Eilistraee
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Eilistraee
As posted at candlekeep, by THO
"Nope. I was asked to create a “good drow deity” for DROW OF THE UNDERDARK, pertaining to surface-dwelling drow, and I did, deciding to depict her as nurturing mother goddess worshipped through dancing nude under the moonlight (echoing British faery traditions, but seeking to make her seem not capricious, as the faeries are depicted, but non-warlike, non-violent except when protecting “her” mortals). Through her priestesses, Eilistraee aids her faithful in hunting and swordcraft as a way of helping them to survive and flourish in a hostile surface world. She’s not HERSELF depicted as any sort of a huntress; she’s the force that brings a stag into the reach of hungry drow, not the slayer-by-arrows of drow foes.
She can personally be an avenger or protectress, yes (an aspect strengthened in 3rd Edition, not by me), fearsomely wielding the sword she dances with, but owes more to the bard than the huntress.
So you’ve turned to a classical goddess depicted as the huntress, a peerless archer whose shafts never miss (or almost never miss, depending on the tale). This puzzles me; I certainly wouldn’t equate a benevolent nurturing (and fertility, though thanks to the TSR Code of Ethics you have to read between the lines to see this in DROW OF THE UNDERDARK and SILVERFALL, where I certainly wasn’t very subtle about it) goddess with the Queen of the Hunt, the virgin Greek goddess of chastity.
Let’s look more closely at Artemis. In her Roman derivation (Diana), it’s death to a mortal man to see her nude - - but he sees her bathing; she isn’t in that tradition depicted as normally racing about the forests bareskinned. (Some writers do depict all of the classical deities so, which probably has much to do with many of the real-life mortal cities of worshippers having few nudity taboos.) She’s the moon goddess, also goddess of childbirth, wild life, domestic animals, and infants (children just after they are born), as well as being goddess of flocks, and of the chase.
So there are a lot of possible portfolios here that someone TRYING to draw a parallel could catch onto, to try to make their case, but none of them really fit: I created Eilistraee as worshipped under the moon because that’s when she appears, NOT a moon goddess; her only connection to the moon was because drow (who had to stay in the dark to keep any power, in that edition of the D&D game) on the surface could see the moon but Underdark drow could not. Eilistraee has nothing to do with domestic animals or wild life, and her mothering is not of childbirth or the young, but of the whole race (to sustain and strengthen them in their return to the surface). Eilistraee has nothing to do with flocks or the chase, is not virginal, and has nothing to do with chastity."
"Nope. I was asked to create a “good drow deity” for DROW OF THE UNDERDARK, pertaining to surface-dwelling drow, and I did, deciding to depict her as nurturing mother goddess worshipped through dancing nude under the moonlight (echoing British faery traditions, but seeking to make her seem not capricious, as the faeries are depicted, but non-warlike, non-violent except when protecting “her” mortals). Through her priestesses, Eilistraee aids her faithful in hunting and swordcraft as a way of helping them to survive and flourish in a hostile surface world. She’s not HERSELF depicted as any sort of a huntress; she’s the force that brings a stag into the reach of hungry drow, not the slayer-by-arrows of drow foes.
She can personally be an avenger or protectress, yes (an aspect strengthened in 3rd Edition, not by me), fearsomely wielding the sword she dances with, but owes more to the bard than the huntress.
So you’ve turned to a classical goddess depicted as the huntress, a peerless archer whose shafts never miss (or almost never miss, depending on the tale). This puzzles me; I certainly wouldn’t equate a benevolent nurturing (and fertility, though thanks to the TSR Code of Ethics you have to read between the lines to see this in DROW OF THE UNDERDARK and SILVERFALL, where I certainly wasn’t very subtle about it) goddess with the Queen of the Hunt, the virgin Greek goddess of chastity.
Let’s look more closely at Artemis. In her Roman derivation (Diana), it’s death to a mortal man to see her nude - - but he sees her bathing; she isn’t in that tradition depicted as normally racing about the forests bareskinned. (Some writers do depict all of the classical deities so, which probably has much to do with many of the real-life mortal cities of worshippers having few nudity taboos.) She’s the moon goddess, also goddess of childbirth, wild life, domestic animals, and infants (children just after they are born), as well as being goddess of flocks, and of the chase.
