Festival of Blessings

One of the festivals most looked forward to is the Festival of Blessing, overseen and celebrating the Gods Aspanara: Goddess of plants, plantings, of fertility, and bounty; Ebi: Goddess of the fields, grain, and Domestic animals. Patron of Festivals, wine, and beer' and Olizha: God of Foresight, storage, preservation, cooking and Travel.

Like everyone, we all clustered outside the city gate and along the procession route to Minu Tsaca's fields. Merchants strolled the outside hawking their wares- charms and tokens, small cups, fruits and nuts, cakes and cookies made flattering to the Gods and their domains. It began with the thunderous drum roll that settled into the marching beat of the procession. And from the gates came the drummers, then the Ochre priesthood tossing dried fruits and treats to the crowds or carefully handing small handfuls to the children who approached. Many tossed offerings into the shoulder carried buckets of an acolyte. The crowd sang and danced to the drums or sought favorite items, treats or holy objects from the sellers a foot or at stalls.

Ebi's Yellow priests and priestesses carried the bottomless Keg of beer, and the fertility statues that were rushed by followers seeking free beer, and blessings of fertility or sexual prowes and performance. Lolak, Quol and born men and women in revealing and suggestive outfits, many wearing Ebi's dildo or a maiden's long hair and costume - both among the priesthood and the crowds. Offerings again were cast to the priesthood while the singer performed the songs of worship. We laughed at their suggestive dances.

Then came the Green Lords and Ladies of Plenty- Olizha's servants with small buckets of sour pickles and the god carried on a palanquin. Many sought, ourselves included, to rub the God's fat belly for his blessing and good luck.

Behind them were more musicians with flutes, drum and stringed instruments. The people lining the processional way swept in behind and followed to the field to be especially blessed this year. It is understood that it is a blessing for all and seeks favor for the whole township, city and all the imperial lands and people. The festival field saw the procession split with Aspanara's bearing right, Ebi's going left and Olizha right again. The crowd poured forward to occupy the field and the festival started in earnest. Most stay at the field while the procession of the Holy Church heads back to the city. Laughter and joy amongst the crowds. Food and drink flow and are offered to the people, as well as sold by vendors. Lovers exchange cakes and cookies, while jesters make crude and suggestive jokes. So too do youth or those made merry by drink, make jokes while handling the symbols and tokens of the Gods, most especially Ebi's carved male and female parts. Musicians wander the crowds. Children run and sing, eating treats, and feeding or viewing livestock. Farmers examine what their fellows have on offer. Performers of various types stun and amaze the people with small plays, songs, acrobatics and other shows.

Amidst this came a roll of thunder from the sky and we beheld a golden cloud float over the field. The crowds quieted looking up at this vision. Upon this cloud was Ochre Aspanara, wrapped in a gown of living plants. Ebi themselves danced to the music and demanded the musicians play louder! Olizha stood laughing at the rear of the cloud, smiling and waving to the mass of people below. All three Gods appeared! Such blessings are almost unheard of! Many fell down prostrating themselves and made prayers while a significant number cheered and applauded, shouting thanks to the Gods who made gestures of blessing and beneficence. Them with another roll of thunder they were gone and we stood agape. The crowd burst into loud and eager talk revelling at the the manifestation of not just one, but all three Gods! Feeling so blessed the festival party celebration took off with increased vigor! People danced to the drums, ate and drank and celebrated into the night as bonfires were lit and performances and feasting continued into the night. Talk of the manifestation of the Gods brought almost everyone from the city and occupying the field and more. Well past moons rise we headed back to the city gates, stumbling and dragging drunk friends. Some will sleep in the field and be woken by arriving pilgrims seeking apart of the blessing bestowed here by the Gods themselves. Minu Tsaca made no complaint of the crowds trampling his land, but greeted everyone with smiles and joy.

History

The festival was born of the ancient practices of the Overlord Ebi who held feasts and orgies. The Overlord encouraged debaucheries and excess, sometimes extending to cruelty and slaughter. With the revolution and overthrow of the Overlords the Festivals were condensed and made less lewd. Aspanara was more of a cruel task mistress demanding high production from her dominion and sacrificed many to fertilize her fields and orchards. Olizha was actually a greedy hoarder of an Overlord that imposed heavy taxes and tributes that he hid away in massive storehouses and granaries.

The Order of Heaven was founded in the Kingdom period and formalized the theology and practices, cleaning up the excesses of the old Overlord worship with sanitized and refined places and duties of the Gods. The chucrh assigned the festivals and celebrations of these reformed Gods that replaced the Overlords that shared their names and had been the traditional subjects of worship. That the Gods manifested under their new incarnations, despite having been destroyed or imprisoned by the revolution caused confusion and fear in the early years, though Fae devils explained that these were Chimera created by the belief of the followers. The Church slept on this for several centuries before declaring this false and a Fae Hersesy, the new Gods were the Gods that had always been and the Overlords had been pretenders taking the names of the Gods.

Participants

The first of the festival procession are a few drummers that beat a rhythm of march.

Aspanara's ochre robed priests and priestesses are next in the procession with sheaves of grains and garlands with plaster fruits. They toss handfuls of shelled nuts and dried fruits to the watching crowds. Children may approach for a handful to be given to them. The priests maintain chants invoking the godess and her blessing of the crops and farmers. One acolyte will carry a pair of buckets on a pole across the shoulders. Offerings are supposed to be made into the buckets. The Ochre group leads the procession out, circles the field of the festival following a right-hand way clockwise, and then leads the festival followers back to the city gates.

Next come Ebi's priests, dressed in yellow. They may wear dildos or cross dress. They will surround platforms with four to six porters, carrying a keg of beer that will be used to fill cups of the procession or the audience. The Blessing of Ebi makes this keg to be constantly full. Behind the keg platform is a cart pulled by oxen with a singer performing prayer songs. Lastly are the erect penis and the vulva ritual statues carried on the shoulders of worshippers. It is considered lucky and aidful to fertility to touch these wooden carved statues. At the field of the festival, these circle to the left, counter clockwise - symbolic of Ebi's status as Godess of disorder constrained and in it's allowed place.

Last come Olizha's priesthood, the Lords and Ladies in Green. They bring a statue of the god on his millstone, either carried on a platform. Worshippers gain blessing by rubbing the bared god's fat belly or tossing coins into the platform. The Lords and Ladies will hand out pickles in the procession. The Green priesthood follows Aspanara's to the right and clockwise around the festival field.

Following the religious procession are musicians strolling and playing drum, flutes and stringed instruments. These will stop with other performers and many of the followers to enjoy the food and drink they have purchased or obtained. While being entertained by the performing musicians, acrobats and jesters. Livestock will be on display to buy.

Along the processional route (typically from a town/ city gate and out to the fields) vendors will sell food and drink. Small sipping cups for Ebi's sacred beer are sought, though many will bring large mugs or cups to the festival. Cookies or cakes shaped like grain sheaves, male and female genitals or the Fat God, or the symbols of the gods are sold and eaten. Likewise small charms of the dieties symbols are sold.

If one of the Gods manifests, that site is most holy and blessed and will be a place of pilgrimage for the next year.

Observance

Held at the spring equinox in anticipation of the growing season. Each year a different Festival field is selected from the loacla farms.