BOWYNN GODS: Tii Vadell

BOWYNN GODS: REYE

Reye  (Ray)  Reye is the Bowynn goddess of the hunt, the patron and guardian of wild animals and sacred groves. The name Reye is Bowynn for "rain" and thus she is also the goddess of gentle, life-giving, rain. She is the daughter of Amaetheon and Deanna and her consort is the bear god, Lomaun.

     The sacred stories of Reye are numerous, starting with her birth. Deanna gave birth to Reye while in the deep forest, which she was trying to convert to fertile farmland. But soon after the babe was born a fox dashed out and snatched baby Reye away. For months and years the gods hunted for the child and the fox. Eventually the immortal brothers Kord and Brand came to a small village in a forest and amongst the mortal villagers lived the, now child, Reye who was happily tending and talking to the domesticated farm animals and the fox that originally swiped her away. With a lot of persuasion, the brothers brought Reye back to the gardens of Alaway, where she was reunited with her parents. Her abilities and devotion to the wild and domestic animals granted her attributes to be their patron and protector. She was gifted a bow of yew by the god Herne and a mantle of fox hide by Myliea, the goddess of winter.

     Another sacred story describes Reye’s unconditional love for wild animals when she witnessed mortal hunters that struck down a cougar. Reye tried to comfort the animal, but the hunters drew close. She turned herself into a cougar to lead the hunters away. Once the slayers were lost deep in the woods, Reye returned to the dying cat and with her weeping tears saved the cougar from dying. (Artemis)

     One of the most beautiful of Reye’s scared tales is told in her creation of gentle rains. That’s she was so upset to see forests dying and sleeping each time it got too hot in summer. Lifting her face to the canopy of the forest she let out in song. The song lifted to the canopy and turned into rain. A rain that was able to nurture the forest and keep it from dying.

     While Reye is primarily a goddess that protects animals, she is also a protector of hunters as well; making sure they do not fall in traps or attacked by bears, cats and boars. She also makes sure a hunter hunts only enough to support his himself and his family. Reye condones sport hunters.

     Reye is seen as young woman or late in her teen years with traditional short blond hair and light-blue eyes. She is clad with a simple clothing of buckskin. In hand is often a bow and on her back a quiver of arrows. She is always seen with a fox at her side. Scared to Reye are reeds and cattails, hunting dogs, foxes and hooves animals such as the deer. In temples devoted to Reye, small trees are arranged in barrels about the floor to simulate the forest. A special offering to Reye is bowls and libations of rainwater, as well as life size votive images of foxes and deer.

BOWYNN GODS: PEDJED

Pedjed  (Ped-jet)  (Sometimes "Pedjedd" and 'Pedjett') Goddess of the 7th Gate of Daunnat, of peace, in the land of Daunnat.  Pedjed like the other Gate guardians of Daunnat are the children of Chumash and Kalma.

     As with all the gods of Daunnat, Pedjed is not an evil goddess, nor a goddess of judgment.  Her role is that of a guardian of Daunnat. She is the bestower of self-love to spirits, as no spirit can enter Daunnat without this virtue. However, it is common for the living to call to Pedjed who are in need of eternal. As goddess of the Gate of Peace, Pedjed is one of the 7 gods of the sacred septagram. She sustains from visiting Alaway, instead preferring to live and feast with the spirits and other gods in Daunnat.

     Pedjed has no known totem animal, instead always staying in his godly form. She is seen as a motherly goddess dressed in a long green robe with white trimmings. At times she is seen carrying a septagram tile and a horn which is blown when she allows a soul past her gate. It is said by the god Brand, Pedjed bears long brown hair and earthly green eyes.

     Sacred to Pedjed is the Septagram and riding blow horn. During funeral services, a bowl of milk is left to her, as customary and a statuette of the departed, so the god will recognize the departed’s soul, which is identical to his body.

QUESTION & ANSWER: NEW YEARS

QUESTION: Is The first day of November, (All Saint's Day) also New Years in the Bowynn Tradition?

ANSWER: No. Thats a Wiccan ideology. For us, New Years day is September 1st, called "Then Ohenn."

Blessed Winter Solstice

Blessed Solstice

Bowynn Gods: Owenn

Owenn  (Oh-when)  Owenn is the Bowynn god of healing, good health, surgery, recovery, medicine and herbalism and all other skills and attributes of mortal health. He is the patron god of Doctors, nurses, surgeons and those of the healing and health care professions. This includes shamans, druids, witch doctors and medicine men.

