Soha Oajvolkijiit (Rough transl. 'The Sky-Born')

Public anthropotheological record
Property of the Royal Atheneum of Hövnís, Eörpe

Soha Oajvolkijiit is the only currently known religious belief practiced by the various tribes and cultures of the Bieggjan species. The major features of its mythology, doctrine, and practices appear unusually uniform across the planet.

Etymology & Definition

Soha Oajvolkijiit is formed from the definite article ‘Soha’ (sing. ‘a’ or ‘the’), and the compound word ‘Oajvolkijiit’ and is most commonly seen translated to ‘The Sky-born’.
More recent linguistical research has determined the word ‘Oavolkijiit’ to originate from the Gjevasudit roots ‘oa’ (translates to ‘birth’ or ‘become’), ‘voj’ (translates to ‘sky’, reason for the j > l sound transformation still uncertain), and ‘kijiit’ (locative for ‘above’, ‘after’, ‘past’ and ‘from’). It could thus be argued that a more accurate translation for the word would be ‘the birthed above/from the sky’.
While Soha Oajvolkijiit strictly speaking is the name of the pantheon worshipped by the various Bieggjan cultures, this record will detail the entire belief system. What is important to note is that this belief system is very strongly intertwined the day-to-day life of most Bieggjan tribes, and sometimes the lines between culture, society, and religion can be very blurry.

Mythology

Cosmology

In the cosmology of Soha Oajvolkijiit, existence is divided into three distinct realms. There’s a vaguely defined “not-here” where the original deities reside, the “world” created from Tijosalomai’s placenta, and a “bridge” called the Hyssna that connects the world with Tijosalomai’s mouth.

Soha Norrus

Translates to ‘The Not-Here’. The word is compounded from the roots ‘norr’ (locative for ‘here’ and ‘now’) and ‘rus’ (translates to ‘no’, ‘not’, ‘missing’).
When correlated to existing natural features, the not-here is often described to be what lies beyond the sky, past the planetary rings. It’s a nebulous space that can’t be understood or described by mortals. The most detail so far found in examined myths and stories is simply that it’s where Tijosalomai, Juoyl and Seempola can be found.

Soha Hyssna

Translates to ‘The Path’. ‘Hyssna’ is the Gjevasudit word for ‘path’ or ‘trail’, but in this context and combined with the definite article, it refers specifically to the mythological “bridge” that connects the world to Tijosalomai’s mouth. In some Bieggjan tribal cultures, it’s also the term for a collection of customs that outline an ideal way of living and being.
The Hyssna is likely a mythological representation of the planetary rings that, depending on where you live on Biegjun, can take up a major portion of the sky. In most myths it’s described as starting close to Tijosalomai’s womb and ending by Tijosalomai’s mouth. Tijosalomai’s womb is a believed-to-exist point of location in the world, where the massive mountain chains of the south and north pole are supposed to meet.

An interesting note is that red-spectrum blood coloration appears to be specifically associated with deityhood – if this is simply a coincidence used in a well-known myth to explain the rings reddish coloration during twilight or if it has its origin in something else hasn’t been ascertained yet.

— Notation by Dr. Tybulus Svilen

Soha Biegjun

All tribes studied so far describe the world itself as growing out of the placenta left behind when Tijosalomai birthed their first children. It rests between their legs and two high mountain peaks are commonly illustrated as a representation of the fact.
In the mythos, all life is birthed as spirits by Tijosalomai and given a body by Muulamota before being placed down into the world. When a living being dies, their body is fed to the world to let it continue to live and grow, while their freed spirit is brought back to Tijosalomai by Jusokyahka or an Ajovoun.

