Mósdr

Mósdr
Several examples of the SYLGYA sigil, one of the oldest Mósdrist symbols.
Classification	Namuno-Ethian, Ethian branch
Scripture	Various, most importantly Ar Furmwth
Theology	Polytheistic
Language	Elder Phyrean, Literary Phyrean
Territory	Phyrea
Origin	1200 BNB Phyrea
Separated from	Proto-Namuno-Ethian religion

The Mósdr (Phyrean: or Fósdr "the myths") or Mósdrism is the main religion of Phyrea and a prolific religion around the Orddonach. It is a polytheistic religion, one of the oldest that are still practiced in the modern day, with a rich set of myths and venerative practices. Adherents may venerate gods and spirits specific to their own needs or practices, alongside with the supreme god of the day and life Lwfan.

Core motifs and tenets

Androcentrism and phallocentrism

Mósdrism places a high value on being assigned male at birth, and thus on the possession of a penis, a motif it shares with upper phyrean religions such as the religion of the Asconians and the non-namuno-ethian Khot religion (which originated this motif in the area). This applies to both para-genders, which means that both a male riadarth and a male myllur are seen as good examples of men in their own right, and are thus granted higher priority in culture and practices than their female counterparts.

Onomastic deities

A large part of day-to-day worship of the Mósdrist gods includes the building and nurturing of small, private shrines within a house to a god "of a name," ergo the god presiding over the family line. Some major gods preside over a few family names, but this is rare and usually reserved for large and prestigious families (such as Lwfan presiding over the Cwallgun clan). Smaller families may only have deified ancestors or small deities and spirits to venerate instead.

Iconography and art

Examples of the classical phyrean art style, depicting gods Ffion and Lwfan.

Icons such as statues of the major Heulian gods are commonplace around major cities and small towns alike. These often depict their more well-known deeds, or the gods watching protectively over something. Some may even serve practical purposes. For example, small statues depicting the gods of the winds gesturing towards points of interest are a common sight along roads and paths.

Classical Mósdrist art tends to adhere to the now stereotypical Phyrean art style, influenced largely by the Asconian style, in turn derived from Khot art. It uses swirling lines, seldom straight ones, bodies facing forwards with heads looking to the sides, and a great emphasis to body features deemed “virile.” This includes exaggerated muscles, especially those of the arms and chest, and sexual characteristics. Phalli were also given a good amount of attention in classical art, as were depictions of sexual intercourse, both homosexual and heterosexual.

More modern Mósdrist art, in contrast, tends to be much less iconographic, making use of realistic proportions and lifelike depictions of the deities. Nevertheless, phallocentrism continues to be a very prominent artistic convention, although depictions of sex often become more implied than explicit.

Gods

Mósdrists believe in the existence of many gods, the highest of which being twin gods Lwfan and Afan. Scholars through the ages have taxonomised these deities into six categories: the foregods, the Heulians, the Rowffians, the middle gods, the heroes, and various minor sprites and creatures.

Foregods

The flag of the Anidonian Union, showcasing a traditionally styled Anidun.

The foregods are primordial entities that contributed to the process of the cosmos' birth.

• The two lights, Gwen and Llul, which existed before everything and for a time accomplished the functions of the sun and moon. They were the foster fathers of the primordial twins, granting them the legendary weapons Gwerthórw and Llebarth, but eventually came to kill each other, becoming the white and blue wanderers.
• Heffoell is the colossus of the oceans, and Anidun the female colossus of the land, both born from Llul and Gwen respectively.
• The Nwyd was a being born from the nothingness before existence itself, often depicted as a man of gargantuan size. Upon realising that he existed, he vomited his bowels out, which became the supreme twin gods Lwfan and Afan. The Nwyd's spirit then separated into Hywd and Rowffeu, the morning and night sky-oceans respectively. Hylár, born from the body of the Nwyd, became the father of all fearsome monsters. A beast of tremendous size appearing like a wolf-like dragon, he was blinded and then cast into the Rondwn by Lwfan and Afan, leaving it to eat the souls of the wicked. Mósdrists believe that he will ultimately escape the Rondwn and threaten to eat the cosmos, but will be defeated by the children of the twin gods and give way for a new realm.

