Silvanus, Guardian of the Wild

Title

Silvanus, the Green Man

Sphere of Influence

Nature, Wilderness, Fertility, Protection of Fields and Husbandmen

Symbol

A face carved of leaves or a tree growing wild

Alignment

Neutral

Origin and Worship

The god was Silvanus, and his very name seems to speak of the perfume of wild forest flowers. He was one of the most ancient gods; his origins are oldest of Anganach, in the role of tutelary of the guardian of woods and uncultivated land. Silvanus protected the forest and its wild and untamed beauty in nature; hence, Silvanus was a source of great joy. He was the god of plantations, and he rejoiced at the wild growth of the trees. He extends his guardianship to the fields and those who till it, assuring safety in boundaries and prosperity for the land.

Midwinter offering

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Offering for Future Harvests

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Rituals and Offerings

Rituals at key times for the cycle of the year, including the planting, growth, harvest, and fallow periods. So, the offerings for Silvanus are grapes, ears of grain, milk, meat, wine, and pigs, everything that regards fertility and that which the earth gives for life. "Sacred groves and wild gardens tended in his honor, where ceremonies assure fertility of the land and protection of crops and livestock against natural predators.

Doctrine

He teaches that people should live in the world together with nature and together build the world that has a balanced share of civilization and wilderness. He urges to save every wild place and its beings, as they are holy. And his followers do respect nature and look to live with the least possible consequences for their environment. Many of them take followers on to be rangers or even druids themselves and live lives with the wild at their very heart.

Summers Gathering

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Icon of The Green Man

Iconography

Silvanus is often depicted with a serene, leaf-carved face that embodies the spirit of the forest. Artifacts and temple reliefs of the god show him in scenes of untouched nature, with animals and wild vegetation. Sometimes he would have a shepherd's crook with him, to indicate the care given as a protector of the flocks and ward against wolves.

Cultural Significance

The Prelacy of Middenmark, and in a way, the Northern Reaches, both define relations with Silvanus—a bond that dates unbroken to the reverence for an immemorial nature. The faces of Silvanus were carved into trees or rocks, making talismans for good fortune in the wilderness. The high veneration of Silvanus has dropped with the rise of St. Ygg's worship, but there remained a valued place for him within the spiritual landscape, most especially among those who find solace and sustenance in the wilds.

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Relationship with Other Deities

This allows Silvanus to be so neutral that he can coexist with the pantheon of other deities in the region. His followers may share more in common with the worshippers of Arcantryl, in that they take some respect from knowledge and the natural order rather than being suspicious of the structured doctrine of St. Ygg.

Followers

Servants of Silvanus comprise not only druids and rangers who are looking for the defense of nature but also those whose livelihood is extracted from nature and live on the border of wilderness. They are the guardians of old groves, the keepers of wild gardens, and tread lightly upon the earth. May they indeed be emblematic of the balance Silvanus preaches. And so, the Green Man is the guard to this natural world, always reminding of that respect from the wild, which forever resides in the heart of humankind.

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