The Huntress, Lady of the Woods (Ancient Tuana: [/ˈhʌntrəs/])

"Elvish Goddess of Hunting, Survival, Death and Dreams."

᚛ᚃᚐᚏᚐᚇᚔᚅᚓᚅ᚜ (a.k.a. "The Horned One")

Lady of the Hunt, Mistress of Death

"Our Mother of the Woods bequeathed us with tenets by which to live, and to stray from these tenets would mean our doom. Always trust the rivers, beware the boughs of the woods, take what can be taken, and war for what must be protected. Never let ourselves be seen, never leave any tracks behind, always trust the shadows of oak trees and favour pines during the winter. Like a mother wolf leading her pack, she will guide us through the bleakness of the night, and we must follow lest we be cast away like limping pups."

- The Disciple of Survival.

Overview:

The Huntress is the most renowned of the "Llys adh Edel", as her Disciples (both children and students of her teachings) have worked arduously to keep the memory of her faith alive. These teachings are given unto Astòr - Druids of the Old Gods - and chieftains who take sworn an oath of adoration and devotion to the Huntress. Despite memories of her having faded since the Flood, she remains the patron Goddess of wild An Edel, woodland dwelling An Glamhoth and Wilder People in general.

The Huntress' Disciples:

The Huntress' Disciples are believed to be her children and students, who took over the mantle of guiding An Edel after the Goddess of the Hunt faded away. It is said that they number six, though heretics add a supposed seventh Disciple. Many chieftains of great tribes claim ancestry to one of these Disciples. These are the Disciples of: Strength, Survival, War, the Woods, Sacrifice, Dreams, and Death. The apocryphal disciple is never named, however is known as 'Treachery', implying that though the Otherfolk are honourable, valuing strength and might, they will always be ready to betray their kind to save their skins. According to many Wilder People, this is a disgusting lie.

Lost Knowledge & Methods of Worship:

It is important to emphasise that though she is most worshipped throughout the woodlands, the methods of her cult and faith are widely unknown even to Astòr. The names and practices of the Elvish Gods have faded into myth and legend despite their ministers' best efforts. What we know of her cult comes from Astòr who were then forbidden to record any of their knowledge in written form. It is widely believed by scholars that this lack of official records has led to drastic misinterpretations of the Old Faith and inevitable loss of knowledge. Nevertheless, the cult of the Huntress remains the only active worship of the Old Faith of An Edel, and gives us a glimpse into the daily lives and ways of the past. The Huntress is worshipped by proxy, through sacrifices and offerings made to her children/disciples in hopes that they might intercede in the faithful's behalf. Amongst the Clans, the Huntress is often spoken of in fear or dread, for she represents the lingering power of the Hegemony, as well as the dark unknown of the wilds. (She sometimes is referred in folktales as 'the Witch'.)

Divine Domains

Of Her Titles and Interpretations

Lady of the Woods:

What we know of the Huntress, as her cult and worship is still active within the forest-holds of Thencalaad and Thenkewenigg, is that she is the elvish goddess of nature and the woodlands. Her teachings emphasise survival, and strength of the tribe above all other things, making her a favorite goddess of the Wilder People. Many stories tell of her as a woman who knew the ways of the woodlands and wilds, and guided her people and Court wisely. Of the stories that are passed on, she often looked upon with reverence and fear, jealously her children and their homes. Whilst harsh, she is rarely unjust, and sees that those who uphold her teachings are rightfully rewarded in bounty, and honour.

Huntress of Souls:

Through her Disciples, the Huntress is honored as a goddess of the afterlife for many hunters and forest dwellers. Though known mostly to Astòr, it is said that woodland folk who are slain during hunts or at war rejoin her ghostly trail in death. It is often every warrior's hope to follow her, for it is preached that during the night this host of hunters track, bind and slay the many foul creatures and abominations that haunt the night, such as undead, nightmares, spectres and wronged spirits. Through a rightful death, free of cowardice and weakness, huntsmen can ride alongside the Disciples to protect their families and tribes for eternity.

Herald of Dreams:

The Six Disciples claim that when the Land was restored, the Huntress showed to her descendents how to survive, and how best to rule themselves in the absence of the Courts. Many claim to be guided in their dreams by visions of hunting, or omens gifted to them throughout the night. These dreams are interpreted as messages of the Huntress and her children to An Edel. Many Astòr have for purpose to help their faithful interpret these dreams, and it is a crucial component of their training, to know in which manner one must conduct oneself in the waking world. In many ways, alongside this dream-guidance ('treoir-aisling'), the Huntress still takes care of her people and ensures they are safe. Astòr consider her as the goddess of dreams.

'The Horned One':

This is the title given to the Huntress when in times of strife, famine and horror. Often attributed to her depictions on Lachlanna, and to the way the Clansmen see her as 'the Witch', it is usually how she is spoken of when some great calamity befalls the Wilder People. The Horned One is the embodiment of the dangers of the woodlands, and the rage of the forest. It is less a domain, more so a state of being, and the one many warriors call upon as they enter a rage-like trance. The Horned One is also associated to death and the spirits of the Woods, such as the Stag, whom she is often engraved as riding or in companionship of.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Depictions:

The Huntress is often depicted on large Lachlanna, surrounded by smaller standing stones - numbering six or seven - with each one of her Disciples. She bears a stag antlered helm, and a woven armor of roots and stone. Usually in her hands, she holds a spear, a bow or a sword, and around her are depictions of the spirits of the Stag, Bear and Hare. Sometimes she is riding the stag like a mount, to show her dominance over death and survival, other times the Stag is not present, though she wears its skull like a helmet. Most Lachlanna devoted to the Huntress also have offering bowls at the feet of each Disciple as well.

The Disciples:

The Disciple of Strength will always wield an axe, and sometimes rides a wyvern.
The Disciple of Survival wears a cloak made from hare pelts, and wields a bow.
The Disciple of War wears a bear pelt, and carries a buckler and quiver of short spears.
The Disciple of the Woods wears the skull of a Stag, and is accompanied by one or two wolves.
The Disciple of Sacrifice carries a long bloody sickle, and wears a cloak of bird feathers.
The Disciple of Dreams wears three masks, one crying, one jovial, the other enraged.
The Disciple of Death is sat on a horse, pulling a carriage behind him it.
The Disciple of Treachery holds a decapitated head, and his visage is always blank.

Divine Classification

Power, Divine Soul, Ascended Deity, Dead Deity

Religions

• Llys adh Edel

Current Location

Lachlanna, Standing Stones of the Old Gods

Species

An Edel - The Race of the Elves.

Realm

The Grim Vale

Church/Cult

Astòr - Druids of the Old Gods

Age

Ancient

Circumstances of Birth

Unclear

Circumstances of Death

Faded away

Eyes

Viridian green

Hair

Long white hair

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale, ghostly and translucent

Height

Said to be over 5 meters tall.

Related Myths

• The Tale of the Moon-Thief

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"The wyvern does not leave its roost to abase itself at the lion's claws.
A skilled hunter would make his own advantage, why has the lion not done so?"

Credit to: Brad Derrick