Clasbron Danaanism

The Clasbron have been worshipping their deities since they first crossed the Cymbrian Mts.  In fact, one of the ancient beliefs of the Clasbron and people like them is that they are descended from the goddess Danu for whom their people, as well as their religion, is named.  It used to be that Druids were the only clergy, and worship was performed individually.  Under Latinian domination, the concept of corporate worship was introduced to the Clasbron who then began to incorporate it into their religious practices.

[General Beliefs]    [Church Structure]    [Ecclesiastic Ranks]    [High Holy Days]

General Beliefs

The Danaan deities promote the divinity of creation, the prowess of the warrior, women's equality with men and the communion with earth, sea, sun, and moon and despise kin-slaying, murder, harming a guest in the house and breaking an oath.  In Danaan tradition, no one of Danaan faith may cause harm to fall upon a Druid or Bard.  Those that do often find themselves marked and exiled or summarily executed by their townsmen.  Such offenders are likely to incur the wrath of the Church and may find themselves under a curse or geas to atone for their transgression.  Likewise, a Druid or Bard is forbidden from spilling the blood of a fellow Danaan.  Only those of equal station are permitted to inflict injury on a fellow member of their class.  Clerics are the exception to this custom; acting as agents of their deity, they may mete out violent punishment in both the ecclesiastic and secular realms.  [Top]

Church Structure

The gods of the Danaan pantheon are fairly tight-knit as far as divine entities go.  They work well together and care immensely about their worshippers and the sanctity of their world.  This familial closeness is reflected in church structure, with one Druid and a handful of Clerics providing for the religious needs of a small region, called a diocese, usually no larger than a barony.  It is common for Clerics and Druids with varying patron deities to share a church.  Druids officiate at ceremonies and rituals on High Holy days, while Clerics act as divine liaisons to the populace and assistants to the parish Druid.  Bards are also considered part of Danaan clergy and are often responsible for keeping the lore of a parish and providing hymns during worship.  [Top]

Ecclesiastic Ranks

Archbishop – a Druid who oversees several dioceses.

Bishop – a Druid who oversees a diocese, which includes several parishes.

Reverend – a Cleric who oversees a church

Deacon – a Cleric who assists at a church 

Clasbron churches tend to be humble buildings made mostly from rough stone and are beehive shaped.  Larger Clasbron churches found only in the largest cities reflect the same sort of building design, but are more elaborate and made from fancier material.  The churches are decorated to reflect the season it is currently in which starts on each of the High Holy Days.  Druid groves are a sort of natural cathedral, chosen and maintained to reflect the Druid’s patron deity.  [Top]

High Holy Days

The Clasbron have four days a year they hold as High Holy Days:  Samhain, Imbolc, Beltain, and Lughnassadh. 

Samhain is the celebration of the Clasbron New Year, though it technically falls in the middle of autumn.  The day is dedicated to the deity Arawn, god of Death.  On this day, many portals between Arawn’s kingdom and the realm of the living are opened.  It is dangerous to be out Samhain night, since the dead roam the countryside.  Church services are held shortly before sundown, after which the Clasbron hold a somber dinner in their homes.  Afterward, most Clasbron hold festive wakes in their homes in remembrance of their ancestors.  Mortal servants of Arawn go from home to home asking for donations so that they may pay tribute to their “King”.  Those who do not give according to their station are often later visited by misfortune.

Imbolc is the celebration of the end of winter and is dedicated to the fire goddess, Brigit.   On this day, the Clasbron clean their homes and light candles to represent the purification of Brigit’s fire.  Large feasts are held in Clasbron homes where people bring whatever food they have remaining from their homes to share with their neighbors and leftovers are divided evenly and sent home with each family.  Clasbron nobility often open up their manors to the peasantry on this day. 

Beltain is a festival celebrating the return of cattle to the fields and the coming of summer.  Bonfires are lit in honor of Belenus, the god of the Sun, for whom the day is named.  Attendees dance around a standing stone asking Belenus for fertility for themselves and their newly planted crops.  Beltain festivals usually serve as a meeting place for merchants, and many marriages (as well as the consummation of those marriages) are held as well. 

Lughnassadh, named after Lugh, the god of Light and Excellence, is held to celebrate the beginnings of the harvest.  In the morning, criminals would be taken out and set inside the Wicker Man, a prison made of straw in the shape of a man.  A tournament is held in honor of Lugh, with the winner of the most contests named “Corn King”.  The Corn King has the right to decide whether to set the Wicker Man ablaze or to release the prisoners and grant them pardon.  In the evening, people participate in a feast of thanksgiving, begun with the ritual of the breaking of the bread. [Top]

Class Preferences

Danaan Pantheon