Pantheon

The deities and spirits of the Soha Oavolkijiit pantheon is commonly portrayed as part of one of three to four different tiers, that both denotes their familial relationship with the original deities and when they supposedly were born. The tiers that have so far been described are ‘The First’, ‘The First-born’, ‘The Second-born’ and ‘The Third-born’.
There are some differences between cultures when it comes to who are considered first/second/third-born. In some, all deities aside the original three are first-born as the children of Tijosalomai and Juoyl, and all Jurddarsu (spirits) are second-born. In others, only a selection of the deities is considered the children of Tijosalomai and Juyol (and thus first-born) and the rest are their grandchildren (second-born). The third-born in this case typically encompass local deities (grand or grandgrand-children of Tijosalomai and Juyol, or elevated spirits) and the Jurddarsu (spirits).
For the sake of this archive entry being as complete as possible we will outline the model of the pantheon that includes all four levels of relationship.

Soha Insu

Translates to ‘The First’ by combining the definite article ‘soha’ (sing. ‘a’ or ‘the’) together with the ordinal number ‘insu’ (Meaning ‘first’, which in turn originates from the root ‘inu’ for the cardinal number ‘one’).
The deities Tijosalomai and Juoyl, and the deity-like beast Seempola, are considered the original entities that existed and lived in the not-here long before the world was created. There’s so far been no myths or stories detailing where they came from, why they made the world, or what exactly the not-here is.

It could be interpreted that these the entities are the only ones considered “true” deities and the only ones capable of creating matter from nothing.
In all myths and stories so far examined lesser deities and spirits can only transform one form of matter to another, one prime example being Muulamota who shapes the physical bodies of all living things in the world by using their own hair and skin.

— Notation by Dr. Tybulus Svilen

Tijosalomai

They lie prone and rest, with Juoyl on one side and their child Gaaijvla on the other to watch over and take care of them.
All life is born from their womb and the world rests safely between their legs.
Tijosalomai isn’t ever fully described in appearance, with most tribes mainly only referring to an arbitrary set of high mountain peaks to be their legs.

Juoyl

They sit by Tijosalomai’s side to watch over them, care for them and protect them from the beast Seempola.
When their children struggle to keep Seempola at bay, they will drape their cloak around Tijosalomai and the world to shield them until the beast has been driven away again.
Similar to Tijosalomai, their appearance is never fully described apart from wearing a wide and colorful cloak. Most will expect misfortunes to follow aurora sightings, as seeing Juoyl’s mantle means they’re leaning close to shield Tijosalomai and the world from the beast.

Soha Oainsu

Translates to ‘The First-Born’ and is made up from the definite article ‘soha’ (sing. ‘a’ or ‘the’) with a compound word formed from the Gjevasudit root word ‘oa’ (translates to ‘birth’ or ‘become’) and the ordinal number ‘insu’ (Meaning ‘first’, which in turn originates from the root ‘inu’ for the cardinal number ‘one’).
These deities are described as the first children of Tijosalomai, and unlike the rest are also commonly attributed as the children of Juoyl. Like the original deities they are featured in the mythos of all Bieggjan cultures studied so far.

Gaaijvla

They sit on one side of Tijosalomai, and their only role is to watch over and care for them and the world.
While they can’t be seen, their loving touch can be felt in the warm winds and rain that come to drive away the frost and snow left by Seempola’s freezing breath.

Likhuus & Atjansukka

Described as the most powerful of Tijosalomai’s and Juoyl’s children, they stand at vigil and guard their parents, their siblings, and the world from the beast Seempola.
In nearly all myths Seempola is said to only dare approach during the time the two must rest.

Uoalapa

They sit between Tijosalomai’s feet and watches the world. They were the one to teach the first placed into the world all they needed to know, and now curiously study what the children of the world do with what was once taught them.
If the children of the world feel lost, Uoalapa may reach down to impart reassurance and guidance.

Muulamota

They sit by the foot of the Hyssna to receive the newborn Jeemjis. After wrapping them in a cloth made of their skin, they gently place them down into the world.
Muulamota is often attributed as the one that give all life its physical form, shaping it out of a piece of themselves, and thereby also determine their purpose and place in the world.

Soha Oaama

Translates to ‘The Second-Born’ and is made up from the definite article ‘soha’ (sing. ‘a’ or ‘the’) with a compound word formed from the Gjevasudit root word ‘oa’ (translates to ‘birth’ or ‘become’) and the ordinal number ‘ama’ (Meaning ‘second’, which in turn originates from the root ‘mau’ for the cardinal number ‘two’).

