Ameder polytheism

The Ameders practice a mixture of polytheism and ancestral veneration, with some traditions resembling those of the Útels or Mörkels, and others unique to Naarþ Vóel'k. Generally, the lower castes tend to lean towards polytheistic traditions while the aristocracy in most city-states hold on to older ancestor worship, though more recent Naþa worship of the Yrels have become quite influential in the east. Exact roles and sometimes names of deities vary between individual city-states, and its not uncommon for several different traditions being practiced within the same city.
Funerary practices are just as varied, the only constant being that funerals of aristocrats are far more elaborate than those of members of lower castes.

Important deities

Bez and Nez

Bez and Nez are the Ameder versions of the Mörkel hero twins Beðsar and Neðsar, who like the latter have power of the winds. Less mischievous than Beðsar and Neðsar, Bez is believed to control the west wind and Nez the east wind, and they're especially popular among sailors and merchants.
Offerings made to the twin gods differ between city-states; some people shoot a flaming arrow into the sea, others throw an amber nugget into it or burn fragrant resins on special altars on the beach.

Kleþra

Originally a Móerkel deity associated with wild animals, whose worship spread north via Útels of Móerkel descent. Initially her worship was mostly limited to hunters and carpenters, but Kleþra is now widely worshipped as a protector of Kanix Forest and hunters, but is also believed to send wild animals on those who incur her wrath.
Since Kleþra's associated with woodlands, stone altars are found throughout the forest, often along major roads, where people can leave offerings of food or, in case of hunters, the hearts of their prey, in hopes of ensuring safe journey ahead. More elaborate shrines are surrounded by standing stones with animals or symbols of the goddess painted on them, with even more complex stone circles surrounding a tall menhir found in some city-states. The latter are the closest thing to actual temples for Kleþra.
The goddess is also closely connected with wolves, in some traditions they are her messengers, and due to their prowling around cemeteries she's sometimes associated with the afterlife as well.

Naþa

The main god (in some traditions the only deity) of the Yrels, Naþa is popular among the Ameders as the Herald of Spring, a fertility god associated with snakes.

Telaak

Telaak is the Ameder version of Ela'k, widely worshipped as a protective deity and something of a patron god of the Ameders as a whole. His connection with the original Útel culture hero becomes more obscure as one goes further east, culminating in being depicted as horned deity holding a staff. Ameders in the westernmost cities sometimes go on a pilgrimage to Ela'k Forest to learn more about him.
Drums are an important part of Telaak's worship, the beat often puts people into a state of mind that's believed to aid their prayers.

Úlóar

A god of wealth and prosperity whose worship Ameders adopted from Mörkel mythology. His temples are found in virtually every city, where merchants receive blessings before departing and give offerings for a successful journey. In some traditions Úlóar is the mate of Kleþra, with the former representing civilization and the latter nature. Úlóar is especially worshipped in the city-state of Azantún.

Úrtní

An Ameder woman who laid the foundation for the lighthouse in Moralút in the west and was later deified. Úrtní is especially worshipped by members of the fishermen' and rowers' caste, where mates of those currently at sea burn small pieces of birch-bark (often with prayers written on them) to ensure safe journey.

Yt-Vaarþ Ehariz

A god whose worship is now limited to the aristocracy of Kúrnaarþ, where it's said that a monster used to attack the inhabitants until it was slain by an unknown hero. Since no one saw who did it, the people of Kúrnaarþ erected an altar on the beach to honour the hero, whom they called Yt-Vaarþ Ehariz or the Great Monster Slayer.
His worship slowly declined to the point that only the elders now leave regular offerings on the altar, while elsewhere the name has become synonymous with the Mörkel sea god Erkar.

Funerary rites

Ameder ideas of the afterlife are much more vague than among their neighbors, with its location variously described as being underground, up in mountain peaks or beneath the sea, with the latter being the most widespread, especially to the west.
Burial is common among the Ameders, with more traditional cremation being almost entirely limited to aristocrats or Útels living in Naarþ Vóel'k. In the east, especially the city-states between Ilaahúl to Júrtaz, it's common to surround graves with stones painted or carved with images of animals, sun and moon symbols. Aristocrats in these states are buried by or beneath large standing stones, often arranged in the shape of a canoe. As the cemetery grows and such a stone ship is finished, new graves form another ship that connects to the older one, forming a chain of sorts.
The city-state of Krystos has its own unique form of burial among the aristocracy, where the dead are mummified and placed in caves up in Krystó Ridge.

by Lappalingur

Ameders offering libations at a stone ship cemetery

Structure

Members of yþrú-naa serve as priests and priestesses of various deities among the Ameders.

Type

Religious, Other

Related Ethnicities

• Ameders