Claea

**Claea** is the goddess of the hearth and home, medicinal herbs, and childbirth in Assyris, the national religion of Assyra and the Assyran Empire. She an Assyri, one of the twenty principal deities, and was created with the other Assyris by Tero. Her constellation is the Crane.

Claea is commonly seen keeping watch over one of the sacred fires in the divine realm. Portrayed as quiet and peaceful, Claea may hold a wooden staff, an oil lamp, or an empty clay bowl for offerings.

### Emblems

Claea has two emblems most sacred to her aspect as a goddess: the lamp and bowl. The bowl is a symbol of the home and hearth, her two major spheres of protection. The lamp symbolizes these areas as well as Claea's flame of immortality.

## Worship

The worship of Claea is pervasive everywhere throughout Assyra. She is an extremely popular goddess and her veneration occurs almost daily by all citizens.

Nearly every house has a figure of Claea; she is a ubiquitous goddess who is prayed for by almost every mortal at least once in their lifetime - most often daily. The most common prayer which children are taught from the time they start to speak is “Lady Mother, give me light,” when they light the first lamp each morning.

The main offering for this deity is fire. As the goddess of the hearth, Claea is closely associated with all forms of fire and therefore light. Anyone who makes a fire or lights a candle is believed to be offering respect to Claea.

Prayers are offered by household members over the morning fires each day. Claea's preferred alter is the hearth; this is her most popular place of worship and considered not only the heart of every home but the place where connection with the goddess is strongest. More formally, Claea is prayed to over braziers created for this purpose.

While Claea requires no alter other than the hearth, almost all homes have another alter space dedicated to her. It is most often a simple wooden or stone shrine set up in an alcove before a brazier. Her likeness be set in the alcove and kept before the flame. In many wealthy homes, a brazier to Claea is kept always burning.

Other offerings for this goddess include food and drink, candles, lamps, and lanterns.

## Appearance

Claea is most often portrayed as a beautiful woman clad in simple, flowing robes. Her hair is bound at the base of her neck. At times she wears a veil. As a goddess, she possesses far more beauty than any mortal, but among the deities she is not uncommonly beautiful.

She is also portrayed as an old crone. It is in this form that Claea has revealed herself most often to mortals. She will appear as an elder at the door of a home and ask the family for bread. Those who turn her away earn bad luck for their household. Their cows will fail to produce milk, one of their children will pass from fever, their roof will catch fire, or any other similar incidents may occur after the disguised goddess departs. If the family welcomes Claea and offers her food, she reveals her true form to them and blesses the house, providing good health and fortune.

Claea may also appear in the form of flames. Her presence has been sensed in fires and lit lamps. Mortals have said they have heard the voice of the goddess whispering words of encouragement through the flames, or seen her face in the flicker of fire.