Dibella

Dibella, also known as the "Passion Dancer", "Our Blessed Lady", and simply, "the Lady",is the Goddess of Beauty, Love, and Affection. She is also acclaimed as the Lady of Love, Beauty, Art, and Music. Dibella is the Queen of Heaven, and is one of the Divines.

According to the creation myth presented in the Anuad, Dibella and the aedra (gods) were born from the mingled blood of Anuand Padomay, the good and evil primal forces, respectively, and therefore have a capacity for both good and evil, in contrast to the daedra, who were born solely from the blood of Padomay.

The formation of Akatosh, the God of Time, from the mingled blood of the brothers Anu and Padomay facilitated the formation of Dibella and the gods as they learnt to structure themselves. Shezarr's Song, a Cyrodiilic creation myth, acclaims the creation of Mundus to the sacrifice of Dibella and the gods whose sacrifices were embodied as eponymous planets. Dibella and the gods were subsequently bound to the Earth Bones as a result. Followers of the cult known as the Mythic Dawn deem Dibella and other gods as false gods and claim she and others betrayed Lorkhan.

Teachings

Dibella, as Goddess of Beauty, is the embodiment of beauty and teaches mortals to seek truth through beauty and worship. Those who follow the teachings of Dibella, and propagate beauty and promote harmony, are granted charm and grace. The Goddess teaches that mortals should give themselves to love, and commands them to open their hearts to "the noble secrets of art and love. Treasure the gifts of friendship. Seek joy and inspiration in the mysteries of love". Dibella holds no limit on the number of lovers one may have, but demands focus on the quality of the essence of love, not the quantity. She teaches that, "No matter the seed, if the shoot is nurtured with love, will not the flower be beautiful?", and blesses the love of those which is pure and untainted.

Dibella discourages relations with undead, such as vampires, and concurs with the teachings of Arkay that vampires have impure spirits. The Goddess makes her will known to mortals through her sybil, who is revealed to her priesthood via the ceremony known as the Exalted Protocol of the Dibellan Sybil. The ceremony is known only to the priesthood of Dibella, and is kept secret from the general population, including acolytes of other Divines. Dibella is known as the Divine who "pays Men in Moans". Followers of Dibella are known to practice the Dibellan Arts and bestow a Mark of Dibella upon others.

Critics of Dibella have condemned the Divine as the "goddess of whores and lepers" and criticized the alleged practice among her worshippers of mocking the scarred and misshapen. Others consider her a lustful and passionate goddess.

Worship

Dibella and her worshippers are argued to have what can be considered a personal relationship, in contrast to the formal and impersonal relationship held by the worshippers of other Divines. A number of cults dedicated to Dibella can be found in Cyrodiil, High Rock, Hammerfell and Skyrim, and are varied in their focus. Some cults of Dibella focus on women, artists or aesthetics, while others concentrate on erotic instruction.

Worship in Black Marsh

The majority of the population of the province of Black Marsh venerate the Hist, and, in the Second Era, worship among the Argonians of Black Marsh of Dibella and the gods was limited to a small minority of those who had assimilated to the culture of the Empire. The Kothringi, the indigenous humans of Black Marsh, are known to have worshipped Dibella, in the name Dibe, alongside Mara and Kynareth, as one of the "mothers in the Around-Us".Dibella was held in high regard by the Kothringi and a Temple of Dibella was located in the city of Gideon in the Second Era, during the Alliance War.

Worship in Cyrodiil

Dibella is venerated by the Imperials of the province of Cyrodiil and is featured as a member of the Cyrodiilic pantheon. A Chapel of Dibella was located at the city of Anvil in the Second Era.

Worship in Hammerfell

Dibella is the patron deity of the region of Tigonus, and is popular among Redguard women. The Redguards of Hammerfell, divided between the Crowns, conservative Redguards, and Forebears, cosmopolitan Redguards, do not universally worship Dibella and she is only venerated by Forebears, who began to accept her into their pantheon under the Cyrodilic Empire.

Worship in Skyrim

The Nords of Skyrim acclaim Dibella as the Bed-Wife of Shor, and is considered a member of the Nordic pantheon. In the Fourth Era, shrines dedicated to the Goddess could be found both in the wilderness and in urban centers, such as at the Temple of the Divines in Solitude, and at the Temple of Dibella in the city of Markarth. She was also worshipped by certain groups of Reachmen in Skyrim. At this time, the practice of the Dibellan Arts was disapproved of in certain localities and could lead to ostracism. Some Nords are known to have considered Jephre, God of Natural Beauty, to be an imitation of Dibella.