Signup
Welcome to... Canonfire! World of GreyhawK
Features
Postcards from the Flanaess
Adventures
in Greyhawk
Cities of
Oerth
Deadly
Denizens
Jason Zavoda Presents
The Gord Novels
Greyhawk Wiki
#greytalk
JOIN THE CHAT
ON DISCORD
    Canonfire :: View topic - Human Moon Worship
    Canonfire Forum Index -> World of Greyhawk Discussion
    Human Moon Worship
    Author Message
    Journeyman Greytalker

    Joined: Feb 01, 2005
    Posts: 196
    From: Columbus, Ohio

    Send private message
    Tue Jun 21, 2022 1:32 pm  
    Human Moon Worship

    Oerth has two moons but there seems to be no specific reference to human worship related to them. Is there a human-centric god or goddess of the moons Luna and/or Celene? Am I missing the obvious?

    I know I can make up my own response (as any GM could), but I was looking for something more canon. I'm not interested in borrowing from other non-human cultures such as Sehanine MOONbow. Other than perhaps Celestian is there another, better candidate?

    Are any events, festivals, holidays, etc., related to the moons together or separately? Is there any mention of historical events influenced by eclipses?

    That you all in advance.
    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: Apr 26, 2002
    Posts: 538
    From: Canada

    Send private message
    Tue Jun 21, 2022 8:35 pm  
    Re: Human Moon Worship

    Skech wrote:
    Oerth has two moons but there seems to be no specific reference to human worship related to them. Is there a human-centric god or goddess of the moons Luna and/or Celene? Am I missing the obvious?

    I know I can make up my own response (as any GM could), but I was looking for something more canon. I'm not interested in borrowing from other non-human cultures such as Sehanine MOONbow. Other than perhaps Celestian is there another, better candidate?

    Are any events, festivals, holidays, etc., related to the moons together or separately? Is there any mention of historical events influenced by eclipses?

    That you all in advance.


    This is one thing I wish Greyhawk had. If I'd set my Silver Wolf stories in the Forgotten Realms rather than Greyhawk, Luna would have been a priestess of Selune, no question.

    The LGG lists Pholtus as a god of the moons along with his various other domains. THe Greyhawk Wiki also says Rao created the moons (which would make sense given that he's the patron god of Veluna).
    Journeyman Greytalker

    Joined: Jun 16, 2003
    Posts: 201
    From: Calgary, AB, Canada

    Send private message
    Tue Jun 21, 2022 11:21 pm  

    Faerieluck, the Blood Moon Festival, and Great Moon's Glory are all celebrated in the Flanaess: https://greyhawkonline.com/greyhawkwiki/Faerieluck
    GreySage

    Joined: Aug 03, 2001
    Posts: 3310
    From: Michigan

    Send private message
    Wed Jun 22, 2022 2:33 pm  

    I use Ehlonna as the goddess of Luna and Sehanine as the goddess of Celene, and assume humans acknowledge both, though they may consider Pholtus, Rao, Lydia, or Lendor to be more important.

    Many of the gods have festivals tied to the phases of the moons, though.
    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: Sep 20, 2001
    Posts: 355


    Send private message
    Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:46 am  

    I agree with Rasgon and have used Ehlonna as a moon goddess for the Flanaess.

    In the new Greyhawk Rebooted materials, Istus comprises four avatars, each somewhat tied to an element and the Air one also represents the moon:

    "They offer sacrifices to four main “good” deities who are seen as aspects of one unifying force known as Istus, Lady of Fate. The four high gods of the Bakluni are:
    ❉ Geshtai, goddess of rain, rivers
    and wells, representing elemental
    water;
    ❉ Atar, god of the Sun, representing
    elemental fire;
    ❉ Suwat, god of mountains, metals
    and stone, representing elemental
    earth; and
    ❉ Waadi, goddess of the moon, sky
    and wind, representing elemental
    air."
    GreySage

    Joined: Aug 03, 2001
    Posts: 3310
    From: Michigan

    Send private message
    Sun Jun 26, 2022 11:26 am  

    edmundscott wrote:
    I agree with Rasgon and have used Ehlonna as a moon goddess for the Flanaess.


    My argument for this:

    -similarity to Greco-Roman goddess Artemis/Diana
    -unicorn horn symbol doubling as lunar crescent
    -similarity in names: Ehlonna sounds like Eh-Luna
    -traditional association between the moon cycle and fertility

    Quote:
    In the new Greyhawk Rebooted materials, Istus comprises four avatars, each somewhat tied to an element and the Air one also represents the moon:


    This is interesting. My only concern is that Oerth has two moons, so a single moon god always feels insufficient to me. Perhaps Geshtai could be associated with Celene.

    Lendor, as god of time, has some dominion over the moons, and even has the moons in his holy symbol. Lydia, as goddess of light, should also have some dominion over moonlight.
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Jan 05, 2002
    Posts: 1049
    From: Sky Island, So Cal

    Send private message
    Tue Jun 28, 2022 7:43 am  

    rasgon wrote:
    edmundscott wrote:
    I agree with Rasgon and have used Ehlonna as a moon goddess for the Flanaess.


    My argument for this:
    -traditional association between the moon cycle and fertility


    I similarly use Luna for human fertility (one cycle per short month).

    But I also have elven fertility tied to Celene - elven maids have four cycles per year, and refer to the birth cohorts as 'children of summer', 'children of autumn', etc.
    _________________
    My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
    GreySage

    Joined: Aug 03, 2001
    Posts: 3310
    From: Michigan

    Send private message
    Tue Jun 28, 2022 3:32 pm  

    Kirt wrote:
    But I also have elven fertility tied to Celene - elven maids have four cycles per year, and refer to the birth cohorts as 'children of summer', 'children of autumn', etc.


    I was just thinking about that possibility. It makes sense.
    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: Sep 20, 2001
    Posts: 355


    Send private message
    Thu Jul 07, 2022 10:35 am  

    A little late to add this but it occurred to me a good explanation for the conspicuous absence of a human moon goddess could be that, in the distant past, Pholtus claimed both sun and moon as his domain. The sun god, Pelor, ignored this as an irrelevancy, but the moon goddess took umbrage and a great contention was unloosed between the Pholtus worshippers and the moon goddess followers. Pholtus won, not only via a purge of the worship of the moon goddess, but perhaps even powerful Pholtans managed to imprison (or slay?) the moon goddess.

    I don't necessarily imagine this goddess as Oeridian, Flan seems more likely and the lack of other son and moon gods in the Oeridian pantheon might be all the incentive Pholtus required to assume Sun and Moon as his own domains.
    Display posts from previous:   
       Canonfire Forum Index -> World of Greyhawk Discussion All times are GMT - 8 Hours
    Page 1 of 1

    Jump to:  

    You cannot post new topics in this forum
    You cannot reply to topics in this forum
    You cannot edit your posts in this forum
    You cannot delete your posts in this forum
    You cannot vote in polls in this forum




    Canonfire! is a production of the Thursday Group in assocation with GREYtalk and Canonfire! Enterprises

    Contact the Webmaster.  Long Live Spidasa!


    Greyhawk Gothic Font by Darlene Pekul is used under the Creative Commons License.

    PHP-Nuke Copyright © 2005 by Francisco Burzi. This is free software, and you may redistribute it under the GPL. PHP-Nuke comes with absolutely no warranty, for details, see the license.
    Page Generation: 0.34 Seconds