So there are a lot of possible portfolios here that someone TRYING to draw a parallel could catch onto, to try to make their case, but none of them really fit: I created Eilistraee as worshipped under the moon because that’s when she appears, NOT a moon goddess; her only connection to the moon was because drow (who had to stay in the dark to keep any power, in that edition of the D&D game) on the surface could see the moon but Underdark drow could not. Eilistraee has nothing to do with domestic animals or wild life, and her mothering is not of childbirth or the young, but of the whole race (to sustain and strengthen them in their return to the surface). Eilistraee has nothing to do with flocks or the chase, is not virginal, and has nothing to do with chastity."
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Agree that Eilistraee is NOT Artemis, especially not Entreri. Or Diana for that matter. More of a combo of Artemis (greek) and Skaadi (norse)?
Last edited by Unen_Stealthfoot on Thu Apr 13, 2006 10:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- Shir'le E. Illios
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Thank you Bhaern, made a news post out of this.
And a very nice read I must say. If nothing else it helps us give a bit more direction in understanding our goddess.
And I wonder how anyone could think Eilistraee as virginal.
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Shir'le
And a very nice read I must say. If nothing else it helps us give a bit more direction in understanding our goddess.
And I wonder how anyone could think Eilistraee as virginal.
Love -x-x-x-
Shir'le
-= Shir'le E. Illios =-
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Well, she does smile (benevolently) a lot, doesn't she? (Lady of the Dance and Feasting and all). So it's not like she's an insane battlemad [i:27o7qg15][u:27o7qg15]battlerager[/u:27o7qg15][/i:27o7qg15] wielding a sword three times her size. (No offense to pwent, but he's rather offensive smelling too , [i:27o7qg15]not[/i:27o7qg15] like Eilistraee.)
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Not "melevolently", her smile is melancholy at times.
There is a big difference.
malevolently (Which more fits Lolth, may the light take her) = having, showing, or arising from intense often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred.
melancholy = a sadness or depression (because of the evil of many Drow, her children)
As for 9 foot tall that is her avatar, that appears on the prime plane, often to deal with those that threaten her faithful. A good size for spider crushing *wink*
There is a big difference.
malevolently (Which more fits Lolth, may the light take her) = having, showing, or arising from intense often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred.
melancholy = a sadness or depression (because of the evil of many Drow, her children)
As for 9 foot tall that is her avatar, that appears on the prime plane, often to deal with those that threaten her faithful. A good size for spider crushing *wink*
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Or chop it into steaming chunks with her sword.
[quote:1qdzxbq7]a sword three times her size.[/quote:1qdzxbq7]
She wields a 27' long sword?
Personally, I'd love to follow a goddess that dances in the nude and has her priestesses follow her in that way.
Like this one,
[url:1qdzxbq7]http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/art/p/o/p ... e.jpg.html[/url:1qdzxbq7]
[quote:1qdzxbq7]a sword three times her size.[/quote:1qdzxbq7]
She wields a 27' long sword?
Personally, I'd love to follow a goddess that dances in the nude and has her priestesses follow her in that way.
Like this one,
[url:1qdzxbq7]http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/art/p/o/p ... e.jpg.html[/url:1qdzxbq7]
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Who says you can't? Most people think that Christ, or Odin, or Zeus, or eaven Anubis aren't real. Yet I still see people who carry they're symbols and speak they're name with great respect.
Now why the hells can't we worship Eilistraee? Besides, I like to think that there must be something living on this god forsaken planet exept humans and the "almost gone" animal population, eaven if they are dark elves, or elves. If there were only humans and animals there would be at least three apocalypses by now!
Now why the hells can't we worship Eilistraee? Besides, I like to think that there must be something living on this god forsaken planet exept humans and the "almost gone" animal population, eaven if they are dark elves, or elves. If there were only humans and animals there would be at least three apocalypses by now!
:3
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