Dalireen is a lesser God of the halfling race, and a Goddess much prized and revered by her believers for being “of hobbit folk”. She is, to the halflings and to others who have taken up faith, the Guardian of all Bards, Singers, Dancers, and musicians, though some have widened her reign to include most all the Arts, including all forms of literature, painting, and sculpture. Many see the fair Dalireen as representing innocence and sometimes even ignorance. She is sometimes believed to be the protector of the young for as long as their innocence lasts.

Dalireen is often seen as having the energy and spirit of a young child, being able to happily dance and sing and tell marvelous stories because she is unaffected by sorrows and tragedies, but is rather driven by joy and mirth. She is believed to be extremely curious, as a child would be, and it is said that she comes down sometimes from her aerial haven to listen to the stories of other bards and singers and dancers, or to follow a traveler in his adventure then write up a song about it, accompanied by a merry tune.

This child-like deity, though indeed a little girl at heart, is well-versed in all known instruments, from a minstrel’s lute to a musician’s flute, and has a voice as sweet as a glitra’s, though one far more mirthful. It is believed that she loves the sounds of bells, high-pitched and metallic especially, as well as the sounds of laughter, and follows such sounds in happy dance.

Names. Bardess Dalireen, High Bardess Dalireen, Halfling Bardess Dalireen, Dalireen of the Unwritten Tales, Dancing Dalireen, Dalireen of Merry Melody, Keeper of Musical Myth, Guardian of Timeless Tales, as well as many others long forgotten, soon to be, or yet unknown to most hobbits.

Appearance. Because Dalireen is believed to hail from the hobbit race, she is often described to be very much like a hobbit. Older portrayals and portraits of her show her as a rather young halfling, perhaps hardly thirty three, with long wavy hair, often a light brown or else a dark orangey blonde, falling a little past her carefully sloping shoulders. Her eyes are a soft hazel or greenish blue, and filled with much laughter and glee. From her darlingly round little face protrudes a cute nose, a bit bigger than most, but not enough to detract from her pretty complexion.

Her mouth is large and kind in these older portrayals, and her lips are often a tinge of pink. In such paintings she is given the body structure of a hobbit: an ample bust, wide hips, and a rounding tummy, though not so round as most, for as a dancer it is believed that she is able to take off some of the weight gained by five meals a day, not including snacks. Her skin, unscarred, is a soft golden colour. At the ends of her thick yet muscular arms, her hands are often seen as large and generous, and the feet at the end of her short legs are as large and haired as any proud hobbit's. Though such murals are often not viewed as being the most flattery to un-hobbit-folk, many hobbits see her as very pretty and charming by their standards.

However, Dalireen has been portrayed differently by others, usually those who aren’t of the halfling kind and aren’t able to see the beauty or charm in the original renditions of her. They have pictured her differently, and paint her hair a deep, rich orange or crisp autumn red, flowing down her back, sometimes all the way down to her slender ankles. Her eyes are transformed into a piercing emeralds that glisten like crystals themselves. These artists often give her a smaller, more petite nose and lips of romantic scarlet. Her skin is often painted a bit lighter to accentuate her eyes and hair and give her a more delicate look.

In the newer versions her hobbit-form is nearly lost if not for being pictured as short. Her shoulders slope delicately into a slightly smaller bust and slender arms that lead to small, delicate hands. She has not the belly of a Hobbit, but rather a slim, toned stomach (enough to make any hobbit mother cry that the girl is starving!). Her waist is thin and she has longer, more muscular legs. Her feet are not hairy at all, but rather petite and delicate. Most hobbit-folk don’t accept such portrayals as being the real Dalireen, though most of the larger folk see this rendition far more pleasing to the eye.

