Followers of the Vitnu religion worship
The Forest Walker, a god of green and growing things. Though they recognize that other gods may exist, they believe the Forest Walker to the controlling force of life and death in the world and to have power over all other gods. Vitnu is the dominant religion in
Suxad.
Worship
Holy Texts
Temples and Clegy
Equality
Traditional Clothing
Clothing is not only a marker of the Vitnu faith, it is considered an important tenant of the religion. Clothing must be made of cotton, and only dyed naturally. Traditionally, Vitnu followers wore only clothing made of coarse cotton fabric, with special occasion clothing only marked by embroidery made from the same coarse cotton. In modern times, this has changed to a wide array of types, though followers continue to restrict themselves to cotton. Furthermore, practitioners of the Vitnu faith are prohibited from cutting their hair, except on the second day of the month of Bent, a holiday which symbolizes renewal and shedding the old, sinful parts of yourself. Even then, most Vitnu only trim their hair. Once a Vitnu follower comes of age, they are also marked by a tattoo of the Vitnu symbol, usually on their arm.
Rites of Passage
Birth Rites
When a baby is born in the Vitnu faith, one of the baby's parents (usually the father, as the mother has been carrying the baby) or another loved one whispered a blessing into the baby's ear. This blessing is meant to be the first thing the baby hears.
Coming of Age
In the Vitnu faith, a child comes of age at fourteen. They are brought into a room with a member of the Vitnu clergy and a tattoo artist. The clergyperson then asks the child a series of questions about the Vitnu religion. With each question answered correctly, the tattoo artist completes another section of the Vitnu tattoo--a stylized person standing over a knot--on the child's arm. The tattoo is traditionally done in orange, the Vitnu holy color. When the tattoo is complete, the child emerges from the room as an adult.
Marriage
The importance of avoiding inbreeding is very important in Vitnu culture, with Vitnu parents and clergy responsible for tracing back family lineage for as much as seven generations before allowing a wedding to proceed.
Once a wedding does proceed, it is a large and grand affair. It usually begins early in the morning, with the groom coming to the bride's home to bring her to the wedding. Often, the bride's parents or friends will block the entrance and the groom and his friends must perform for them or even pay them in order to get the bride. This begins the wedding processional, which leads to the location of the wedding ceremony, usually the Vitnu temple. During the procession, the family of the bride and groom sing and dance to awake others in the neighborhood, who follow the procession to the temple.
Once in the temple, the bride and groom light incense, which they carry around the temple as the guests have their seats. Then they kneel on cushions in front of the altar and exchange vows with one another. Sometimes a member of the Vitnu clergy or even another member of the temple oversees this exchange, but only the Forest Walker is required to oversee the vows. The ceremony itself is usually followed by a party, often outdoors, and sometimes involving the traditional slaughter of an animal. The party, which includes singing, dancing, and feasting, will often go all night and into the morning. The ceremony does not officially end until only the bride and groom are left at the temple, sometimes with a clergy member or another person to oversee their final vows, which they make again to the Forest Walker Himself before leaving.
Death Rites
Vitnu death rites vary a great deal, depending on regional differences in the beliefs of the family, but almost all Vitnu death rites involve a visitation ceremony, in which any member of the community may come to view the body and pay respects to the family. This ceremony may last anywhere from a single day to an entire week, often depending on the monetary situation of the family. Though these ceremonies usually happen at the home of the family, in some cases they are held at the Vitnu temple instead. The funeral itself, if there is one, is usually quite small, with only the family present.
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