Bowynn Gods: Naddas

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Skyclad

QUESTION: Is Nudity practiced in the Bowynn Tradition?

ANSWER: No. At least not among all of us ritually as a group. While we love and respect the human body, it is impractical for us to practice in the nude, as we hold most rituals in woodland. The amount of insects, blackberries, thorns and other haphazards just make it impossible. And honestly, we see no need to hold any gathering in the buff. HOWEVER, what one does in the privacy in their own home is up to them. We have several females that will fulling sun and moon soak and I personally have a love for skinny dipping when I am alone at the shore and lake.

BOWYNN GODS: SHANE

Shane  (Shaen)    Shane is the God of love, desire, passion and the love of family, friends the self. He is the son of Brenda and Dhonan and the brother of Onaur. Despite his attributes, Shane is not a filthy and aggressive god. His gifts are mostly classified as "Devoted Love."

Close friends pledge their love and devotion to Shane. Parents and their children would be bound by Shane. A wandering warrior and his dog would be bound by Shane. The idea of self -love of was instituted by Shane. The Love of a person for an image or item, is a product of Shane.

     Shane is seen much like his brother Onaur: a young god in simple garments, much like a page. He is sometimes seen winged like his brother and at times without. When not seen in his immortal form, he will take the form of a bird. So scared to Shane are votive images of birds.

My Personal Prayer to the Aetennii

O Aetennnii, Guardian Kii of the Bowynn cemeteries, I raise my voice in reverence to you, protectors of the sacred tombs, vigilant spirits that dwell amidst the resting places of the departed. With wings like the breeze and hearts firm as stone, you guard the hallowed grounds. Hear me, O cherished Aetennnii, your forms small yet mighty, circling the thresholds of the departed. I call upon your presence to shield the graves from harm, natural and man-made alike, lending your vigilance to the bones that lie beneath the earth. Together with Heron, deliverer of the dead, may you guard against decay and disturbance. In homage, I offer these sacred words, placing images of your essence at the gateways of remembrance. May the likeness of your wings inspire serenity in the hearts of mourners and honor those who have returned to the soil. I lay my gratitude at the entrance of each tomb, seeking your favor upon the treasures of memory contained within.

O Aetennnii, I beseech you, protect this sacred ground, ensuring that the sanctity of the resting places endures beyond time. When spirits wander, let your watchful eyes remain vigilant, preventing sorrow and safeguarding the peace that dwells among the stones. As I walk among the graves, may I feel your gentle presence guiding my respect and reverence. I celebrate your essence, O Aetennnii, protectors cloaked in feathers, embodiments of vigilance in the face of forgotten peril. Let the souls who find their peace beneath the earth be cradled in your care, their stories whispered through the rustling of leaves and the songs of the wind. In your sacred duty, may I find solace, O Aetennnii, for you are the guardians of history and memory. As I honor the departed, I pledge my respect to the grounds you protect. May the Aetennnii thrive in their charge, forever gracing the cemeteries with love, vigilance, and the whisper of wings. So shall it be, in the realm where the living and the departed coexist in peace.

Bowynn Gods: Nyalla

Nyalla as The Cleanser, The Purifier and The Anointer

Nyalla  (Ny-ah-lah)   Goddess of ritual cleansing, bathhouses, sweat lodges, saunas, and hot springs. Nyalla is the daughter of Tane and Kauldra. Nyalla has also been named “Nyalla Noma” and “Nyalla Lhaunomaea” meaning “Lady of the Bathhouse.” Nyalla is also considered the goddess of meditative baths and meditation places in general. She is thought to not only protect the buildings but help the mortal body relax, cleanse and heal; physically and mentally. Through the steam of such places, Nyalla helps the body and mind lift away what ails it, clearing it of impurities and making it whole again. At the same time, she gives words of wisdom through meditation and the steam.

