Some time ago I came to a startling realization. Although there are mentions of Bretonnians worshipping the Old World Gods, there's next to nothing on the various priests of these religions. We don't know what role they play in the political landscape of Bretonnia, we have no idea on what kind of relations they have with the Lady of the Lake or her followers and there's no information on what these cults actually do with their time. In the same vein, we don't know what the beliefs of the Bretonni tribes were before I.C. 978 (Imperial Count), when Gilles le Breton unified the country and made the worship of the Lady of the Lake the state religion. According to most sources, the Bretonni first arrived in the land which would become Bretonnia about I.C. -1000, which in the current timeline is more than 3500 years ago and close to two millennia before Gilles was even born. You'd imagine that some kind of religious system (or systems) would have been established by then in the country, especially since there are so many downright evil races, hungry monsters and potent Daemons in the world of Warhammer.

   Some might point to the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP) sourcebookKnights of the Grail which has an entire chapter on the religious beliefs and customs of the country. However, it only talks about the followers of the Old World Gods, not their priests[1]. The same goes for the brief section on Bretonnia in the second edition rulebook of WFRP[2]. The fan-made WFRP sourcebook The Corrupt Kingdom of Bretonnia[3]does have much information on the clergy, but the book is based on an earlier edition of Bretonnia, namely a darker version of the absolutist monarchies of Louis XIV and later kings, with hints of the French Revolution. Then there's two articles on the Old World pantheon on this very website, the first being Religion in Bretonnia by Robert Minchin[4] and the second being An extended survey of Bretonnian polytheism as written by FVC[5]. But again there's little to no detail about the cults themselves, instead focusing on the worshippers. That's not to say that I think they are bad articles, I just want to talk about a subject that up to now seems to have been relatively ignored by both Games Workshop and the fans.

If you're unfamiliar with these ‘Musings' of mine, they are articles where I talk about a (often neglected) subject, and then see if I can make an interesting hypothesis on the subject matter with my own imagination and logical conclusions based on (often obscure) references. My discussion about the priesthoods of Bretonnia will take up five articles, each consisting of about 7000 words. Yes, I really can babble for that long. You have my apologies in advance.

In this first piece we will look at how the Bretonni worshipped the Old World pantheon before the Lady of the Lake revealed herself to them. My definition of the Old World pantheon is the ten major Gods of the Old World, namely the Sea God Manann; Morr, the God of the Dead and Dreams; Myrmiddia, Goddess of Civilization; Ranald the Trickster; Shallya the Healer; the Man-turned-God Sigmar Heldenhammer; Taal, the God of Nature and Wild Places; Taal's wife Rhya, the Earth Mother; Ulric, the God of Wolves, Winter and Battle; and finally Verena, the Goddess of Knowledge, Justice and Wisdom. For sake of convenience I'm ignoring the lesser and less well-known deities such as Solkan the Avenger, Handrich the Dealer and countless others. I might talk about a few here and there, but I don't have the time or the inclination to discuss everyone single one of them. Besides, compared to the main Elder and Classical Gods there isn't as much information on the lesser deities, and therefore less to work with. Later on in this series of articles I will also discuss the Lady of the Lake and her followers.

Unasked questions

We know at least that priests of the Old World Gods do exist in Bretonnia. There's the La Maisontaal Abbey, notable for its connection with Kemmler the Lichemaster and first seen in the WFRP mini-campaign of the same name[6]. Then there's Knights of the Grail, which among others mentions a temple-ship of Manann in the city of Bordeleaux (which is also home to the First Chapel of the Lady of the Lake), a Verenan temple which also functions as a lighthouse and as an observatory keeping tabs on the cursed Dukedom of Mousillon and a stone circle sacred to Taal and Rhya residing in Mousillon[7]. Perhaps the most damning evidence of Bretonnian priests is the head temple of Shallya in Couronne, which was established way back in the first WRFP rulebook[8]. But despite all of this, there's virtually nothing about how the Bretonnian priesthoods actually act and interact with other people. I do feel there's much untapped potential here. Even if you were to disregard the more standard questions, such how they manage and maintain their holy sites and where they get their funds and initiates from when the nobility seems to ignore them and the peasantry is powerless.

