Akuanism: Difference between revisions
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#Helligsti– the approach to the shrine |
#Helligsti– the approach to the shrine |
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#Bønnebrett – Small building reserved for placing of prayer sheets. |
#Bønnebrett – Small building reserved for placing of prayer sheets. |
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#Lanterne – Used for burning malformed prayers and wards. |
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#Lanterne– decorative stone lanterns |
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# Kontor – Shrine's administrative office and storage. |
# Kontor – Shrine's administrative office and storage. |
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#Helligdomstempel– Where the brewing liquor and food is prepared then handed out to followers. Acts as the worship building for Akua and only her name is allowed to be stated within these halls. |
#Helligdomstempel– Where the brewing liquor and food is prepared then handed out to followers. Acts as the worship building for Akua and only her name is allowed to be stated within these halls. |
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#Husavann– A large building reserved for rituals and special dances. Off-limits to the public outside of those occasions |
#Husavann– A large building reserved for rituals and special dances. Off-limits to the public outside of those occasions |
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# Gjerde – fence surrounding the ''åndehus'' |
# Gjerde – fence surrounding the ''åndehus'' |
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#Åndehus – main hall, enshrining a major spirit of the area. It's forbidden to bring up Akua name in these places, due to her petty nature. Off limits to the public and reserved for |
#Åndehus – main hall, enshrining a major spirit of the area. It's forbidden to bring up Akua name in these places, due to her petty nature. Off limits to the public and reserved for brewmaster entry only. As to not accidently offend the spirit of the shrine. |
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==History== |
==History== |
Revision as of 13:11, 30 January 2023
This page (or section) is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final. |
Akuanism | |
---|---|
Belief | Pantheism ; Animism |
Deity | Numerous spirits/Deities |
Region(s) | Borea, Novaris, Gondwana, Aurora and Yasteria |
Founded | Primordial |
Origin | Borean Cultural Traditions; Syncretism with other religions |
Denominations | Akuanism |
Akuanism is a religion which originated in Borea and spread throughout the Rotantic Ocean. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners Akuanist, although adherents rarely use that term themselves preferring to calling themselves cultists or follower of the way. There is no central authority in control of Akuanism and much diversity exists among practitioners.
Akuanism is polytheistic and revolves around the worship of spirits known as Ny-Gin-Stol, Brandisen and the Vodkaniate. The Brandisen in the Akuanist tradition are supernatural entities believed to inhabit all things. Including manufactured and sapient-created objects or places. Example being the sapient-made lake of Ny'amberock which host over dozen spirits in it's shrine. Vodkaniate is reserved for incredible powerful spirits or gods, example being the religion namesake Akua who protects her children (sapients), adventurers, explorers and the Goddess who taught the sapients to worship.
The link between the Spirits and the natural world has led to Akuanism being considered animistic and pantheistic. The religion is staffed by priests and priestess, known as brewmasters, who oversee offerings of food and beer or ale to cultists. This is done to cultivate harmony between the cultist and Akua and to solicit the Akua's blessing, as Akua loves her temples to be more akin to a Tavern or a community center than a traditional religious building. Other common rituals include drunkard revelry, rites of passage, celebratory debauchery and seasonal festivals.
The goddess Akua is deeply intwined with many of the creation myths to the point she's known as the goddess of life. Nearly all stories of the creation of sapients have the goddess as the main character or is told from only from her perspective. Usually the stories make use of Akua's thinking machines to create a harem of the first Urthians or Akua accidentally creating Urthians by some other means. Akua became the name-sake of the religion mostly by miscommunication and misinterpretation as adventurers go forth to explore established shrines to the goddess where ever they roamed. Making Akua's shrines and myths the most widespread across all of Akuanism all together. While majority of shrines in Akuanism isn't for Akua, she does have the most shrines directly worshiping her. The shrines of other spirits to be supplied religious paraphernalia such as amulets, coins, incense and prayer sheets to earn favor or give respects the spirit. Akuanism does not emphasize specific moral codes although it places a major conceptual focus on family/friendships and community, largely by practices such as bar craws and "adventuring."
Akuanism has doesn't have an official specific doctrinal book rather it has a collection of stories and myths, with a widely diverse range of local and regional forms with their own myths.
Beliefs
For a complete list of all Akuan deities see here.
Different Classifications of Deities
Vodkaniate
Vodkaniate, is considered to be the "major" or "significant" deities apart of Akuanism. While this doesn't mean they are the most powerful or strongest deity, it does mean it plays a core part of Akuanism religion and into the daily life of cultists.
