is seen as very indecent and rude to insult another person's Gods or faith.
The Six-Pantheon
The Pantheon of the Selkie knows six main Gods and Goddesses:
- Rhiannon, Goddess of Horses and Fertility, with the Principal Temple in Fortham, heraldic animal being the horse.
- Carman Fea, Goddess of War and Science, with the Principal Temple in Ironcastle, heraldic animal being the Red-White Eagle.
- Abhcan, Goddess of Dance and Music, with the Principal Temple in Wembury, heraldic animal being the Little Black Fox.
- Gavida, God of Arts and Crafts, with the Principal Temple in Leuda, heraldic animal being the Tine.
- Lodan Lir, God of the Sea and the Rivers, with the Principal Temple in Cuan, heraldic animal being the Blue Mudskipper.
- Ladra, God of Helmsmen and Boatmen, with the Principal Temple in Silverport, heraldic animal being the Sea Weasel.
The SDF-Navy names their frigates, previously their light cruisers, after the six highest gods and goddesses, currently being the six frigates of the Rhiannon-II-class. These names have a long tradition in seafaring amongst the Selkie.
List of the most important Gods and Goddesses
- Suntach Mathar and Suntach Athar, The Great Mother and the Great Father, the primordial deities responsible for creating the world. They are ancestors to all of the Gods.
- Cailb, Goddess of Death, Destruction, Rebirth and Pudding: Came forth from the Great Father.
- Badb, God of War: Came forth from the Great Father. He is, with Talthiu, Father of Carman Fea.
- Searc and Cion: Goddess and God of Love, came forth directly from the Great Mother.
- Scahach de Mag Mell: Psychopomp and daughter of Searc and Cion. She commands the Last Host and is ruler of the Mag Mell until she isn't.
- Nacinnór, the Great Ones: Direct Descendants of the Great Mother and the Great Father and represent the Moon, the Sun, the Stars and other celestial bodies.
- Annann de Nacinnór, the Earth and Mother Goddess is one of the Great Ones, although of the Second Generation.
- Tuicreo, God of Storms, Suigne, God of Grasslands, Manhann, Water God, Achall, Mountain Goddess, Nuadhain, God of Wild Animals, Drungha, Forest Goddess, and Talthiu, Goddess of Beauty, are all children of Annann de Nacinnór.
- Suigne and Searc brought forth Rhiannon.
- Scahach de Mag Mell and Tuicreo brought forth Lodan Lir.
- Manhann and Drungha brought forth Ladra and Gavida.
- Nuadhain and Drungha brought forth Abhcan.
- Talthiu and Badb brought forth Carman Fea.
- Talthiu and Nuadhain brought forth Dian Cecht.
- Achall and Tuicreo brought forth Tigernmas.
- Manhann and Rhiannon brought forth Bebhion.
- Tuicreo and Rhiannon brought forth various monsters.
- Rhiannon and Ladra brought forth the Weather Gods.
- Lodan Lir and Bebhion brought forth the River Spirits, the Síbeani.
- Gavida and Rhiannon brought forth the Coillteoiri.
- Dian Cecht and Carman Fea brought forth the Spirits of War, Revenge, Conquest and Flowers (Bebhion is not one of those).
- Tuicreo, God of Storms, Suigne, God of Grasslands, Manhann, Water God, Achall, Mountain Goddess, Nuadhain, God of Wild Animals, Drungha, Forest Goddess, and Talthiu, Goddess of Beauty, are all children of Annann de Nacinnór.
Groups of Minor Deities
- Coillteoiri, children of Gavida and Rhiannon, associated with forestry and woodworking.
- Luchta, God of Carpenters.
- Weather Gods: Children of Rhiannon and Ladra.
- Cailleach, one of the Weather Goddesses, specifically Goddess of Winter.
- Borvo, one of the Weather Gods, specifically God of Spring.
- Amaethon, one of the Weather Gods, specifically God of Summer.
- Taranis, one of the Weather Gods, specifically God of Autumn.
- Nacinnór:
- Áine, a Sun-Goddess.
- Grainne, Goddess of Ancestry.
- Aeval, a Guardian Spirit and Goddess.
- Spirits of War, Revenge and Conquest:
- Áillen the Burner, God of Fire and Harp-Playing, lives in Mag Mell.
- Various Monsters: Usually children of Tuicreo and Rhiannon:
- Munanna, a Bird-Goddess.
- River Spirits:
- Alisounos, a local vulpine mountain Deity of the Silver Mountains.
