So far I've speculated on
the religious customs and beliefs of the Bretonni before and during the
Unification of Bretonnia, and how the various cults reacted to Unification. Now
it's time to consider how the cults function after Unification, both in their
role as holy figures and advisors to the people of Bretonnia.
Marriage without a minister
First of all, I want to
expand on the second-to-last chapter in my previous article; about how the
various priests agree that the Lady of the Lake is the superior deity. In turn
their cults are sanctioned by the state and they may form a council of priests
to advice the King of Bretonnia. While I believe I put forward some good
arguments for that development, there was another reason behind it. The WFRP
book Knights of the Grail has a few
words about marriage and funerals, on how people get hitched and buried in the
land of chivalry[1].
When I read it I had the niggling feeling that something was missing. It took
me a while, but eventually I realized that there was no mention of ministers;
of (religious) officials who recognize the wedding, funeral or other ceremony
and imbue it with holy meaning. It can't be the Damsels of the Lady of the Lake who administer the ceremony. They're aloof in
nature, have strange magical powers and are both feared and revered by peasants,
nobles and everyone in between. "Damsels never apologise and never explain.
They never seem surprised by the outcome of events, and they often know things
it seems that that they could not have learned by mundane means. Player
characters should feel respect tinged with fear for these figures."[2]
I think neither the Grail Damsels nor the populace would find these devoted
ladies conducting the ceremonies a good idea. There are a few sources, such as
the description of the Damsels in the sixth edition Bretonnia army book[3],
that say otherwise, but that would imply that there are enough Damsels to administer
all the nuptial or final rites for every single person in Bretonnia. The Grail
Knights are also unfit to be ministers, both because they're too few in number
and because I imagine at least some of these living saints would have issues
with sanctifying the weddings and funerals of lowly mud-encrusted peasants.
There's a mention of Grail Knights and Grail Pilgrims giving sermons in Grail
Chapels. "At an attended Chapel, the Grail Knight gives a short sermon every
Ladyday (the name for Holiday in Bretonnia), and those who live nearby are
expected to attend. Grail Knights are not selected for their oratorical
abilities, but many feel that they ought to make an effort, and thus long,
rambling, pointless sermons are extremely common. (...) Some Chapels are attended
by [Grail Pilgrims], often venerating the reliquary of the Grail Knight who
founded the Chapel. These operate much the same way as those attended by Grail
Knights, except that the sermons tend to be better; the leaders of Grail
Pilgrims are chosen on the basis of oratorical ability."[4]
However, there's a huge difference between giving a sermon - as in a written or
spoken address on a religious or moral matter - and being authorized by state
and God(s) to lead two people into holy wedlock.
This leaves us with the only
holy figures remaining in Bretonnia: the clergy of the traditional Old World deities. But I imagine the ruling class, or at
least King Gilles le Breton and his Grail Companions, would have qualms over
being married or buried in the name of a deity they don't worship. This means
that the ruling class would want their ceremonies - at least partially - dedicated
to the Lady of the Lake. This in turn means
that the cults, Damsels and the nobility come to some kind of arrangement.
Having the priesthoods claim that the Lady is stronger than their particular
God(s) and devoting ceremonies to her, in turn of their cults being sanctioned
by the state seems like a plausible solution. So let's say that the Old World
faiths in Bretonnia proclaim the Lady as the Queen of Heaven, the ruler of the Gods
in the Old World pantheon.
We can see a possible precedent
of this supposed arrangement between religions in the novel Savage City. In this story there's a
wedding that is administered by a priest of unknown denomination. Not only does
he dedicate the ceremony to the Goddess of Chivalry, in the same breath he
mentions the Lady and Shallya. "...and even as the Lady herself looks down upon
us here today, so we ask Shallya to also look down, and to gift these two young
people with the life and fecundity with which she..."[5]
This to me reinforces the idea that the Cult of the Lady and the priesthoods of
the Old World pantheon work together in some manner. Another example is the
cooperation between the cults in the Empire. "While each cult operates independently
from the others, and has its own goals, agendas and methods, there is a great
deal of unity between cults. A priest that understands this may politely and
gently guide a wayward worshipper to the priest of another cult if the advice
sought falls outside the realm of the priest's experience or sphere of
influence. In theory, all priests must follow the festivals, rites and
practices of the other cults, and it's considered bad form to criticise the
rites of other cults, although it's done on a daily basis."[6]
It stands to reason that the various faiths in Bretonnia come to a similar, if
not more binding agreement. It is after all a feudal society, where quite
literally nobles rule and peasant drool.
