Huxoth Religion
History
It is likely the Huxoth religion existed before the Huxoth people migrated to the Great Northern Desert, though it is likely that life in the desert influenced its development. Though the Huxoth people have an oral culture, stories in northern Nefrale bear enough of a similarity to indicate cross-cultural interactions. Furthermore, though the mind-communication known as the Joyal is not known to be used beyond the Huxoth people, collective magical workings are more common in northern Nefrale, and some schools in northern Nefrale teach aspects of working magic to all students, whether or not they have natural-born gifts. These practices may have even inspired the structure of Faraday Academy of Magic, which has been known for accepting promising students who show no natural gifts. Currently, it is practiced outside of the Great Northern Desert, primarily, but not entirely, by those who also identify culturally as Huxoth.
Dieties
Like so much else in the Huxoth culture, the Huxoth religion centers around wind magic. While most of the gods in the Huxoth pantheon are nature related, the sixteen primary gods represent the sixteen directions of the wind. Each god has its own personality and the gifts that they are known to bestow on people, from the modest east-north-east wind to the joyful west wind. Other gods include the gods of rain, trees, and lakes. Followers of the Huxoth typically pray to an assortment of gods, though they may also dedicate themselves to one god in particular, and live by the precepts of that god.
Relationship with Death
The Huxoth religion teaches that as opposed to other gods, who wait for people to dedicate themselves, the god of death chooses their own dedicates. The largest sect of the Huxoth additionally believe that those who are chosen by the god of death are cursed. Through them, the god of death delivers judgement, usually in horrific ways, such as the destruction of Peth. They fear those who are touched by death, and what destruction they could bring on them. They do not want to get close, less the curse rub off, but they also do not want the god of death to take vengeance for mistreating their chosen. This usually leads to the Huxoth tending to the physical needs of such people while shunning them socially. A lesser sect of the religion, however, believes that those chosen by death have been given this gift as an opportunity to save lives, and instead treat them as the most honored among their people.
Relationship with Calistian Gods
Though the Huxoth themselves do not generally map their pantheon onto that of the Calistian gods, they do, in many cases, overlap. The major difference is that the Huxoth pantheon is much larger, with a single Calistian god representing multiple Huxoth gods, such as a single Calistian god of wind as opposed to the sixteen in the Huxoth pantheon. In other cases, such as the god of death and the god of dreams, the pantheons seem to overlap almost perfectly. This has led some anthropologists to believe that the Huxoth religion branched from the old Calistian religion long ago.
Temples and Clergy
While Huxoth village leaders are usually women, Huxoth religious leaders are usually men. They are encouraged but not required to be celibate, but otherwise live roughly the same as other village members. The clergy are usually chosen because of specific things that happen to them in their lifetimes, interpreted by other clergy to be an indication that they are connected with the divine. Though clergy can facilitate connection with any god, they are generally dedicated to a specific god or even set of gods (such as the gods of water). As such, a single Huxoth village will often have clergymen located at a variety of small temples dedicated to different gods. Temples dedicated to the wind gods tend to be larger and grander, as they are more regularly attended. There is a particular plant that grows in the Great Northern Desert which only the Huxoth clergy can consume. The plant is also a known hallucinogen.
Holy TextThe primary Huxoth religious text is an epic poem documenting the creation of the world, the transformation of the Huxoth from hawks into people, their war with with wolf-people, and several other miracles. This is typically memorized by clergy, while parts of it are sometimes memorized by layfolk. More recently, visitors from Huef have studied the Huxoth language and created a writing system for it in order to document this poem. The documentation has served to widen the religion, and helped it expand even to some who do not identify culturally as Huxoth.
Worship
Worship in the Huxoth religion can be done both communally or individually, depending on the need. Clergy will often lead communal prayer and worship at their individual temples, usually including the sacrifice of an animal which is preferred by that god. Individuals, however, may also enter these temples at any time to burn incense to and pray to their chosen god, and groups will often pray together within the Joyal, which does not require one to be physically present. Major holidays also include a public feast, though there are only a handful within the year, usually remembering important miracles of the past. Outside of these, the Huxoth opt, instead of having traditional holidays, for celebrating visitors who have survived the long journey through the desert. These are also typically celebrated via a public feast.
Relationship with Other Religions
Due to the relative isolation of the Huxoth, they do not interact often with other religions, except for those of outsiders. While religious Huxoth typically view these outsiders as incorrect in some (though rarely all) of their beliefs, they respect these beliefs. Outsiders are not required to abide by religious law within Huxoth settlements, given that they show the same respect to the people who live in these areas. The Huxoth also do not proselytize, though in some culturally diverse areas, particularly at the edges of the desert, the Huxoth religion has spread to outsiders whom is appeals to.
Relationship with Death
The Huxoth religion teaches that as opposed to other gods, who wait for people to dedicate themselves, the god of death chooses their own dedicates. The largest sect of the Huxoth additionally believe that those who are chosen by the god of death are cursed. Through them, the god of death delivers judgement, usually in horrific ways, such as the destruction of Peth. They fear those who are touched by death, and what destruction they could bring on them. They do not want to get close, less the curse rub off, but they also do not want the god of death to take vengeance for mistreating their chosen. This usually leads to the Huxoth tending to the physical needs of such people while shunning them socially. A lesser sect of the religion, however, believes that those chosen by death have been given this gift as an opportunity to save lives, and instead treat them as the most honored among their people.