Places of Worship
Places
- sort of rank structure
- ranks:
- Sacred Grove/Ground/Well/Marsh/Hill/Forest/Spring
- Sacraficial Grounds
- Standing Stones and Cairns
- Shrine
- includes, technically, house shrines
- Sanctuary
- Temple
- Enclosures
- Grand Temple
- (Great) Temple Hall
- Seminary Temple
- Sacred Grove/Ground/Well/Marsh/Hill/Forest/Spring
Priests, Servants and Semi-Professionals
Besides the normal, general worshippers, nearly everyone can join the ranks of the God or Goddess of their choosing, either as a layperson, as a semi-professional or as a Priest or Priestess.
There are no slaves within the Free Lands, so someone being adressed as or adressing themselves as, for example, "Servant of Abhcan" isn't to be understood as literal servitude to a person or a cult.
Rather, Servants of the Gods are laymen and laywomen, who were recognized by their respective cult as such and as a level prior to actual priests. Most Servants of the Gods live in more rural areas after being taught in the cities. There, they give spiritual and actual guidance to the population in these areas, all under the leadership of the priest in the nearest temple.
Responsible for their leadership, and advice as many Servants are rather young, are Priors, usually Priests and Adepts, who took up either other occupations or married and are now housepeople. Their role is less control or command.
Druids are hermits, living on their lonesome or with a few handpicked followers, and comtemplating. They usually work by the ways of collecting herbs for medicine and other purposes, some even produce herbal skin lotions, which they sell to merchants or at the local markets. Many Children of the Great Woods are Druids. Druids, however, are bound by oath to not produce substances, which could endanger someone applying them correctly, or to produce substances amounting to recreational drugs (the formula words it a bit differently).
Priests are the standard run-of-the-mill priests we all know and love. After being trained first as Adepts, then as Arcane Adepts for a minimum of three years, the Priests are well trained professionals, who tend to the temples in cities and to sacred groves and other places of worship on the countryside. After years and years of service, and with tending to a major temple, a Priest becomes an Arcane Priest, who has a say in matters of the Cult and is allowed to elect, or be elected, as High Priest.
High Priests are the leaders of their cults and the only ones allowed to perform Spring Sacrafices,
Current High Priests and Priestesses are:
- Fiona Ardsagart of the Tribe of Antrim, High Priestess of Ladra.
- Lilianne Preab of the Tribe of Antrim, High Priestess of Abhcan.
- Aife Cuisle of the Tribe of Wicklow, High Priestess of Lodan Lir.
- Glynn Uisinn of the Tribe of Westmeath, High Priest of Carman Fea.
- Meave Broinn of the Tribe of Fermanagh, High Priestess of Gavida.
- Coner Banaí of the Tribe of Wicklow, High Priest of Rhiannon.
- Due to ongoing sickness and old age, Coner is represented by Felicia Stuacach of the Tribe of Antrim, the Arcane Priestess of the Grand Temple of Rhiannon in Fortham, at most official functions.
Amongst the Gods not belonging to the Six-Pantheon, the High Priestess of Cailb, Morgane Macánta of the Tribe of Cork has the highest position, the Cult of Cailb having taken the mantle of representing quite a few of the smaller cults.
Envoys
An Envoy is someone, who has been shown great favour by the God they are the Envoy of and who acts as their aralcaire (Envoy, although more akin to messenger or herald).
They are, by religious rite, the messengers of one of the deities of the Selkie-Pantheon, tasked with His or Her will. Their job is to direct attention to where attention is needed and represent our God or Goddess. They also perform religious ceremonies, both normal ones and more specialized ones, and lead a life of piety and leadership. Technically, they stand even above the High Priests and High Priestesses (although usually, they leave everything in their hands). Care of Souls is also a very important part of the job. Over the last decades, this became especially important with the Diaspora-Communities. In 2017, Mona Beag of the Tribe of Louth was also invited to represent the Free Lands as part of the Cultural Delegation of the Ambassador Groups.
In the past, the Envoys have been compared to messiahs, prophets, the Pope and yet, they are none of that.
List of Famous Envoys
- Mona Beag of the Tribe of Louth, born 2004, Envoy since 2010.
The Orders
During the 3rd and 4th Centuries, more and more women took up the occupation of being a warrior - as only relatively late, with High King Áed the Hunter, these women were officially accepted by the High King as warriors, they needed to search for another one to employ them and their talents. The Cults were happy to adopt their own armed forces, which they could use to guard their treasures, their possessions and their convoys, as well as hire out to others in need of such services - the Orders were born.
The Orders, or Eagar in Selkie, a term which can also be used to describe stability, as the Orders were indeed providers of stability in several regions without stability, were the military forces and representative forces of the Cults, usually female-only, first by need, then by tradition. They were never a force of their own, but provided valuable reinforcements whenever needed to whoever the High Priests thought worthy of it.