Unification of the cults
Now I've both solidified an
earlier concept and thought of how the ceremonies of the Bretonnians are
administered, let's continue with how the cults of the Old World pantheon would
get there and change with the passage of time. At first glance one could
imagine that they would have much power in Bretonnia. In the beginning, right
after Unification, their cults had been sanctioned by the newly formed and
secure state. The leading figure of each (Bretonnian chapter of the) cult would
receive a place in a council that advised the King of Bretonnia on the will of
the Gods. Some orders or chapters of the cults would most likely be displeased
by this development. For example: Ar-Ulric, the spiritual leader of the Cult of
Ulric. Not only would he lose control over the (Imperial) Ulrican clergy in
Bretonnia, those same men of the cloth would now claim that a mystic water
deity was superior to Ulric. But with King Gilles le Breton, his Grail
Companions and the Lady of the Lake watching over the now united country,
Ar-Ulric and also the leading figures of the other cults would have to console
themselves with the knowledge that they each had one of their own at the King's
side, singing the praises of their particular deity.
But then the Fay Enchantress
came along with the Damsels of the Lady, and suddenly there was competition in
the religion racket. A competition the women of the Lady were assured to win
thanks to their immense magical powers. It's hard to amaze the people with
miracles and prophecies from your deity when another can do the same thing with
a flick of her fingers. That's to say nothing of the rise of the Grail Knights.
Keep in mind that aside from their skill at arms and the divine aura's that
surround them, only a Grail Knight can become the King of Bretonnia. For the ruling
class, devotion to the Lady of the Lake would not be acceptable; it would be
unavoidable. "While the Knights do not ignore these older Gods (that would be
asking for trouble), their lives are dedicated to the protection and veneration
of the Lady of the Lake who founded the
nation."[7]
It's therefore inevitable that the Grail Damsels seize the reins of religious power
in the country. Particularly because the priests of the Old World Gods proclaim
that the Lady of the Lake is the Queen of Heaven, the Goddess who rules not
only the people of Bretonnia but also the deities of Bretonnia. Gradually the
cults would lose power, influence and followers. Some more than others, but
I'll talk about that later. Suffice to say that around 2500 I.C., the faiths of
the Old World pantheon in Bretonnia would be a sad remnant of their former
glory. I think the ruling class, or perhaps the cults themselves, would slowly
but surely institute the clergy into a single Unified Church of Bretonnia. Both
because it's a sign of another victory of Unification in uniting these separate
faiths, and because of the convenience to the nobility who want to show respect
to the Old World Gods but don't want to waste much time on it. The cultists
would go along with it, if only because of their increasing lack of relevance
and decrease in followers and funds. In reality there would be conflicts and
competition between the cults, but this way they can put their priests, laymen
and other assets there where they are the most useful, and thusly survive in
the land of chivalry.
Structure(s) of the Church
First of all we have to
consider where the beggarly priests would be practicing their trade. With the
nobility neglecting the cults and the peasantry being too poor and overworked
to donate or pray much, I don't see many temples surviving in modern-day
Bretonnia. Especially not when only the nobility is allowed to build with stone[8],
which means that the clergy would either have to gain the permission and
support of a noble lord or else use other materials. The temples in the cities
would likely survive more or less intact to the 25th century, since
if the omnibus The Adventures of Florin
& Lorenzo[9] is to be believed,
the urban Bretonnians are more cosmopolitan and prosperous than their counterparts
in the countryside. These places of worship could count on the generosity of
merchants and the rest of the middle class, most of them being peasants and
thusly more inclined to the Old World Gods than the Lady of the Lake. But in
the end the bourgeois have little power nationwide, and the clergy in the
countryside would have few funds and followers to work with. "Bretonnia has not
developed a middle class as powerful as that of the Empire. There is thus no
moderating force to keep the nobility in check."[10]
This means that after fifteen thousand years of decline relatively few new
temples would have been built and many existing ones would have fallen apart. The
same does not go for monasteries; in fact I think that most of the holy
structures of the Church
of Bretonnia would be or
become monasteries. The reason for that is that monasteries, as religious
communities, are more self-sufficient (either by agriculture or providing
products or services) because they've monks and/or nuns walking around whom
besides praying have little else to do. In the real world not all monasteries
are self-sufficient, but we're not talking about the real world here. "In most
cases, the monastery is self-sufficient, with gardens, fields, orchards, and
possibly some additional method of generating income, such as a winery or
scribing services."[11]
This would make them attractive for all classes. The nobles don't have to worry
about fanatics of faiths they don't fully understand, and can give the
occasional contribution to signify their respect for the Old World Gods without
hampering their devotion to the Lady of the Lake. The peasants in turn get a
community of monks that can provide useful services (aside from the usual
religious needs of the peasantry) and a place where they can dump offspring
they can't or won't feed, safe in the knowledge that the monks are looking out
for them. The merchants, scholars, artists and other people of the middle class
would appropriately be in the middle and reap the benefits of both classes.
