Chongbai: Difference between revisions

(8 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown)

Line 14:

God of the Sky, associated with dreams and prophecy. Depicted as a large cloud with lightning bolts coming out of it.

====Sangu====

God of the Sea, ~~depicted as~~ a large crab.

[[File:Crabber.jpg|thumb|The Lord of the Tides Sangu takes the shape of a giant crab with a dark blue carapace.]]

Sangu is the God of the Sea and Master of the Tides, his favored physical form is that of a large crab with a dark blue carapace. In Chongbai mythology Sangu was one of the crafted deities, meaning he did not spontaneously emerge as some shedded aspect of the chief deity Diqiu. Instead Sangu was built by Diqiu in the Furnace of Creation out of rocks and minerals. Diqiu gave him an unbreakable hide and powerful, rending claws as befit a combative being. Upon being finished, his creator gave him a satchel that would spew forth any element Sangu desired, a tool to help him shape the world. As Sangu walked the earth, he grew tired of the harshness of its surface on his clawed feet. He took out the magic satchel and willed it to be filled with water from the underground and spilled it about him, thus he created the first oceans.

====Mingje====

[[File:Album_of_the_Yongzheng_Emperor_in_Costumes_2.jpg|thumb|The God of Fortune plays a game of chance with a sea dragon.]]

Mingje is the God of Fortune, his domain is luck and games of chance; he also has ties to [[Daxian Numerology]]. Mingje was created by Diqiu from a puddle of magic clay, his original task was to arbitrate a dispute between Ziran and Sangu as to who had domain over swamps. With both laying claim and refusing to budge, Mingje determined that the most fair way to decide was by the simple flipping of a coin, which he produced. The two gods each chose a side of the coin and Mingje flipped it, Ziran was the winner and added swamps to her care. From the on Mingje and his coins became an arbitrator of the gods, if they chose to chance the outcome of disputes with his coin flips. It is noted in religious texts that Mingje has no permanent abode, he wanders the cosmos tempting anyone to play games of chance with him. He is often depicted playing with various supernatural beings such as ogres ~~and~~ sea dragons. Mingje is said to have acquired his signature gold coin by stealing it from Jinyuan's pot, an act that has turned the God of Greed into his eternal enemy.

Mingje is the God of Fortune, his domain is luck and games of chance; he also has ties to [[Daxian Numerology]]. Mingje was created by Diqiu from a puddle of magic clay, his original task was to arbitrate a dispute between Ziran and Sangu as to who had domain over swamps. With both laying claim and refusing to budge, Mingje determined that the most fair way to decide was by the simple flipping of a coin, which he produced. The two gods each chose a side of the coin and Mingje flipped it, Ziran was the winner and added swamps to her care. From the on Mingje and his coins became an arbitrator of the gods, if they chose to chance the outcome of disputes with his coin flips.

It is noted in religious texts that Mingje has no permanent abode, he wanders the cosmos tempting anyone to play games of chance with him. He is often depicted playing with various supernatural beings such as ogres, sea dragons and other prideful creatures. Mingje is said to have acquired his signature gold coin by stealing it from Jinyuan's pot, an act that has turned the God of Greed into his eternal enemy.

It is said that when a human is born, Mingje flips a coin to determine if that person's life will be lucky or unlucky. The God of Fortune cares not about the outcome, he will enforce whatever the coin dictates. Very rarely he may use his will to move the coin to grant favorable luck, this may happen if he's had a good streak himself. Temples to Mingje are few and far between, they usually feature a fountain where devotees can toss a coin to gain the favor of Mingje. Small shrines are more common, they are usually sparse and consist of a single room with a statue of the god and a bowl to leave an offering. Mingje is considered the patron god of gamblers, he is popular in [[Zhijun]] for this reason. Businessmen, sportsmen and those engaged in numerology are also common devotees of him, praying for luck in their respective endeavors.

====Gunru====

[[File:Gunru.png|thumb|Gunru is most commonly depicted as a richly robed humanoid with the head and wings of a bat]]

Gunru is the God of Agriculture and ensuring the harvest is bountiful is his province; he is a servant of the goddess Ziran. [[Chongbai]] doctrine teaches that Gunru was once a normal bat bereft of divinity. In her efforts to teach mankind how to fend for themselves, the goddess Ziran sought to purify the land and make it suitable for agriculture. Much of the land had been poisoned by Yeenog and the foulness resisted Ziran's divine ministrations. Frustrated, the goddess wandered into a cave and happened upon the leavings of Gunru and instinctively used them in the soil to absorb and remove the corruption. As thanks for his humble contribution, Ziran bestowed a part of her divine power on the humble bat by feeding him an apple overflowing with her divinity. ~~She~~ then charged him to look forevermore over the fields of men and ensure the land provided for them. Despite his fearsome appearance, Gunru is a very popular and beloved deity, having one of the largest number of festivities in his honor year round; his temples regularly organize donations of food for the needy and many operate soup kitchens.

