Prayers and rites to Menrva

 

Etruscan prayer to Menrva

Hail Menrva, Mistress of the Stout Heart and the Devising Mind, hearken to this humble voice, from the soil of this land yet echoing with the solemnities of ages, as it lifts its carefully measured cadences. Not with the wild, unbridled ecstasies of lesser spirits do we approach Thy gleaming fane, but with the grave and seemly reverence befitting Thy multifaceted majesty, O Thou, whose wisdom doth underpin the very firmament of our understanding.

Before the unblinking gaze of Thy statues, whereon the artisan, with divinely guided hand, hath impressed the awe of Thy countenance, we lay the tribute of our contemplation. For Thou art She who doth illuminate the craftsman's toil, guiding the shuttle through the intricate warp and weft, and bestowing upon the sculptor’s inert clay the very breath of semblance. No vessel of bronze is hammered to its enduring form, no stone is set upon another in the aspiring rampart, but that Thy silent instruction hath not preceded the deed.

Consider, O Potentate of Prudent War, the legions arrayed, their burnished helms a fearsome constellation beneath the implacable sun. It is Thy whisper in the strategos' ear that doth order the phalanx, that doth anticipate the enemy's feint, that doth transform a mere agglomeration of men into an instrument of irresistible purpose. Not for the lust of carnage, nor for the vainglory of conquest alone, dost Thou lend Thy formidable aid, but for the righteous upholding of the City’s integrity, for the sacred defence of its hearths and its venerable laws. Thine is the victory born of sagacity, the triumph of the disciplined will over the chaotic impulse.

And when the clangour of battle recedes, and the dust of conflict settles upon the quietened fields, it is to Thy healing arts, O Menrva Medica, that the afflicted turn their pleading eyes. Thou art the discerning intellect that comprehends the secret afflictions of the flesh, the gentle skill that binds the wound and soothes the fevered brow. As the thunderbolt, Thy occasional dread messenger, doth rend the oak, so too can Thy profound knowledge dispel the shadows of infirmity, restoring the vital spark to the faltering lamp of life.

From the shadowy groves where the augur discerns the pattern of the divine will in the flight of birds, to the hushed scriptorium where the scribe preserves the annals of our people, Thy presence, O Daughter of Tinia, is a felt and guiding force. Grant unto us, Thy supplicants, a measure of Thy discerning spirit, that we may navigate the labyrinthine complexities of existence with prudence and with fortitude. May our counsels be wise, our arts flourish, and our arms, when necessity dictates their employment, be ever wielded with justice and crowned with honour. Let Thy luminous intellect pervade the governance of our cities, that prosperity and order may distinguish our days, and that the future may find our legacy worthy of Thy august patronage. To Thee, Menrva, artificer of Order, Guardian of Knowledge, and Bastion of Righteous Strength, be praise and unwavering devotion, now and unto the ages.

An Etruscan Liturgy to Menrva

*(Setting: Within a consecrated Fanum, or perhaps a designated Templum precinct adorned with representations of the Goddess, crafts, and martial symbols. The Chief Priest, or Eisnev, stands before a prepared altar, flanked by attendants bearing water, incense, and offerings. The time is deemed auspicious, perhaps guided by recent celestial observations or the flight of birds.)

The Presiding Eisnev priest):

Hark! Let the consecrated air be stilled, save for the supplicant breath ascending towards the æther. Let earthly clamour cease its dissonant intrusion upon this solemn hour, designated for communion with the Higher Intelligences that govern the Fates of mortals and the very structure of the Cosmos. Prepare ye the lustral waters, symbols of that Purity requisite e'en to gaze towards Divinity's reflection. Let the thurible be charged with fragrant resins, that our intentions, like smoke, might rise untainted to the celestial spheres where dwell the Never-Dying.

(Attendants perform ritual cleansing with water and ignite incense, its smoke curling upwards.)

The Eisnev (raising hands):

O Thou Resplendent Menrva! Foremost Daughter of the Mightiest Tinia, sprung forth not from mortal womb but from the very Cranium of Supreme Authority, thereby signifying Thy dominion over Thought's highest citadel! Thou art She whose gaze pierces the veil of ignorance, whose wisdom illuminates the labyrinthine paths of statecraft and the intricate designs of the artisan alike. Minerva of the Latins, Pallas Athena to the Hellenes, yet to us, the Rasna, Thou art Menrva, Stern Protectress, Ingenious Patroness, Counsellor clad in the effulgence of intellect.

We stand now, gathered beneath the vault of Heaven, acknowledging Thy manifold aspects. Forasmuch as Thou art the very Fount whence flow the streams of ordered thought and strategic acumen, guiding the hand of the lucumo upon the tiller of governance and the arm of the warrior in righteous contention, we seek Thy unerring counsel. Thy breastplate, the Aegis, turns aside not merely the physical dart, but the subtler barbs of folly and ill-conceived designs.

Thou art likewise Mistress of the Disciplined Hand, presiding over the weaver's shuttle as it dances through the warp, creating patterns of beauty and utility; over the sculptor's chisel as it frees the form from recalcitrant stone; over the potter's wheel shaping humble clay into vessels of purpose. The knowledge of numbers, the grace of letters, the harmony of well-constructed arguments – these too fall under Thy celestial jurisdiction, O Font of Erudition! Without Thee, the mind remains a fallow field, the hand untutored, the city vulnerable to chaos both within and without.

Therefore, approach we Thine altar, not with presumption, but with earnest hearts laid bare. Behold these offerings: fine-spun cloth, mirroring the intricacy Thou dost inspire; tools of craft, emblems of the skills Thou dost bestow; libations of pure oil, signifying the clarity we beseech. Accept these tokens, not for their intrinsic worth, but as manifestations of our devotion and our profound reliance upon Thy celestial favour.

(A moment of silence as offerings are placed or libations poured.)

The Eisnev (continues the petition):

Vouchsafe unto this assembled populace, O Menrva of the Piercing Eyes, the gift of Discernment. Grant that our magistrates may perceive justice, that our diviners may interpret accurately the signs vouchsafed by Tinia's lightning flash or the liver's cryptic map, understanding through Thy wisdom the patterns laid down by Fate.

Infuse our artisans with ingenuity, that their creations may bring honour to our cities and utility to our lives. Endow our youth with the thirst for knowledge, that they may grow into citizens worthy of Thy protection.

Should the brazen trumpets sound the call to arms, lend Thou Thy sapient mind to our commanders. Temper valour with prudence; guide the spear to its mark only when necessity and justice demand. Preserve our boundaries, shield our homes, not through blind aggression, but through the application of foresight and well-ordered defence, which are Thy true martial virtues.

Look favourably upon the loom, the forge, the stylus, the plowshare guided by understanding. For in the works of peace, guided by wisdom, lies strength no less profound than in the panoply of war.

Concluding Invocation:

Menrva, Bright Intelligence, Guardian of Etruria's Mind and Hand! Hearken unto our plea. Let Thy presence be felt amongst us, not as a fleeting shadow, but as an enduring light upon our path. Stand with Mighty Tinia and Revered Uni, completing the Triad that secures the firmament of our existence. May Thy wisdom permeate our counsels, Thy skill inhabit our hands, and Thy protective aegis deflect all that would bring harm or ignorance upon Thy people.

So let it be spoken. So let our devotion ascend.

(The Eisnev lowers hands. A period of silent contemplation follows before the attendees are dismissed.)