Now I've determined that
monasteries would make up a large chunk of the cults' real estate, we know that
monks would make up a large chunk of the cults' ranks. But the monks, by their
very definition of cloistered ascetics, are not in a position to fulfil the
religious needs of everyone in Bretonnia. Considering the decrease of power and
followers (and thus new initiates), there would be many villages that don't
have a temple or monastery close by. Of course Knights of the Grail established that Bretonnians like to go on a pilgrimage
to a holy site for their weddings, but what about their funerals, festivals and
other local customs and ceremonies? They would need a nearby priest to guide
the proceedings. I think friars and other travelling priests are a good answer
to this problem. (To clarify, a friar is a monk that commits himself to a
particular geographical area, travelling from community to community and has
taken a vow of poverty, only relying on the charity of others.) The reason for
that is that peasants, who make the majority of the followers of the Old World
Gods, are property of the nobility and need permission of their master(s) to
leave their lands. Again, according to the stories of The Adventures of Florin & Lorenzo those common-born who live
in cities are better off than their counterparts in the countryside, but the
land of chivalry isn't blessed with many great cities. But peasants who go on a
pilgrimage can easily leave the domain of their rightful lords. "Even the
meanest lord, however, can hardly refuse permission for a wedding pilgrimage.
(...) A Grail Pilgrim, as long as he follows his Grail Knight, accepting the
hardships of life on the road, is deemed to be on pilgrimage and thus cannot be
seized by his lord."[12]
I don't think anyone of the ruling class would mind that friars, being
wandering priests who have taken a vow of poverty, are deemed as harmless pilgrims.
And certainly not when the alternative is having no priest of any denomination
nearby, which could result into the peasants revolting. So if there are no priests
close on hand and a pilgrimage to a temple or shrine is out of the question,
the village can simply wait for a friar to come along to administer their
ceremonies.
The pecking order
Above the friars and
monastery orders would be the urban clergy - the priests and cultists that live
and work in a normal temple, and are situated in or nearby a town or city. They
would probably look down on the monks and friars, if only because life in the
city temples gives more opportunity for advancement and is, for lack of a better
word, more glamorous than life in a monastery or on the road. Of course as these
urban clergy are more involved in high society, they have to more often contend
with high society. The devotion of the nobility is lacklustre at best, the
Grail Chapels are considered to be holier than the cathedrals and temples of
the Church, even the lowest Grail Knight has more power and influence than the
most high-ranked archbishop and the miraculous capabilities of the Grail Damsels
far exceed those of any priest of the Old World pantheon. The bishops and the
other city-dwelling followers of the Old World Gods would have to face these
uncomfortable truths, which could easily push them into a state of cynicism,
egotism and self-serving manipulation. Since these priests are better situated
to advance into positions of leadership, this in turn would have an effect on
the Unified Church as a whole and the heads of the religious institution in
particular.
On a side note, I believe
there would be a fierce rivalry between the urban and the rural priests. The
city clergy are sinister schemers who try to compete with the neglectful
nobility and parvenu merchants. The rural priests on the other hand are mostly
comprised of monks and friars, who because of their seclusion have their own
unique view on how the Gods should be worshipped. This would result in them
butting heads on more than one occasion, with little hope of a resolution. The
priests in the city are few but the most powerful men of the Church, while the
monks and friars are all constrained to a particular area and far poorer.
