Are Druidism and the Priestesses of Elune technically competing religions in night elf culture, or are they interwoven? Playing Classic has shown me some instances where Fandral Staghelm and his Druid followers seemed to have been competing with Tyrande and the Priesthood over control of night elf society. Was Malfurion and Tyrande being lovers what kept the peace most of the time between the Druids and Priestesses?
Night Elf Druidism is based a lot on Elune.
Cenarius is also Elune’s son, and Ysera raised him, and Elune favored Ysera, as seen in Val’sharah, and still being made reference:
Elune also created the Moonkin.
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Well I know they share some deities, many religions do, that doesnt mean they cant be opposed to each other for control of night elf society. I know Fandral was a Baddie, but many druids willingly followed his lead in opposing the priestesses.
They probably became Druids of the Flame.
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I don’t think Druidism is really a religion, more of a lifestyle. They may venerate the wild gods but they don’t worship them over Elune. Elune is the highest deity to all Night Elves.
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I agree. They do venerate Cenarius and the other wild gods but it’s not an actual religion. Elune is the primary deity. Frandal wanted more political power but in truth the druids have no governing power, not until Tyrande made Malfurion an equal leader.
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If I followed correctly it may have been the political gender stance in-between ruling & set of norms.
Night Elf culture is very matriarch and most night elf women are on the lead. Correct me if I am wrong, but from what I’ve read from WoWpedia its that more night elf males are slowly being integrated into Priesthood and vice versa for female towards Druidism. I can’t see a corrolation that would state differences between religious beliefs since both parties adore and hold Elune in high regard. I think the Priesthood sect are dedicated heavily into empowering faith into Elune whereas Druidism is more leaning towards nature, the emerald dream and Cenarius teachings without being a belief on its own accord.
All in all, keep in mind that gender does heavily impact Night Elven society to this day
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They blend very readily, and there’s significant crossover between druid abilities and Priestess of Elune abilities. In addition, many of the Wild Gods that the druids get their forms from are linked to Elune or blessed by her.
The competition in Vanilla was between Tyrande and Fandral personally, not necessarily their orders.
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I actually somewhat disagree. The real world has/had no shortage of shamanistic and animistic religions, overseen by a primary deity or pantheon, with a multitude of lesser deities. I’m also somewhat reminded of ancient Greece, where there was an overarching (for the most part) pantheon, but every city-state had its own patron deity, every town had its local patron deity, and every house had its own deity.
In-game, we have shrines to the Wild Gods that can confer blessings, and religious artifacts that can affect a Druid’s abilities, like the Idol of Aviana in the Lunarwing questline. Also, for good or for ill, the Knaak novels are still canon. And in them, the Temple in Suramar showed a fresco of Elune among a pantheon of other deities, though I suppose it’s up for interpretation now whether it’d be the Titans or the Wild Gods.
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I see your point but I’ve just never gotten the impression that the wild gods were actually worshipped. Even with the mural of Elune and the other gods including her child it was still in Elune’s temple. I see Cenarius as more of a teacher than one that’s worshipped.
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Well the Wild Gods have tons of Shrines in Hyjal, Shrines imply some kind of reverence or worship.
Always saw wild gods as revered as powerful beings and aspects of nature in druidism over being gods in th sane sense as Elune
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We do have an example of Night Elves giving offerings to Ursoc at least:
- When the claws were sealed away, magical wards were placed to prevent anyone from reaching their location. Only the power of a demigod can give us passage through the wards, one such as Ursol, the brother of Ursoc.
Ursol is a reclusive guardian and requires an offering before he will appear to us.
Like Ursoc, he was worshipped by the furbolg, but years of war have decimated their tribes and their shaman lay dead.
Search the bodies of the fallen for their offerings while I prepare the shrine.
Lea Stonepaw says: Great Ursol, wise bear of the woods, this daughter of the wilds calls to you! Please accept these humble offerings and grant us an audience!
Yeah true. I’ve just always taken that asc paint hommage or respect to the deities of nature. But never full on religions or cults of one wild god or another.
I suppose it depends on where you draw the line between reverence and worship. To me, if you build a shrine to something, give offerings, recieve blessings for those offerings and/or service, and keep religious relics with supernatural powers, that’s worship.
The way I see it, your average Night Elf is monotheistic. But Druids are dabbling in polytheism, but with Elune still as the dominant mystery cult. They even have individual sects dedicated to a given Wild God (not unlike the Zandalari… though, more harmonious) like the Druids of the Claw, the Ashen, Druids of the Talon, Druids of the Moon, etc.
Ok I accept that.
Of course they did… he was after all an ArchDruid, acting head of the Night Elf Druid order. But his differences with Malfurion and Tyrande were all political… not doctrinal.
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