Relationship with Calistian Gods
Though the Huxoth themselves do not generally map their pantheon onto that of the Calistian gods, they do, in many cases, overlap. The major difference is that the Huxoth pantheon is much larger, with a single Calistian god representing multiple Huxoth gods, such as a single Calistian god of wind as opposed to the sixteen in the Huxoth pantheon. In other cases, such as the god of death and the god of dreams, the pantheons seem to overlap almost perfectly. This has led some anthropologists to believe that the Huxoth religion branched from the old Calistian religion long ago.
Temples and Clergy
While Huxoth village leaders are usually women, Huxoth religious leaders are usually men. They are encouraged but not required to be celibate, but otherwise live roughly the same as other village members. The clergy are usually chosen because of specific things that happen to them in their lifetimes, interpreted by other clergy to be an indication that they are connected with the divine. Though clergy can facilitate connection with any god, they are generally dedicated to a specific god or even set of gods (such as the gods of water). As such, a single Huxoth village will often have clergymen located at a variety of small temples dedicated to different gods. Temples dedicated to the wind gods tend to be larger and grander, as they are more regularly attended. There is a particular plant that grows in the Great Northern Desert which only the Huxoth clergy can consume. The plant is also a known hallucinogen.
Holy TextThe primary Huxoth religious text is an epic poem documenting the creation of the world, the transformation of the Huxoth from hawks into people, their war with with wolf-people, and several other miracles. This is typically memorized by clergy, while parts of it are sometimes memorized by layfolk. More recently, visitors from Huef have studied the Huxoth language and created a writing system for it in order to document this poem. The documentation has served to widen the religion, and helped it expand even to some who do not identify culturally as Huxoth.
Worship
Worship in the Huxoth religion can be done both communally or individually, depending on the need. Clergy will often lead communal prayer and worship at their individual temples, usually including the sacrifice of an animal which is preferred by that god. Individuals, however, may also enter these temples at any time to burn incense to and pray to their chosen god, and groups will often pray together within the Joyal, which does not require one to be physically present. Major holidays also include a public feast, though there are only a handful within the year, usually remembering important miracles of the past. Outside of these, the Huxoth opt, instead of having traditional holidays, for celebrating visitors who have survived the long journey through the desert. These are also typically celebrated via a public feast.
Relationship with Other Religions
Due to the relative isolation of the Huxoth, they do not interact often with other religions, except for those of outsiders. While religious Huxoth typically view these outsiders as incorrect in some (though rarely all) of their beliefs, they respect these beliefs. Outsiders are not required to abide by religious law within Huxoth settlements, given that they show the same respect to the people who live in these areas. The Huxoth also do not proselytize, though in some culturally diverse areas, particularly at the edges of the desert, the Huxoth religion has spread to outsiders whom is appeals to.
Temples and Clergy While Huxoth village leaders are usually women, Huxoth religious leaders are usually men. They are encouraged but not required to be celibate, but otherwise live roughly the same as other village members. The clergy are usually chosen because of specific things that happen to them in their lifetimes, interpreted by other clergy to be an indication that they are connected with the divine. Though clergy can facilitate connection with any god, they are generally dedicated to a specific god or even set of gods (such as the gods of water). As such, a single Huxoth village will often have clergymen located at a variety of small temples dedicated to different gods. Temples dedicated to the wind gods tend to be larger and grander, as they are more regularly attended. There is a particular plant that grows in the Great Northern Desert which only the Huxoth clergy can consume. The plant is also a known hallucinogen.
Holy TextThe primary Huxoth religious text is an epic poem documenting the creation of the world, the transformation of the Huxoth from hawks into people, their war with with wolf-people, and several other miracles. This is typically memorized by clergy, while parts of it are sometimes memorized by layfolk. More recently, visitors from Huef have studied the Huxoth language and created a writing system for it in order to document this poem. The documentation has served to widen the religion, and helped it expand even to some who do not identify culturally as Huxoth.
Worship
Worship in the Huxoth religion can be done both communally or individually, depending on the need. Clergy will often lead communal prayer and worship at their individual temples, usually including the sacrifice of an animal which is preferred by that god. Individuals, however, may also enter these temples at any time to burn incense to and pray to their chosen god, and groups will often pray together within the Joyal, which does not require one to be physically present. Major holidays also include a public feast, though there are only a handful within the year, usually remembering important miracles of the past. Outside of these, the Huxoth opt, instead of having traditional holidays, for celebrating visitors who have survived the long journey through the desert. These are also typically celebrated via a public feast.
Relationship with Other Religions
Due to the relative isolation of the Huxoth, they do not interact often with other religions, except for those of outsiders. While religious Huxoth typically view these outsiders as incorrect in some (though rarely all) of their beliefs, they respect these beliefs. Outsiders are not required to abide by religious law within Huxoth settlements, given that they show the same respect to the people who live in these areas. The Huxoth also do not proselytize, though in some culturally diverse areas, particularly at the edges of the desert, the Huxoth religion has spread to outsiders whom is appeals to.
Controlled Territories
Organization Vehicles
Related Ethnicities
Wow! Very detailed!
Thanks. I've been kind of developing this culture for a while, so I tried to center their religion on some of their primary cultural elements, like their sense of community and connection to wind magic.
That's great!