231
edits
List of Ilaseuasa: Difference between revisions
m
→Beliefs
Takatta Loa (talk | contribs) m (→Juotoalangan) |
Takatta Loa (talk | contribs) m (→Beliefs) |
||
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
===Beliefs=== | ===Beliefs=== | ||
The Masa scion predominantly venerates the saints of the 15 Wellsprings as well as Poaikano, the hunter god of the West Highlands as the indigenous deities of highlands. Among the Incarnates, the fourth is the most widely revered, taking the central spot in all Masa temples, often joined by the legal scholars Higanmaua and Juotoalangan. The Masa are notable in that among the four original Ilaseuasa, they have no Queen of Heaven and are the only scion in Takatta Loa to not venerate an Anticipation of the First Incarnate. Furthermore, the unique highland perspective had influenced many aspects of religious festivals and customs. | |||
====Deities==== | |||
The predominant native god is Poaikano the hunter god. He is revered as the father and protector of the highland people, with the origin myths of the Masa canon detailing how he led them to Vallos separately from the Insular loa and Paouala. He is worshipped as the lord of the mountains and king of all mountain spirits, and as the god of war, valor and sport, with many martial shrines devoted to him often hosting sword games, archery contests and the like. There are two festivals in his name that occur every two years; Ansueda and Bagunasi. The former involves hunting a trained cassowary and ritualistically sacrificing it, with the clan that succeeded in felling it being honored with Paouala's favor. The latter festival is more elaborate and involves the sacrifice of ''[[sikabenuala]]''. These ''sika'' are bathed, pampered and fed a rich diet of wine and cake, whilst also being put through a harsh training regime to hone their hunting prowess. Then, they are wedded to a Loa bride who then 'consummates' the marriage by drowning the ''sika'' and then eating its corpse. This ritual is meant to reenact a famous legend which involves how Paouala organized a great festival for two highland orphans, wedded and bedded them, and sacrificed his body to feed them. | |||
In addition, the Masa Church venerates the 15 Wellsprings, the headwaters of three of Takatta Loa's five great rivers. These springs are associated with a specific Saint who was said to do miraculous works as a result of cultivating great mana. The Masa views itself as the predominant guardian and purifier of these wellsprings and the cultivators of the great Loa civilization. As such, these headwaters are regularly purified one every fifteen lunar cycles, with one wellspring being purified a month. These festivals are highly attended and publicized, with thousands gathering around the shrine grounds to pray for the ritual's success. This ritual consists typically of praying to the saint associated with the spring and offering sacrifice to them, though this can vary based on the wellspring. In addition, the Wellspring Shrines collect prayers to the saints and then burn them on ritually prepared prayer slips so that they can be conveyed to the saint. | |||
====Indigenous Customs==== | |||
The Masa has a strong focus on sacred wells, an aspect of their faith derived from the [[Ancient Vallosian Civilization|Zychy]]. They revere these wells and the waters that flow from within, often ascribing a unique individual goddess or god to these wells. Weekly ceremonies are hosted to praise and worship these wells, with the village all joining in attendance to offer their praise and host a communal feast. This forms the basis for much of the regular religious practices of the Masa. | |||
In history, the people of the Masa Highlands practiced regular tribal warfare to settle grievances and attain great honor. However, through the works of Higanmaua, this practice was replaced with more symbolic battles. During feasts, families and clans each bring food to share with the community, and they also participate in sporting events. The best food and the best performance awards the family significant prestige, though this prestige comes at the cost of communal honor. Thus, it is the custom for the winning family to repay back this honor with symbolic gifts of necklaces and shell jewelry. Originally this attitude of honor and remittance was cultural and not universal, but Higanmaua standardized it and brought it in lime with faith. These rituals gave become heavily associated with Paouala and the saints of the Masa canon, and failure to repay prestige can be punished according to the Masa legal code. | |||
===Law=== | ===Law=== | ||
The Masa bases its legal corpus around the three scholars Higanmaua, Juotoalangan and Aladuinara. In addition to establishing common ground with other legal schools, the three were predominantly focused with matters of inter-tribal warfare, the status of the ''[[sikabenuala]]'' and scion influence in governing. These three scholars have together contributed just under half of all judgements in the legal codices, while the other half is derived from the consensus of several thousand scholars across centuries. In addition, the Anahuenna of the Fourth Incarnate is especially revered due to her having come from the Masa Scion. | The Masa bases its legal corpus around the three scholars Higanmaua, Juotoalangan and Aladuinara. In addition to establishing common ground with other legal schools, the three were predominantly focused with matters of inter-tribal warfare, the status of the ''[[sikabenuala]]'' and scion influence in governing. These three scholars have together contributed just under half of all judgements in the legal codices, while the other half is derived from the consensus of several thousand scholars across centuries. In addition, the Anahuenna of the Fourth Incarnate is especially revered due to her having come from the Masa Scion. | ||