Culture/The Lindist Religion
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Lindism
The Lindist religion, or Lindism, is practiced all throughout the world of Vanaheim. Lindism today includes three factions: pure Lindism, the oriental Amaterasu faction and the widespread Terramagi faction. Approximately 70% of the population of Vanaheim is pure Lindist (about 42% of which practicing), 9% is Terramagi and 7% (slightly more than half of the eastern peoples) is Amaterasu. The remaining 14% are members of diverse cults who worship demigods/lesser entities, nature worshippers or atheists.
Pure Lindism
Usually refered to simply as Lindism. This religion places the god Lindis at the top of the pantheon as master of all that is. He is not honored as a creator, nor as the first force in the universe, but is concidered the current leader of both the mundane and the spirit world. He is the god that rules the gods and the keeper of the sacred cosmic balance and is often depicted with scales. There are over 200 lesser gods with varying importance. These gods are not classified in a family hierearchy but rather divided in couples. The core tenet of the Lindist faith is the principle of duality. It is assumed that all that exists needs an opposite to hold a place in the mundane world. As such, the water god Mir is coupled to the fire goddess Sinrah. Temples are always dedicated to couples, never to a single god.
It is accepted that each of these gods can manifest themselves as a variety of human, animal and/or etherical beings. This belief is the basis of the main sacred text in Lindism, the Inrinal Lindis Nezah (500 Incarnations of Lindis), usually called the Inrinal (Incarnations) for short. Of the five sacred texts in Lindism, the Inrinal is the most important one because it was supposedly written by the god himself during his 500th and final incarnation. It is a massive work of 100 volumes, each of these volumes containing five stories about a particular incarnation of the god. Each of these stories contains clear moral guidelines detailing how to live a virtuous life with lesson on how to treat those around you, the world and the gods. The original copies of these books are kept in the one temple dedicated to Lindis.
The second most important text is the Navarine, believed to be written around the same time as the Inrinal and detailing the origin of two elven races, the Dunmer (Black Elves) and the Altmer (White Elves). There are two versions of this text: Navarine Altmer (White Navarine) and the Navarine Dunmer (Black Navarine), each containing five chapters. The first two chapters are the same for both versions. The first tells the tale of the creation of the world, the second tells the legend of the Light Elves and how they gave birth to the three elven races that populate Vanaheim today. (These are the Altmer, Dunmer and Sylmer) This is where both versions differ. Chapters three, four and five tell the stories of the legendary clan mothers of the races. The Navarine Dunmer tells the tale of Gundulla, the black mother, the Navarine Dunmer focusses on Nesilla, the white mother. Lindists believe these tales to be factual.
The three remaining texts are of lesser importance, since they were written much later, not by gods or higher entities but a visionary, a woman named Gita. These three texts contan the history , the future and the end of the world of Vanaheim as seen by Gita in her visions. She named the third book Amastica, which is now the common name for the endtimes. Especially the second book dealing with the future of Vanaheim is still actively studied.
Amaterasu
Amaterasu can be concidered the oriental version of Lindism, although it does not recognise the existence of gods as entities of flesh and blood and does not believe in the tale of creation as it is told in the Inrinal and Navarine, nor do they believe that these texts were written by gods/higher entities. They do honor the core belief of Lindism: that all that exists must answer to the law of cosmic balance. Those who practice Amaterasu are called Amatera in the eastern world and Amatarians outside the eastern provinces.
Amatera do not build temples and have no standarised prayers, since their version of the religion is much more cerebral than the 'pure' version and focusses mainly on the rational side of the religious experience. The religion was started by a young woman named Amaterasu Yoriko who dedicated het life to study the three books of Gita and wrote down her conclusions. The only religious orders in Amaterasu are groups of scholars and monks dedicated to coninuing the work of Yoriko. They gain access to her writings only after their initiation.
Above all, Amatera believe religion should take places in the minds of its followers, not in temples and through relics, and that the road of knowledge is the ultimate way to salvation.
Terramagi
Is very much like Lindism, the only difference being that it denies the existance of Lindis and most of the lesser gods and instead focusses on five gods: Mir (god of water), Sinrah (goddess of fire), Magiluna (goddess of magic), Kernos (god of earth) and Altaea (godess of air/light). This emphasis on the elements, where magic is concidered to be the fifth natural element makes Terramagi very much a nature-based religion. Their many rituals and celebrations take place in woods, near lakes and waterfalls or other places concidered holy.
Terramagi was the religion of the nomidic peoples of the western and southern provinces and quickly spread, later to be adopted by gypsies and traveling artists. The growth of Terramagi has come to a halt however, because many regard its practicioners with suspicion. Terramagi are often described as witches and masters of the occult.
Hierarchy in the Clergy
Terramagi are very much their own clergy and when Amaterasu is concerned, only those who have access to the works of Yoriko can be concidered clergy. Pure Lindism however has a very strict hierarchical structure for their clergy. In theory, anyone can rise through the ranks. In practise, this often involves money, power and connections, although both males and females of all races are welcome to join the clergy. The hierarchy in Lindism, from lowest te highest, is as follows:
- Monks/pilgrims: Monks are those that gather in religious orders who are often responsible for actually carrying out what they concider to be the will of th gods. Their convent usually function as hopitals, schools, poor houses and libraries. Pilgrims are essentially monks who aren't a member of any particular order and choose to travel to spread the good word and generally do good.
- Priests/priestesses: they are responsible for the upkeep of the temples and are the heads of orders. Every temple has a priest and a priestess to symbolise cosmic balance and duality. Priests who lead on order of monks as well as caring for a temple and leading services are called First Priests.
- Shire Priests: priests that are responsible for the religious life in a shire. They are not usually affiliated with any temple or order and are expected to divide their time equally between all religious groups in the shire. He or she funtions as a problem-solver when there are disputes and as a link between the 'lower' clergy and the 'higher', often mediating between them.
- High Priest/Priestess: a position that can only be held by one man or woman who has a seat in the Council of Vanaheim and controlls the religious life in all of Vanaheim.
Five times a year the Council of Lindis is assembled. This council consists of the High Priest(ess) and the Shire priests. Lower ranking clergy can request to join these meetings, but only the High Priest(ess) and the Shire Priests can call for an unscheduled meeting of the council.