     Owenn was raised amongst the first tribes in childhood where he learned why people got sick and died. He was not a god but very much mortal. Owenn was one of those of the Great migration. And upon reaching Europe and settling in, he taught the first tribes of people the arts of medicine and healing and was beloved by all for his gifts. Sadly, on his travels, Owenn encountered a great snake, he was bit by the poisonous vermin and it was that which killed him. His body was found and cared for where he had fallen and a shrine was built in his honor. And yet, instead of the custom of cremating the body, the people found they could not carry out the task. Instead, the people wrapped his body in the most glorious of clothes and placed his body in the inner shrine. For 7 long months everyone from every tribe came to mourn Owenn’s tomb. Moved by this, the gods held a special council and answered everyone’s prayers. By Chumash and Kalma, with their grace and blessings, Owenn was resurrected as a god on the 7th day of the seventh month after his fall. He emerged from the shrine as a god and one of the Akua. In this form he has continued to bless mortals with his talents and divine gifts of healings.

Owenn and his 3 daughters of healing and health    

As a god and in time with the Akua, Owenn fell in love with a garden Kii and the couple had wed soon after. From their union, came forth three daughters who together were named "The Sisters." It is they who work with their father, Owenn, in his arts of healing. Not just for humans and the gods as well.

     As a god, Owenn is seen as a fully mature man, a father figure, with long teaming hair and thick beard. His head crowned with a copper circlet in the shape of a snake, symbolizing change from illness to health. Owenn’s demeanor is always gentle, never baring an ill word or hand to neither man nor animal. He is seen wearing a wayfarer’s robe of crimson and robes under that of various greens, representing the herbs he uses. His staff is wrapped with vines of herbs he uses in his healing brews. Often seen in his hand is a wood bowl which he makes medicine. In his totem form Owenn often appears in the form of a snake or frog, which is most sacred to him. Bowynn homes with altars and shrines to Owenn sometimes bare an image of a frog or snake with a coin in the mouth. Coins and herbs are the most divine of offers gifted to Owenn. Bowl bowls of herbs, clean water and incense are also the most common of gifts.

BOWYNN GODS: YORMELL

Yormell  (Yor-mel)  Mammoth god of the weather, wind, air and rain. He is the creation of Brea and the other gods of creation. In the time of the giants, before the Akua ruled the world, Yormell ruled over the winds and the weather. When the Akua took over the world and the wind gods took over. The 4 brothers of the winds felt sorry for old Yormell and so he became their eyes of the world and instructor as to where the winds should blow. And at time Yorell would help them out, stirring up the clouds to induce rain and storms. In the winter Yormell will assist the gods of winter Arn and Myliea in their travels across the world, making sure it's cold and snow is falling, creating winter wonderlands for the gods and mankind alike.

     Yormall is seen most of the time in his divine storm; that of an old man in white winter robes. In his hand he carries a staff that’s topped with a deer antler or a long mammoth tusk that is said to help provide snow. In his totem form Yormell appears as a white mammoth of great size. Sacred to Yormell is a milk libation, bowls of water, incense and wicker fans.

Bowynn Gods: Narna

Narna (Nar-nah) Goddess of the present, Narna is one of the three Ano Taya goddesses, born by the will of Bia. Her divine attribute is that of the present and is the goddess that weaves the tapestry of Life, helped by her sisters.

Narna presides over everything dealing with The Now, the Present, That what is. Adulthood,

     Narna is a goddess seen as a mother figure, with a veil, colored red, representing a woman’s menstruation period and the blood loss during birth. As like her sisters, Narna has no totem animals.

Bowynn Gods: Anhur

Anhur (An-her)  Anhur is King-Father of the gods, Son of Brea and Unthar. Anhur is the god of families, men, fatherhood, laws, virtues, courtrooms, justice and men’s rites.  Anhur is the son of Unthar and Brea. He is the ruler of the earth and considered king of the Gods in the Bowynn faith. Being the figure-head of all the Akua, he upholds law, justice and morals, and this made him the spiritual leader of both gods and mortals. His symbols are the scepter, the hawk, wolf and the Maple Tree. Ultimately, Anhur is the God of Councils and councilors. He is a patron to all men and men’s rites, rituals and initiations. He lends wisdom to fathers. He is the god-king of justice, law, order and all virtues. He is a god of protection, liberty and freedom. Anhur is protector and patron of the king and his family. As the supreme deity, Anhur oversees the conduct of civilized life.     