At the top we have the
cardinals, the seven leaders of the cults and the people who form the Council
of Couronne. They would of course be clad in red. Out-of-universe there's the
well-known historical figure of Cardinal Richelieu or ‘The Red Eminence', made
famous in the Three Musketeers and
also the fact that scarlet vestments are traditional for cardinals of the
Catholic Church. In-universe, red is one of the three colours limited to the
nobility of Bretonnia[13]
and the only colour which isn't associated with one of the cults or their Gods.
(The Cult of Shallya is sometimes associated with symbols such as a bleeding
heart or drops of blood, and priestesses of Shallya are occasionally depicted
as wearing white robes with red lining in imitation of the White Mages of the Final
Fantasy video game franchise, but the clergy typically wear white vestments[14].)
Giving the cardinals red robes is a sign of respect by the King and his court
to the Unified Church of Bretonnia, without indirectly insulting or benefitting
any single cult or God. Of course there's more to the cardinals than the shade
of their vestments. While in theory everyone in the Council of Couronne should
be equal, the reality would be different. They would be the spiritual leaders
of seven different national chapters of worldwide cults, forced to work
together because of the indifference of the ruling class and the impotence of
the working class. In theory they have tremendous power, but in reality they
are sidelined and outdone at every turn by the followers of the Lady. That's
enough to turn even the most sincere Samaritan into a sinister minister who
would make Richelieu proud. In response to
Bretonnian high society, the cardinals would constantly be conspiring and
feuding with what resources they have to further the cause of their particular
faith. This scheming would be both against the other cults and all the other
classes and social groups Bretonnia; anything which increases their influence,
funds and followers justifies their efforts in their eyes and those of their
deity.
Congregations, laity and templar knights
As I've said, the
congregations of the Old World cults would also change with the times. The
peasantry would still worship the Gods when required, but the influence of the
oppressive nobility, the impressive Grail Knights and the authoritative Damsels
would result into the serfs accepting the Lady of the Lake as the supreme
Goddess of the Old World pantheon. As such the priests would be pressured to
call upon the Lady as well during mass prayers and ceremonies. The nobility
would devote most of their prayers to the Goddess of Chivalry, and thusly not
spend much time in a temple of the Unified Church unless there's no Grail Chapel
in or near their domain. Even then they would most likely still compel the
local priests to pray to the Lady. The daily rituals in a typical temple might
have more to do with the Lady of the Lake than the God(s) it's devoted to,
which is sure to have an effect on the priesthood.
The laity[15]
- the people who do the cleaning, cooking and all the other important duties
involved in the everyday running of temples - would also be affected by the
formation of the Unified Church. While I imagine many peasants would gladly
forsake back-breaking labour for a life in the Church, the low coffers of the
cults means that not many could afford enough laymen for every temple. It also
seems likely that many lords frown upon too many of their serfs leaving their
lands. Becoming a priest or monk is one thing, but a layman does much of the
same work he would perform on the farms or pastures of his lord, while paying
fewer or no taxes. As such there's probably some royal decree which states that
peasants must first get their lord's permission before they can join the laity.
This would result into the priests of the less illustrious or influential
temples being pressured into doing lowly chores beneath their station, or
risking that their house of worship collapses in on itself from lack of
maintenance. Which further emphasizes the importance of monasteries, for these
are small communities who can easily use their resident monks, while temples
would have to manage with only their own priests and perhaps some initiates and
a few or no laity.
Lest I forgot, the lack of
support from the nobility would also mean that many of the various militant
branches of the cults would disappear. Not just because of the coffers of the
clergy growing ever slimmer, but because they would have less aspirants from
the aristocracy. First of all we have the templar orders, those brotherhoods of
devoted knights and warrior-monks. Bretonnia views knighthood differently than
the Empire does, with nobility being a birthright rather than a title which can
be bestowed on worthy individuals. This means that knightly orders in Bretonnia
can only get recruits from the nobility, who devote most of their life to the
Lady of the Lake. The various templar orders in the land of chivalry would
sooner or later die out from a lack of new blood. Of course not every defender
of the faith is a knight; peasants can be just as willing if not more to die
for their God. These range from the Longshanks, an order of rangers devoted to
Taal and Rhya[16],
to the simple warriors and guards employed to protect temples and their
congregations. But with much of the peasantry being the literal property of the
nobility and the aforementioned restrictions on joining the laity, I imagine that
common-born crusaders would not be a frequent occurrence in Bretonnia. I do see
some faiths maintaining their own armies, especially the Cult of Manann which
as I already established can still count a good number of nobles among its
followers. The Unified Church as a whole however, would have to do with a token
force of ordinary guards to protect their principal holdings. They simply don't
have the means for anything more elaborate.
