#religious motifs

[sophiemariepl]

Okay, hear me out:

I feel that we need fanfics about Baldwin IV that emphasize on his religiosity more. And I swear I’m not saying that just because I am a (leftist) Catholic

Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of works out there, but I’d love to see a time-travelling Baldwin getting shocked about how much the liturgy has changed. Like where the heck did the Gregorian chant go

Baldwin learning about Protestantism and other Christian denominations born during the Renaissance and after. Like Mormonism and Jehovah’s witnesses who technically are not even Christian anymore

Baldwin learning that Roman Catholic mass is now celebrated with the priest standing in front to the congregation

Baldwin teaching some Catholic f*scists their place (so satisfactory)

And finally, cherry on top, Baldwin learning about babies being baptised with holy water from a toy pistol during the pandemic because of c*vid restrictions!!

[windwenn]

This drawing made me realise that actually I love the comfort zone and I would like to go back into it. Also that I must draw more tigers.

[nepalcamel]

St. Mary's Church in Sandholt

St. Mary's Church is a beautiful medieval church located on a hill overlooking the quaint village of Sandholt. Built in the Gothic style, the church is a magnificent structure with a commanding presence that can be seen from all around the village.

As one approaches the church, its bell tower is the first feature that draws the eye. Rising high into the sky, the tower is adorned with a variety of decorative features, including intricate stonework and delicate tracery.

The main entrance to the church is through a grand set of wooden doors, which are carved with a variety of religious motifs and scenes. Upon entering the church, visitors are immediately struck by the sheer size and grandeur of the interior. The high ceilings and soaring arches give the impression of an immense space that seems almost to stretch towards the heavens.

The church is decorated with a variety of beautiful stained-glass windows, many of which date back several centuries. These windows depict a variety of religious scenes and motifs, and they are a true testament to the skill and artistry of the medieval craftsmen who created them.

The church is still in use today, and it is a popular destination for both tourists and locals alike. Services are held regularly, and visitors are welcome to attend and experience the beauty and serenity of this ancient house of worship.

Overall, St. Mary's Church is a magnificent and awe-inspiring structure, a testament to the skill and artistry of the medieval craftsmen who built it. It is a true jewel of the village, a symbol of its deep religious roots and its enduring connection to the past.

[justanothershitbagcivilian]

[adams-r1b]

(detail from ‘The Incredulity of Saint Thomas’ c. 1600s by Guercino) (detail from ‘Jesus and Doubting Thomas’ c. late 1700s early 1800s by Franciszek Smuglewicz) (detail from ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’ c. 1720s by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini) (detail from ‘Kriemhild’s Accusation (Kriemhild accuses Gunther and Hager of murdering her husband Siegfried)’ c. 1879 by Emil Laufer) (detail from ‘The Virgin of the Rocks Louvre version’ c. 1483-1486 by Leonardo da Vinci) (detail from ‘The Incredulity of Saint Thomas Secular Version’ c. 1602 by Caravaggio) (detail from ‘The Creation of Adam’ c. 1512 by Michelangelo) (detail from ’The Unequal Marriage’ c. 1862–1862 by Vasili Pukirev) (detail from ‘The Death of Seneca’ c. 1615 by Peter Paul Rubens) (detail from ‘Mary Stuart and William II’ c. 1641 by Anthony van Dyck) (detail from ’The Fortune Teller’ c. 1594 by Caravaggio) (detail from 'The Arnolfini Portrait' c. 1434 by Jan van Eyck) (detail from ‘Pieta’ c. 1876 by William Adolphe Bouguereau)

[koszmarnybudyn]

Dungeon and daddies spoilers ahead

The doodler being made corporial had such a clear image attached in my head, Anthony described it so well so here it is in a stain glass window like format.

[bandsandwristbands]

Still thinking about this idea from @tazova

I am smooshing the idea together with a party setting in my brain and I can picture the spicy comic already ☺️

Patreon

[elysiuminfra]

catholic guilt is one thing but southern baptism shame is a whole different monster i don’t see many people talking about

[yourfavoriteregret]

i occasionally remember that the chorus to our lady of sorrows is the dies irae ray toro the man you are

[draculovemp3]

House M.D. 02x24 “No Reason” / Meister Francke, Man of Sorrow, with Angels / Peter Paul Rubens, Lament of Christ

[forgetful-river]

Sometimes being in love is like getting your eye gored in a fit of purifying violence, sometimes it's not

[serpentface]

In what context would you have effigies of evil spirits? Or objects carrying curses in general

I haven't really specifically invoked folk religious practices in the Wardi sphere (though a lot of what I've talked about includes it), a LOT of stuff revolving around curses is derived from folk magic traditions.

Folk religion here means magical/spiritual practices that develop out of common practice and may be Informed by religious doctrine but not Controlled by it. The Faith of the Seven Faced God is a state religion, but its broader sphere includes dozens of folk traditions (some heavily informed by and interactive with core doctrine, and some that are very distinct from core doctrine and have developed independently, or are heavily syncretic with foreign practices, older Wardi practices, or those of other native groups).