      Nyalla is said to “be the rising of the steam” and the “hot water, the cooling of the air, the scent of the herbs and oils and the opening of the mind.” Nyalla is also the goddess of smudging and cleansing rituals. Often, she is seen with Abbennaea, the goddess of offerings and gifts.

Myalla is not a three-fold or triple goddess, as there is no such concept in the Bowynn faith. She is however spoken of as having 3 distinct aspects: The Cleanser, The Purifyer and the Anointer. In a rare few times, she has none more title: The fumigator. All of these are distinct processes to cleanse the body and the mind. This Nyalla is also seen as a medicinal/healing goddess.

     There are few sacred tales of Nyalla. One of the few says that she was the one that blesses all of the goddesses of the Akua in sensual baths before they wed. That on the eve she blessed Rhya’s bath and cleansing, Rhya in turn gave he a vial of her own tears of happiness. And it is from this vial that Nyalla blesses all mortals with. It is also said that Nyalla was one of the many of the Gods of the Akua that spent the 7 sacred nights with the first tribes of mortals. During this time, she showed the women folk how to keep their bodies and minds clean. She showed them how to build and tend a Bath House in a scared manner, as well as how to properly use the bathhouse in a spiritual manner for omens and visions.

     Nyalla is seen a sweet young woman in rather simple clothing. She is said to be seen lingering around houses and spaces of meditation, where she is found gathering stones or wood for the fire or drawing water for the steam bath. In her godly form, she is seen as a young woman in simple clothes of reds and saffron colors. Her hair is said to be braided in many long rows, sometimes being tied up, sometimes hanging down. In her totem form, she is seen as a lizard or salamander

     Sacred gifts to Nyalla are incense blends, vats of water, vials of oil and votive images of lizards and salamanders. Sometimes a special offering of a poppet of the goddess is left for her.

Bowynn Gods: Daekk

Daekk  (Dayk)  Daekk is the god of abundance,  wealth, fortune, fame and patron to treasuries, banks, bankers, tradesmen, mints, minters and all other forms of commerce. Daekk is the son of Rhya and Anhur. He is one of the youngest gods of the Akua and in Alaway. His sisters are Tymora and Hemwey.

After taking his station as a god of Alaway, Daekk started to flaunt and abuse his gifts far less than wisely; giving gifts of wealth to only those that pleased him. This upset the great balance of Bia. Most people were poor, hungry and dying because they could not afford care. Yet Daekk still gave only to those who could afford to give to him and who wore rich robes and jewelry, because he was attracted to them. Having seen enough, Anhur, King of the gods at last punished Daekk and turned him into an old blind and deaf immortal. In this way Daekk would still be able to dispense his gifts to mankind without influence of wealth, looks or prejudice. Sadly, this means that sometimes Daekk's gifts of wealth and fortune is somewhat wrongly gifted.

     Another version of this sacred story is that Anhur made Daekk eternally baby him instead. This way he could not be influenced audibly or visually by those that pray to him. Either or version, this sacred story upholds the saying "Judge not a man by his appearance." At the same time, Daekk will take away the wealth of people who abuse it

     Being a babe or old man of Alaway, he is tended to by the goddess Tymora, the goddess of luck and fortune. When not being nursed by the goddess, he is placed in his chamber of wealth in the halls of Alaway where he spends his time playing in his riches and dispensing them to mankind. The chamber is the great treasury of the gods that is always plentiful, the walls decorated in Lapis, Amber, Silver and Gold, rich woods and well adorned roofing. This is Daekk's personal room. His bed also being decorated richly and he is fed on the richest of milk from the sacred herd of the gods. Being of such a young age, Daekk is one of the very few gods that never leaves Alaway.

