What is it like, being a priestess of Dibella?

[Elaini]

Well, she's a goddess of beauty, and according to the priestess Senna, she's also for the life's "simple pleasures", whatever that means. Perhaps out of aedra, she's the one for hedonism.

At least the beggar in Markarth claimed that he once had a drunken party with them, though people don't necessarily believe him, even when it is "his favorite" story.

Senna also seems to look if the applicant looks pretty enough...

Haelga in Riften practises some kind of ritual prostitution that she calls "Dibellan arts", but apparently the aedra in general frown on that sort of thing. To Svana she says that "it's just a bit of fun". Apparently if the priestesses want to be lovers of someone, they should marry and leave temple.

That's what Thonar Silver-Blood's wife Betrid did, apparently for money, and she doesn't even seem to care if he beds the other women.

So, what do you think is going on in Dibella's Inner Sanctum?

[BelphegorATS]

I think the simple pleasures are more or less what is needed in life, i.e. things like nourishment, an occupation, and love. With regards to the beggar's claim, I'd say it's likely a hallucination on his part which was conjured up in his mind while in a drunken state. What Haelga does in Riften can be perceived as a more radical form of worship for Dibella, but I think the Aedra are against it because she's doing it for her own desires rather than doing it to please them in some way.

[Gamer4Evah]

sex, sex, sex, and more sex. thats what i ve understood from the followers of dibella in the game.

[Panda]

Let's just say she has similar scope to Dionysus.

Dibella says: Open your heart to the noble secrets of art and love. Treasure the gifts of friendship. Seek joy and inspiration in the mysteries of love. "

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Ten_Commands:_Nine_Divines#The_Ten_Commands_of_the_Nine_Divines

"My sister is a devotee of the conqueror gods Reman and Talos, not the love goddess Dibella. She is plotting with those men, not having orgies with them. I'd wager I've slept with more men than she has," laughed Antiochus, and then grew serious.

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/The_Wolf_Queen,_Book_III#Contents

Rosayna hurried to take a look at the Bosmer's wounds on his leg and chest. Dishelved [sic] but still beautiful, she was one of the favorites at the brothel, who had learned her healing skill along with her more vocational skills at the House of Dibella. She carefully but quickly pulled the rent leather cuirass, chausses, tassets, grieves [sic], and boots off him, and placed them to the side while she examined the injuries.

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/The_Refugees#Content

“Lusty fertility goddess of the Yokudans,” replied the Potentate. “But not too lusty, like Dibella. Demure, but certainly sexual.”

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/2920,_Sun%27s_Height_%28v7%29#Content

[ReallyMeanGoldfish]

I thought of her more as an Aphrodite goddess. While sex did play into that cult; it was more to do with love. In Greek and Roman lit and history; it was Bacchus who was the most sexual/hedonistic of the gods.

[Panda]

You guys should read the books in the game. Lots of lore to be found. From the books, you can immediately get an understanding of how the mortals of Tamriel view Dibella. Betrid's dialogue clearly implies that she used the arts she learned from the House of Dibella in Markarth when she was a priestess there to seduce Thonar. How about Haelga from Riften?

[Elaini]

I've also figured that if Dragonborn passes to the Inner Sanctum the priestesses would usually give women "a length of servitude" and men "a swift death" as a punishment, but go for an exception for Dragonborn. They don't seem very gender equal.

But after Dragonborn returns with their Sybil, they will allow to return to the Inner Sanctum any time the Temple is open. Even if Dragonborn was a he.

[Zefram Cochrane]

Is Haelga operating a protitution ritual? I understood that she gave her favours for free.

Originally posted by Elaini:

I've also figured that if Dragonborn passes to the Inner Sanctum the priestesses would usually give women "a length of servitude" and men "a swift death" as a punishment, but go for an exception for Dragonborn. They don't seem very gender equal.

But after Dragonborn returns with their Sybil, they will allow to return to the Inner Sanctum any time the Temple is open. Even if Dragonborn was a he.

Well they're initially hostile towards the dragonborn, but after you get the Sybil for them they're friendly, and if the dragonborn is male theyre very, very forward.

Do they have to leave the temple if they get married? You can marry the priestess but she never stops wearing her robes. She moves into your home but thats more a limitation of the game engine I think, its the same for all NPC's that get married.

