Bowynn Gods: Arn

My Prayer to Daekk, Lord of Fortune

O Daekk, Glorious Child of Wealth and Fortune, I stand before you, seeking the embrace of your bountiful gifts. You, who dwell in the splendid chambers of Alaway, amidst treasures adorned with lapis and gold, I beckon your innocent spirit to grace my path. With your golden locks and amber eyes, you embody joy and prosperity, guiding us through the currents of abundance. O Divine Infant, transformed by the wisdom of Anhur, grant me the clarity to see beyond mere appearances and superficial riches. Let your laughter ring out amidst the clinking coins and flowing grains as you dispense blessings to all, untainted by bias or pride. May the warmth of your spirit fill the hearts of those in need, that they may also know the sweet taste of fortune's favor.

In humble reverence, I lay before you offerings of coins, fragrant incense, and the sweet milk of the sacred herd. As the mice serve as symbols of fortune, I send forth votive gifts in their likeness, invoking your protection over my endeavors. With these offerings, I present play money inscribed with my deepest prayers, to be buried within the earth alongside a seed, so that as the plant sprouts, so too may my fortunes flourish. O Daekk, from your heavenly cradle, nurture my ambitions and aspirations like the rich soil of Alaway that bears fruit in due season. May I not only seek abundance for myself but take inspiration from your benevolence to share with others in need. Let my hands be open to receive and my heart expansive enough to give freely. As I summon your playful spirit, I pledge to judge not by wealth nor appearance but to celebrate the diverse paths of prosperity in my life. O Daekk, Eternal Child of Alaway, may your blessings flow unceasingly into my heart, guiding my actions and illuminating the lives of those around me. So shall it be, in reverence and love for Daekk, the generous spirit of wealth and sustenance, forever illuminating our lives with abundance.

Syember!

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.

Bowynn Gods: Lomaun

Lomaun  (Lo-maun)  Lomaun is the son of Hern and Morrighynn. But he seems to have been born a mortal for reasons unknown who later became a god after his quests and adventures were over. This assention is not common in Bowynn faithn, as much as it is in Greek, Roman, Nordic and other faiths. As a god, he presides over forests, wildlife, protecting travelers, discovery, and guardianship of bears.

     Lomaun is worshipped as a bear god, a protector of travelers in general. Often prayed to before taking a trip for a safe journey and then again when the journey is complete. He is the guardian of the wild wood and all its creatures. He is the protector of hunters and their prey. Lomaun is also the god that helps those discover lost and new items but more importantly discover we all are deep inside.  

     Born a mortal child, Lomaun was raised by a bear till he was found and raised by a loving mortal family. However, he knew he was not the same as them, seeing he could do small feats that others simply could not do. In one instance he took on and defeated a giant boar that was terrifying travelers. The quest to slay the beast, lead Lomaun on a quest to find out who he really was and who his parents were, taking his bear mother with him. Along the way he encountered a series of tests of strength, skill, love, devotion, wisdom, cunning and learning the 7 virtues through trial. In the greatest of these tests, he ran into a tribe that was starving and on the brink of death. With bow in hand Lomaun trudged into the woods and there he spied a great elk. Lomaun was all ready to slay the beast when he was suddenly overcome with divine energy and realized he could not kill the animal. Lomaun realized that the elk in question was his father Herne's great steed. Lomaun slew the immortal elk and for this crime His immortal spirit, souls and body was turned mortal.

His last great feat was to take on a huge mountain of a man that was challenging men to a battle and killing them. In the battle Lomaun's bear companion was mortally wounded. Lomaun slew the warrior and raced to the bear’s side to find her transformed into a mortal. She was so beautiful and her dying breath she revealed that her name was Teega and that she did not love him as a mother would but as a lover. Lomaun wept so much that Herne and Morrighynn took pity and gave Lomaun and Teega immortality and allowed into Alaway to sit with the other gods. Their mortal lesson was etched into the night sky by Unthar, lord of the skies, as the Great Bear and Little Bear constellations.

