Ancient Covenant

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An age-old scroll with the Ancient Covenant between the Vanafolk and the Vanic Gods.

The Ancient Covenant is the eternal Pact between the Vanic Gods and the Vanafolk for the happiness, benefit, prosperity and power of both the mortals and the Lords and Ladies Divine. It is since times ancient beyond the memory of woman the principal pactation between the Vanir and the Vanafolk. The Ancient Covenant is one of the foremost parts of Vanic Law, in authority only outranked by the Laws of the Vanir. It is also known as the Supreme Covenant because it outranks all other pactations and covenants with the Vanir Gods.

About

The Pact provides, among others, rules, regulations, ordinances, guidelines, teachings, stipulations, advice and counsel for the Vanafolk and governs numerous matters and aspects of Vanic Life. This covenant also regulates much of the relations between the Vanir Gods and the Vanafolk. The Ancient Covenant also establishesed the Jólaslafðir as the mortal spiritual leadership of the Vanafolk. It also confirmed the Thirteen Temples as the senior temples of the Ancient Ways and the independence of the Grand Mysterious Sisterhoods as well as the Grand Mysterious Brotherhoods from the Yule Ladies.

The Ancient Covenant created an indestructible bond between the Vanic Lords and Ladies Divine and the Vanafolk, and as long as everyone keeps their end of the bargain the powers of Vanir Gods and Goddesses shall increase infinitely due the contributions to Their Powers Divine made through worship by Their Folk, and the Vanafolk shall perpetually prosper and always and forever do well due to the intercession of the Vanic Gods and Goddesses in their lives.

History

The foundress and first High Priestess of the Thingeyri Temple, the Lady Lilja the Devout, played an instrumental role in the Ancient Covenant's realization. Being of the mind that a comprehensive and permanent Pact between the Vanafolk and Lords and Ladies Divine would be very beneficial to both mortals and Gods, she took the initiative for such a covenant. Lady Lilja also realized that bring a moderate amount of central organization to the Ancient Ways would be essential to the survival of the Vanafolk, providing them with a common temporal power tool to fend off threats.

Elwynnese Copies

Two copies of the Ancient Covenant, attested and endorsed by the Goddess Elwynn herself, are kept in the Tower of Araxion and the White Orchid Temple.

Excerpts from the Ancient Covenant

The purpose of bathing, praying, playing and relaxing in the holy waters of worship which We have bestowed unto thee, Our Folk, is to commune with Us as well as cleanse thyselves, from the inside and out, of negative energies and prepare thy Physical, Mental and Spiritual Self for granting Us Our Dues so that We shall be better able to intercede in thy lives so that thee shall do well and live thy lives in the Glorious Liberty for which We have created thee until Our Twilight and beyond.

- Teaching by the Vanir Gods to the Vanafolk about Worship Waters

And as the sign that we art truly free,

Basking in Thy Glorious Liberty;
And in gratitude of Thou creating us,
In Thy wondrous Image Divine
And bestowing upon us Thy beauty,
We shall be clad by the sky alone,
At all times in our lives,
Both women and men, save for;
Where we need to shield us,
From heat, cold or harm, or;
For recognition or adornment,
And where we wish to brandish,
The bounty Thou hast so generously,
Bestowed unto us, Thy folk,
And this shall last until
Thy Twilight and beyond.

- Promise by the Vanafolk to the Gods about skycladness

You are walking in the image of the Goddesses. Adorn yourselves. Take the time necessary to love your body. Feed the beauty that lives in you through the portal of ritual.

- Stipulation by Lilja the Devout to the Vanafolk about love for their Divine-given bodies

See Also