Bova

## Overview

A craft goddess, besides milking, calving, cheese making, leatherwork,  and butter churning, she takes an occasional foray as a psychopomp (the spiritual guide of a living person's soul). But she’s a protective divinity, first and foremost, Watcher of the Herds. Culturally she’s associated with plenty, prosperity, bounty, fertility, perfume, good manners, nurturing motherhood, oaths, patience; she knows how to make magical dairy products. Milk that can turn any man into a hulking warrior, cream to turn any woman into a personification of fecund wholesome beauty, a cheese that can bestow wisdom, and she does something with curds and menstruation that is amazing.

### Description

A very tall, broad shoulder and large women with brown hair spotted with black, Big Brown, deeply expressive eyes and a large mouth.  Wears a finely tooled leather cloak.

Sometimes referred to as the “Bearer of Burdens” or as the “Milk Mother”.

She can see what any of her cows see, looking through their eyes.

### Hymns

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> "*Let us sing a hymn of praise to the Goddess of the Kine!*
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> *Praise be the Bearer of Burdens! Praise be the Pure One!*
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> *She who pulls the sacred plow, She who gives the blessed milk!*
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> *The Queen of the Herds bestows on us the gifts of abundance and wisdom!*
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> *Praise her in the springtide when the calves are sacrificed!*
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> *Praise her in the autumn, when the bulls are culled!*
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> *Life and death, in the service of life, we praise Bova the Blessed for her abundant benevolence!*
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> *Moo! Moo! Moo!*"
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Hymn to Bova, Goddess of the Kine From the Collection of Jannik the Rysh

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> "*Strong beyond measure!*
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> *Hail, the Milk Mother!*
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> *Provider of nourishment!*
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> *Hail the Goddess of the Kine!*
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> *Her hooves and horns bless us!*
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> *Hail Bova!*
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> *Hail the Goddess of Cows!*
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> *Moo! Moo! MOO!*"
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Traditional Hymn To Bova, Goddess of the Kine From the Collection of Jannik the Rysh

### Persistent

First appears in in Arcanist.  After Alya’s Dairy is built, Bova appears in their bed chamber one night to bless Alya and to pledge her help with the war, though at the time Minalan is skeptical about what kind of help she can give them.

As a goddess of contemplative wisdom, Bova leaves it up to Minalan’s discretion to bestow the gift of permanent manifestation on her.

### The Blessing

The next morning, Alya finds …

### The Divine Stampede

All of the Cattle in the Wilderland some as far away as Verone, started to disappear, even the new herd that was given to Alya from Bova.

At a fateful moment during the end of the conflict with Shakathet’s troops, when Minalan’s people were past exhaustion and a small group of them were following a band of fleeing Gurvani, that Korbal supplemented with his reserved troops, a massive heard of cattle appear and stampeded over the enemy.

*Further information: The Divine Stampede*

## See Also

*See also: Gods of Callidore*
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## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mancour, Terry. Arcanist: Book Twelve of the Spellmonger Series (p. 248-255). Kindle Edition.
2. ↑ Mancour, Terry. Arcanist: Book Twelve of the Spellmonger Series (p. 84). Kindle Edition.
3. ↑ Mancour, Terry. Arcanist: Book Twelve of the Spellmonger Series (p. 242). Kindle Edition.