Chongbai: Difference between revisions

====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.

==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.

[[Category:Religion]]

[[Category:Culture of Daxia]]