However, clothing is one thing that does not often change between the two styles. Dalireen is often pictured in bright clothing, like bright yellows, scarlets and pinks. She happily wears deep sky-blues and twilight purples, as well as the most verdurous greens she can get her hobbit hands on! Commonly she is seen wearing pinks, yellows, oranges, and greens. She sometimes wears a dress that falls to her ankles with such colored stitched in patches all over her dress. Other times she will wear a loose shirt with a loose skirt, also of such colors. She is pictured in dozens of different styles, and perhaps mentally pictures in far more! However, all see her as wearing anklets with shiny brass or copper bells, which are said to make the most beautiful noise. She wears glistening bracelets that cling against each other when she dances, and long and wonderfully bright necklaces. Some even see her with rings and hoped earrings dangling from her lobes.

Mythology. Dalireen is deity of the hobbits, and though she is not mentioned in the elven Cárpadosía at all, she is seen as being just as important as any of the Aviaría to the halflings, though she is different from them entirely. She is certainly no elven deity, for what elf would ever chosse to believe in a plump little dancing hobbit girl? Still, she is much celebrated by the hobbits, as they see her not only as a muse to their bardic part of life, but also as being a god entirely of their own, indeed very loved and easy to relate to. Dalireen  does not seem at all as distant as the other Gods, which seem not to reflect their culture.

Lore. The oldest reference to Dalireen and her story comes from a hobbit named Micaline McBeesly, though many older poets and bards seem to have vaguely referred to her in their writings. McBeesly was the first to clearly tell the tale of Dalireen and how she happened her way into deity-hood. He writes:

“She was a young girl of charming ease and stature, young indeed for she had not yet grown into her hobbit stomach. ‘T was often heard as she danced and sang through the streets, ‘Such a darling little hobbit’, ‘The voice of a gentle fowl’, ‘Sweet innocent soul,’ and she was indeed happy to make her neighbors smile. And she sang to the mountains and to the sky to make the sun shine brighter and the stars to glisten with all the more splendor. She picked saffron flowers and decorated her wavy hair. She laughed mirthfully when the birds joined her in a soft spring choir.

Dalireen made her robes of brightly dyed fabric and sew her a hem to her ankles that would move with her as she danced through the streets, and dawning such brilliant colors she caught the merry eye of every hobbit in town. But hobbits weren’t the only ones to notice the fair Darileen, for Nehtor, God of Healing, ached with sorrow and mourn had turned his eye carefully to the hobbit village and the fair child who skipped merrily through the town with the innocence of her childhood. Nehtor was quite charmed by the hafling, and upon the hillside, where she was singing to the grasses to grow and the brook to babble, he came before her.

Surprised was she, but curious at such a marvelous sight, for Blue Nehtor had come before her and he was smiling through his sadness. They spoke no words for a moment, but the little hobbit smiled and leapt up with a shout and began to sing and dance for the God, her bright clothes swaying and her hair brushing her ever-smiling face. And Nehtor soon joined her and as Foiros retreated from the sky and the darkwinds pushed the stars through the indigo sky, they danced together up towards the sky.

The hobbit-folk came out of their houses, beckoned by music and laughter and mirth, and watched as Nehtor and Dalireen ascended into the sky, dancing together and sing songs of joy and light. Never again was the fair Dalireen seen, but they say her music and her voice can be found in the song of every bard, and that her movements may be seen in the dance of every merry rover."

- "Hobbit Tales", Author Disputed, p. 17 ff.

It is believed that, when Nehtor heard Dalireen sing and dance, after spotting her from afar, he was so enchanted that he was able to forget some of his sorrows and perhaps actually smile. What tribe Dalireen was from is not really known, but of course every tribe claims her to be part of their own.

Darileen, known indeed for her curiousity, is often believed to come down from the realm of the Gods and listen to the tales of others or dance to a musician’s song. She does not often meddle in the affair of the mortal, but greatly enjoys watching them and listening to their tales and stories. She will sometimes follow a traveler to eventually sing or tell of their adventures to the other Gods, most of which seem to enjoy her tales and stories, especially Nehtor and Jeyriall.

Many see Dalireen as a muse, someone to get inspiration from, and will call on her guidance to help them compose a bit of song or music. Though she is always happy to help out a fellow bard with their song or poem, her signs and signals are sometimes hard to pick up, and it is said one must look hard to detail for her inspiring thoughts.