There are:
- The Lancemaidens of Rhiannon, established in 328.
- The Swordmaidens of Carman Fea, established in 325.
- The Daggermaidens of Abhcan, established in 330.
- The Axemaidens of Gavida, established in 333.
- The Arrowmaidens of Lodan Lir, established in 325.
- The Shieldmaidens of Ladra, established in 336.
- The Shadowmaidens of Cailb, who were just there at some point.
Ceremonies
Besides the assistance with word and deed, the Priests and Servants of the Gods perform a variety of sacred rites,
Births
Weddings
- See Main Article: Selkie and Marriage.
Funerals
The Selkie prefer cremation over an earth burial. At the death of a person, a group of friends
Services
Normal, everyday services are held every day in every temple, usually early in the morning, short ceremonies during week days, longer ones on more special occassions,
Sacrafices
Selkie offer sacrafices to their Gods, either by the way of incense burning or, which is more widely used, by using the own time and money to help those less fortunate, for example poor people, or children in need of education in warzones, like the Cabhair Group does. Incense sticks are usually offered in every corner store and used in the sacred groves.
The Spring Sacrafice is the most important sacrafice of the year, a horse of good breed being offered to the Gods, as a token of gratitude for the good harvest of last year, as a 'bribe' for a good harvest that year. It is the only time in Selkie calendrical procedures, that a living being is offered. In relation to that, during a Spring Festival, the horse is offered over a bowl, the blood spilled then used by the ones coming of age that day to leave a fingerprint on a canvas, which is burned with the horse's corpse later.
Prayers
Sin and cleaning of sin
The Selkie know the concept of sin in the sense of a transgression against devine law - the most famous devine law are the Sacred Laws of Carman Fea, but there are around half a dozen codes of law based on religious tradition.
However, the Selkie are not familiar with the concept of redemption. All sins are to be punished in the Otherworld, in Arallfyd, once the sinner has died (no matter how he or she died). There, his or her soul is put on the Chlorainnau, the Scale of Souls, and the weight of the sin against the good deeds is determined. Some get away, if their balance is positive - some earn eternal punishment. Several of the monsters brought forth by Rhiannon and Tuicreo aid in the punishment.
Festivals
- See Main Article: Calender of Festivals of the Selkie.
There are two important times for Festivals, namely the beginning of Spring being celebrated as the Spring Festival and the end of the harvest season with the Harvest Festivals. Other, smaller and more local festivals are held over the whole year and with gusto, many of them including the contests of the Marcach.
History
Study of the writings of Sírlám the Scribe reveals, that in the 1st century BCE, the number of Gods in the Main Pantheon was reduced to nine. In addition to today's Six Pantheon, there was Calib, Goddess of Death, as well as Searc and Cion, the Lovers, being worshipped in a far larger and wider manner then today.
Myths and Legends
Other myths and legends can be found under Short Stories#Story Time with Mara.
Creation Myth
Mythical Places
- Arallfyd is the Other World, the mythical world, which is separated from our world. To enter Arallfyd before the own time comes requires Silver Branches (a term sometimes used to describe weapons). There are dozens of realms within Arallfyd, the most notable of which are:
- Mag Mell, the Plains of Joy, is a land on the other side of the horizon, where weary travelers can come to eternal rest. Lodan Lir rules there with his wife Bebhion, in paradise and in peace. The Máguaird River runs through the Mag Mell.
- Mag Mór, the Large Plain, is the Realm of Rhiannon, a wide plain with lush grass, clean rivers, soft breezes and eternal sunshine. Marcach of old and not-so-old times hoped to come to eternal rest there. The Halls of Heroes are here.
- Lochlann, the Land of Seas, is the mythical home of the Selkie, from where they came. When they were stranded on what today is the Free Lands, Lochlann was quickly forgotten.
- Tír Tairngiri, the Promised Land, was the land the mythical ancestors of the Selkie tried to get to before they stranded at the shores of the Free Lands. Some people think, that Tír Tairngiri were the Free Lands from the very beginning.
- Oilean na mBeo, the Land of the Living, are the Free Lands, which are (evidentally) not so mythical.
- Sídhe are hills, which connect our world with the mythical world, the Other World or Arallfyd.
Witchcraft in Selkie-Paganism
Witchcraft in Selkie-Paganism has been characterized by the magico-medicinal healing, the use of various charms, amulets and herbal preparations to cure the sick or the opposite, the use of charms, amulets and herbs to harm. Further rituals are to enhance the effects, as well as they serve in animistic practices.
There are rumours around that the 13th Mixed Air Squadron of the SDF-Army Air Combat Command is engaged in Witchcraft. The SDF usually refuses to comment on such rumours.