Monks of the Grail
So far I've talked about
four different kinds of people who worship and obey the Lady of the Lake. These are the Fay Enchantress, the Damsels of the
Lady, the Grail Knights and the Grail Pilgrims. (The Lady doesn't give orders
or blessings to the Grail Pilgrims, but these wanderers do follow Grail
Knights, and do everything in their power to make the life of their living
saint easier.) But there's a fifth kind of follower, namely the Daimoiselles du Grail, as found in the old fifth
edition army book of Bretonnia. "[Daimoiselles du Grail] will often be the
daughters and sisters of Knights who because they are not Knights, are not able
to express their devotion by going on the Grail Quest. Instead they become nuns
of the Grail."[17]
At first you'd think that these nuns have by now been replaced by the Grail
Damsels, since their name is literally French for ‘damsels of the grail'.
However, they are still mentioned in the WFRP book Barony of the Damned[18],
although not by name. The more I think about it, the more these nuns of the
Grail fit into the society of Bretonnia. Someone needs to maintain the Grail
Chapels that are scattered around the kingdom. The Fay Enchantress is a
powerful sorceress but also only one woman and I don't see the Grail Knights or
Damsels scrubbing floors. It is mentioned that some Grail Pilgrims stay
put in a Grail Chapel, but then they're
no longer on a pilgrimage and they can better be described as monks than
pilgrims. But while the concept of the Daimoiselles du Grail as the laity of
the Cult of the Lady makes sense, I'm not quite sure how I think about the all-female
aspect of it. Yes, women are barred from becoming Grail Knights or Grail Pilgrims,
what with it being against the laws of chivalry. "On the other hand, women are
not allowed to own property, to travel without a male escort, or to undertake
most trades and professions. Despite the trappings of courtesy, men are firmly
in charge. The Grail Damsels are the most obvious exception to this. (...) The
women, of course, get no say in this treatment: they will eat first and be
honoured, whether they like it or not, and they most certainly will not be
allowed to put themselves into danger."[19] As such,
it's easy to see how women who want to devote themselves to the Goddess of
Chivalry would flock to the Damoiselles du Grail. But I can't imagine every man
who worships the Lady to go on the perilous Quest for the Grail or to follow a
Grail Knight around for the rest of his life. At least a few men would want a more
safe and secure way to dedicate their lives to the Lady, and I did find a
throwaway comment about Grail monks in Guardians
of the Forest[20]. I'll
rename the Damoiselles du Grail into the monastic orders of the Grail for sake
of convenience.
Another aspect to the monastic orders of the Grail
which I like is that they would be juxtaposed with the Church of Bretonnia in
terms of indirect and direct power. While the ruling class would most likely
sooner follow the advice of another devotee to the Lady than someone from the
Church, the monastic orders have no true holy authority. It's the Grail Damsels
who are the priestesses of the Lady, and the Grail Knights who are her anointed
warriors. The Lady of the Lake has little to no reason to bless the monks, no
matter how faithful they are. In fact, she and her Damsels have every reason to
ignore the monks who worship her, and beat down on any who shows even a
smidgeon of divine power. After all, every ‘normal' priest of the Lady that
appears to have her blessing would infringe on the religious dominance of the
Damsels. In comparison the priests of the Unified Church are less popular with
the ruling class, but can at least call upon the power of their deity.
Followers of the Old World Gods know that they can be blessed, and that their
deity takes an active interest of them regardless of whether they belong to the
peasantry or nobility. So on one side we have the Unified Church, who have less
popularity and fewer followers, but do have more direct power from the heavens.