     In his child-like form, Daek is seen as an infant of no more than a year old, still crawling about on his hands and knees. His hair is of blond locks and his eyes amber in color. He wears little to no clothing and no jewels himself. If he wears anything at all it may be a loincloth or a child's tunic. In his older form, Daekk is seen as a man of fatherhood years, often bearded. Yet still his simply dressed and a blindfold about his eyes and a walking stick. If the older Daekk does leave Alaway he often takes the form of a beggar man or a mouse. Mice being a Bowynn symbol of Wealth. Sacred gifts often given to Daekk come in the form of coins, money, sacks and bundles of grain, incense, milk and mice votives. Images of mice and baby Daekk are often represented on treasure boxes to ensure protection and encourage growth of the contents within. Another special offering to Daekk is that of "false money" or play money. It is often made and on it, prayers are written and then left on the altar, eventually buried. Though this is often to ask for wealth and the act of burying the "false money" with a plant seed is in hope that as the plant grows, so will a person's wealth.

Bowynn Gods: Odjett

Odjett  (Ohd-jet)  God of the 4th Gate of Daunnat, of balance and one of the gods of Daunnat. He, like the other Gate guardians of Daunnat, are the children of Chumash and Kalma.

     As with all the gods of Daunnat, Odjett is not an evil god, nor a god of judgment.  His role is that of a guardian of Daunnat. He is the bestower of balance to souls, as no spirit can enter Daunnat without this virtue. However, it is common for the living to call to Odjett who are suffering from the lack of balance in their lives. But sould prayers are more from divinities like Bia and Manaea. This is not to say that Odjett brings ill to souls but to balance out any ill in their lives with goodness and purity. So, if a person was plaque with misfortune in their lives, sickness, bad luck, it is Odjett that balances that out for the soul before reaching the presence of Chumash and Kalma. As god of the Gate of Balance, Odjett is represented as one of the 7 gods of the sacred septagram.

Odjett sustains from visiting Alaway, instead preferring to feast with the souls and other gods in Daunnat.

     Odjett has no known totem animal, instead always staying in his godly form; At times he is seen carrying a septagram tile or a staff, entwined with sage leaves or apple leaves.

     Sacred to Odjett is the Septagram and sage plant. During funeral services, a bowl of milk and sage leaves is left to him, as customary and a statuette of the departed, so the god will recognize the departed’s soul, which is identical to his body.

(Above) The soul of a young man in front of Odjett

My Prayer to Deanna, of Abundance

O Deanna, Radiant Goddess of the Harvest, I humbly approach you, cradle of the earth’s abundance, as your golden light bathes the fields in warmth and fertility. Daughter of Anhur and Rhya, you are the seed planter, the nurturer of life, who graces our world with fragrant blooms and nourishing grains. In the cycles of nature, I seek your guidance and blessings, that our labors may reflect the beauty of your divine gardens. O Benevolent Deanna, I beckon the spirit of growth to envelop my endeavors, teaching me the sacred arts of planting, tender care, and reaping the fruits of my toil. In your sacred stories, I find inspiration; for through your wisdom bestowed upon the first clans-folk, humanity was gifted the sustenance needed to thrive. Let your teachings echo through the earth, reminding me of the profound bond between all living things. With sincere heart, I present before you a bounty from my table—grains, fruits, and herbs borne of my labor. May these humble offerings serve as tokens of my reverence for the gifts you provide. As I gather the harvest, let me honor the sacred connection between soil, seed, and sustenance, acknowledging the sacred divine that breathes life into every grain and petal.

O Divine Deanna, bless our homes with the warmth of your daughter Io, the hearth of nurturing, and the artistry of your son Hyu, who brings sustenance to our tables. May their grace flow through my kitchen, enriching my meals with love and wisdom. As I partake in the blessings of your cornucopia, let each bite be a celebration of the cycles of life and the interconnectedness of all beings. In your presence, I pledge to honor the earth and respect the gifts bestowed. May I tread lightly upon the soil, cultivating harmony between humanity and nature. O Deanna, I am forever in awe of your intricate dance of life, and I vow to share your wisdom with those around me, ensuring that the knowledge of harvest endures through generations. So shall it be, in reverence and love for Deanna, the cherished Goddess of the Harvest, forever nurturing and guiding the fruitful paths of our existence.