For example, what do the cults think of that Bretonnians of all classes see nothing wrong in praying to a relatively upstart and enigmatic Goddess who directs most of her attention to the nobility anyway? What about the revelation that the Grail Damsels, the Grail Knights and the Lady of the Lake herself seem to have more divine power than the priests and holy warriors of the Old World Gods?  Or how do they feel about the fact that the emissary of the Lady of the Lake, the Fay Enchantress, is the highest authority in the kingdom? "Her will is that of the goddess, and even Kings of Bretonnia must bow to her wise counsel. The Grail Knights, having sworn their lives completely to the goddess, are bound by their sacred oaths to respond to any call or decree of the Fay Enchantress. Their vows ensure that this duty is paramount, coming even before loyalties to Duke and King, for the Fay Enchantress and the Lady represent the land of Bretonnia more so than any mortal lord ever could."[9] These are all compelling questions that are left unanswered. Let's see if I can change that.

Church of Taal and Rhya

The phrase ‘church of Taal and Rhya' should actually be an oxymoron, since both Gods are heavily centered on nature and the preservation thereof. Both in the earliest[10] and the latest mention[11] of Taalite and Rhyan worship, it is remarked that their holy sites are in or near wild and untamed places, with no centralized hierarchy or seat of power. Sure, in Tome of Salvation it is established that the Taalgrunhaar forest in Talabheim is the main holy site and the Hierarchs Niav and Katrinelya are regarded as the leaders of the cult, but this seems to be more based on convenience and logic than regulation or divine providence. Most followers of the cult already are in or near Talabheim, and Niav and Katrinelya simply have experience and power which far exceeds those of the other Hierarchs of the cult. There's no true chain of command to obey or absolute dogma to follow. The bohemian priests of Taal and priestesses of Rhya simply do as their own nature, opinions and beliefs take them. "Cultists live their life to the fullest, knowing that Taal, Rhya, and the willing earth might aid them in their passage into a blessed state in Morr's realm. (...) The Cult of Taal and Rhya is a curious blend of loners who wander the wilderness and those closely tied with a community's wellbeing."[12]

Despite all of this, I do think that the main religion of pre-Unification Bretonnia, the cult with untold temples and holy sites throughout the land, the Bretonnian church whose power would resemble that of the church of Sigmar in the Empire, would be that of Taal and Rhya. My reasons for that are as follows:

1.      In the previously mentioned section on Bretonnia in the second edition WFRP rulebook mentions that Taal and Rhya are heavily worshipped by the peasantry. Furthermore, according to Tome of Salvation the patron deity of the Bretonni tribes was Rhya[13]. It is of course not as simple as that. Knights of the Grail would later ignore or contradict some of the information on Bretonnia found in the second edition rulebook, and I believe that Rhya would be more suited to the Asoborns, the warrior-women who founded the Imperial province of Stirland. But that's a topic for another time. For now, it does make sense that the Bretonni were not unfamiliar with having Gods (and more importantly, a Goddess) aligned with nature and nurture as their dominant religion. That way, the transition to a previously unrenowned Goddess, regardless of her power or links with the land, would be more smooth and believable. Yes, there are a few mentions of the Lady of the Lake being worshipped as the patron saint of Bretonnia long before Gilles le Breton came along. "It was said that [the earth-spirits] were ruled by a powerful queen, who lived in the mountains, in the grass, in the rivers, and the calm lakes found throughout the Bretonni Dukedoms. For this reason she was known as the Lady of the Lake, and a Bretonni warrior defending his lands could call to the Lady for strength and courage."[14] However, there's a huge difference between petitioning a patron saint for a blessing and worshipping the same entity as a Goddess.