     Lomuan is seen with wild brown hair and sporting a short beard and moustache. On his hip is a sword, on his back a quiver of arrows and in his hand a staff. He is seen in normal hunting cloths or a traveler’s wayfarer robe but over these he always have a bear skin for a cloak or large mantle. Despite his Heraklian-like mortal tasks, he is not depicted powerfully strong. Most of his mortal deeds being accomplished with brains over brawn. And at his side is either depicted his love in either bear or mortal form. Sometimes he will be seen as a bear himself, as the bear is his totem animal. Sacred offerings best suited to Lomaun are votive fetishes of bears, spear and arrowheads, tree saplings, fish, berry cakes (and berries in general) and of course incense.

BOWYNN GODS: REYE

Reye  (Ray)  Reye is the Bowynn goddess of the hunt, the patron and guardian of wild animals and sacred groves. The name Reye is Bowynn for "rain" and thus she is also the goddess of gentle, life-giving, rain. She is the daughter of Amaetheon and Deanna and her consort is the bear god, Lomaun.

     The sacred stories of Reye are numerous, starting with her birth. Deanna gave birth to Reye while in the deep forest, which she was trying to convert to fertile farmland. But soon after the babe was born a fox dashed out and snatched baby Reye away. For months and years the gods hunted for the child and the fox. Eventually the immortal brothers Kord and Brand came to a small village in a forest and amongst the mortal villagers lived the, now child, Reye who was happily tending and talking to the domesticated farm animals and the fox that originally swiped her away. With a lot of persuasion, the brothers brought Reye back to the gardens of Alaway, where she was reunited with her parents. Her abilities and devotion to the wild and domestic animals granted her attributes to be their patron and protector. She was gifted a bow of yew by the god Herne and a mantle of fox hide by Myliea, the goddess of winter.

     Another sacred story describes Reye’s unconditional love for wild animals when she witnessed mortal hunters that struck down a cougar. Reye tried to comfort the animal, but the hunters drew close. She turned herself into a cougar to lead the hunters away. Once the slayers were lost deep in the woods, Reye returned to the dying cat and with her weeping tears saved the cougar from dying. (Artemis)

     One of the most beautiful of Reye’s scared tales is told in her creation of gentle rains. That’s she was so upset to see forests dying and sleeping each time it got too hot in summer. Lifting her face to the canopy of the forest she let out in song. The song lifted to the canopy and turned into rain. A rain that was able to nurture the forest and keep it from dying.

     While Reye is primarily a goddess that protects animals, she is also a protector of hunters as well; making sure they do not fall in traps or attacked by bears, cats and boars. She also makes sure a hunter hunts only enough to support his himself and his family. Reye condones sport hunters.

     Reye is seen as young woman or late in her teen years with traditional short blond hair and light-blue eyes. She is clad with a simple clothing of buckskin. In hand is often a bow and on her back a quiver of arrows. She is always seen with a fox at her side. Scared to Reye are reeds and cattails, hunting dogs, foxes and hooves animals such as the deer. In temples devoted to Reye, small trees are arranged in barrels about the floor to simulate the forest. A special offering to Reye is bowls and libations of rainwater, as well as life size votive images of foxes and deer.

The Bowynn Year and Holidays:

The Bowynn calendar is different from most Pagan calendars and certainly bears no resemblance to the Gregorian calendar. The start of the Bowynn year falls on September 1st and the last day of the year falls on August 31st.

During all 12 of the larger months there is one sacred holiday, though there may be a few secondary holdays. Despite this, Bowynn view every single day of their lives as sacred and celebrated not just verbally but spiritually. So its common for an individual to celebrate the worship of a deity on any and all days of the year. Holidays are celebrated for 3 days. The first day of a holiday is reserved for decorating, cooking, cleaning, cleansing and evening worship.

September ( Maeano )

1 Then Ohenn - New Years Day. The first day of the new year. Dedicated to Ohenn and the Nauidd. Also to Tymora. Fig cake, bundles of summer seed are offered to the gods

20-22 Tsa'kora - Holiday of the month of September, it celebrates the first day of Autumn. The Epiphany of the goddess Kora and Ryan. Also honoring Brea, Amaetheon, Deanna. The holiday celebrates the wedding of Deanna to Amaetheon. A time of great feasts and celebrations.

October ( Tombra )

29-31 Ky'kora - Holiday for the month of October. Mournful celebration to honor the death of Herne, to save all of humanity.

November ( Haedmor )

15-17 Emberfest - The great feast day honoring the gods Kane, Io, Hyu, Amaetheon and Deanna. A holiday for thanks of abundance, health, home. Hearths, homes and ovens are cleaned, and special meals are left just for the gods.