Syember!

Bowynn Gods: Naea

Naea  (Nay-ah)  Naea is the Bowynn goddess of springs, wells, lakes, rivers, streams and other small fresh bodies of water. She is the daughter of Tane and Kauldra and is one of the very few multi arm gods. As such she is a spider goddess. Her multi limbs represent the many rivers of the world.      Naea is a free spirited goddess, spending much of her time wandering the sides of wells and ponds and weaving away in her godly or animal form on the side of streams and rivers. Her prime domain is to make sure such bodies of water are protected from pollutants and destruction as much as possible. As such, Naea is one of the very few gods of the Bowynn pantheon to seek revenge on mortals that destroy her realm. One sacred story speaks of the fisherman that was so filled with joy when he caught a fish as soon as his hook hit the water. He became so happy that he kept fishing till the lake was depleted of fish. Naea found out about this and that night as he and his family gorged out on the fish the man caught, there was a knock on the door of a beggar woman. She asked for a fish to get her by. The man and woman gave her the smallest fish in the batch, so small it would not fill a cat. The old woman ended up being Naea and for the couple's lack of moderation and charity, Naea made all the other food in the house disappear till all that was left saw the fish. The couple quickly became sick of eating fish all the time and thus learned their lesson. There are many legends of mortals abusing wells and springs then suffering Naea’s wrath but never death.      Despite this and other such sacred tales Naea is not a vicious goddess. Infact she is a most gentle goddess. She only seeks out those that have done wrong with her gifts. So, she should not be feared. Other times she is most giving, as the sacred stories of her creating a well for a family that had nothing to drink for days. Because of her watery realm, Naea's temples are often nothing more than a well surrounded by a gazebo.      Naea is depicted in her godly immortal form as a delightful young woman with long flowing hair. Her garments are of blues, purples and greens and silver or glass baubles as jewelry. Sometimes she is seen with a pitcher of fresh water and other times with a loom. In her totem form Naea is seen as an elegant spider. Sacred gifts to Naea come in the form of glass pieces, fresh water, river and lake plants and flowers, spoons of white and blue yarn and votive images of a spider.

The 7 Great Life Rituals

In the Bowynn tradition, there are 7 Great Rites.

The Rite of Birth: This is normally held 7 days after birth. Blessing the newborn, welcoming him/her into the world and on this rite, he/she is given his/her name officially.

The Rite Childhood: This rite is held at the age of 5, when the baby steps into the age of Childhood.

The Rite of Coming Forth: The is the great rite when one officially allows themselves to come to the circle on their own accord and pledging themselves a believer of the Bowynn Faith. This is not based on Age. Anyone at any point can "Come Forth". Normally if it's a child, tradition says the right should not take place till the child is 10 years old.

The Rite of Adulthood: Held at the age of 20. He/she steps out of the role of Child into the role of adulthood. Their days of recklessness are behind, and the rolls of responsibility are at hand.

The Rite of Marriage: This is, as it says, the 2-day ritual of Marriage.

The Rite of Death: This is the ritual of those that depart this world and leave onto Daunnat. It's a 7-day ritual.

The Rite of Resurrection: This ritual is held 14 days after the departed has left. It's a time of remembrance. A memorial.

Under these rituals are many more including Rite from becoming a Myst, ritual for blessing a new home and/or garden, Ritual of Knighthood, and so forth.

Being these rituals are considered personal; I cannot share much detail of the rites themselves with those outside the faith. What I can say is that these are rituals that do not take precedence in the eyes of one's state, providence nor nation. These are rituals that are held between those involved and the presence of the gods almighty.

Happy Halloween

Due to a very negative incident that happen this past night, I will not be engaging in any information today. Instead I shall leave you with just images. I still wish you all a very blessed and fun-filled holiday. All good. no bad.