2.      There are a few mentions of the lords of the Bretonni being attended by druids, such as in the Return of the Lichemaster campaign[15] and the novel The Red Duke[16]. Whether these are followers of the Old Faith, primeval priests of Taal and Rhya or just plain sorcerers is not truly clear. But considering their appellation of ‘druids' I think we can agree that their rituals have something to do with nature in one or more of its forms. Seeing as that the Bretonni chieftains apparently made frequent use of druids it's easy to see how a cult dedicated to nature could rise to the top.

3.      Taal and Rhya are more than suitable for nationwide worship considering the level of technology the Bretonni had at that point (and to some extent their descendants still have). They were (and are) avid horsemen, who still relied (and rely) heavily upon pastoral and agricultural farming. Worshipping two Gods focused on nature and nurture seems like a sensible thing for them to do, especially since Taal and Rhya are husband and wife and thusly - even if only indirectly - endorse married life. Taal is the hunter, the man who battles beasts and Beastmen, protects his environment and puts food on the table. Rhya is the housewife, the woman who raises the children, nurtures the crops and helps the man when he's home. Even if the priesthood is not prepared to go this far, their followers might. Especially those who have much to gain from having an official religion, such as the leaders of the Bretonni who could make good use of divine approval to secure their reigns.

4.      Closely linked to the above reason, the other Old World Gods don't really seem to be suitable to be the dominant religion of pre-Unification Bretonnia. That's not to say they wouldn't have a presence among the Bretonni tribes, just that they wouldn't be in an overwhelming position. The Sea God Manann is by its very definition mostly confined to the sea and the coastlines. As for Ulric, the God of Wolves, Winter and Battle, (the leadership of) his cult primarily comes from the Imperial province of Middenland. The bad blood between Bretonnia and the Empire would most likely prevent the cult from becoming the dominant religion. Ranald the Trickster and Shallya the Healer - and more importantly their followers - don't care about command or power. Also, because of their pacifist beliefs their cultists have the added downside of needing other people who don't follow their strictures to protect them. Morr's focus on the deceased makes him unlikely to inspire patriotism or to become the defining God of a (pre-)feudal society. Verena is a possibility considering her love of justice, wisdom and order, but as I see it she's primarily a Goddess for the champions of civilization rather than the leaders of it. (More on that in the following article.) As for Myrmiddia, the Goddess of Civilization and patron deity of Estalia and Tilea, if her priests had managed to significantly influence the Bretonni, they would have become part of Estalia or Tilea rather than forming their own country.

5.      Considering that Bretonnia has the Fay (or Wood Elves, Asrai or whatever you want to call them) as its neighbors who reside in the mystical forest of Athel Loren, it makes sense for the native Humans to place nature in high regard. Their deadly encounters with the Fay would at least ensure that they believe that the wilderness is sometimes best left untouched. "I.C. -650: Attempts to penetrate the Forest of Loren leave only a handful of survivors, driven mad by the fey terrors, and the forest enters Bretonnian folklore as being a haunted, magical place."[17] The people of Quenelles at least seem to take the forest seriously. "It means you have not grown up in the shadow of the faerie forest, not had to lock and bolt your doors on certain nights to be sure that Elven princelings do not come and steal your children. You have never had to spend days with every gate and shutter drawn as the Wild Hunt thunders through the sky, killing everything in its path."[18] This brings me to my next point.

