Rontras Prayers, Holy days and Saints

Rontran Prayers

There are many common prayers used by sowers and worshipers of Rontra, and part of a sower’s training is learning the hundreds, if not thousands, of traditional invocations that have been written over the years. One of the first they learn is the prayer of sowing. This is invoked by farmers during planting seasons to help ensure the strength and fertility of the soil.

The Sowing Prayer This last stanza of the Sowing Prayer is commonly used by farmers to ask for Rontra’s blessings in their endeavors. Many say it almost absent-mindedly, as a common invocation.

“Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer. With these humble hands I till the soil, Prepare the earth for the seeds of life. “Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer. I place each seed within your embrace And ask that you welcome each into your arms. “Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer. As Eliwyn grew within your life-giving bosom, So, too, I pray that my seeds will grow. “Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer. As I water the earth in due time And tend the crops with loving care, May your blessings be upon the land.”

Holy Days

There are three main holy days of the Church of Rontra: the Fertility Festival, the Sowing of Seeds, and the Harvest Festival. Depending on the church and its locale, each holy day or period takes on more or less significance. For example, the Sowing of Seeds and the Harvest Festival are very important to farmers, while the Fertility Festival might have a greater significance in cities.
The Fertility Festival
This festival takes place on the first day of spring. This is normally an all-day affair to celebrate the end of winter, along with the hope and life promised by the coming spring. Most farming villages shut down during this day as everyone gathers in the town square to eat, play games, and attend services to honor Rontra. The young test themselves with physically rigorous activities to prove they are ready to be adults. In more “civilized” areas, the Fertility Festival is an excuse for a day of revelry. The test of adulthood is often reduced to showing off one’s prowess with a sword or bow, or besting someone at a game of chance .
The Sowing of Seeds
The Sowing occurs at the start of the planting season. This roughly coincides with the months of March and April in a real-world calendar, depending on the climate of your campaign world. During this holy day, members of rural communities attend services at the local foundation to ask Rontra to bless the coming planting. It is customary on this day for each farmer to plant a young sapling to repay and honor Rontra for her annual gifts of crops. Devout farmers protect their trees with religious zeal, often hiding them away in secret groves.
The Harvest Festival
This weeklong affair occurs during the harvest full moon, which would roughly coincide with October on a realworld calendar. The festival gives thanks to Rontra for the gift of the harvest, and is an opportunity for farmers to celebrate the successful completion of another season. The occasion is marked with daily worship, followed by contests that award prizes for agricultural products, such as the best pie, the biggest pumpkin, or the sweetest corn. Dancing is also popular, and many a barn is lit up and cleared to make room for the revelers. The long, hard winter is ahead, and this festival allows the people to enjoy themselves before its struggles begin. This is a favorite holy day among halfling worshipers of Rontra. In mining communities, this festival refers to a harvest from the rocky depths, and is celebrated with displays of precious stones and metal from prized lodes.

Saints

The Rontran Church has one famous saint, Marlessa, who established the foundations and has the ear of Rontra, but generally there are no universal rules for naming saints. After popular acclaim, a well-liked deceased person might be named a saint by the unanimous judgment of a body of prelates. They are normally known only to the local area foundations where they lived and worked. In most cases, saints were sowers or wardens who served the community and Rontra in some extraordinary way.On occasion, a member of the congregation who has made an incredible sacrifice for the church can also be so honored. The title of such a saint is normally her name followed by the phrase “Defender of the Earth” or “Protector of the Land,” based on the deed that resulted in beatification .

Type

Religious, Organised Religion