Jusokyahka

They are commonly named as the child of Gaaijvla and was originally charged with bringing the Jeemjis whose bodies had been joined with the world back to Tijosalomai. By feeding Tijosalomai the Jeemjis, they’d be returned to their womb and could be reborn again.
After their sibling was wounded by Seempola and lost in the beyond, Jusokyahka asked the Ajovoun to take over their role, and built the Hyssna so they could bring the Jeemjis to Tijosalomai in their stead.
Jusokyahka is in most mythos depicted as mostly absent and searching for Nuuhavaj, but a very popular story tells of them sometimes painting the Hyssna red when seeing Seempola trying to cross it. This to trick the beast to believe it covered with deities’ blood, so it’ll try and drink it.

Helsiinak & Vuhttnja

They are commonly named as the children of Likhuus & Atjansukka and join their parents in vigil against the beast Seempola.
As they are much younger and less experienced, they often struggle to hold the beast at bay on their own. When Likhuus and Atjansukka must sleep, they in some stories receive help from Jusokyahka by them painting the Hyssna red or Juoyl leaves Tijosalomai’s side for a while to fight it.
In some cultures, they instead primarily assist Muulamota in caring for the world and only acts as guardians against Seempola when Likhuus & Atjansukka sleeps.

Nuuhavaj

They are commonly also named the child of Likhuus & Atjansukka, and the sibling of Helsiinak & Vuhttnja. In modern myths they are often said to be absent and lost, after having been gravely wounded in a battle against Seempola. Jusokyahka searches for them in the not-here.

Soha Oalehjo

Translates to ‘The Third-born’ and is made up from the definite article ‘soha’ (sing. ‘a’ or ‘the’) with a compound word formed from the Gjevasudit root word ‘oa’ (translates to ‘birth’ or ‘become’) and the ordinal number ‘lehjo’ (Meaning ‘third’, which in turn originates from the root ‘lehj’ for the cardinal number ‘three’).
In the cultures that recognize third-born in their mythos, its often comprised of local deities and Jurddarsu. The third-born deities’ relationship to the first- and second-born are sometimes a little unclear, though most times they’ve been named as grandchildren of Tijosalomai and Juoyl, or their grand grandchildren, or as a Jeemjis or Ajovoun that was given a deity-like role.

Local Deities

It’s not unusual for any one tribe to include more deities than the ones detailed under the sections for the first, first-born and second-born. A tribe have been observed to worship up to 15 of these minor deities, and they often govern a specific – but to the tribe important – domain.
The perhaps most common type of minor deity found is the guardian – often an Ajovoun that’s been raised to higher power by Muulamota or Jusokyahka and entrusted with watching over the members of the tribe.

Jurddarsu

This is a collective term for spirits, and most Bieggjan cultures make a distinction between spirits born from Tijosalomai (Jeemjis and Eesli) and spirits birthed as a byproduct of an idea, dream, act, or other nebulous concept (the two most common being Ajovoun and Oniijavat).
Some tribes will attribute all life born from Tijosalomai (even deities) to be Jurddarsu, with the only true distinction being that some weren’t given a body and placed into the world, and instead were blessed with the powers they needed to carry out their specific roles.

Jeemjis

These are the spirits that, when received from Tijosalomai’s womb, are given a piece of Muulamota’s skin and then placed into the world. The body that Muulamota make them determines their purpose in the world, and they’re expected to live according to it until their body expires.
When a being in the world dies, the Jeemjis is freed from the body. The body is left to feed and nourish the world, while the Jeemjis is expected to follow Jusokyahka or an Ajovoun back to Tijosalomai and be fed to them. This returns the Jeemjis to their womb and will let them later be born again for a new purpose.

Eesli

These are Jeemjis that, after being released from their body, don’t realize or want to accept that they’re to return to Tijosalomai.
An Eesli is considered very susceptible to be targeted by Oniijavat, who will try to trick them and bring them as a gift to Seempola, so it’s regarded as very important to help them find peace and accept that they no longer belong in the world.