Heulian gods

The Heulian gods reside in the Heul Holl, and are one of two groups of important gods, led by Lwfan. These are:

• Lwfan, supreme heavenly god of life, the sun, the day and the hunt. Born from the bowels of the Nwyd, the primordial god, with his twin Afan, he’s the first of the kings of all gods. He’s commonly depicted as a broad man with somewhat exaggerated masculine features, and some art includes a sun-shaped halo behind his head. He’s usually naked, though sometimes wearing a long cape characteristic of a riadarth. He’s responsible for giving life to all living beings and taking care of them during the day. During the night, he holds plentiful banquets (full of offerings given to him by mortal devotees) with the gods and the souls of the righteous, while his twin Afan takes care of protecting the living in his stead. Epithets of Lwfan include:
  • Lwfan Hwyrgun, "Firstborn Lwfan," as the firstborn of the supreme twin gods,
  • Lwfan Neninyfer, "All-father Lwfan," as the father of all living beings,
  • Lwfan Theul, "Sun Lwfan," as he resides in the sun,
  • Lwfan Naemon, "Lwfan-Naimon," as a syncresis with the supreme Khot god Naimon, depicted as much more lustful, sometimes alone with just his penis everted, or more often in sexual relations with men and women alike in his heavenly palace. Early depictions of Lwfan-Naimon show him sporting a pair of horns, though this was often replaced with a crown with horn-like spikes during the pre-modern era, an aftereffect of clúnath persecution during the time,
  • Lwfan Corarth, "Hunter Lwfan," as the god presiding over hunting.

• Moddyn, patron goddess of all women, childbirth, marriage, the arts, the white morning star, and a wife of Lwfan. She was molded from the shed body of the Gwen, and presides over the Heul a Nowth as queen.
• Breddyn, goddess of love, lust and fertility. She was conceived from the rays of the sun that hit Anidun, and she emerged fully grown from a cave. She's known for being the mother of several deities and spirits on account of her many escapades with gods and mortals.
• Ffion, god of beauty, youth, wheat and the patron of myllur. He’s the son of Lwfan and Breddyn, although in some myths he's born of a virgin birth. He's particularly interesting in that his veneration seems to have been, for a time, very widespread. The mysteries of Ffion, what scholars call his mystery cult during the classical era, is a testament to this, a secretive movement of myllur who desired more freedoms and protected those who were being mistreated by their riadarths.
• Bwffur, the pastoral god, child of Lwfan and Anidun, presiding over husbandry, livestock and crops. He's the twin brother of Sbrydur and is sometimes referred to as Bwffur Bwn "herder Bwffur."
• Brwyddach, god of smithing, work, battle tactics and war, and the firstborn son of Lwfan and Moddyn. He's often called upon by artisans and manual labourers, and his domain over smithing has lost much of its meaning in the modern day. Nevertheless it is still the first association many people make with him.
• Celyn, goddess of memory, thought, history and unmarried female youths, and the secondborn daughter of Lwfan and Moddyn. She is a virgin goddess who is often called upon to watch over young women.
• Pyrarth, god of priests, luck, medicine and health, and the thirdborn son of Lwfan and Moddyn. He represents the church and its devotees, and is often called upon for faith and health.

Rowffian gods

The Rowffian gods reside in the Rowff Holl, and are the second group of highest gods, led by Afan. They include:

• Afan, supreme chthonic god of death, the moon and the night, and the second king of all gods. He was the second to be generated from the Nwyd. He’s depicted much like his brother, Lwfan, as a broad and muscular man with exaggerated masculine features. However, he’s also commonly coloured darkly to represent his rule over the night, and to differentiate him from his brother. He’s usually depicted clothed, or at the very least hiding his genitals, representing the modesty to be had in times of mourning. A moon-shaped halo is also sometimes drawn behind his head. He’s responsible for taking care of souls in the afterlife during the day and the living during the night, and does not concern himself with his brother’s banquets. Epithets of Afan include:
  • Afan Hyforgun, "Secondborn Afan," as the second-born of the supreme twin gods,
  • Afan Neninriffiod, "Last-father Afan," as the protector of dying souls and those who live in the night,
  • Afan Mnalyd, "Moon Afan," as he resides in the moon,
• Hysdoniol, the virgin boatwoman who guides the ship that brings dead souls to the Rowff a Nowth. She was molded by Afan from Llul's corpse. She is often depicted fully cloaked, with an opaque veil, in funerary attire, holding a large urn.
• Lowyrn, god of wines, illusions, hallucinations, patron of riadarths, and a trickster. He's Afan's second creation from Llul's corpse, sometimes his lover, and Ffion's second husband. Devotees of Lowyrn regularly hold festivities centered around alcohol and the drunken stupor that it creates, usually potentiated with psychoactive and hallucinogenic plants.
• Sbrydur, twin brother of Bwffur and therefore a child of Afan and Anidun. He's the god of sacrifices, deific worship, the stars and divination. His image is often etched onto the altars where livestock is sacrificed.
• Gorwddach, god of war in its negative aspects, wrath, strife and weaponry, and a son of Afan and Breddyn. He's a popular deity among the armed forces, although historically Mósdrists had a tendency of avoiding calling his name.

Middle gods

The middle gods are deities that interact with and hold a similar status as the Heulian and Rowffian gods, but do not reside in the Heul Holl for various reasons.

• Rént, Hefab, Ffónt and Hefen, the gods of the north, west, south and east winds respectively, are considered important gods of the path and direction, protecting travelers and merchants. They were generated from the breath of Hywd.
• Benth, Hwynth and Collth, goddesses of the rivers, lakes and seas respectively, were all born from Heffoell and Anidun. They are commonly depicted on boats and ships.
• Jar, the wilderness god of beasts, forests, plants and agriculture, a child of the taboo union between Breddyn and the Hylár. Sometimes referred to with the epithet Huwnfarth ("half-wolf") on account of the monster who sired him. He is the king of Bydagrawgwyr, often depicted in the nude and represented as lustful. His constant sexual escapades have made him sire the vast majority of forest beings and spirits.

Heroes

The heroes are often half-god mortals known for their heroic deeds.

Minor deities

There exist several minor deities and spirits that preside over family names, specific rivers, or pester and inconvenience people.

Cosmology

Mósdrists believe in the existence of seven realms, collectively called the Ffryddyd, divided into three hollow spheres. One is the mortal sphere, called the Niddyd, with two mortal realms, one outside, one inside. The Dwynbyr encases the mortal sphere, divided through the middle into two day-heavens, the Nigeul, and two night-heavens, the Nirowff, one of each covering the inner surface while the other two lie inside the sun and the moon. The third is the smallest of the three, located inside the Niddyd, called the Theulffod. All realms have a king, three appointed by Lwfan and three by Afan.

Niddyd

The Thydoched ("middle soil"), ruled by the earth goddess Anidun, is the outer side of the Niddyd, where mortals dwell. Note that "mortal" here also includes minor spirits living amidst people or in the wilderness.

The Bydagrawgwyr (a contraction of [thyd] byd a grawgwyr or "soil beyond the hills") is a hidden mortal realm entered through openings in the hills, ruled by Jar. It is a reflection of the Thydoched, whose mountains become valleys here. It is cast in perpetual night on account of being in the hollow side of a sphere, its only light being the very dim outer shell of the Theulffod.

Dwynbyr

Nigeul

The Nigeul ("two heavens") is comprised of two day-heavens, the Heul a Nowth ("heaven of people") on its inner surface and the Heul Holl ("high heaven") inside the sun. The Heul Holl is the abode of the Heulian gods, supervised by the supreme god of the day Lwfan. No other soul may enter this heaven unless summoned, and tales of unrighteous mortals entering the Heul Holl usually end in them being tortured for eternity. The Heul a Nowth, whose queen is Lwfan's wife Moddyn, is instead where the souls of the deified and righteous rest. The entirety of the sky is said to be a massive ocean, and the Heul a Nowth lies around the sun, which covers the Heul a Nowth with its light, making it impossible for mortals to see through it.