Gunru is the God of Agriculture and ensuring the harvest is bountiful is his province. In Chongbai's mythos he is a servant of the goddess Ziran and is opposed to Abotur because the disasters he causes ruin crops and disrupts the lives of farmers. Chongbai doctrine teaches that Gunru was once a normal bat bereft of divinity, eking out his life in a dimly lit cavern system. In her efforts to teach mankind how to fend for themselves, the goddess Ziran sought to purify the land and make it suitable for agriculture. Much of the land had been badly poisoned by Yeenog and the foulness resisted Ziran's divine ministrations. Frustrated, the goddess wandered into a cave and happened upon the leavings of Gunru and instinctively used them in the soil to absorb and remove the corruption. As thanks for his humble contribution, Ziran bestowed a part of her divine power on the humble bat by feeding him an apple overflowing with her divinity. Having being made into a god, Gunru was then charged him to look forevermore over the fields of men and ensure the land provided for them.

Despite his fearsome appearance, Gunru is a very popular and beloved deity, having one of the largest number of festivities in his honor year round; his temples regularly organize donations of food for the needy and many operate soup kitchens. More than many other deities, temples to Gunru are purposefully constructed in underground spaces for even though his domain are the verdant fields, he cannot help but have a love for the dark spaces given his origins. The Ministry of Agriculture employs a bat mascot in reference to Gunru, an action that has received mixed reactions with the public.

===Ruinous Powers===

The Ruinous Powers were originally the dark traits of Diqiu's divine being, they took independent shape when they were expelled from his body. They are said to be akin to base desires given thought and they seek only their own exaltation. Rather than be truly worshipped by men, these gods are sought to be appeased by the faithful with offerings and flattery.

Line 36:

Line 42:

====Abotur====

Abotur is the God of Tremors and Disasters, he responsible for earthquakes, volcano eruptions and other cataclysms. He is commonly represented by a mountain with one eye. Ancient texts are unclear of the true disposition of Abotur, some theorize he is not truly malign but is instead trapped inside the mountain that appears as his 'body' and the tremors he produces is him merely attempting to break free. Abotur might be one of the least popular gods, possibly due to his inhuman appearance. He is most worshipped in regions subject to earthquakes, rescuers, mountaineers and cave divers are his most numerous faithful.

===God of Death===

[[File:Many Eyed God.jpg|thumb|The Many Eyed God of Death]]

XXXX is the God of Death

==Practices==

The most basic ritual of Chongbai is the ritual offering to a god or gods. These offerings can be of a varied nature, the importance is the value the giver assigns to the offering. Most people offer money be it coins or banknotes, small jewelry and incense. Also popular are talismans where the holder promises to do a service for the god in the afterlife in exchange for a favor in the present. The ritual offering is a personal ritual, it is not necessary for a priest to be present and no specific words must be recited.

There are numerous festivals in Chongbai, these are the more organized and ritualized form of worship the religion has. They involve processions, strict ritual by the priesthood who lead the faithful in singing religious hymns and banquets. The most important of these festivals is the Festival of the Awakened which takes place June 1st through 8th. This period marks the 'awakening' of the Men of Brass to their humanity

==Beliefs==

Chongbai holds that the Underworld is the abode of the gods and the ultimate resting place of the spirits of the dead. Unlike in other religions, in Chongbai heaven is only another layer of the mortal world and holds no special significance. All blessing and spiritual guidance come from communing with ''the Deep''. The Deep is the domain of Diqiu, God of the Underworld, his realm is divided into eight divine layers, which constitute the afterlife. All souls who have lived lives deemed worthy by the Beneficent deities are assigned to one of the eight layers, the souls of the unworthy are cast into the Furnace of Creation and destroyed permanently.