Ajovoun

They are born from good intentions and selfless acts and are thought to instill happiness in beings they flutter past. They bring the sacrifices and prayers of mortals with them, and give them to Juoyl, before being fed to Tijosalomai to give her energy and bring her good health. After Jusokyahka left to search for Nuuhavaj, they would also bring freed Jeemjis with them over to Tijosalomai.
Sometimes, especially benevolent Ajovoun could decide to postpone their journey to Tijosalomai and instead choose to rest together with a Jeemjis, granting the being chosen healthy and long lives. Vojjsakka were thought to be especially favored as nests for the Ajovoun.

Oniijavat

They are born from ill intentions and selfishness and are thought to instill misery in beings they glide past. Tribes will commonly have either a guardian deity or some means of warding themselves from these spirits.
An Oniijavat may decide to travel to Tijosalomai and feed itself to her, but this will make her sick and ailing. But more commonly, they will attempt to get ahold of a Jeemjis to bring to Seempola, gifting it to the beast in exchange for being allowed to live in its fur.
A common way an Oniijavat may go about acquiring a Jeemjis is either to latch itself to a being, making its body sickly and weakening the Jeemjis by making it mean. The Tjaetsiimaj are thought to be favored nests of such Oniijavat. Another often mentioned method is tricking an Eesli into believing the Oniijavat can bring them back to life.

Doctrine

The belief system of the Bieggjan outlines the importance of maintaining good behavior for various reasons in its cosmology but appears to not be meant to dictate what good and bad actually is. Such is instead left to be defined by the morals and ethics of the culture practicing it. The sole exception appears to be – or perhaps it’s more a case of the line between religion and culture becoming very blurred – is the Soha Hyssna – a moral code practiced by some tribes that outlines an ideal way of living.
The religion is deeply intertwined with the daily life of most Bieggjan if only for how its mythology make out the foundation of their view on the world, it’s features and creation, and their place in it. It no doubt serves to help explain the nature of the world and why different things has and will come to pass.

Soha Hyssna

A few tribes have been observed to rigorously practice a religious-cultural moral code named after the mythological bridge connecting the world with Tijosalomai. The code dictates an ideal way of living that’s meant to act as a guideline for individuals on how they are expected to think, behave and act.
As far as have been determined, its thought that this path first and foremost will give an individual a longer life span by simply caring for their psychological and physical well-being. It’s also thought to bring about a higher chance of birthing strong and benevolent Ajovoun – not just through prayers but also through spontaneous acts – and eliminate the risk of birthing Oniijavat.
A well-kept body and Jeemjis also makes one less susceptible to becoming the victim of a passing Oniijavat and will give back more to both the world and Tijosalomai once it’s time for the Jeemjis to leave and make the journey across the Hyssna.

Traditions & Rituals

Organization

Tribe elders are the closest tribes appear to have to religious officials and organization. They are primarily concerned with child raising and teaching, including orally passing on a tribe’s values, customs and traditions. For this reason, they are also often considered the most knowledgeable when it comes to the beliefs, myths and stories of the Soha Oajvolkijit. They’re typically the first to be asked if guidance is needed and will also many times organize and lead major events and rituals.

Demographics

This belief system is exclusive to the inhabitants of the planet Biegjun and is practiced by all tribes recorded so far. It’s estimated that nearly all, or all, of the Bieggjan populace worship the Soha Oajvolkijiit to some extent. It’s tightly intertwined with their culture, defining a large part of their worldview.

Organizational Data

Status

Active

Classification

Ethnic Religion

Theology

Polytheism (Creationism/Spiritualism)

Polity

Tribal Shamanism

Demonym

N/A

Ethnicities

Assumedly all Bieggjan tribes

Population

Estimated >95% of Biegjun’s total population

Spread

Biegjun

Official Language(s)

None

Founder

N/A

Head of Religion

Tribe Elder(s)

Headquarters

N/A

Affiliation(s)

N/A