Lady of Flowers
Venaris is part of my personal pantheon, she started out as a homebrew deity for D&D, but through connecting with the setting and with her, I found that she is actually an unrecorded deity. An unrecorded deity is a deity forgotten through time. Perhaps because they were worshipped so long ago there was no written language yet, or perhaps because evidence of them is not yet found.
My Lady of Flowers is a deity of the land, especially of springtime and flowers. She is also a Goddess of love, joy, art, inspiration, and beauty. Venaris invites us to dance to the tune of the seasons, to stop and smell the roses, and see the small wonders around us.
Her Creation
She first came to me as a Goddess for my D&D pantheon. First there was Ghavena: the Wildmother, the Verdant Lady, the Goddess of vegetation and growth and the earth. For this new continent I was creating, there needed to be a continuation from her, one more connected to colours, and vibrant abundance. And so, her daughter, Venaris, was born.
It quickly became apparent to me that there was more to her. Where I had first created her as a minor Goddess, not one often worshipped. She demanded more and more attention and was soon woven into the very fabric of the continent. The culture was suddenly steeped in flowers, and gardens, and vibrant art. Flowers were seen in the very fabric clothes were made from, and painstakingly painted around window-and doorframes. Their main export were dyes and meads, all made from their colourful flowers. And through working on this continent that was suddenly steeped in Venaris’ lore, I found her: the unrecorded Goddess underneath.
Associated Deities
The thing about unrecorded deities is that you have to build from scratch. I found myself drawn to several spirits and deities who have helped me form a picture of her and connect with Venaris. The biggest influences were:
- Eostre, Germanic Goddess associated with Spring, dawn, and new beginnings
- Vána, Valar of Middle Earth, also called Queen of Flowers, valar of youth and nature
- Freyja, Norse Goddess associated with love, beauty, magic, and war
- Meda, Germanic Goddess, possible name for Freyja, associated with youth, joy, wealth, and beauty
- Shelyn, Pathfinder TTRPG Goddess, associated with beauty, art, music, and love
Other deities and spirits I recognize in her are: Flora, Cordelia, Titania, Aíne, Leva, and Creiddylad