Traditional Elven Seldarinism

Although the Elven sub-races have many differences, they all share the worship of the same pantheon of deities headed by Corellon Larethian (with the notable exception of the Drow).   Though worship practices vary from sub-race to sub-race, the dogmatic principals and expectations of the deities on their worshippers remain the same. The Seldarine do not have a god of evil, and so Elves who have abandoned the good and noble ways of their ancestors oft times turn to the dark gods of the Drow, who honor the demon queen of spiders, Lolth, above all others.  However, one goddess of the Drow in particular, Elistraee, is worshipped by some good elves as the goddess of dance and darkness. 

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

General Beliefs

There are two sacred aspects of all Elven worship.  Chief among these sacred beliefs of the elves is the sanctity of nature.  So ubiquitous is this belief among the elves that there is not a Seldarine deity devoted to nature, as all the Seldarine view nature as an integral and irremovable element of elvish being.  All elves from birth are taught to revere and respect nature; even the debased Drow are taught reverence for their caverns out of fear of what the darkness holds.  The second sacred facet of elven religion is magic.  Every elf is taught that magic is part of their being; Elves do not use magic, Elves are magic.  This belief is often cited as the primary source of Elven snobbery.  Though not all Elves make practice of magic, they are quite aware of their capabilities to do so.  [Top]

Church Structure

Though the Seldarine hold Corellon as their chief, the worship of the pantheon generally has no structure.  A priest of Corellon holds no authority over a priest of Sehanine, for example.  An Elven priest, particularly one of experience, will take on an initiate or two to train in the ways of their deity, but this is generally the only time "obedience" is expected from a priest of lesser rank.  [Top]

Ecclesiastic Ranks

In Elvish religion, there is no real ranking system as each priest hold equal authority.  They do possess, however, honorific titles dependent upon the number of years as a priest..  [Top]

Initiate – 0-49 years

Priest – 50-249 years

High Priest – 250-499 years

Elder Pontiff – 500+ years  

Festivals

The Elves, being a people of nature, have yearly festivals they celebrate with the seasons.  Being long lived, Elves also have religious celebrations that are celebrated once in several years.

New Year for Elves is celebrated at the Summer Solstice.  They being celebrations five days before culminating in a festive celebration and then subsides over the five days after.  It is on New Year's day that the Elves believe that Corellon defeated the Orcish god Gruumsh and that the Elvish race was created.  In the days leading up to New Year, Elves hold tournaments of arms, war scrimmages and hunting contests.  On New Year's day, a feast is held among the whole community that lasts for the entire day, gifts are exchanged and the story of how Corellon defeated Gruumsh is told.  It is on this day that new warriors are given their weapons and new apprentices are taken.  Over the next five days, stories are told of the ancestors and as each ancestor's tale is reckoned, the community slowly splits off into clans, houses and then families.

Darkness Falling is the name Elves give to an Autumn festival celebrated four months after Summer Solstice.  The Fall of the Drow is remembered on this day, and elves are reminded of the consequences of pride, jealousy and thirst for power.  It is a somber time of reflection when each elf is asked to consider their deeds and whether those deeds were of benefit to their people.  Those that feel as if they have harmed anyone are encouraged to confess their transgression to the offended party and ask their forgiveness.  Though the offended party is not required to forgive the offender, there is tremendous social pressure to do so and withholding absolution may discourage the rest of the community from interacting with the callous individual.  After the harvest is taken in and the winter stores are filled, candles are lighted throughout the community and a shared feast is held.  After the meal, everyone returns to their home.  The most venerable elf among them begins a solemn dirge, and the melody spreads throughout the entire populace.  At the end of the song, all the candles are blown out and everyone turns in for the night.

Year's Dawning occurs four months after the Darkness Falling festival.  During this festival, the elves gather together to celebrate their survival through the winter months.  Mostly, however, this festival is a celebration of magic.  Many displays are made of magical prowess.  A magical weapon may be presented to a local hero or an ancient artifact may be exhibited .  This is the only annual festival where the celebrants will travel outside of their own communities.  Stories, news, and magical scholarship are traded and shared among travelers.  These travelers are hosted by those in the community they are traveling to and the more hosted, the more prestige is gained by the host family.

Gods' Day is a festival that happens only once every ten years.  It is held to celebrate the contributions of all the Elven deities to the Elves over the last decade.  For each deity, a cleric will lead the community in a prayer thanking that deity for all they have done.  In addition to the main deities, praises are also given to any local heroes or deities venerated by the elves.