Muhto (/muxto/)
Muhto, pl. muhye, is a Stenza word which is best defined as "the mind of a sufficiently significant place or thing." These beings are considered separate from gods (râv, pl. râ'ei), chiefly in that they are not known to, or are unable to, fashion stars in the void of space in order to inhabit. Other differences typically include a vast difference in power and a particular finiteness of personality common in muhye but uncommon in gods.
The most prominent muhye in Stenza folklore are the Snow Warrior and Snow Pups, of whom only Fire is known to have something a corporeal individual would conceptualize as a "personality". Their fluidity, however, is a result of the fluidity observed by fire as a phenomenon, and Fire is still defined as "the mind" of that particular force of nature. (Migration is also a particularly subtle or tricky example, but their curiosity and knowledge of the environment also count toward their being "the mind" of the rite of migration. The same also applies to Hunter.)
Muhye are considered fully tangible beings, capable of interacting with the wider world and sometimes disguising themselves or otherwise slipping under the radar. This tends to throw attention on features of theirs such as agelessness, lack of body temperature, and the ability to vanish completely into phenomena like flurries of snow.
Summary
The model for muhye in Stenza culture was arguably Jeshra, who later evolved into the Snow Warrior, and the Snow Pups. These creatures have long been recognized as incredibly powerful, embodying and at least having a degree of control over significant forces in Stenza daily life while lacking divine status. (An interesting point to note is that many suspect that muhye like the Snow Pups play a greater role in the average Stenza's life than do the gods. Outside of Iradae and Lan'tha, a handful of other recognized divine beings play consistent but limited roles in Stenza affairs, whereas the Snow Pups are directly and frequently interacted with, and the body of rules for so doing is much larger.)
As the Stenza have encountered more and more cultures, the term muhto has been used, sometimes privately and sometimes publicly, to describe many beings those cultures hold sacred. This has been the source of quite a bit of inter-cultural tension and the Stenza typically not taking a given religion seriously.
Related Species
Related Organizations
Comments