Glorantha: Cult of Yelmalio Cult of Yelmalio originally published in Cults of Prax and Sun County This document is Copyright © 1998 Issaries, Inc. It may be freely linked to, and one copy may be printed for personal use, but any other reproduction by photographic, electronic, or other methods of retrieval, is prohibited. Table of Contents Mythos and History Other Notes Mythos and History Legend states that Yelmalio is the son of Yelm, the Sun. During the fighting between mortals who supported their gods he led his people from the warm lowlands, carrying high the magic and power of his father. Yelmalio was a commander and leader. He met and fought many beings for the cause of his father in the Gods War. But at the Hill of Gold he was disarmed by Orlanth, and then he was ambushed by Zorak Zoran, who stole his fire powers. The Son of the Sun fell and bled out his life-giving heat. His favored weapons of bow and sword fell also, and were absorbed into the knowledge of the whole world. During the Darkness Yelmalio's wounds did not deter his struggle. He joined with the Lord Elf and others to fight against the relentless approach of chaos. He survived, and greeted the rise of his father, the Sun, at the start of Time. Since that time, Yelmalio has lived in the mountains and hills, and even the staunchest Orlanth worshipper admits the presence of the Sun. The cult of Yelmalio is also called the Sun Dome Temple because it popularly includes worship of both Sun and sky (the "dome") in one. It is, in fact, the sun cult as worshipped by mountain people where the fiery orb is praised more for light than for heat. In lowland cultures it is normally the sky which is a source of light without heat, thus this god of light without heat is the "sky-sun", or Sun Dome. At the Dawning, the cult survived in elven strongholds and in Dragon Pass. A minor cult even then, it did not have a representative on the First Council, which guided the descent from the mountains to civilize Peloria. The cult came to the fore in fighting the horse barbarians of the lowlands, and the cult of the Son of the Sun became very popular as one of the many Light-oriented cults of Dara Happa during the Dawn Ages. In the Second Age, the cult fought dwarves everywhere, and spearheaded armies invading the mountain regions (reliving the enmity between Yelm and Orlanth). At the end of the Second Age, when all the lowlands united against the Empire of the Wyrms Friends, Yelmalio again led the fight. Many cult heroes were slain by the dragons in the Dragonkill War of 1100. Though its Dragon Pass temples were destroyed, the cult lived on among elves, and in Prax and Peloria. In the Third Age, the cult moved back into Dragon Pass at the request of the House of Sartar. There it restored some of the cosmic balance of the area and stabilized the kingdom for the ruling house. Both the Dragon Pass and Prax temples have proved relatively minor, though they have always been well-supported by their worshippers. The worshippers of Yelmalio anticipate descending to the mansions of Yelm, where the sun god stayed in Hell after his death at the hands of Orlanth. There, in the halls of eternal Light, they will find their final contentment. This is accomplished through many lifetimes of work, and true worshippers are willing to return many times to attain this. They will, in fact, even return to the same body, and in this way the cult practice allows resurrection. The dead of this cult are burned at dusk with smokeless fires if they have not risen after seven days. Services begin with a great mourning and the burning, then wine or beer follow, as do victory paeans and the call for the soul to join with the Sun. At dawn the sunrise is read for omens, and the ceremony concludes. The cult is connected with the Runes of Light and Truth (the torch of light and knowledge). Other Notes The Sun Dome Temples Throughout the entire region of southern Peloria in the Third Age, there are only fifteen operative Sun Dome temples. These temples are uniformly shaped, though they vary somewhat in size. They are always square-based with slightly tapering walls, and with a single huge staircase rising from the western side and going to the roof. Atop the roof is an immense dome sheathed with gold. Worshippers inside the temple can see through the gold and look upon Yelm during worship. The congregational priest leads the inside services, but the majority of the priesthood assembles atop the temple around the dome. Non-worshipers inside the temple or anyone who climbed the staircase to the top of the temple with unholy intent would be blinded for life, if not killed. See also: The Travels of Biturian Varosh: Three Blows of Anger Gods in Prax: Invader Deities A Personal View of Yelmalion Culture Wisdom of the Woodwife [ New Here? | Greg Sez! | Main Page | Product Listing | Coming Events | Cool Links ]
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