Akua
Akua is considered to be above all other spirits and consider to be the primary goddess that protects sapient life. The goddess is known to be extremely petty to those who attempt to take attention away from her in her "holy" places. As a result, it's considered to be deep insult to say names of other Vodkaniate (but not Brandisen) in her shrine. Usually resulting in being cursed with bad luck until one performs the necessary cleansing ritual. While she's the creator of life for the Urthians, almost uniformly in all (early) myths where she was called mother. She reacts negatively, often pointing at Freyrmama as a more suitable "mother" figure for children. As a result, majority of creation myths or stories about motherhood often cite both Akua and Freyrmama as mother to the Urthians. With several stories of creating making use both Freyrmama and Akua as joint creators as a married couple.
Freyrmama
Freyrmama is a goddess in Akuanist belief she is the "Urth Mother" and a fertility goddess who presides over planting and harvesting, embodies the mountain range in the Yasteria peninsula. She is also an ever-present and independent deity from Akua and Borean spirits. She known to cause Urthquakes when proper respects are not given toward her shrines or when enough water haven't been sacrificed to her. In Akuan stories she's often seen as a caring, loving friend to Akua who allows her rest in her domain during the Goddess travels around the Urth.
Yunyøn
Yunyøn, is another important goddess, being the deity in charge of dawn and close-friendship. She while considered to be more shy in terms of the rest of deities, as the deity of close friendships. She blesses and protects close friendships or best friends, her providing her favor to long lasting relationships.
Brandisen
Brandisen are the most plentiful of spirits and represent everything from forests, folk heroes, animals, rituals and everything in between.
Spirits
Spirits are anything to-do with supernatural creatures or phenomena that are venerated in Akuanism. Spirits can be elements of a landscape, forces of nature, and supernatural creatures. It's also widely considered that if a person has done a great enough deed they can become a spirit of a Brandisen type.
In Akuanist Tradition, spirits are not separate from nature, but are apart of nature itself, with each spirit with its own good and evil characteristics.
Ny-Gin-Stol
Ny-Gin-Stol are the deities that whose physical bodies make up the landmasses of Urth. While often Ny-Gin-Stol overlaps with Vodkaniate or Brandisen, they difference is usually depends how the Akuanists view the land and it's stories. More than often, volcanos, caves, mountains and islands are considered to be Ny-Gin-Stol, with the exception of Fyllikenkrasjlander which due to her significance is considered to be a Vodkaniate. Large land masses, such as continents are broken up into several dozen spirits of Ny-Gin-Stol.
Concepts
Harmony
Cult of Akua has deep sentiments maintaining a warm welcoming cultural and a peaceful co-existent with all sapient things. Harmony is often used as a catch-all term for these sentiments or believes, the act of Harmony is often assorted being a charity, warmth within the home, satisfaction of one's state of life and family, both by blood and by friendship. Many of the Akuanist stories are about creating harmony in personal and community life. Often featuring monstrous creatures such as goblins or otherworldly beings as a greedy entities that attack the harmony and love of Akua she provides. Heroes of these tales using follow a trend of heroes being reborn after a life being spent worthlessly or NEETdom.
Debauchery (belief)
Debauchery in the eyes of Akua is defined as the act of communal life centered around of life pleasures, usually a tavern in a majority of cases. Taverns playing a special role in Akuanist stories, usually being one of center locations for the heroes/heroines.
Practice
Taverns/Community Centers
Shrines to other spirits
Spirit of Borea
The Spirit of Borea (Norgesvelden: Fyllikenhenneskrasjlander, Nys'tat'en: Ny'orea) is considered to be a natural/nature spirit which represents of Borea and has one of the most holy shrines dedicated to them her. Widely considered to be one of the most important of spirits, having aiding Akua directly numinous times and having befriended the Goddess. Her shrine is a extremely closely guarded secret, only allowing three people know it's location at any time the Brewmaster of the shrine, head of the royal house of Nystatiszna and their personal Brewmaster. It's one of the few shrines that acts purely as a religious structure, not acting as a soup kitchen nor a hostel for the poor. The shrine is only visited on special occasions such as coronations, childbirth or adoption rituals and in incidents of great important that require the Spirit to assist directly with. Such as during natural disasters, famines and plagues.
