The Temple of the Drowned is entirely dedicated to the goddess of the sea; Ran. Also known as the silver-haired tide mother of the depths, the sea-blue reaper of the endless waters, the she-ruler of the ocean, and mother of the Waves. She is Ran the Golden.
The sections below detail the imagery seen within the temple and the accompanying writings from within the religious texts of those that worship there.
The Sea-Reaper’s Glory
At the Northern end of the temple is its focus and main dedication: a 30-foot tall statue of the tide-mother herself. Ran is depicted with a long, narrow face and pronounced cheekbones. Her eyes appear to be staring through you no matter where you stand. Her hair flows over her shoulders and down to the middle of her back as if it were a winding river that had caught the silver of a twilight’s fullest moon.
She stands proud, with her head held high and a confident smirk on her face as if she stands ruling over her endless dominion. In one hand, she holds a long trident. In the other, she holds a net that drapes over her shoulders like a shawl.
The Tide Mother’s Tempest
On the ceiling of the temple is a sprawling mural of a vast ocean and within it, are four stories. This is the first.
The image depicts several ships being tossed, like a child’s toy, against dangerous rock formations and a jagged cliffside. Ran is shown below, great net in hand, grinning wildly as she captures those that sank and pulls them down into her watery domain.
In the deep sea caves
By the sounding shore,
In the dashing waves
When the wild storms roar,
In her cold green bowers
In the Northern fiords,
She lurks and she glowers,
She grasps and she hoards,
And she spreads her strong net for her prey.
- A Poem from the Story of Siegfried
Ran, whose name means “Robber,” was often depicted as cruel, greedy, and insatiable as her husband, Aegir. Her favorite pastime was to lurk near dangerous rocks, whither she enticed mariners, and there spread her net…waiting.
The Seafarer’s Toll
On the ceiling of the temple is a sprawling mural of a vast ocean and within it, are four stories. This is the second.
The image depicts a single ship that is being devoured by the towering waves of a great storm. Its demise appears to be certain. Looks of horror can be seen on the faces of the crew, struggling above deck to keep the ship upright and realizing the frailty of their chances of survival. One man stands apart from the others. He can be seen on his knees, praying, and holding something up to the sky. Something golden that shimmers in the storm’s lightning.
Gold, on sweetheart ramblings,
Pow’rful is and pleasant;
Who goes empty-handed
Down to sea-blue Ran,
Cold her kisses strike, and
Fleeting her embrace is -
But we ocean’s bride be-
Troth with purest gold.
- A Poem from The Viking Tales of the North
Ran was considered the goddess of death for all who perished at sea, and the people fancied that she entertained the drowned in her coral caves…where the mead flowed freely as in Valhalla. The goddess was further supposed to have a great affection for gold, which was called the “flame of the sea,” and was used to illuminate her halls. To win Ran’s good graces, seafarers were careful o hide some gold about them whenever any special danger threatened them on the sea.
Ran, the Siren Maiden of the Rhine
On the ceiling of the temple is a sprawling mural of a vast ocean and within it, are four stories. This is the third.
The image depicts a silver-haired Ran sitting upon a rock by a great river. She sits there, combing her hair and singing to the silvery moon in the sky above her. Several spectators stand in awe, seemingly entranced by her song.
Above the maiden sitteth,
A wondrous form, and fair;
With jewels bright she plaiteth
Her shining silver hair:
With a comb of gold prepares it,
The task with song beguiled;
A fitful burden bears it -
That melody so wild.
The boatman on the river
Lists to the song, spellbound;
Oh! What shall him deliver
From danger threat’ning round?
The waters deep have caught them,
Both boat and boatman brave;
‘Tis Ran’s song hath brought them
Beneath the foaming wave.
- A Song, Translated
One person only is said to have seen Ran close by. This was a young fisherman, who met her every evening by the riverside and spent a few delightful hours with her, drinking in her beauty and listening to her entrancing song. Tradition had it that ere they parted Ran pointed out the places where the youth should cast his nets on the morrow - instructions which he always obeyed, and which invariably brought him success.
One night the young fisherman was seen going towards the river, but as he never returned search was made for him. No clue to his whereabouts being found, the townsfolk finally reported that Ran had dragged him down to her coral caves that she might enjoy his companionship forever.
The God Ruler of the Depths
On the ceiling of the temple is a sprawling mural of a vast ocean and within it, are four stories. This is the fourth.
The image depicts Aegir, a gaunt old man, with a long white beard and hair to match. He is shown sitting upon a throne at the bottom of a vast ocean, his clawlike fingers ever strained and clutching convulsively, as though he longed to have all things within his grasp.
Beneath the watery dome,
With crystalline splendor,
In radiant grandeur,
Upreared the sea-god’s home.
More dazzling than foams of the waves
E’er glimmered and gleamed thro’ deep caves
The glistening sands of its floor,
Like some placid lake rippled o’er.
- A Poem from Valhalla
Aegir, the husband of Ran, is the god-ruler of the sea. He was supposed to occasion and quiet the great tempests which swept over the deep. Whenever he appeared above the waves, it was only to pursue and overturn vessels, and to greedily drag them to the bottom of the sea, a vocation in which he was thought to take fiendish delight.
The Waves
Around the walls of the temple stand statues of varying women, all looking proudly Northward and upward; to their mother. These painted statues were carved to depict the Waves, Aegir and Ran’s nine daughters.
The sea-ruler’s daughters were known to be extremely beautiful, with snowy white arms and bosoms, long golden hair, and deep-blue eyes. They were known to take delight in sporting over the surface of their father’s vast domain, clad lightly in transparent blue, white, or green veils. They were very moody and capricious, however, varying from playful to sullen and apathetic moods, and at times exciting one another almost to madness, tearing their hair and veils, flinging themselves recklessly upon their hard beds, the rocks, chasing one another with frantic haste, and shrieking aloud with joy or despair.
The Waves were generally supposed to go about in triplets and were often said to play around the ships of whom they favored, smoothing away every obstacle from their course, and helping them to reach speedily their goals.
And Aegir’s daughters, in blue veils dight,
The helm leap round, and urge it on its flight.
- A Poem from Viking Tales of the North
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