December ( Ellesmor )

20-22 Tsa'myliea - holiday of the month of December. The first day of winter. Devoted to Morrighynn, Arn and Myliea. On this day the goddess Morrighynn weeps for her lost love Herne and promised by Bia that her love will be back soon enough. Lanterns lit in Herne’s and Morrighynn’s honor.

January ( Banu )

14-16 Lenaea - Holiday of the month. Celebration of abundance for making it this far into winter. Devoted to Io, Amaetheon, Hyu, Deanna, Tymora and Daekk. Homes, people and animals are blessed with the seeds gathered from the year before. Great costumed parades are held to bring prosperity to all.

February ( Paola )

1-3 Ky'myliea - Holiday of the Month of February. Devoted to Myliea, Arn, Herne, Brea and to the wind god Arn, A winter festival. Celebration of the conception of Herne to Brea and making it halfway through winter.

March ( Aeven )

20-22 Tsa'quilla - Holiday of the month. The first day of spring. Devoted to Herne, Brea, Quilla and Lyan. On this day Quilla appears on the east and Herne is born to the world. Kii are also honored this day.

April ( Prana )

15-17 Tau Mystaraa - The Great Mysteries. Holiday for the month of April. Devoted to Mystara, Mauro and Ehlrik. Though really, it is devoted to ALL the gods. Celebrated as the great cleanings and initiation of new mages into the groves. 3 nights of great Magic, Spiritual and divination practices and a day for new practitioners to start.

May ( Auma )

1-3 Ky'quilla - Mid-Spring holiday and Sabbat of the month of May. Devoted to the reunion of Herne and Morrighynn. Also celebrated are all the Kii, Lyan and Quilla. Lovers holiday as well as the second blessing of gardens.

June ( Dellet )

12 Founder’s Day - Holiday celebrating the conseption of the Bowynn Tradition. Summer celebration. Dedicated to Anhur, Rhya, Briathenaea and Aleglea. Celebrating a time of joy of summer. Fun, food, games and frolic. Part of the Migration celebrations. Also a day for introspection of ones self, who they are.

20-22 Tsa'tarna - First day of Summer and the holiday of the month of June. Dedicated to epiphany of Tarna, Saphon and the wedding of Herne and Morrighynn. No meat is eaten during the first two days of the holiday.

July ( Iona )

14-16 Briathenaet - Holiday of the month of July Great celebration to the goddess Briathenaea and Aleglea as our patronesses and saviors. Celebrated with the cleansing and blessing of her icons and temples. followed with great games and contests that last for 3 days.

August ( Olten )

1-3 Kytarna Mid-Summer holiday of the month of August. Dedicated to Io, Amaetheon, Hyu and Deanna. Celebrating the sacred wedding of Tarna to Saphon. It also celebrates the first harvest.

31 Anj Ohenn - New Years Eve. The last day of August and the year. Dedicated to Ohenn and the Nauidd. Great pots and bundles of tall grass and cattails are offered, laid about the icon of Ohenn. Images of the 12 Nauidd are made, gifted and hung about.

The Elements {Tau Retammas}

Earth {Bia} - The Forest {Tau Sellen}

The first point represents all the elements of Earth (Strength, Practicality, Endurance, Perseverance, Skill/Ability, Stability, Foundation) It concentrates on the life, fertility, powers of abundance and generosity of the Forest (undeveloped, untamed) environment. As captivating and beautiful as the earth is, all forests around the world have always been a very important part of life. The trees not only give us shade on hot days, but they recycle the air into a breathable form which our bodies can accept. They give us shelter when we need, and fire for when we are cold. Some bear fruit while others just look beautiful on a dusky morning as dew glistens within the tall grass. Many who follow the Bowynn faith feel a deep connection to forests and woods in general, with trees considered as both kin and home for all living things. The trees have supported them firmly in the rich, dark, soil of the forest floor with deep strong roots. Trees which have stood for thousands of years have secrets within their rings. We seek deep secrets hidden in the branches of trees and understand the power and nature of trees and woods. We see a canopy that is our roof shading is from the blaring sun, rain and wind. We see the trunks supporting it and from them find our strength. We see the roots that feeds the tree and stabilizes and the earth itself that supports our home - the forest. We see the plants that feed us and the animals we may feed upon. Plants we turn into incense to offer to the gods in thanks for our home. And from the plants we feed on we gain abundance. When they die, they fade into the earth and nourish the earth with its remains. Crystals also come from the earth, deep within the ground vibrating to the energies within them. From deep within the earth, we find ores and from the rocks we find gems, all from which we make tools, riches, and money, thus giving us wealth. From the totality, we recognize the physical body of the earth and ourselves. The Virtue we learn from Earth is that of Charity, for with Abundance we must learn to share, no matter what that abundance may be. The path of the earth is a deep forest green.