On the other side we have the monastic orders of the Grail, who can count on
the benign support of the nobility but little else. I find this a very
compelling juxtaposition.
The Unified Church of Bretonnia to...peasants
Let's talk about how the
people of Bretonnia would interact with the Church. The people of the Church
would probably be somewhere in between merchants and nobles on the social
ladder. While not everyone would respect the same deities, Bretonnia is still a
feudal society, and being a servant of the Gods is sure to bring some respect.
Especially when the Damsels and the Grail Knights are relatively rare, leaving
the Church as the more visibly prominent religious organisation despite its
lack of direct power and influence.
To the peasantry, especially
those in the countryside, the priests of the Old World Gods would be very
important. The ruling class care little for the common-born who serve them,
leaving them to their own devices as long as the taxes, levies and desserts
come on time. "A noble has a legal duty to protect, guide and judge the
peasants under his rule, but quite a lot is permitted under the guise of
‘instilling proper respect of the nobility', and very few nobles bother to
investigate reports of abuses."[21]
This in turn has led to the peasants hiding most of their problems from their
masters. "As a result, peasants try to avoid involving the nobility in disputes
as much as possible. This might seem difficult, but problems for peasants are
only rarely caused by the lord personally coming to the village and beating
people up. Most often, the problems result from conflicts with other villages,
abuses by bailiffs, or excessive taxes being demanded on a poor harvest. (...)
Bretonnian nobles are responsible for bringing justice to the peasants. If they
hear of a crime, they make sure that someone is punished. As long as it's a
peasant, they do not worry about which peasant. In some cases, the lord has
hanged the victim. Most peasants would prefer to avoid such ‘justice'."[22]
But the priests do care and have divine powers, or at least claim that they do.
This would mean that when in trouble peasants would quickly ask for the help of
a local priest, nearby monk or visiting friar if the opportunity arose. Their
knowledge and skills would elevate the followers of the Church as not only holy
figures, but figures of authority to the peasantry.
The Unified Church would in
turn be very protective of the peasantry, since many of them are true
believers. While attitudes would once again differ between urban and rural
communities, in the end the priesthoods have too little influence to be
dismissive of their flock, especially when their flock is being passive-aggressively
oppressed by the Lady-worshipping nobility. Protecting their common-born
followers would be an instinctive reaction for the Church. Furthermore, many of
the priests and laymen would be lowborn themselves, who would naturally feel
more inclined to help their peasant brethren than the nobles who rule them in decadent
luxury.
I don't think there's much
point in talking much about the merchants, city-dwellers, artists and the rest
of the middle class. Or perhaps more to the point, I have trouble getting a fix
on them and their beliefs. Not really surprising, since they're almost
exclusively mentioned in a handful of pages in the principal WFRP sourcebook on
Bretonnia, Knights of the Grail. There
is a mention of a merchant worshipping the Lady of the Lake in Kislev[23],
but that's it. On the one hand they're still peasants, no matter their fortunes
or how frequent they marry into noble families. On the other hand these
urbanites would be in a position to meet more noble lords, Grail Knights and
Damsels than the ordinary farmer. On the third, mutated hand they would also encounter
more of the leadership of the Church, who as I've established would be a
scheming and self-serving lot. This could possibly colour the opinion of the
middle class about the Church and the Old World pantheon. That's to say nothing
of the possibility that the merchants might ignore both the Church and the Cult of the Lady of the Lake,
and instead worship Ranald. After all, as the God of Luck he has far more to offer
to them than the other deities. "The first, and easily the largest [sect of the
followers of Ranald], is composed of merchants, hagglers, and those that make
their living dealing with money. Known simply as ‘The Brotherhood', this sect
forms something akin to a guild of businessmen, who meet together to sort out
their differences, seek mutual opportunities, and plot to increase their
wealth. Most are honest merchants who call upon Ranald for bounty and improved
commerce, although there is a seedier lesser order that exists. The Brotherhood
teaches the tenets of cooperation and competition - help your brother when he
needs it - but through competition, the best elements rise to the top."[24]
So let's compromise and say that the middle class would have conflicting views
on the Church, the Old World Gods and the Lady of the Lake. Or at least that
there would be enough discord that their beliefs are not a factor in Bretonnia.