During the coronation ritual, the shrine which the spirit inhabitants is transferred into the Emperor/Empress who grants the shrine holder wisdom and authority to rule their (the spirit of Borea's) body/land in their name. Provided the Emperor/Empress is a good humored, a hero/heroine of highest caliber and kept a holy life from now on. This means the Emperor/Empress is acting as a host for the Spirit of Borea, making them into a living shrine and authority to rule unquestionable among the most devote Akuanists.
Brewmasters
Prayer sheets and amulets
In Akuan customs, a [Nys'tat'en word] is a talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal. They're commonly found in Akuanist temples and are considered to be imbued with the power of the spirits or saints.
They're several dozens different kind [Nys'tat'en word] which are intended for a specific purpose (such as protections against famine, sickness, finding love or misfortune) and may be kept on one's person, placed in entries of ones home, such as door ways or gates. Majority of the [Nys'tat'en word] are made out of paper, however in some of the more rural regions where Akuanism is worshipped wood is more used. The amulets made out of metal are more small and ornate, usually the size of a coin that has a loop of twine.
There is a specific type of [Nys'tat'en word] that is issued by the Akuan shrine, in which it is written the name of the shrine or the enshrined spirit and stamped with the shrine's seal. The [Nys'tat'en word] are often placed in the household Akuan altars and revered both as a symbol of the shrine and the spirit (or spirits.) It's believed to be containing the spirit's power or essence by the virtue of it's consecration and the medium through which the spirit in question can be accessed by the worshiping Akuanist.
Modern Funeral
After death
The funeral practice for Akuanists begin immediately after death of a (or a few days before the expected death), relatives to the moisten the dying or deceased person's lips with ale or small beer, an practice known as the last call. Most devote Akuanist homes maintain a family altar or more wealthier families keep a personal shrine on their property. When a death occurs, the shrine or altar is closed and covered with a white paper to keep out the impure spirits of the dead or accursed. A small table decorated with flowers, incense, and a candle is placed next to the deceased's bed.
The relatives and authorities are informed, and a death certificate is issued by the regional government. Funeral arrangements are typically made by the eldest child and are begun by contacting the local brewmaster to schedule the event. Some days are more auspicious than others, based on the Vaaran calendar and the lunar cycle. For a example midwinter and a full moon is considered to be a excellent day for a wedding and awful day for a funeral, as the spirits of harmony can carry the couples wishes to the heavens but blind the spirits to carry the dead. However if it's midwinter but with a no moon, is a good day for a funeral but a bad day for a wedding, as the spirits of the dead that hide from the moon's light can carry the deceased towards the sky without being blinded.
The body is washed thoroughly and the orifices are blocked with either cotton, gauze or cork. Then the next part of the ritual takes place, where a professional burial maiden (can be either sex) ritually dress the body in pure white dress and further prepares the body and places it into the coffin. The deceased always wear a white, thin cloth dress regardless of gender and makeup is applied on the face. The coffin will remain open for several hours, during which burnable items which the deceased was fond of such as cigarettes or candy are placed into the casket by family members.
Wake
Held as soon as possible after the death. All funeral guests wear black and carry a set of prayer beads to honor the deceased. People attending the wake or funeral offer condolence money or drinks to the host/hostess, the money arriving in black-and-silver envelopes with special markings on it's wax seal. Drinks offered to the host/hostess are usually sweet or fruity in nature, in attempt to bring up the spirits with tasteful drinks. The family members each offer incense three times to the incense urn in front of the deceased. At the same time, the assembled guests will perform the same ritual at another location behind the family members' seat. The wake end once the brewmaster has finished the chant. Each departing guest shares a drink with the host. The closest relatives often stay and keep vigil with the deceased overnight in the same room.
Funeral
The funeral proper, is usually on the day after the wake. The procedure is similar to the wake, with incense offer to the deceased and small ale offer to the host. While the brewmaster gives a prayer chant. The ceremony differs from the wake, as the deceased is given a new name, as dead return when their names are called. The new name is often extremely long depending on the virtue of the person's lifespan or deeds they have preformed.
At the end of the funeral ceremony, the guests and family place flowers in the casket and around the deceased's head and shoulders before pouring all drinks given to the host/hostess into the casket. Then the casket is sealed and carried to a hearse and transported to the crematorium.
Cremation
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Grave_of_Uemura_Naomi.jpg/300px-Grave_of_Uemura_Naomi.jpg)
The coffin is placed on a tray outdoors in at crematorium and a trained pyrotechnician contracted by the brewmaster sets the body on fire. The family gathers watches the body burns from a safe distance, where they are to celebrate the memory of the dead. Passing bottle of a the deceased favorite drink around telling stories about them.
