Makeyan Folk Religion

The Makeyan folk religion is the traditional religion of Makeya that focuses on rituals that connect Makeyans to the sea. The presence of the Makeyan folk religion predates written records in the archipelago, but oral history suggests that many of the traditional beliefs and practices have been present in the islands from ancient history. Early rituals varied greatly from island to island until the Makeyans mastered sea travel and established connections to neighboring islands. Repeated contact with other islands led to a homogenization of beliefs and practices into their current form. Nearly all Makeyans participate in rituals, but adherence and observance vary. Sailors are often among the most religious, as they rely most heavily on the protection of the gods to bring them safely home again. Makeyans do not identify themselves as being “members” or “followers” of the religion in the same way that a Celestialist or Temporalist might, as many of the rituals are closely tied to Makeyan culture.

Theology and Cosmology

The Gods Below

The Gods Below are the nameless, unnumbered gods believed to dwell in the deepest parts of the sea. They control the sea, wind, and storms - all of which are central to life in the Makeyan Archipelago. Traditionally, Makeyans do not speculate on the names, number or gender of their gods, who are considered too mysterious and powerful to define in mortal terms. While anyone may learn to commune with the Gods Below, Makeyans believe that Yemari, or those born at sea, are more closely connected, and better able to interpret the will of the gods.

Rituals and Practices

Coming of Age Rites

A Makeyan child’s coming of age revolves around learning to commune with the Gods Below. Even Makeyans who do not count themselves as particularly religious tend to go through the motions of the coming of age rites. Death in infancy and early childhood was once extremely common in the islands, with life expectancy increasing dramatically after the age of five. As a result, many children were not formally named or until their fifth year. Although the infant mortality rate has greatly decreased, and parents now name their children at birth, Makeyans still wait to introduce their children to the Gods Below until they are five years old. At five, a child is formally introduced to the Gods Below and the idea of communing with the Deep. They are carried into the sea by their parents (or another sponsoring relative), where they hear the Hymn for the Deep for the first time. Parents commune with the Gods Below and offer the child’s name to the Deep. It is said that this is the first moment a child is known to the Gods Below. At ten, a child is taught to listen to the Deep. They are led into the sea by their parents, who teach them to listen for the voices of the Gods Below. While they may not understand what is sung to them, the child learns to identify the voices of the gods, with the belief that understanding will develop over time. It is said that this is the first moment that the Gods Below are known to the child. At fifteen, a child is taught to sing to the Deep. They are led into the sea by their parents, who will teach them the words and melodies necessary to be understood by the Gods Below. While it is common for children to know most, if not all of the Hymn for the Deep by this point in their lives, it is not formally taught to them prior to their fifteenth year. It is said that this is the first moment a child is understood by the Gods Below. At twenty a child is entrusted to the Gods Below. They are led into the sea by their parents for the last time. Parents ask the gods to protect their child as they become an adult, and leave the child to commune with the Deep alone for the first time. It is said that this is the first moment the Gods Below are understood by a child, and thus the moment when they become an adult.

Yemari Coming of Age Rites

Makeyans believe that a Yemar, or a child born at sea, is born knowing and known to the Gods Below. As such, their coming of age rituals differ greatly. Parents give a Yemari child's name to the Deep shortly after birth. The child is taught to commune with the gods from the age of five, and the remainder of their coming of age rites are conducted by an older Yemar, who introduces the child to the duties and roles that are expected of them as a priest of the Gods Below.

Type

Religious, Other

Deities