Elwynn: The White Orchid Goddess

[Scott of Hyperborea]

(a continuation of the discussion here)

Mors, Vivantia, Agni, Loki - these gods are all native to Shireroth, linked in the BOOMist/Cedrist faith that this country calls its own.

Elwynn is different.

From 2000 through 2005, another micronation similar to Shireroth flourished in a different corner of the Net. The United Baronies of Treesia, located to Shireroth's northeast on the MCS Map, was at its height as large and glorious as Shireroth itself.

Shireroth tends to focus on feudal politics, but Treesia was always more into culture, economics, and religion. In particular its faith, the Treesian Unorthodox Church, was at the time micronationalism's largest religion, with missions as far away as Babkha, Shireroth, and Baracao.

Treesian religion was polytheistic, with gods and goddesses personifying the forces of nature and the emotions of man. But two gods stood out as particularly important to the course of history: Elwynn, the goddess of goodness, and Lest, the god of evil.

Back when the world was younger than you or I, the mother goddess Eiseamlar bore her last-born children, the twins Elwynn and Lest. It was prophecied then that the two would bear a child together who would destroy the world, and all the gods swore an oath to prevent it. So it was decided that the two should be kept as far apart as possible.

Elwynn was adopted by Utas, the God of Light, who raised her in his castle in Araxion (this was back when the gods lived on earth). Every glade and river of this land is sanctified by her touch, named by her own tongue. It is why our land has a beauty and wild magic deeper than that of the rest of the world, and why we worship her still.

Lest was adopted by Ilass, the Great Witch. Ilass lived in the land of Rulak in the south (modern-day Natopia, I think). Lest corrupted Ilass and convinced her to break her promise to keep the two twins apart. On the day when Utas and Elwynn were visiting the throne of Eiseamlar in Heaven, Ilass brought Lest there also, attacked Heaven with an army of demons, and tried to kidnap Elwynn. The attack was a success, with several gods killed or injured, but Elwynn escaped with the god Aeon to his heaven of Calaspir. The gods then organized an army under Mandorel, the God of War, retook Heaven, and captured Lest.

Then the god Carding transformed both Lest and Elwynn into orchids so that they could never see each other or bear a human child. Elwynn became a white orchid, and Lest a black. But the spell was only partially effective, and both are partially able to switch between human and orchid form at will.

When Treesia died in about 2005, its legends lived on. Many of the former Treesians came to Shireroth and settled in this Duchy: among them Wil Nider, Iskander Mirkdale, Rai Avon-El, and myself. We try to keep the old legends alive here, although they are not Shirerithian legends and don't make sense within the context of the BOOMist Church.

There are many legends about Elwynn's current whereabouts. One of the most popular is that after the fall of Treesia she escaped with its royal family, the House of Dornan, to Hyperborea, where she lives in a hidden chamber beneath the volcano Mount Yaanek, guarded by divine watchmen against the end of the world.

There are also many legends about Lest's current whereabouts. It was originally believed that he had some association with Babkha's wars against Treesia, and perhaps that one of the Babkhan warlords was his avatar. It was also believed that he had some hand in the destruction of Treesia, and was on the island when its final doom befell it. Beyond this, little else is known.

[Leo Fenrir]

I obviously lack a lot in the teachings of religion and lore. If I want to further acquaint myself with it where do you recommend I start looking?

[Allot]

Inside Scott's brain.

[Rai Avon-El]

The multitemple here in Shireroth contains the Books of Orchids. Amazing books focusing on the gods and goddesses of Treesian Unorthodoxy, including the problems of Elwynn and Lest.

[Leo Fenrir]

My my. A dangerous journey awaits me in my quest then. Wish me luck as I attempt to navigate the twisting alleys of Scotts mind.

And many thanks Rai.

[Allot]

For the lazy Leo:

Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Book Four

Remember, the MiniInfoCulTree loves you!

[Rai Avon-El]

Would just like to bring your attention to the Ardashirian version of the story:

At the river Elwynn's source did dwell Utas the jinn, whom after many a year of no consequence did receive that girl whose eyes sparkled as gems and whose skin as white as snow and as smooth as silk. The one known as Elwynn, the twin of the devil Lest. All creation paid homage to her beauty and she in turn grew to love the river, and the woods it raised and every day she frolicked in the streams. Such was her beauty that the waters themselves were swoon and jealous nymphs for countless centuries thereafter would adopt her visage to seduce unwary mortal man to a drowning death.

Hands unseen worked their ill magic so that Lest and Elwynn did conceive of the most unnatural and monstrous lust for each other, their foul courtship disturbing the heavens and despoiling this very earth.

It had been that Utas the Jinn first sat upon the throne of Elywnn, and was master of the river. He took up his abode in the mountains, and clad himself and his people in bearskins, and from him sprang all kindly nurture and the arts of clothing, till then unknown. Men and beasts from all parts of the earth came to do him homage and receive laws at his hands, and his glory was like to the sun.

Yet all glory, even when justly earned, is fleeting for Utas was defeated and expelled from the Mortal Realm by Lest.

When Elwynn and Lest the Black did first meet as but children at the feast of doomed Ennabruk, the flames of their lust put to rout the gods and angels who watched over them, conspiring for the sake of creation to keep them apart. When a company of angels did drag Elwynn away Utas lingered to deal the fatal blow to the Deev Lest, but the Deev was mightier than he, and overcame him, and crushed him under his hands.