Nirowff

The Nirowff ("two nights") is comprised of two night-heavens, sorted in the same way as the realms on the Nigeul. The Rowff Holl ("high night"), located within the moon, is secondborn Afan's realm, where the Rowffian gods reside. Its entrance is located in the centre of the moon, the surface of which holding the Rowff a Nowth ("night of people"), supervised by Hysdoniol. The rest of the night sky is, like the diurnal sky, a giant ocean, upon which are scattered the stars and wanderers (planets).

Theulffod

The Theulffod ("dim sun") lies within the Niddyd, acting as the "sun" of the Bydagrawgwyr. From the outside, it appears to be a very dim sphere. Inside, however, is the Rondwn ("cold land") a cold hell where those who have been unrighteous or have made some major transgression (like murder, for example) suffer an eternal freezing winter. Within this sphere lies the giant blind monster Hylár.

Mythology

Cosmogony

Mósdrists believe that the cosmos was born 124.416 cycles ago, when the two original lights Gwen and Llul generated Anidun, the land, and Heffoell, the ocean, respectively. They remained still for 937.712.994 cycles until the Nwyd was born from the nothingness, then realised it existed, and promptly vomited out its viscera. The Nwyd's spirit became the morning and night skies, Hywd and Rowffeu, its corpse the beast Hylár, and its viscera the twin gods Lwfan and Afan. These would be guided to safety and raised by the lights, which by this point had collapsed into celestial bodies. Gwen, which acted as the sun, favoured Lwfan, while Llul, acting as the moon, favoured Afan.

Both of them were in conflict since each believed their own foster child to be the superior one. To solve this, they made a bet, where the young gods would have to defeat the Hylár, and whomever managed to kill it would have to kill the other. To aid in this, both lights created weapons: Gwen created the Gwerthórw, a battle axe made of white silver which could grow in size, while Llul created the Llebarth, a lance of blue gold that sprouted thorns through its victim’s veins. Having been given their weapons, Lwfan and Afan attempt to kill the Hylár, but are unsuccessful on account of the beast's impenetrable skin and retreat to a cave for the night. As they're planning new strategies, Anidun takes the form of a young woman and informs the twins that the Hylár's eyes are his weak spots. Both of them then make love to her. Now with her advice, the young gods go on to pierce the right eye of the Hylár, and it retreats to the hills and into the Bydagrawgwyr.

The twins follow the beast, and Lwfan grows the Gwerthórw big enough to catch it under its weight. They both then drive the Llebarth into its left eye, which causes it to sprout its thorns and severely injure–but not kill–the Hylár. With the beast now incapacitated, Anidun reveals herself once again to encase the Hylár inside a gigantic cocoon of gravel and mud within the Bydagrawgwyr, which becomes the Theulffod. When Lwfan and Afan return to the outside, they find that Gwen and Llul have killed each other, as neither of them knew who had defeated the Hylár, and their hearts became the white and blue wandering stars in the firmament.

Anidun, now having fallen into a deep darkness, guides the twins to her highest peak, mount Thyrmyddeg, so that they may ascend to the skies above. Lwfan takes the morning half, Hywd, and Afan takes the night half, Rowffeu. Both of them then create the sun and the moon from the bodies of their former foster parents, the remaining material being used to create helpers for themselves. Lwfan molds himself a wife, Moddyn, who shortly had their first child, Brwyddach. Afan, instead, molds himself both a man, Lowyrn, and a virgin maiden, Hysdoniol. Back on the surface of Anidun, the rays of the sun cause plants to grow, amidst which are born the twin gods Bwffur and Sbrydur, and from a cave comes out a fully adult Breddyn, who brings the former to Lwfan and the latter to Afan.