Line 56:

Line 66:

[[Category:Religion]]

[[Category:Culture of Daxia]]

[[Category:IXWB]]

[[Category:2024 Award winning pages]]

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 God of the Sky, associated with dreams and prophecy. Depicted as a large cloud with lightning bolts coming out of it.
 ====Sangu====
-God of the Sea, depicted as a large crab.
+[[File:Crabber.jpg|thumb|The Lord of the Tides Sangu takes the shape of a giant crab with a dark blue carapace.]]
+Sangu is the God of the Sea and Master of the Tides, his favored physical form is that of a large crab with a dark blue carapace. In Chongbai mythology Sangu was one of the crafted deities, meaning he did not spontaneously emerge as some shedded aspect of the chief deity Diqiu. Instead Sangu was built by Diqiu in the Furnace of Creation out of rocks and minerals. Diqiu gave him an unbreakable hide and powerful, rending claws as befit a combative being. Upon being finished, his creator gave him a satchel that would spew forth any element Sangu desired, a tool to help him shape the world. As Sangu walked the earth, he grew tired of the harshness of its surface on his clawed feet. He took out the magic satchel and willed it to be filled with water from the underground and spilled it about him, thus he created the first oceans.
 ====Mingje====
 [[File:Album_of_the_Yongzheng_Emperor_in_Costumes_2.jpg|thumb|The God of Fortune plays a game of chance with a sea dragon.]]
-Mingje is the God of Fortune, his domain is luck and games of chance; he also has ties to [[Daxian Numerology]]. Mingje was created by Diqiu from a puddle of magic clay, his original task was to arbitrate a dispute between Ziran and Sangu as to who had domain over swamps. With both laying claim and refusing to budge, Mingje determined that the most fair way to decide was by the simple flipping of a coin, which he produced. The two gods each chose a side of the coin and Mingje flipped it, Ziran was the winner and added swamps to her care. From the on Mingje and his coins became an arbitrator of the gods, if they chose to chance the outcome of disputes with his coin flips. It is noted in religious texts that Mingje has no permanent abode, he wanders the cosmos tempting anyone to play games of chance with him. He is often depicted playing with various supernatural beings such as ogres and sea dragons. Mingje is said to have acquired his signature gold coin by stealing it from Jinyuan's pot, an act that has turned the God of Greed into his eternal enemy.
+Mingje is the God of Fortune, his domain is luck and games of chance; he also has ties to [[Daxian Numerology]]. Mingje was created by Diqiu from a puddle of magic clay, his original task was to arbitrate a dispute between Ziran and Sangu as to who had domain over swamps. With both laying claim and refusing to budge, Mingje determined that the most fair way to decide was by the simple flipping of a coin, which he produced. The two gods each chose a side of the coin and Mingje flipped it, Ziran was the winner and added swamps to her care. From the on Mingje and his coins became an arbitrator of the gods, if they chose to chance the outcome of disputes with his coin flips.
+It is noted in religious texts that Mingje has no permanent abode, he wanders the cosmos tempting anyone to play games of chance with him. He is often depicted playing with various supernatural beings such as ogres, sea dragons and other prideful creatures. Mingje is said to have acquired his signature gold coin by stealing it from Jinyuan's pot, an act that has turned the God of Greed into his eternal enemy.
 It is said that when a human is born, Mingje flips a coin to determine if that person's life will be lucky or unlucky. The God of Fortune cares not about the outcome, he will enforce whatever the coin dictates. Very rarely he may use his will to move the coin to grant favorable luck, this may happen if he's had a good streak himself. Temples to Mingje are few and far between, they usually feature a fountain where devotees can toss a coin to gain the favor of Mingje. Small shrines are more common, they are usually sparse and consist of a single room with a statue of the god and a bowl to leave an offering. Mingje is considered the patron god of gamblers, he is popular in [[Zhijun]] for this reason. Businessmen, sportsmen and those engaged in numerology are also common devotees of him, praying for luck in their respective endeavors.
 ====Gunru====
 [[File:Gunru.png|thumb|Gunru is most commonly depicted as a richly robed humanoid with the head and wings of a bat]]
-Gunru is the God of Agriculture and ensuring the harvest is bountiful is his province; he is a servant of the goddess Ziran. [[Chongbai]] doctrine teaches that Gunru was once a normal bat bereft of divinity. In her efforts to teach mankind how to fend for themselves, the goddess Ziran sought to purify the land and make it suitable for agriculture. Much of the land had been poisoned by Yeenog and the foulness resisted Ziran's divine ministrations. Frustrated, the goddess wandered into a cave and happened upon the leavings of Gunru and instinctively used them in the soil to absorb and remove the corruption. As thanks for his humble contribution, Ziran bestowed a part of her divine power on the humble bat by feeding him an apple overflowing with her divinity. She then charged him to look forevermore over the fields of men and ensure the land provided for them. Despite his fearsome appearance, Gunru is a very popular and beloved deity, having one of the largest number of festivities in his honor year round; his temples regularly organize donations of food for the needy and many operate soup kitchens.
