| Other Names | None |
| Area Of Control | The Sky, the Upine Tree, the Seagull |
| Ethos | - |
| Pantheon | Eshtari |
| Worshipers | Eshtari |
| Appearance | A perfect eshtari male whose left eye glows blue and right eye glows yellow. |
| Symbol | A blue eye and a yellow eye. An upine tree. |
Vadalahaj is the sky. He is everlasting. He is always watching. The twin suns are his two eyes, ever shifting, looking near and far. He sees all.
Vadalahaj is always depicted as a perfect male Eshtari. His left eye glows blue and his right eye glows yellow. He is always depicted against a clear blue sky with clouds beneath his feet. Typically, the three mistress moons will be shown over his left shoulder.
Clouds block the sky and the light of the twin suns and so they are the enemy of Vadalahaj. Clouds are the bringers of misfortune and wickedness, darkness and fear.
When rain laden thunderstorms strike, it is Vadalahaj making battle with the dark spirits of the clouds. The crash of lightning and thunder is the magic that the immortals use against each other. Rain is the blood of the spirit clouds. It is taboo to be outside during a storm. Anyone foolish enough to run about in a thunderstorm might be mistaken for an immortal and struck dead by the gods. The rainbow is Vadalahaj signifying his victory over the clouds.
Because of his nature with the sky and the suns, the Eshtari do almost everything outside under the sun. Celebrations, weddings and the like are always held under the sun. If cloudy weather presents itself, such events are delayed until the next sunny day. Even duels are postponed til a sunny day because the combatants wish for Vadalahaj to witness their bravery and to judge the contest.
The night time sky is filled with the winking eyes of the spirits of the esthari ancestors – those that have died and moved on to serve Vadalahaj. The three moons are his mistresses. At night, Vadalahaj moves on to watch over other lands, other children. He leaves his mistresses to watch over the eshtari and the spirit eyes in the night.
From their seats in the sky, the ancestor spirits see all, as does Vadalahaj. Thieves and other who would normally work at night must content with the fact that they are constantly watched. Therefore, crimes are only committed in doors. Outdoor criminal activity is never done under the stars, but only on cloudy nights. Anything under the stars and moons is seen and remembered. They will tell Vadalahaj and the sinner will be punished.
The three mistresses are sisters. In Eshtar, any time 3 sisters are born, they are considered blessed. The smallest of the three moons is the youngest and the favorite of Vadalahaj. It is believed that the third of three sisters will be destined for greatness for Vadalahaj favors her.
Funerals are always held at night, under a star filled sky. This is so that the soul of the deceased may find its way to its place among the ancestors. If necessary, a funeral will be postponed until clouds clear and the ceremony can be conducted on a starry night. Until the ceremony is conducted, the soul is still contained with the body of the deceased. They can hear everything around them. It is during this time, before the ceremony, that loved ones will speak to the body and say their goodbyes. Poems are read and gifts are given. The funeral consists of prayer, poems, stories and then the body is burned atop a pyre. The soul rises with the smoke into the starry night. The ancestors greet the new member. The eshtari believe that a new star will appear in the sky when the soul joins them.
Glowstones are holy to the eshtari and there is a strong connection between glowstones and the faith of Vadalahaj. Since glowstones capture light, they hold a piece of Vadalahaj in them as they glow throughout the night. Glowstones are prominent in funeral ceremonies.
Priests of Vadalahaj, male and female, always go bare chested and wear a palm skirt. They pray to the twin suns each dawn and dusk.
The eshtari believe that the upine tree was a gift from Vadalahaj to the eshtari people to aid them during the Great Hunger of long ago when the lands shook and the sky blackened. Had it not been for the upine tree, the Eshtari would have died out. The tree has special significance for them. Upine fruit is served at all religious ceremonies - the birth of a child, the funeral of a loved one, a marriage ceremony, etc.
The esthtari have one main religious festival called Dalahajin once a year, in early spring, which lasts nine days. It is celebrated in every town and village.
This website was last updated April 30, 2025. Copyright 1990-2025 David M. Roomes.