Hamekun

Hamekun is an academic term for Selkie religion. Selkies rarely give it a name, other than 'the Way' or 'our traditions'. Hamekun shapes selkie life, but does so invisibly as a model for living, education, and culture. Many selkie freely intermingle Hamekun with other religious beliefs, much to the outrage of these other religions.
Hamekun is a collection of stories and oral histories explaining the world, religious-cultural rituals, and rules for selkie living, with every fleet or island having its own history and quirks inserted throughout. There are no holy texts or formalized legal codes. There is status and there are taboos, but they are negotiable.

Structure

Religious "doctrine" is decided upon by the Circle of Elders of The Khilaia. Priests are loosely organized, with two main varieties: Imperial Priests and Community Priests. Imperial Priests are exclusively selkies born on the Khilaian Isles that are assigned a role within the priesthood via school or university. Many these priests are the Holy Guard of the Isles- a 2000-selkie-strong military police force. Others are clerks, ship inspectors, shrinekeepers, or personal assistants to elders. Some March-kingdoms have copies of some of these holy orders on a smaller scale. There are several notable divisions of specialized priest:

• The Keepers of the Dead, who gather, protect, organize, document, and do itineraries of the pelts of deceased selkies, kept in the Sacred Crypt of Motosui (a fortress in its own right). They also coordinate pelt shipments and track reports of stolen pelts. Keepers are high-status priests capable of excommunicating crews if they lose pelts to outsiders, and may even organize armed expeditions to retrieve caches of pelts.
• War Callers, who organize raid reports and bring reports of threats before the Motosui assembly. This martial cult often sends its members abroad to gather intelligence and make connections.
• the Children of Glass, priests who specialize in purifying in impure. Some are trained as doctors, others as ship inspectors, but all know how to perform the rituals sanctifying the Holy Islands
• the Threadbearers, who tie ritual knots of sanctified thread before the assembly as a physical manifestation of each treaty. More importantly, they gather, copy, store, and organize the many treaties made by Khilaian crews.
• The Loremasters, who master magical and scientific arts to better equip the Khilaia. Some arrange to be sent to foreign courts to acquire arts, magic, and technology; others study their own arts in the university.
• The Wardens of Land and Sea, two groups that manage the land use of the holy islands and prevent the exhaustion or resources or extinction of species.

Crew priests are selected by the crew, typically an apprentice of the former priest. Crew priests are those who have memorized the stories, history, and rituals of that particular group (though many individual members often memorize bits and pieces). They often work another job- as a spellcaster, teacher, or accountant.

History

History of Hamekun is difficult, as its definition is so fluid. Many of its stories and orders began in the divine era or early modern era, predating written language on the islands. Whenever the Khilaia saw a surge in loot, the orders were expanded, formalized, and strengthened- notably in the 300's and 900's, during the first and second empires. The establishment of the formal university system in 1590 was perhaps the most notable event.

Mythology & Lore

Almost every crew has the same rendition of the story of creation. Beyond that, there is a shared pantheon of characters that can be found in almost every selkie group.

The Story of Creation

In the beginning, there was endless sea and chaos. That manifested as the Goddess Kanaido, the primordial creator, who grew lonely. In her loneliness, she daydreamed of the perfect companion and her love and hope formed into a single being of creation and love- Padimak, Goddess of Land, Fire, and Earth. Padimak swam up to Kanaido and tried introducing herself, but Kanaido was so lost in dreams that she failed to notice. Frustrated, Padimak tried everything. So Padimak dove to the bottom of the sea and scooped two handfuls mud, into which she breathed holy flame. From her two hands formed Daykai, the first otter, and Runae, the first bird. Padimak then asked them if they could keep bringing up mud for Padimak to make land with- and so their work began. Still Kanaido did not notice as they brought up the holy islands. Padimak made Kanaido a gift of the sun, and asked her children to hang it in the sky- and yet, still nothing. Infuriated, Padimak formed a great drum of fire and struck it, the first eruption. Runae was so scared that they dropped the sun and fell over the horizon into the underworld, discovering it. Kanaido finally noticed this, and Daykai took a burning stick to grab her attention and lead her to Padimak. The two, finally, became friends and lovers as water and fire mixed to produce the rest of the world. Daykai was rewarded with a child- Kailio- who joined them on their adventures in the new world. First, to rescue Runae from the underworld. Then, to make their own race with the last bit of Padimak's holy flame they kept- the selkies. Then, to have fun, do tricks, and explore the world their mothers were making.
Most of the rest of the mythology is framed as the tales and adventures of Daykai, the all-ancestor. The relationships can often be variable by crew, with some saying that Otala or Kiasan have relationships with either Daykai or Runae and others using their own ancestors to make family trees with these Gods. The Pantheon is as follows:

