Chapter VIII: Religion & Belief
meal is themed towards the operation or illness suffered—hence a stomach operation might be celebrated with a dish of tripe or large, belly shaped pie. Due to this tradition, when looking for a healer’s services, it is considered wise to pick the fattest Physician possible—for, if he’s a good doctor, he’ll constantly be eating at these feasts. Some quacks have been known to use false bellies to make themselves look successful but most folk are wise to this now. Mornlimb This is a traditional drinking binge common amongst Soldiers, Mercenaries and folk from the North of the Empire. Two days before Witching Night, all those who’ve lost limbs, fingers, ears and other body parts gather together to toast the parts of them that already rest in Morr’s realm. Sigmar, Ulric, Morr, Myrmidia and Ranald are all honoured in this festival, through toasts, ribald songs and extravagant temple donations. Usually the person who has lost the most leads the toasts—as lots of him is already in the afterlife he is considered to be the best connected. Death Innumerable traditions surround death. From copper for the diggers to rum for the widow, there are rites and celebrations that vary from place to place, village to village. Generally speaking, all will want their body to be buried in a Garden of Morr, for his Priests regularly honour the dead, whilst guarding against necromancers, accidental ploughing and all the other calamities that might befall a corpse. For two shillings a person may be prepared and buried in an adequate grave. More money sees better positioning and rites for the departed. Some folk specify that a High Priest must guide their souls to Morr’s Though there are many different calendars in use within the Old World, the Imperial Calendar remains the standard reckoning within the Empire. Most communities use this to determine their religious festivals, though some of the more isolated hamlets and villages of the Empire have been known to lose days, weeks or even entire years as a result of poor record keeping. An Imperial year is made up of 400 days, divided into 12 months of 32 or 33 days, with six “in between” days that mark particularly important festivals. There are eight days to a week, whose names probably date back to the early days of the Empire. In order the days are: Workday, Levyday, Marketday, Bakeday, Taxday, Kingday, Startweek and Holiday. Each of the twelve months has a similarly practical name, connected both to agriculture and to the great celebrations of the year. In order these months are: After-Witching, Year-Turn, Plough-Tide, Sigmar- Tide, Summer-Tide, Fore-Mystery, After-Mystery, Harvest-Tide, Brew-Month, Chill-Month, Ulric-Tide and Fore-Witching. Some folk, particularly Jade Wizards, prefer to mark time by the actions of the two moons, Mannslieb (“Beloved of Manann”) and Morrslieb (“Beloved of Morr”). The white moon, Mannslieb, keeps a regular 25-day cycle from full to full, whereas Morrslieb, the sickly green Chaos moon, seems to keep no set pattern. However it is reckoned, the folk of the Empire love celebrations and feasts. They are quick to indulge in wine and song, and are equally quick to adopt foreign, secular and non-human festivals. For this reason, the non-human festivals receive recognition on the Imperial calendar. realm—and this service does not come cheaply. r elIgIous f esTIVals
C elebraTIons In b rIef Witching Night
Known as Hexensnacht by the older folk of the Empire, Witching Night marks the eve of the New Year. It is considered an inauspicious night by most, for the moons cast an eerie light and the dead are said to stir. Ill luck befalls those who venture out of their homes. On these nights, the Priests of Morr hold solemn rites, for the gateways between the realms of the dead and the living and the sleeping and the waking are believed to stand wide open, aiding communion with the deceased and prophesy. Year Blessing This rite of Verena asks the Goddess to look over the forthcoming year and bless it with knowledge and justice. Start Growth Sacred to Manann (as it heralds the changing of the tides), this day also marks the end of Ulric’s time—Winter. Taal begins his ascendancy as Lord of the Forest, causing the green shoots of regrowth after Ulric’s reign of snow and ice. Winter cloaks are laid aside, and boats re-caulked in preparation for warmer days. First Quaff This is the first Dwarf celebration of the year. This is the time when the first of the new beer is tasted. First Day of Summer On this day Sigmar was said to have ascended to the Heavens as a God. There is much feasting and singing upon this day.
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