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

The Elements / Tau Retammas

Fire {Phoenix} - The Hearth {Tau Io}

The first point of the Numatam represents all the aspects of the element of Fire (Creation, Passion, Love, Warding, Transformation, Energy, Enthusiasm, Courage, Determination, and Boldness). There are two types of fire in the world: Wild and Domesticated. The wildfire is the fires that created all - molten earth solidified and thus created ground. But wildfire also destroys as well. Wildfire burns the forest down, so a new forest can take its place as the ash feeds the earth. It burns as it changes all it touches, and in the moment of that change comes new growth. Domesticated fire gives us life by its warmth and light. This is the fire we as mankind have tamed and mastered (even though we will never really be able to master any element). We build our hearth fire, thus bringing us closer as a community or family. With hearth fire we light lamps and candles to light our homes and our way. As fire burns so do our hearts with deep love and heart felt emotions. From gazing into the fire, we watch the flames dance and spark, giving our body’s energy and enthusiasm. We challenge fire at times, holding our hands over the heat burning ourselves, thus giving us courage to take on dares and obstacles. And with fire in either form we use it to ward away that which we do not want to harm us. We cook with it daily, even enjoy the darkness by it. Even in its modern form, electricity, we gain all these same lessons. We ask it to bring energy to our spells, and we light our incense with it. The sun is one of the heavenly bodies which burns and warms our bodies with its radiant heat. At night the hearth flame does the same. The virtue associated with this element is Courage. When passion fuels our desire to make changes in our world, or when we choose not to settle for anything less, we summon our courage to deal with unpleasantries or things we need to face in our lives. We find our own strength with courage, which when faced with problems seemingly overwhelming to do something about them. Fire is primal and sensual. Fire burns within us all and each of us can summon this energy to do what must be done. Courage should be instilled within our souls to help us grow and face our fears and help gently push our limitations. The path of fire is a dangerous one emblazoned in the hue of red.

Bowynn Gods: Naddas

Naddas  (Nahd-das)  God of the 2nd Gate of Daunnat, of kindness and one of the gods of Daunnat, the land of spirits. Of all the Gate Gods, Naddas is the eldest. He, like the other Gate Guardians of Daunnat, is the son of Chumash and Kalma.

     As with all the gods of Daunnat, Naddas is not an evil god, nor a god of judgment.  His role is that of a guardian of Daunnat. He is the bestower of Kindness and welcomeness to spirits, as no spirit can enter Daunnat without this virtue. However, it is common for the living to call to Naddas who are suffering from the lack of Kindness in their lives. As the god of the Gate of Kindness, Naddas is one of the 7 gods of the sacred heptagram. Naddas sustains from visiting Alaway, instead preferring to feast with the spirits in Daunnat.

     Naddas has no known totem animal, instead always staying in his godly form; an elderly man dressed in a robe of deep purple trimmed in gold. At times he is seen carrying a heptagram tile or a staff, entwined with ivy.

     Sacred to Naddas is the Heptagram and ivy plant. During funeral services, a bowl of milk is left to him and the other Guardians of the Gates, as customary and a statuette of the departed, so the god will recognize the departed’s soul, which is identical to his body.

QUESTION & ANSWER: Samhain/Halloween

QUESTION: Do Bowynn Celebrate Halloween and Samhain?

ANSWER: No, we do not celebrate the Keltic/Wiccan Samhain. We do celebrate Ky'Kora, which is a rather loose equivalent to Samahain. A three-day holiday from October 30 to November 1st. But that is about all Ky'Kora has in common with Samhain.

We do celebrate Halloween as a total separate holiday. But we celebrate it on November 1st, as the 31st is a most divine and holy day, set aside for spiritual worship.