      When born, Anhur and his brothers Chumash and Tane were living in the Second Age. Back then the rulers of the gods were his parents, aunts and uncles. The three boys quarreled often to their parents, who of the three would end up ruling what realm of the earth. The gods sent them into contest with a bow and arrow. The rules were that wherever the arrow that each one of the boys shot would land, that would be the realm they would rule. Tane’s arrow landed in the sea and Chumash’s landed in on another continent where one day mortal spirits would make their home far across the western sea. Anhur’s arrow however landed in a tree. None of the gods could agree what the ruling would be for such a shot. The Great Creator Bia was asked to judge the shot and Bia ruled that the realm Anhur would rule was the earth and the air. And so Anhur’s Kingdom was gained

     Next Anhur set on his first great task; to attain his totem animal. He picked not just the wolf but the king of the wolves, Lankner. But Lankner refused to be treated as a Totem animal. This led to a great chase and battle between Lankner and the young Anhur. Eventually the chases and wrestling were too much for the king of wolves and his mortal body collapsed and died. Grief stricken, Anhur saved the soul of Lankner from entering Daunnat and thus not only obtained his totem but to this day, he is Anhur’s immortal hound. Not as a pet but as a brother.

     Anhur fell in love with the Goddess Rhya. But she refused his advances till he showed her his true love. by Rhya's request, Anhur built the great Hall of the Gods, Alaway. This was not to be a home for them to stay in all the time but a place to where all the gods would meet for evening meal and sleep. It was said that an oath was made with all the gods that no matter what friction was fused during the day between the gods, when they enter Alaway to eat, all differences were left outside. It took Anhur 7 days to complete Alaway alone, but its completed state would make it the grandest of all hallows. (see “Alaway”)

     Anhur in appearance does not come off as a king, as much as he is seen as a father figure. That is to say he seems to present himself as a man in his 40s. Fully bearded, crowned with a circlet, helm or a wreath of maple leaves and with a staff in hand. His hair is said to be golden brown and his eyes green. Often Anhur is seen with Lanker the immortal wolf, or a wolf himself. His clothes are that is a counselor, warrior or a king, but of earthen colors.

Embroidry & Paint of Chumash (left) and Anhur (right) - created by Ksandra Weldess - 2011

Bowynn Gods: Nyalla

Nyalla as The Cleanser, The Purifier and The Anointer

Nyalla  (Ny-ah-lah)   Goddess of ritual cleansing, bathhouses, sweat lodges, saunas, and hot springs. Nyalla is the daughter of Tane and Kauldra. Nyalla has also been named “Nyalla Noma” and “Nyalla Lhaunomaea” meaning “Lady of the Bathhouse.” Nyalla is also considered the goddess of meditative baths and meditation places in general. She is thought to not only protect the buildings but help the mortal body relax, cleanse and heal; physically and mentally. Through the steam of such places, Nyalla helps the body and mind lift away what ails it, clearing it of impurities and making it whole again. At the same time, she gives words of wisdom through meditation and the steam.

      Nyalla is said to “be the rising of the steam” and the “hot water, the cooling of the air, the scent of the herbs and oils and the opening of the mind.” Nyalla is also the goddess of smudging and cleansing rituals. Often, she is seen with Abbennaea, the goddess of offerings and gifts.

Myalla is not a three-fold or triple goddess, as there is no such concept in the Bowynn faith. She is however spoken of as having 3 distinct aspects: The Cleanser, The Purifyer and the Anointer. In a rare few times, she has none more title: The fumigator. All of these are distinct processes to cleanse the body and the mind. This Nyalla is also seen as a medicinal/healing goddess.

     There are few sacred tales of Nyalla. One of the few says that she was the one that blesses all of the goddesses of the Akua in sensual baths before they wed. That on the eve she blessed Rhya’s bath and cleansing, Rhya in turn gave he a vial of her own tears of happiness. And it is from this vial that Nyalla blesses all mortals with. It is also said that Nyalla was one of the many of the Gods of the Akua that spent the 7 sacred nights with the first tribes of mortals. During this time, she showed the women folk how to keep their bodies and minds clean. She showed them how to build and tend a Bath House in a scared manner, as well as how to properly use the bathhouse in a spiritual manner for omens and visions.

     Nyalla is seen a sweet young woman in rather simple clothing. She is said to be seen lingering around houses and spaces of meditation, where she is found gathering stones or wood for the fire or drawing water for the steam bath. In her godly form, she is seen as a young woman in simple clothes of reds and saffron colors. Her hair is said to be braided in many long rows, sometimes being tied up, sometimes hanging down. In her totem form, she is seen as a lizard or salamander

     Sacred gifts to Nyalla are incense blends, vats of water, vials of oil and votive images of lizards and salamanders. Sometimes a special offering of a poppet of the goddess is left for her.