Triparié

General introduction

The Triparié, which translates to 'three parturients' are the three goddesses of fertility, agriculture and plant growth. They are a mother, Créta, representing the fertile soil, Genimena, her first daughter, representing sprouting and budding and lastly the second daughter, Farrinia, who represents the treasures of agriculture, grain and crops.

Depending on status and occupation, the Triparié play either a minor or a major role in worship for individual people. They are, as a triad or as individual deities revered and given sacrifices by farmers and landowners living of their properties, but also by slaves, hoping for good harvests and accident-free growing and harvesting seasons. As a triad they play an important role in the state cult and are celebrated especially in the Pompa revoris in Tarrabaenias capital Savína.

Connections to the rest of the Tarrabaenian pantheon

Créta and her daughters are not part of the core pantheon of Tarrabaenia, but are indeed ancestral goddesses of the Tarrabaenian people. This is obvious by their widespread cult and their acceptance in all strata of society. Also the fact that a pompa is held to honour them, that is an institution so old, that its origins cannot be traced through the mists of time, is a proof of rather than a hint to their cults old age.

Festivals in honour of the Triparié

The most important festival of the Triparié as a tried takes place annually in Savína and is an integral part of the cult of the state. For this festival the Germantá arúré makes a pompa called the Pompa revoris. It is held every year at the beginning of spring, roughly when the frost season ends and fields are being prepared for sowing and planting.

There is also a festival at the summer solstice that is celebrated all over Tarrabaenia. It is not dedicated to the Triparié alone, but they play a major role as forces of nature connected to the circle of the year. Other gods worshipped are the moon dieties Siderar and Elenia, but especially Fernus, the sun god, as it is the day where he parades the longest.

Otherwise smaller festivals or sacrifices for the individual goddesses are being held everywhere across Tarrabaenia at all kinds occasions: sewing of specific crops, that are popular in an area, harvests, general prayer festivities to ensure the growth and well-being of crops and so on. Also individual families sometimes organise small festivities to show gratitude, especially after good harvests.

Appearance in art, myths and literature

Their widespread veneration has made the Triparié a common motive in different media. The oldest appearance of one of the three, Genimena, stems from a small stone carving found to the North close to an old altar. Its upper half is missing, but the slender legs of a woman clad in a long, flowing garment dancing or posing in a field of flowers are visible as well as part of a cartouche to the lower left, where the letters <..NEM.NA> are still discernable. This carving must stem from the very early years of the arrival of the Tarrabaenians in this area.

Later on stone carvings but also relief bricks become more frequent and show either Créta, Genimena or Farrinia as individual entities or as the Triparié. Also for most of the festivities celebrating the triad cloth made of vegetal fibres like flax, linen or in some rare cases cotton are made bearing the likeness of the mother and her daughters surrounded by the gifts they are believed to bestow upon the people. These cloths are used to wrap donations or objects used for sacrifices like pots, knives or ladles. They are very colourful as to underline the variety of fruit and flowers they let grow and bloom everywhere.

Furthermore the mother and daughters are also part of literature. The most well known record is part of the Pervícia of Nabilius Varius Finéqius. The author describes, how the seasons came to be, creating a myth involving Genimenas absence during part of the year. This part, of course, is winter, as nothing sprouts and buds in winter.