+Gunru is the God of Agriculture and ensuring the harvest is bountiful is his province. In Chongbai's mythos he is a servant of the goddess Ziran and is opposed to Abotur because the disasters he causes ruin crops and disrupts the lives of farmers. Chongbai doctrine teaches that Gunru was once a normal bat bereft of divinity, eking out his life in a dimly lit cavern system. In her efforts to teach mankind how to fend for themselves, the goddess Ziran sought to purify the land and make it suitable for agriculture. Much of the land had been badly poisoned by Yeenog and the foulness resisted Ziran's divine ministrations. Frustrated, the goddess wandered into a cave and happened upon the leavings of Gunru and instinctively used them in the soil to absorb and remove the corruption. As thanks for his humble contribution, Ziran bestowed a part of her divine power on the humble bat by feeding him an apple overflowing with her divinity. Having being made into a god, Gunru was then charged him to look forevermore over the fields of men and ensure the land provided for them.
+Despite his fearsome appearance, Gunru is a very popular and beloved deity, having one of the largest number of festivities in his honor year round; his temples regularly organize donations of food for the needy and many operate soup kitchens. More than many other deities, temples to Gunru are purposefully constructed in underground spaces for even though his domain are the verdant fields, he cannot help but have a love for the dark spaces given his origins. The Ministry of Agriculture employs a bat mascot in reference to Gunru, an action that has received mixed reactions with the public.
 ===Ruinous Powers===
 The Ruinous Powers were originally the dark traits of Diqiu's divine being, they took independent shape when they were expelled from his body. They are said to be akin to base desires given thought and they seek only their own exaltation. Rather than be truly worshipped by men, these gods are sought to be appeased by the faithful with offerings and flattery.
@@ Line 36: / Line 42: @@
 ====Abotur====
 Abotur is the God of Tremors and Disasters, he responsible for earthquakes, volcano eruptions and other cataclysms. He is commonly represented by a mountain with one eye. Ancient texts are unclear of the true disposition of Abotur, some theorize he is not truly malign but is instead trapped inside the mountain that appears as his 'body' and the tremors he produces is him merely attempting to break free. Abotur might be one of the least popular gods, possibly due to his inhuman appearance. He is most worshipped in regions subject to earthquakes, rescuers, mountaineers and cave divers are his most numerous faithful.
+===God of Death===
+[[File:Many Eyed God.jpg|thumb|The Many Eyed God of Death]]
+XXXX is the God of Death
 ==Practices==
 The most basic ritual of Chongbai is the ritual offering to a god or gods. These offerings can be of a varied nature, the importance is the value the giver assigns to the offering. Most people offer money be it coins or banknotes, small jewelry and incense. Also popular are talismans where the holder promises to do a service for the god in the afterlife in exchange for a favor in the present. The ritual offering is a personal ritual, it is not necessary for a priest to be present and no specific words must be recited.
 There are numerous festivals in Chongbai, these are the more organized and ritualized form of worship the religion has. They involve processions, strict ritual by the priesthood who lead the faithful in singing religious hymns and banquets. The most important of these festivals is the Festival of the Awakened which takes place June 1st through 8th. This period marks the 'awakening' of the Men of Brass to their humanity
 ==Beliefs==
 Chongbai holds that the Underworld is the abode of the gods and the ultimate resting place of the spirits of the dead. Unlike in other religions, in Chongbai heaven is only another layer of the mortal world and holds no special significance. All blessing and spiritual guidance come from communing with ''the Deep''. The Deep is the domain of Diqiu, God of the Underworld, his realm is divided into eight divine layers, which constitute the afterlife. All souls who have lived lives deemed worthy by the Beneficent deities are assigned to one of the eight layers, the souls of the unworthy are cast into the Furnace of Creation and destroyed permanently.
@@ Line 56: / Line 66: @@
 [[Category:Religion]]
 [[Category:Culture of Daxia]]
+[[Category:IXWB]]
+{{Template:Award winning article}}
+[[Category:2024 Award winning pages]]

Chongbai: Difference between revisions

Navigation menu

Search