Importance. Dalireen is a very celebrated part of hobbit culture, and is very loved by the halflings that believe in her, not because she has really given them any grand gift like the mountains or sky, and not because of her power, which compared to other Gods is rather small, but because she represents so much of what the hobbits' believe in and their culture. Many of the other Gods are portrayed in most cases as attractive elves or humans. Though hobbits do indeed believe in such Gods, none of them seem to really present their personally race’s way of life in the same way the Aviaríaa do for elves or humans. Dalireen is a deity for whom the hobbits feel a connection to and who they can celebrate as both being portrayed as a hobbit and symbolizing an important part of halfling culture: the part of music, dance, and story-telling.

Dalireen is believed to revel in being a deity of bardic talents and actions. She stands for music of all kinds from any instrument imaginable, even if it’s just the whistling of the wind or someone blowing across the opening of a bottle. The music of the voice, that is singing, is also an important part of who she is, and is believed to encourage everyone, no matter if they are good at singing or not, because singing is believed, by many hobbits and especially Dalireen, to be an expression of happiness and joy, as is dancing. Because Dalireen is believed to be a child herself, she is said to be quite fond of storytelling, both as a listener and a teller. People say she comes down from the realm of Gods to hear the tales of mortals, as well as to listen to bardic songs and music, or to watch those that dance to their melodies and to dance along with them.

But such things are not solely what Dalireen stands for. Her childlike joy and personality make her to be a representation of innocence, especially that of a youngster. This is sometimes interpreted as also being bliss in ignorance, sometimes shallowness and carelessness. However, her obliviousness is one of the things that many of the hobbits love about Dalireen. Some believe that she helps each child fall to sleep when the night falls, and thus many mothers sing lullabies about Dalireen helping them to sleep. The following is one of these lullabies:

DALIREEN'S SONG
by Bard Judith

Baby mine
Sleep serene
Watched by gentle
Dalireen

Weary head
Tired eye
Time to rest
Do not cry

Hobbitbard
Laughs with thee
In thy slumber
Happily

Merry dreams
She will bring
Go to sleep
As I sing

Baby mine
Sleep serene
Watched by gentle
Dalireen...

Dalireen is also believed to be a protector and guide to children. In many paintings and portrayals of her she is pictured holding a sleeping child in her arms, protecting to it and singing to it as it sleeps. Many miracles of the return of lost children are attributed to Dalireen. It was recorded that many children that returned to their families after being lost had heard bells and the clicking of jewelry, perhaps that of a dancer, and had followed it to safety. None know if this is coincidence or divine intervention, but most say its Dalireen’s working.

Because Dalireen is not very powerful, she is not often viewed as being a true God, or in her case, Goddess. Among those of unhobbit races, she is often viewed as being a diety to help children transition to he "true" gods, or the Aviaría, but believe that she really of very little inmportance. However, she still has many duties, though calling it such make it sound as though they are unwanted responsibility. Hers is a position as a muse, or a being who brings inspiration to those who need it. Many call to her, sometimes through prayer or song, or with music or dance. It is believed that she is attracted to the sound of bells and music, and is always happy to help those who are in need of her services. The following prayer is one of many used to call to her:

DALIREEN, DANCE FOR ME!
by Rayne Avalotus

Though my mind is blank
So much I’d like to write,
Yet still I see a parchment bare
Under this candlelight.

Joyous songs there are to sing
And glorious tales to spin
Yet they seem unwilling
To let the merriment begin

Dalireen, O Dalireen
Follow thy sweet musical will
Spark my struggling inspiration
And help to guide my quill.

Under thine lighted eyes,
Thine muse-thoughts eagerly heard,
Born would be a happy tune
And a witty word.

In the things that I shall write
Let your work be seen
Please come and dance for me
Dalireen, O Dalireen!

Dalireen helps mortals with writing, music, and song, but mortals are not the only ones she helps. She is also a dancer in the realms of the Gods, and a storyteller to speak of the going-ons of the mortal world. The adventured of warriors and the romances of lovers find their way into her epic poetry and song, which she performs for a court of Gods and Goddesses. She also dances to entertain them, bells on her ankles and bright clothing about her figure. Her voice is sweet and always merry, and she is always happy to perform for them.

