Based on the ancient mythology and folklore of Germany, the Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction series is set in the German Empire of the late 1890s, a time of progress and peril. In the series, Lora is a half-nixie half-human orphan who discovers her true nature and grows from a rebellious schoolgirl to a true warrior woman.
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The Lora Ley novels revolve around folklore, magic, the Germanic primordial gods and elemental nature spirits of Germany. While records of German mythology are scarce, inland Deutschland gives glimpses of a dynamic mythological culture from the times of prehistory.
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Primeval mythologies and belief systems of Germania are based on earlier Proto-Indo-European cosmology of about 3000 BCE. It's preceded by an agricultural, matriarchal culture up to 7500 BCE.
The Proto-Indo-Europeans were nomads, hunters and cattle raiders, migrating north in the Neolithic Period. German mythology is a complex blend of ancient Germanic myth with influences of Rome, the Arab world, seafarers of the North, Celts and various inland neighbors, traders and marauders.
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Primordial Gods & Goddesses
Erde, Nerthe, Nerthus, Herthe, Erda - Earth Goddess - fertility, abundance, wisdom - personified in the earth and the natural environment. She relates to the plants and animals, creation energy and elemental harmony.
Ziu - Sky God - virility, proliferation, warrior related to Norse Tyr - his name (pronounced Ts-ee-ew is given to Tuesday) - personified in storms, lightning and general weather. With the Earth he creates primordial fire.
Sonne - Sun Goddess and personification of the Sun - nurturing warmth causes blindness to those who look her in the eye. Various festivals are held in her honor, such as the return of light marked by the Winter Solstice.
Moon God - Moon God, personification of the Moon. In German the moon is der Mond. His name is given to Monday.
Vulkan - Fire God - a later addition to the pantheon, the God of Fire and blacksmiths is a direct influence from Rome and the god Vulcan. His cult began before the 7th century BCE in Rome.
In the first century BCE Julius Caesar mentioned Vulkan as a Germanic god. Vulkan means volcano in German. Before an established God of Fire, the burning realm was the domain of elemental Fire spirits.
Elemental Spirits
Elemental Spirits interact with each other. They may flow in harmonious ways or explode into conflict. As they grow and multiply they shape and create their environment on an Earth long before humans came into the mix.
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Elemental Air Spirits
Rising forces create clouds, fog, breezes, thoughts of travel and creative ideas. Air spirits include the sprites and fairies, air dragons; they rule creatures of the air and sky, birds, insects, even floating plant seeds like dandelion. Air is an intellectual energy of positive forward motion. Air Spirits relate to Sky Father Ziu.
Spirits of the Air came before those of Fire, for without air there is no fire. Air is a substance surrounding all things and a primal necessity of life. Air spirits freshen the air and share the fragrance of flowers and herbs.
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Elemental Earth Spirits
Grounding forces rule structure and fertility of soil, breakdown of rocks and dispersal of nutrients. As elementals, Earth spirits are born of lava. They can mold and reshape the natural environment. Earth spirits include house and harvest spirits, tree spirits, earth dragons, elves and dwarfs. They relate to Earth Mother Erde. In German Erde simply means "Earth".
Earth Spirits proliferate rapidly in the early days before humankind. They and their descendants occupy plants, soil, rocks, moss and trees. They create jewels and are patrons of the Dwarfs and gemologists. They can also create massive cracks in the earth to swallow whole cities.
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Elemental Water Spirits
Water spirits form from gaseous vapor as the Earth cools. With Erde and other entities they create the flowing waters, underground springs, marshes, rivers, lakes and wells. They can nurture green growing things or cause destructive floods. In the beginning, the Earth is an unstable place.
Flowing forces harmonize industry and intuition. The God of the Waters is Rhine River God Rēnos or Rhenos (Roman: Rhenus Pater). His name in history goes back the Celts who lived in Germania around 600 BCE. He's the protector and patron of all fresh water. Rhenus is also associated with grapes, as vineyards are prolific along regions of the Rhine.
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Elemental Fire Spirits
Fire Spirits help shape and create the Earth with forceful power. They're born of the primordial fire, the first flames created by the Earth Goddess and Sky God. The primordial fire appears as lightning strikes the earth.
With combined creative power the Fire Spirits give rise to the Sun Goddess. The moon is created to reflect her light when she rests at night. Some of the Fire Spirits join her as Solar Spirits, some become Lunar Spirits, like those found in moonbeams. The secrets of making fire belong to the Gods.
By the Late Bronze Age the Roman Vulcan, god of the forge and fire, is known as Vulkan of the Germans. In mythology his forge is on the island Vulcano, off the north coast of Sicily, a funnel into the Earth sending up plumes of smoke and sparks.
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From Fire also come demons of destruction. As the Earth and cosmos take form through creative and chaotic elemental energies, water condenses from clouds of gas and steam, and other entities begin to appear. Nyx or nixies are born of water and thrive in their habitat, using their specialized magic to create underwater worlds with their own ecology and mythology.
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