• Kanaido, Goddess of the Seas. Creator and all-powerful, but sleepy and easily distracted.
• Padimak, Goddess of Fire, Volcanoes, and Life. Wife and companion of Kanaido, compassionate but once angered flies into a wild rage
• Daykai, God of Selkies. A good-hearted trickster who can sometimes be lazy or proud but always manages to escape and win in the end. Daykai made the first Selkies and created the traditions of Hamekun, and is often fused with The Chimera
• Runae, God of the Dead and Magic. A shapeshifter who learned magic while trapped in the underworld, Runae is Daykai's companion and friend. Runae creates ghosts and wears many masks while shapeshifting to conceal their bird face
• Kiasan, Goddess of War, Storms, Hunting, and Forests. Twin sister of Otala, Kiasan is the child of Padimak and Kanaido known for wearing a cloak of mist that makes her invisible. Competitive, easy to anger, and fond of punishing those who do bad, Kiasan is dangerous but important. She often has a love-hate relationship with the trickster duo and seeks to outdo them in tricks, magic, and combat at every turn
• Otala, God of Peace, Fertility, Rain, and Music. Twin brother of Kiasan, Otala is a friendly god that enjoys giving blessings and teaching arts. He is something of a muse, often appearing as a woodland hermit to teach those willing to listen. Otala and Kiasan are very close and often travel together, but only he is visible.
• Kailio, God of Refuge, Protection, and Family. First child of Daykai, Kailio is the older sibling of selkie-kind and protector of their spirits through life and death. Reserved and respectful, sometimes even timid, Kailio is often a voice of reason and calm in stories

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Tenets of Faith

There are some informal rules, which can vary from region to region.

• Those who touch the dead must ritually bathe in water to purify themselves
• A pious selkie should give a gift or do a kindness for one of their crewmates every day
• Food must be pooled communally and blessed before consumption; otherwise, give a prayer for forgiveness
• Always listen to your priest, your captain, and your parents- especially if you can see clouds
• Always be kind to the animals you use to survive - do not strike them, and thank them every evening
• Partake in a communal meal of specific sanctified food and drink- specifically, a grand toast of ritually prepared "Communion Water" (actually usually grapefruit juice)
• Never kill a person on board your vessel- crew, guest, what have you
• Selkie should avoid fighting selkie whenever possible

Priesthood

Imperial priests wear indigo robes, bronze brooches, and large black hats with silk veils. They often wear further ornamentation to demonstrate their specific cult and ranking.
Crew priests usually wear a blue-green robe and a broad-rimmed hat (usually red, often with a white veil attached). Crew priests are chosen by their crew, typically the apprentice of the last priest Crew priests usually have some job on top of their priestly duties- teacher, magician, accountant, diplomat. Outposts usually have a small group of crew priests that manage a physical shrine on top of other work (shopkeeping, accounting, education).

Founding Date

2000DE/950ME

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

The Selkie Way, The Khilaian Way

Demonym

Amekan

Permeated Organizations

• Clan Manuhel
• Keepers of the Dead
• Selkie Loremasters
• The Khilaia
• Wardens of The Sacred Isles

Deities

• Kailio

Divines

• Kailio