But Dalireen holds much more duty than that. She is also the keeper of all tales known by the Gods. She knows of how almost everything in the world of Caelereth came into being and how it did so. All the great things in history are known by her, usually put into elegant song or poetry, and thus she is sort of a historian of the Gods in her own little way.

Symbols. Dalireen can usually be associated with a multitude of colors. White is perhaps the most predominant, though most agree that it really doesn’t suit Dalireen, for it is believed that she, who is much like a child herself, loves the bright and beautiful colors of the words, and loves to dress herself up in them. Yellows, greens, pinks, and bright blues and purples are colors often used to decorate her. She is represented by bright colors.

Small and innocent creatures that are often viewed as being harmless and pure, such as rabbits, kuatus, and deer, often represent Dalireen. However, small birds tend to be the most common symbol of Dalireen, probably because of their often sweet and enchanting songs, which, like Dalireen’s, are often very merry and bright. The way their flying can appear as some gleeful and intricate dance across the heavens also reminds many of the way Dalireen may dance.

The most striking symbol is that of the aelirel: a common bird throughout the forests and plains of Santharia. These birds are completely white, save for their beaks, feet, and small spheres on either side of their body that act as weights and store food and nutrients. This white color is believed to be an outward representation of their innocence. Their courting dances often appear as dances, and their song is soft and sweet.

Dalireen is also associated with many different kinds of fruits and flowers. One of the most prominent plants is the dalferia, which was named for the Goddess. In many old paintings and portrayals, Dalireen is seen with bright yellow flowers in her hair. The shape of these flowers resembles the dalferia with such perfection that there is no question that the flowers are the same. However, the flowers come in more colors han just yellow. Pinks, blues, and purples can be found coloring the petals of the dalferia.

The fáberige is also commonly associated with Dalireen, more for the fruit than for anything else. The fruit, which is usually red or blue, is roughly heart-shaped, and is thus believed to symbolize love of the innocent variety, usually relating to the love of a child. Because of this, the plant is thought to be one of Dalireen, the protector of innocence.

Celebrations. [...]

Temple Design. Dalireen is not really a major God among races, and thus is not revered by having her own temple. She is more of a muse, a deity called for inspiration and the maintenance of innocence among children, as a protector and a guide. However, simply because she is not a main god doesn’t mean she isn’t celebrated or paid tribute to. Many writers, poets, and song-writers will make little shrines on their hearths or near a window, or sometimes on their desk.

Shrines usually have a few particular details. They almost always have candles to brighten them up, and a vase of fresh-cut flowers, usually of bright colors. They will sometimes be decorated with parchment containing poems or songs that the owner has written, because it is usually assumed that one of the best ways to gain inspiration is by looking at well-done works. Sometimes people will also set things out like pretty rocks and bits of candy as well.

For those who travel, most of the time they pay tribute or call on Dalireen through songs, which are memorized and sometimes sung allowed as they walk upon their road or while they make camp. Sometimes if they get desperate for inspiration, they will light candles they have carried with them and set out brightly colored flowers, singing songs of hers until they find some inspiration or are given some sign.

Temple Locations. [...]

Prayers. [...]

Proverbs and Sayings. The following common sayings are related to Dalireen:

• "Has Dalireen just passed by?" Used when someone begins to hum or sing without thinking, in a sense, asking "Did you get distracted?" Often used among human tribes living near hobbit settlements.

• "Did you hear Dalireen's bells?" Used when a person has something of an epiphany, when the complications of a problem become clear. In a sense, the person is asking if Dalireen's bells have helped them find the answer in the same way her bells are said to help lost children. Often used among neighboring human tribes and among hobbit folk.

• "Off with Dalireen!" Often used amoung mother hobbits to explain where the children are: in most cases, off singing, laughing, and picking flowers, or something of the sort. It is also sometimes used for those who are in a happy, dreamy state of mind. Used primarily among hobbits.