Background
History
Witchcraft in the Tundra began as a nameless thing; something women did upon abandoning traditional
Nordenfiir society, forsaking the safety of the status-quo and the oppression from their brothers to live a life of freedom and adventure upon the frigid earth as was their right and glory as a Bearkin. It served as a refuge for women who were born barren; women who were seen as ugly, or old, or otherwise undesirable; who were denied proper station, courtesy, or even basic human decency on the basis of their sex, where femininity was, instead, celebrated and empowered beyond its capacity as an accessory to their male counterparts. Disavowing hierarchy, history, materialism, and status in favor of family, oral tradition, song, and community, the covens were a shadow cultural evolutionary sphere that offered a glimpse at the world the Nordenfiir would have built had they been matriarchy, instead of bowing before the laws and wealth of old men. Witchcraft was frowned upon, and it made people uneasy, sure, but it was not yet
taboo.
It was not until King Iordahn's little sister, Eodahl, got mixed up with the witches that the whole thing became a problem. King Iordahn bristled at his sister's dissent and declared Witchcraft to be a “disgraceful, insubordinate influence.” He would create laws outlawing its practice, using language degrading the Witches and their “untrustworthiness;” the “dishonor” of their “secrets and dirty tricks.” The Witches and their mysterious, often bitter dispositions made it easy for the people to believe their nature to be malevolent.
These days, the Witches of the Tundra are Kill-On-Sight to most Nordenfiir colonies, though this has done little to hamper their accrual of sisters. The staunch adversarial posture of the patriarchy to its women only ensures disaffection. After all, when the
Svalen of females are typically larger than the males, why on earth would they tolerate subjugation? Additionally, the covens have taken in a few of the non-bearkin Nordens. Though this is a rare thing, it is not due to exclusivity; it is simply because Norden exiles lack the sense of smell, the bear-form, and the myriad of survival advantages to persist on the Tundra alone, often falling to poisonous
plants and deadly predators far before encountering the witches.
As many of the workings require biological components/sensations unique to a woman (Often relating to menstrual cycles -- Synching with sisters, “built-in” internal
calendar, associations to tides, moon phases, etcetera), as well as learned memeplexes from completing Rites of Passages within traditional female socialization schemes (Understanding through personal experience of Mother, Maiden, and Crone life phases, for example), no Men are, or will ever be, permitted entry. This bar stands, perhaps cruelly, for Trans-identities, as well.
Theory and Practice
Perhaps the most useful symbol for understanding the philosophy governing the use of the Tundra’s witchcraft is that of the triple moon. This is symbol is not drawn on tabards or crested on shields to denote organizational affiliation. Instead, it is communicated abstractly. To younger witches, it is demonstrative of the triple-goddess, “She of Three Sounds.” Though, when this name is invoked, the witches are literally describing themselves and one another. After all, they did not flee the leash of Eogorath just to cower before some new god.
She of Three Sounds is none other than the one you’ve probably already guessed, dear reader. Sing along, if you know the words:
The Maiden – The youthful witch, beautiful and with a lust for life, growth, and adventure. This is the witch in her most independent aspect.
The Mother -- Mid-cycle, capable of creating new life. It is about love, mercy, and maintenance
for one's family.
The Hag -- The older, wiser witch, wary of the encroaching death and she reminds others of it, too. The void to which we came, so shall we return. They are the queens of necessary evils. It is not uncommon that some witches go completely feral, at this point.
If you have noticed that these roles are often those created for women within patriarchal
culture, you are not wrong. The problem with oppositional perspectives is that they often have no choice but to take root in that which we are trying to extricate ourselves from.
The “spellwork” of younger witches often deals in that of “nature songs.” It should be noted that these “songs” do not consist of actual words, but of “mouth-music;” sounds
like words utilized for the quality of their timbre to replicate the rhythm and flow of the way of things.
The wind doesn’t whistle as it passed through the swaying trees, but the trees sway because the wind whistles.
There is a second meaning to triple moons, however, one that defies explanation, as the wizened witches are only peripherally aware of it:
One might call it a Hellscape, or the Realm of the Fae, but as the witches and the Nordenfiir know none of these necessary frameworks, they do not really call it anything. All the same, there are other “planes” that exist just out of “phase” upon the Eretejva Tundra (concentrated along faultlines and coastlines manufactured by continental divide), inhabited by wicked creatures constantly trying to push into our realm of existence. While these creatures can sometimes be benevolent, the vast majority are manipulative, evil, powerful, violent, and cruel. If given the chance, these “demons,” "tricksters," "shadow-selves," "faerie," and "ghosts" will steal the bodies of weaker animals, mindless
undead, or even the recently deceased, comatose, or otherwise enfeebled humanoid.
Though the Witches cannot
see these otherworldly entities creeping about, constantly trying to invade the bodies of the local ecosystem (which is, indeed, very much the case), they are sensitive to the vibes. By way of song, the witches can tap into their out-of-synch frequency and harmonize them, pulling them into our sphere (so long as there is a body to host).
It is important to understand that this place is not an actual
place. It and its beings are more like
thoughts or
hallucinations. They invade when the mind and the body are weak, producing a radical physical and magical transmogrification upon successful corruption of their host.
((
IMPORTANT -- See:
Spriggan))
Price
Witchcraft is not without its price, of course; but it
is a communal practice. The Coven performs the rituals together, paying in body, breath, and soul at a distributed rate. Together, the burden is not so great. Together – the cost is often negligible.
Typically, the Witches favor their human-form, as the vocal range is much greater. However, some workings are unusual, which will come with a need for unusual noises, and the bear, the wolf, or whatever animal they may shift into or keep as familiar might be utilized to supplement. Because of this, it is not
terribly uncommon to see one Of The Tusk providing some trunk trumpeting.
(Of course, it is completely plausible there is a whole range of music that you can only manage with a bear growl)
Though, sometimes, the witches present are too few. Sometimes, the work is too cumbersome. The witch pays the tax as any magician would – diminishing their youth, sacrificing an animal, fetish, or treasure, or, as
Signe the Bog Witch has, cutting off pieces of her Svalen until it is dead.
These incidents are rare, however. The Witch does not seek to remake the world in her own image. She and her community are an aspect of it, and their songs always go with the grain.