After the body is burned, the relatives pick bones out of the ashes and transfer them to the urn using metal chopsticks, two relatives holding the same bone at the same time with their chopsticks. This is the only time for Akuanists it is considered to be proper for two people to hold the same item at the same time with chopsticks. Any other time, holding anything with chopsticks by two people at the same time or passing items with chopsticks to chopsticks is considered to be a major social blunder or tactless. The bones of the feet are picked up first and the bones of the head are picked up last. To ensure the deceased is not upside down in the urn and thus cursed the deceased to see the world upside down. Ashes go to the family grave or to the local shrine graveyard if one's family doesn't have a family grave.
Grave
Akuanist graves are usually family graves consisting of a stone monument with a place for flowers, incense and empty clean bottles of ale in front of the monument and a chamber or crypt underneath for the ashes.
The date of the grave being raised and family name will be engraved on the side of the monument. The names of the deceased engraved on the urn and not the never on the monument itself. Graves often have a box for business cards, where friends and relatives visiting the grave can drop their business card, informing the caretakers of the grave of the respects the visitor have paid to the deceased.
Gender Roles
Gender Roles within Akuanism is greatly different from the rest of the world, with the your gender role being more dictated by one's job rather one's birth sex. Gender roles are primary on a scale of "masculine" and "feminine" based on a job one has, a example being a lumberjack is traditionally seen as a "masculine" role where a dressmaker is seen as more "feminine" role. Being treated as "masculine" often means you are treated as what is "manly" compared to other cultures/religions and visa versa with "feminine."
Enshrinement
The act of Enshrinement, is the process of transferring spirits to a shrine. The process of moving spirits is consider to be one of the most delicate processes a brewmaster can do, as not to accidently offend the spirit while being transferred. The process can take anywhere from three weeks to four months, as the process requires walking from the old shrine to the new shrine carrying a series of backpacks containing the spirit's foci and belongs while a group of maidens are singing smoothing songs to the spirit. In incident where the shrine was destroyed in natural disaster, the shrine has to be rebuilt on the site and a special ritual of enshrinement takes place. Which only takes a few days to preform properly, not including the time to construction the rebuilt shrine.
Enshrinement of Saints, Notable People and Significant Figures
When comes to the death of notable figures, such as local town heroes, historical figures and people of notable or extreme talent and skill. The general belief is that people of such worth, will not be satisfied or be able to acknowledge the traditional Akuan funeral. Their spirits will stay in their work place, such a blacksmith spirit will stay in smithery. Usually, when a Akuan dies, their body stays with the spirit until cremation however instead, with these kinds of figures their spirits leaves the body and travels to their workplace to work on their craft.
As such, when they die the brewmasters and maidens take the corpse of the figure, wrapped in white cloth scented with flowers. The brewmasters carry the corpse and while the maidens sing songs to draw the spirit out of its workplace, to travel with them to the cremation spot. They burn the bodies at the site, then take the ashes to either place it in the shrine or build the shrine around the ashes. For example, taking the ash vase and then curving a stone pillar around the vase otherwise it is built in the traditional shrine status.
Incase of a violence Shrine destruction.
This is different in cases where the shrine has been destroyed in violence or in a war, the spirit of the shrine has to be smoothed to prevent the spirit from taking revenged on those who has destroyed shrine. Akuanists are quick to gather the reminds of the foci and spirit's propriety and flee to a more safe area, to rebuild the shrine far from the spirit's original home. The new shrine built for the spirit has to be specially treated in this case, such as keeping the shrine closed to non-Brewmasters and their maiden assistants. The spirit in the shrine is always temperamental, wanting to cause disasters or use supernatural forces against those who destroyed it's old home. As such, rituals to soothe the spirit and keep it the spirit calm. As even letting a spirit harm others, is considered to be a act of violence that Akuanists outright refuse to allow harm to others.
Creation of a Living Shrine
The act of moving a spirit into a living host, is by all means the highest honor any Akuanist could ever received and is only done in very, very rare situations. From a outsider perspective it can be considered to be a similar to monarchy in terms of authority and in terms of handing down the spirit. As once a spirit is moved into a living host, it cannot be removed until death and it can only ever be enshrinement in a direct family member again. It can only be enshrined into a direct family member due the familiar energy of the family. As such Akuanists are extremely careful about enshrining a person with a spirit. As such there are only two people on all of Urth who have received such a honor, Ingrid the Reclaimer and Esta the Protector of Lapliszna.