[Elaini]

Originally posted by Zefram Cochrane:

Well they're initially hostile towards the dragonborn, but after you get the Sybil for them they're friendly, and if the dragonborn is male theyre very, very forward.

Forward both ways. They're more hostile for male then female, and more flirty for male than female in the end.

[BelphegorATS]

Originally posted by Panda:

You guys should read the books in the game. Lots of lore to be found. From the books, you can immediately get an understanding of how the mortals of Tamriel view Dibella. Betrid's dialogue clearly implies that she used the arts she learned from the House of Dibella in Markarth when she was a priestess there to seduce Thonar. How about Haelga from Riften?

Right, as individuals of the mortal plane perceive Dibella as a patron Aedra of matters related to love, and they may behave in certain ways during their interactions with lovers by applying what they've learned from her teachings to their relationships with those they're engaged to and their spouses as well. Betrid would be a good example of that, but I doubt Haelga is a firm follower or believer of Dibella's teachings because she seems to use them more for prostitution than love.

[Elaini]

Originally posted by BelphegorATS:

I doubt Haelga is a firm follower or believer of Dibella's teachings because she seems to use them more for prostitution than love.

I got that picture when she said that it's just fun. Quite belittling words from someone who claims to everyone else that what she does is for religion.

Mara is a goddess of love as well though. So do they represent different aspects of love? Mara the spiritual side and commitment, and Dibella the side of pleasure?

[Stoob]

Originally posted by Elaini:

Originally posted by BelphegorATS:

I doubt Haelga is a firm follower or believer of Dibella's teachings because she seems to use them more for prostitution than love.

I got that picture when she said that it's just fun. Quite belittling words from someone who claims to everyone else that what she does is for religion.

Mara is a goddess of love as well though. So do they represent different aspects of love? Mara the spiritual side and commitment, and Dibella the side of pleasure?

That was my take, the difference between union and 'union'. :)

Haelga gets a bad press anyway, and why on Earth are words like 'prostitution' being used? She beds some of the men of the town (no 'exchanges' mentioned whatsover in the dialogue beyond the marks of Dibella), some of whom happen to be married or in positions of good standing. She likes to ♥♥♥♥. Big deal.

[Freitag]

Thank you ^^

[BelphegorATS]

Originally posted by Elaini:

Originally posted by BelphegorATS:

I doubt Haelga is a firm follower or believer of Dibella's teachings because she seems to use them more for prostitution than love.

I got that picture when she said that it's just fun. Quite belittling words from someone who claims to everyone else that what she does is for religion.

Mara is a goddess of love as well though. So do they represent different aspects of love? Mara the spiritual side and commitment, and Dibella the side of pleasure?

Yes, Haelga certainly implies that. I don't even think she's actually following Dibella's teachings to the fullest as I've said because she appears to be using them for personal desires rather than what Dibella intends them to be used for.

As for Mara, I'd say she definitely represents a different aspect of love that feels more intimate than Dibella's teachings. She likely is a strong proponent of love between couples, specifically between men and women, whereas Dibella probably encompasses that and other kinds of love as well. At least that's how I see it in my opinion.

[Stoob]

Originally posted by BelphegorATS:

specifically between men and women, whereas Dibella probably encompasses that and other kinds of love as well.

Any marriage may take place in the Temple of Mara, there seem to be no taboos about orientation in Skyrim. I think it was the 'Senile Scribbles' series that had a shtick about this. The Dragonborn asks an imperial and stormcloak about their differing ideals like religious freedom and they argue on every point, but when he asks about sexual freedom, they're both like, "Why would anyone have a problem with that?!" ^^

[BelphegorATS]

Originally posted by Lord Noob of Noobshire:

Haelga gets a bad press anyway, and why on Earth are words like 'prostitution' being used? She beds some of the men of the town (no 'exchanges' mentioned whatsover in the dialogue beyond the marks of Dibella), some of whom happen to be married or in positions of good standing. She likes to ♥♥♥♥. Big deal.

The reason why Haelga has been referred to as that is because women (and perhaps some men) in that occupation don't always have to work for money; it might also be a way to enjoy one of life's pleasures for recreation.