The Unified Church of Bretonnia to...nobles
The nobility would be
conflicted about the priests of Bretonnia. On the one hand they can give
spiritual advice and help out when there are no Grail Knights or Damsels around.
Divine power from a deity you don't worship is still divine power. On the other
hand, the priests often talk about Gods that the nobility don't really care
about, to say nothing about crises among the peasantry that as far as they know
don't exist. As previously mentioned, the peasants hide their troubles from
their masters. "One result of these practices, and of the existence of village
courts, is that many lords believe there are no problems among their peasants,
and that they truly live idyllic lives, without the sorts of troubles that
afflict the nobility. Thus, even those nobles who are inclined to help the
peasants rarely feel that there is any need."[25]
Compared to the peasants, priests will have less reluctance talking to nobles
on an equal footing about controversial subjects. Partly because they (believe
they) interact with the Gods and interpret their holy will on a daily basis,
but also because in one way or another they wouldn't deal personally with the
oppression that commoners encounter from the ruling class. Whether they're city
priests or country monks, they're still followers of the Gods, which makes them
at least partly exempt from most of the back-breaking labour or harsh
punishments that the peasants have to endure. A noble might still hang a
preacher who offends him, but he will not do so because of frivolous reasons,
unlike with their serfs. "Carlomax was just another peasant until the day he
saw his brother hanged for smiling at the lord's daughter and his mother beaten
until she was crippled for crying at the execution."[26]
Still, priests will have to compromise between following their principles and
religious beliefs, and unduly angering the nobility with talks of their Gods
and showing what life is like in the real world.
The priesthoods would be
envious of the nobility, both in its meaning as resenting the despotic ruling
class as in coveting their patronage and power. Part of this would come from the
social structure of Bretonnia. "The notion that all people are basically equal
seems laughable to most Bretonnians."[27]
But it would also come from the realization that the priests of Bretonnia have
far less power than their colleagues in the rest of the Old World. Whereas the
Imperial cults have numerous sects, congregations and templar orders dedicated
to them, the Unified Church by comparison has to do with a few handouts. While
the traditional creeds of the Empire complain about the influence of the Cult
of Sigmar, the people of the Church have to put up with a mysterious Goddess with
supreme power that is in fact restricted to the nobility. Worse, every priest
has to dedicate prayers to this Lady at times, with requests from the highest
lord to the lowest farmer, completely disregarding the faith of the preacher in
question. It's no wonder that the clergy would resent the nobility for what is
has done to this country, and seek every possible advantage to at least
maintain their current status, and hope for better times.
The Grail Knights and
Damsels would treat the Church with respect, but also with the easy confidence
of their own absolute authority. They would consider themselves above the
followers of the Old World Gods, and considering their martial and magical
prowess it can be argued they are correct in this belief. The champions of the
Lady would most likely help out the Church if they can, if only for the fact
that the priesthoods deal with the peasantry so the champions don't have to. As
long as the clergy don't get airs above their station, they are happy to help
out.
The Unified Church of Bretonnia to...women
While that just about covers
all the social classes in Bretonnia, there's one more demographic for us to
consider here. Namely the very important divide of genders in the land of
chivalry. To women in the land of chivalry the Church would be a literal
godsend. For the loyal wife or mother, the institution provides healing for
both the spirit and the body when necessary, and also nursemaids and tutors for
the education and attendance of her family. For the God-fearing woman, the
Church is there to fulfil their religious needs, to answer their questions
about the trials and tribulations of life. It also provides a chance for women
to devote themselves fully to their God(s), either as nuns or fully ordained
priestesses. Ambitious women on the other hand can use the Church to attain
ranks of some importance, rather than the role of housewife or mother. They can
use their position in the Church, and their divine authority, to pull away from
the male chauvinism prevalent in the kingdom. Even if they don't attain a
leadership position, they can still (proclaim to) call upon the power of their
deity, which is sure to impress some men. Now that I think about it, ambitious
women in the Church might be more common than you would think in Bretonnia. The
popularity and power of the Damsels of the Lady could easily cause feelings of resentment
and envy among the fairer sex, especially when you think of all the laws and
courtesies the Damsels can ignore. "An old and unenforced law within Bretonnia
stated that ladies must ride side-saddle on the occasion that they ride at all,
and, even had it not been the law, no noble woman would dream of riding like a
man, for one who did so would be deemed a harlot. However, the Damsels of the
Lady existed outside traditional laws and values, and there was not a man in
all of Bretonnia, not even the King, who would dare to invoke their ire by
reproaching one of them."[28]
By devoting themselves to the Gods, a career woman can at least gain a small
measure of respect and influence in the patriarchal society of Bretonnia.