Living Shrine Titles
The act of enshrinement leads to giving a title traditionally held by the spirit before hand. For a example being Ingrid the Reclaimer title, taking the spirit Fyllikenkrasjlander (Spirit of Borea) as her enshrinement. Traditionally Fyllikenkrasjlander has been seen as the spirit who directly influence and controls Borea's health and wellbeing. However due to the common belief among Akuanists across the Urth that ever since the colonialization of Nystatiszna and the later authoritative governments, that the spirit has been getting sickly. As a result, events such as the Tsunami in 2021, hotspots of Borean Ice Fever and famine are common place on Borea. As such, giving Ingrid the title "Reclaimer" was chosen, as Nystatinne Akuanists believed she would fix the sickly state of the spirit. Akuanists worldwide, are more skeptical, giving such a important spirit to someone who not only recently converted but the spirit is such a level of importance into enshrinement.
Holidays
Akuanism has several religious holidays majority of them are only celebrated locally. However Naylorbrookisza in early 1930s promoted dozen holidays that she believed best respect Akua and promoted her values. She also adapted some of the more non-religious cultural custom in Borea, such as Midwinter.
![](http://static.miraheze.org/tepwiki/thumb/4/4a/Slay_day.jpg/300px-Slay_day.jpg)
Slay Day
Slay day is held every Barmun the 4th, is celebrates a battle between Akua and Demonlord where Akua without any help from anyone and totally alone. Blew up the Demonlord with a single blast of her mighty explosive staff. The tradition involves the participants wearing a long red tunic, long black pointy hat and a homemade explosive staff using a wooden crook with a red ball hanging in the middle of the hook. The followers bring a small wooden toy that in the likeness of the Demonlord and fireworks. Then the holiday festive begin with by putting all the toys in the large pile tied to the fireworks before setting them off in one giant explosion. However several cities have passed bans on using fireworks due to safety concerns, favoring to dig a pit outside of town to the throw the toy into the hole before setting the pit on fire. During the event drinks of a light ales will be handed out along with cornbread and small bits of roasted meat. The holiday is often a all day event with several contests such as cooking, best costume and dramatic pose off.
Midwinter
Midwinter is a 10 day long festival in which cultists cook various lavish dishes and drink their finest alcohol stock with their neighbor. It was roots in Western Borean customs but Naylorbrookisza decided to adopt this custom as part of her attempt to unify the Akuan faith. It's held after the end of very Earlymun and lasts for ten days before Yearmun starts.
Taming of the Plow
[3rd of Iilymum]/[March 1st]
Celebration of the various spirits of Agriculture, farmers and the goddess Freyrmama. Festivities include spray water at each mask wearing participants. Masks depict various spirits of Agriculture such as Gyllenhøst or Ullgjeter. Spraying water on the masks symbolizes watering the crops and honoring the spirits. Honoring the spirits meaning it will be a good harvest later down the line.
Ranchers or people who work in the animal husbandry industry wear ears of the animals they work with made from wool. As a way to give thanks to the creatures they work with. They serve "luxury" meals to their animals, usually a mixture of the animal feed with spices and blessed by the brewmasters.
Farmers and other greenhands wear necklaces made from straw, wild plants and seeds.
Farmers and ranchers are celebrated throughout the day. Parades of farmers, ranchers, mask-wearing participants and gift bearing brewmasters march throughout the town squares. Brewmasters toss sweets wrapped in cloth bags towards children in the parade.
During the morning, before the sun has risen when the spirits are first awakened. Brewmasters and participants gather around the local shrine or temple, then travel to each ranch and farm performing rites on each of the steads. To appease the spirits and provide wellness to the nature around the area.
Midday the parade takes place and a massive dinner takes place in the local temple or shrine. Providing for the whole community with hot meals and cold drinks. While it's not required for farmers to eat first, it is tradition that agricultural workers eat first.
In the evening, games and dances take place. Children play games to win prizes and sweets. Rows of street food vendor's sprawl across the carnival, side by side with the gaming booths and the dance platform is in the center of the festival.
Children Week
[Furman 18th/October 17th]
It's a week long festival for everyone under the age ten, it's celebrated universally by Akuanists. It's a celebration of childhood, where the kids dress in classical dresses and are taken to shrines to seek protection from spirits in the most important and delicate stage of their lives. It is often when they are first given their first traditional kimono for religious and cultural gathering. The parents take place in this event by praying along side their children for good health, prosperity and luck.