There's also major separation between the practices of priesthoods and lay folk (even in the urban context in which religious authority is based). This divide is fairly stark across class lines (as the upper classes are heavily integrated with the priesthoods, and Most priesthoods take their members from nobility (with Galenii being the only major exception)). However, virtually all members of society will include Some folk religious aspects in their practice. For example, the wearing of skimmer-woman amulets is Not derived from official doctrine, it is Not a canonical representation of Pelennaumache (with whom it is usually associated) this is just a very widespread folk practice (to the point that many priests wear them too). The Faith of the Seven Faced God is not proselytizing and prioritizes core orthopraxy being maintained (both on a public and private level, but the private levels are not actively policed). So these folk practices are not condemned unless they outright defy/supercede expected elements of practice.

This is the context for a lot of what I'm talking about wrt curses and magical practices outside of official rites. So like, belief in curses and evil spirits is basically ubiquitous in the Imperial Wardi cultural sphere, but folk traditions have unique ways of dealing with these threats (or inflicting these threats upon an intended target) while religious doctrine attempts to address these via blessings and public rites.

So to actually answer the question: a very common folk religious practice is to produce effigies of an offending evil spirit as means of confronting it. Some variants attempt to specifically trap it within the effigy in order to contain or destroy it, others attempt to wield power over it via the effigy (sometimes to destroy it, sometimes to redirect it to another target). Other effigies representing evil spirits in general are used to scare off real ones (the hats of the new years dancers are an example of this that has found a place in official public rites).

Attempts to cast spells and inflict curses usually involves objects as mechanisms. This most commonly comes in the form of writing your intent on a small object (frequently pieces of broken pottery, which is easy to come by) and then burying or hiding it in a secure and relevant location (ie- a curse or love spell might be buried near the home of your target). If it's targeted, parts of the other person's body (most commonly hair, best case scenario blood) will be bound to it in order to direct the spell. Somewhat lazier curse and spell attempts involve scrawling your desired effect onto a public wall as graffiti. The outer walls of temple grounds are sometimes targeted specifically for this purpose in hopes of getting God directly involved (this is Not Condoned, though will not get you executed like defacing the temple itself).

Other methods involve attempting to imbue a nondescript object with the intended curse/spell (often in order to get it close to the target without being questioned). This often integrates aspects of traditional medicine, using the Essence of various items (plants, animal parts, minerals, etc) to imbue an object with their effect (usually while speaking your intended spell/curse. Some folk traditions involve animal sacrifice to work magic- the animal is killed in offering to one of God's Faces (which are often interpreted more like a pantheon in common practice, especially those distanced from religious centers) so that the deity will perform the desired effect, imbue an object with the desired effect, etc. This IS condemned as heretical- official doctrine holds that ONLY priests can perform killing sacrifices, a layman does not have the necessary education and practice to do so properly, and attempting to is at best disrespectful and at worst spiritual defacement to the body of God (which the animal becomes at the moment of death). (Laymen can buy or provide animals to be offered on their behalf, but themselves can only offer their own blood or food/drink/flowers/incense/etc). It's particularly heretical when done to inflict curses - doctrine holds that God does not curse and only maintains order and blesses, curses and other spiritual harm come from being partly severed from God's influence and/or disruption of the body's living spirit (something all people are susceptible to). Laymen (and unofficial priesthoods/sects) sometimes do this regardless in secrecy (and it's very common in rural parts of the region with little access to religious centers), under the belief that this will make their magic substantially more powerful.

Bottom line is there are all sorts of methods to make cursed objects, so it's pretty common that people will find objects suspected of being cursed (or that actually Have been placed with intent to inflict a curse/spell), and in that context need methods of breaking the curse. Blessings from a priest are thought to dispel most common attachments to the body, but this is not always accessible and the object itself must be neutralized. This is sometimes accomplished by simply Putting It Somewhere Else so it becomes another person's problem, but there's a chance that the curse could be highly directed to oneself (maybe bound with your hair or etc). Most practices include a combination of neutralizing, destruction, and purification. Neutralizing is done via deflection (like the method mentioned in the prev post, though there are many other strategies), at which point the object may be safely destroyed. Lingering attachments are removed through self purification (at the most basic, this is performing one of the gestures against evil and bathing oneself).

The wearing of most apotropaic amulets hope to prevent curses from reaching their targets from the get-go. The pelatoche works to deflect the evil eye and minor evil spirits and curses, the phallus imbues masculine protection of the sanctity of the body, transforms bad luck into good, and threatens reprisal for curses. etc. These kinds of amulets are worn on all levels of society, but tend to be relied upon more fully by the upper classes (which are more closely looped in with the priesthood/state religion). Someone like Janeys wears at Least one pelatoche amulet constantly for protection but thinks most other folk-magic attempts to dispel curses are silly commoner superstitions, any harm that cannot be prevented by this sort of protection needs an official blessing and purification to be dispelled.

[tinycowboyart]

Time to share another one wip! I’m doing a painting for the first time in years, so we’ll see how it goes! So far I’ve only done the colour blocking

[epiphanytear]

Guilty

or biblically accurate Taemin

[justanothershitbagcivilian]

[canisalbus]

Religious trauma anon again! Im genuinely serious when i say hes been a major sort of comfort, especially as someone who has one side of family that is catholic, and the other evangelical. The imagry you use is fantastic especially in your more thematic and symbological pieces, i love picking out the different aspects like where bandages and wounds are placed, what kind of background may be going on, the colors and the emotions associated with them, etc. Even if its not all intentional, its good food

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