The Church would handle their
female worshippers with care. This is partly because Bretonnian men feel the
need to "be polite to women at all times"[29],
but also because the Church can't afford to be picky with their followers. Besides,
the noble ladies are in no position to ask the Lady of the Lake for personal
favours; it's the men who can fight in the Lady's name and become one of the
Grail Knights. By involving themselves with the Church the female nobility can
at least pretend they have some control over their lives and that of their
family and friends. They could always turn to the monastic orders of the Grail,
but monks and nuns cannot intercede on their behalf. The Lady only listens to
her Damsels and the prayers of the knights of Bretonnia. This leaves the
Unified Church as the only recourse to the women of Bretonnia, perhaps most
notably the wives and daughters of the rulers of the kingdom. The churchmen
would be stupid to ignore or offend such an opportunity to gain followers of
influence. Women who wish to join the Church would also find the clergy
welcoming them, and not only to fill their ranks. The gender divide runs deep
in Bretonnia, and the priesthoods would find women ideal for the cooking and
cleaning tasks. Career women would have to work harder than men to move up the
ranks in the Church, but they would still manage through. At the risk of beating
a dead horse, the Church could use all the help they can get. Keeping that and
the Bretonnian attitudes to treating women in mind, I believe that nuns and
priestesses would have more luck collecting alms and appealing to the better
nature of nobility and peasantry alike than their male counterparts.
Most, if not all Bretonnians
would treat priestesses with respect, both because of the aforementioned
courtesies to the fairer sex and their status as a devotee of the Gods. If
there is a priest present as well they would defer to him, Bretonnia being a near
absolute patriarchy and all. Otherwise however a priestess can be in charge of
religious matters, which for most women would be a novel opportunity, and reason
enough for taking the cloth.
Nearing the finish line
I think I'm done here with
mapping out a potential history and culture for the priesthoods of the Old
World Gods in Bretonnia. Nevertheless there's a fifth part to this series, for
while I like to think I've created a interesting background backed up with
compelling reasoning and logical conclusions, I do want to make sure that it is
comprehensible and give a few examples of what can be done with this grand
speculation of mine. The next part is a Gazetteer of the Unified Church of
Bretonnia, where I'll flesh out the institution as well as the individual
cults.
[1] Knights of the Grail (Black Industries, 2006), page 38
[2] Knights of the Grail, page 39
[3] Warhammer Armies: Bretonnia
(Games Workshop, 2003), page 47
[4] Knights of the Grail, page
38
[5] The Adventures of Florin & Lorenzo (Black Library, Robert Earl,
2009), page 619
[6] Tome of Salvation (Black
Industries, 2007), page 28
[7] Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (Black Industries, 2005), page 224
[8] Knights of the Grail, page 13
[9] The Adventures of Florin
& Lorenzo
[10] Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
(2005), page 224
[11] Tome of Salvation, page 160
[12] Knights of the Grail, page 38 & 40
[13] Knights of the
Grail, page 33
[14] Tome of Salvation , page 52
[15] Tome of Salvation, page 192 & 193
[16] Tome of Salvation, page 205-207
[17] Warhammer Armies: Bretonnia (Games Workshop, 1996), page 51
[18] Barony of the Damned (Black Industries, 2006), page 42
[19] Knights of the Grail, page 11 & 103
[20] Guardians of the Forest
(Black Library, Graham McNeill, 2005), page 24
[21] Knights of the Grail, page 30
[22] Knights of the Grail, page 27 & 100
[23] Realm of the Ice Queen
(Black Industries, 2007), page 65
[24] Tome of Salvation, page 49
[25] Knights of the Grail, page 28
[26] Knights of the Grail, page 50
[27] Knights of the Grail, page 11
[28] Knights of Bretonnia (Black
Library, Anthony Reynolds, 2011), page 164 & 165
[29] Knights of the Grail, page
11
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