6.      The Wild Hunt, which is the yearly rampage of Orion, the King in the Woods and his Wild Riders of Kurnous. You might see this as a continuation of my previous argument, but I believe it stands on its own. While it seems that the Wild Hunt primarily takes place in Athel Loren, there are mentions of it spilling into Bretonnia, even after their official alliance in I.C. 1005. "I.C. 1697: The Wild Hunt inexplicably rides only through the lands controlled by Quenelles. The Duke and his family are all slain, save his youngest daughter, who is spirited away into the forest by Dryads. (...) I.C. 2285: Orion's Wild Hunt breaks through the borders of Athel Loren and rampages through Quenelles, as it does every summer solstice. However, this Wild Hunt causes absolute mayhem, leveling several villages and driving many Bretonnian peasants mad."[19] Now think about how Taal, the God of Nature and the Wild, is often portrayed: a hunter dressed in animal skins and wearing a skull-helmet with antlers, who is capable of transforming into any animal and has powers over beasts and the wilderness. Then look at the appearance of Orion: a giant green man with antlers sticking out of his head, a mighty spear and powerful bow by his side and an army of forest spirits following in his wake. It wouldn't surprise me if the Bretonni saw Orion and his Wild Hunt as some form of divine punishment by Taal on the unworthy, especially when you consider their failed attempts to enter Athel Loren and that the bestial King in the Woods isn't the kind to properly introduce himself. Besides, let's not forget that Orion is the avatar of Kurnous, Elven God of Beasts and the Hunt. That might not seem relevant, but there are various sources which say that the Human Gods of the Old World and the Elven Gods have too much in common for it to be a coincidence. "...Kurnous, is said by some to be an aspect of Taal, being as He is the antlered master of the forests and the animals within them, and the husband of the Mother Goddess, Isha (as Taal is the husband of the Mother Goddess, Rhya). (...) Although it seems obvious that, as a god, Kurnous must also be able to take the form of any wild creature he chooses, or indeed manifest himself in a more human aspect as Taal."[20] In this light Kurnous and Taal would not be competing deities, but simply the same elemental force under a different name. The Bretonni might very well be correct in connecting the Wild Hunt to Taal.

I believe these are all persuasive arguments for why the Cult of Taal and Rhya would be the main religion of pre-Unification Bretonnia. The Bretonnian chapter of the cult would most likely become urbanized to the point that it would split away from the main cult. Let's call this the Church of Nature and Nurture. Part of this development comes from the chapter building churches for the faithful as houses of worship and sanctuaries, unlike the normal holy places of Taal and Rhya (sacred groves, stone circles, etc.). These churches are not immense cathedrals of intrinsically carved stone, for that would be too much of a betrayal of their teachings and strictures surrounding the preservation of nature. They are humble structures made out of wood and roughly cut stone or boulders, which fits the cult better, is in accordance with the information on urban temples of this religion[21] and gives a handy explanation for why many of them would no longer exist in current time. After all, once the cult was supplanted by the Lady of the Lake and her followers, there would be a decline in faith in Taal and Rhya of over 1500 years.

Despite the urbanization of the cult and the patronage of the nobility, I don't think there would be decisive spiritual leadership of Taal and Rhya in Bretonnia. Firstly because it's made abundantly clear in the more recent WFRP sourcebooks that the priests of each and every province, state or region conducts their affairs as they see fit, secondly because in each and every region two Hierarchs rule side by side (one dedicated to Taal, the other to Rhya)[22], and thirdly because a predominate cult with a solid chain of command would probably at least have attempted to unite the country, lessening the importance of Gilles le Breton and the Unification, if not usurping it altogether. If there was a seat of power for the Church of Nature and Nurture, it would most likely be in Quenelles since that Dukedom - and its capital city - directly borders the forest of Athel Loren for most of its length. The Quenellers would be the most appreciative of the fickle power of nature, and of churches to hide in while the Wild Hunt rampages through their lands.

As an aside, I'd think that we can safely ignore the Old Faith. While Tome of Salvation mentions the druidic order of the Old Faith and their worship of a deity called the Mother, the book attributes it to an earlier concept of Rhya[23]. If correct, this would just reinforce the position of the Church of Nature and Nurture. Furthermore, it seems that the Old Faith was believed to be extinct in Sigmar's time[24], over a millennium before Unification. That says volumes about the influence and impact - or lack thereof - the Old Faith had on civilization. I believe that the druids of the Bretonni were too few in number to influence the religious mindsets of the Bretonni on a national level.