Adventurer Day
![](http://static.miraheze.org/tepwiki/thumb/b/b6/Adventday.jpg/300px-Adventday.jpg)
Adventurer Day is a festival holiday celebrated at different times depending on the shrine, where children and adults alike dress up in varies adventurers from both myth and history. It is a celebration of adventure itself, complete with a treasure hunt for the children, a first-blood Sverdturneringer for adults and a dozen other games played at stalls. The festival can last as long as a week but no shorter than a two days. The festival ends with the Brewmaster of the shrine giving a small speech thank the adventurer spirits for bring safety and their many stories to Akuan. The holiday is often use to venerate local saints or spirits in the community and bring the community close together.
Bloom Day
Depending on when flowers bloom at the given shrine, bloom day is held. It is consider to be an romantic holiday and one for newly wed couples to be given gifts by the community. The gift given is handed out by the brewmaster, taking the lead as the community leader handing out gifts handed by to the newly weds. To be a newly wed one has married within the past 5 years, and each newly wed couple is given a gift. In addition flower crowns are given to the couple (or to each partner in the relationship) and a dance is held for only the newly weds with the brewmaster singing. For couples older than 5 years in partnership they are to be honored, and they host a parade in celebration of their love. In the parade they throw candies and sweets towards the crowd as well flowers picked. It is tradition to confess one's love to another and if they accepted the new found couple plants a flower as a symbol of their love.
Shrine Architecture
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Plan_of_Shinto_Shrine.jpg/300px-Plan_of_Shinto_Shrine.jpg)
The following is a diagram illustrating the most important elements of a Akua shrine:
- Helligabborport -- is a traditional Akuanist gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Akuan shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred.
- Stone stairs, very rarely included in any shrine. Often preferring to use a ramp or another form of movability.
- Helligsti– the approach to the shrine
- Bønnebrett – Small building reserved for placing of prayer sheets.
- Lanterne – Used for burning malformed prayers and wards.
- Kontor – Shrine's administrative office and storage.
- Helligdomstempel– Where the brewing liquor and food is prepared then handed out to followers. Acts as the worship building for Akua and only her name is allowed to be stated within these halls.
- Helligsti – A secondary Helligsti, reserved for more serious matters.
- Naturånd – small auxiliary shrines, for reserved for minor spirits in the area.
- Vøktere – Guardians of the shrine, usually statues of dogs or guards.
- Husavann– A large building reserved for rituals and special dances. Off-limits to the public outside of those occasions
- Gjerde – fence surrounding the åndehus
- Åndehus – main hall, enshrining a major spirit of the area. It's forbidden to bring up Akua name in these places, due to her petty nature. Off limits to the public and reserved for brewmaster entry only. As to not accidently offend the spirit of the shrine.
History
Syncretism with Ulvriktru
When Ulvriktru was introduced from viking traders from Eyjarian in the early 700s AD. Early Akuanist scholars theorized that both religions are true and the gods referenced by Akua are the same ones the Ulvriktru worship. They theorizing that where Akua was more involved in Borea, the gods referred in the Ulvriktru hold domain else where. It should be noted, that these early theologians never traveled to Concord and thus never visited a real Ulvriktru temple. Relaying on stories brought by merchants and traveling priests to help fill the narrative they was trying to understand. The regionalized and highly diverse nature of Akuanism interacted in several ways.
Shrines (non-Akuan) along the southern western coast included religious imagery of Ulvriktru origin. Example including Gammeltre shrine which has a curved imagine of Thor into it's largest branch and still has prayer sheets offered only in Eyjarian. It should be noted that the language in the prayer sheets have not updated to modern Eyjarian language customs.
Shines (both Akua and non-Akuan) make use of extensive use of Ulvriktru symbolism.
Shines (of Akua) have select prayers that are still held in old Eyjarian, these prayers are only held twice a year and considered to be some of the more archaic in nature.
Akua vs Science
Evolution
Evolution for the like of a better word is considered to be a form of light heresy or a deliberate insult to a Akuanists belief system. Many cultists firmly believe in the many stories about Akua's creation of the first Urthians, often citing the similar story.
Akua grew bored of her harem and wine, her desire to create exotic tastes. Her desires lead her to an alchemist lab where she made vodka from potatoes and with corn she made the first moonshine bottle. She tasted her works and slept, the thinking machine carried her to her resting spot. Her drunkard ramblings told the thinking machines to create her a harem. The thinking machines spent much time in the alchemist labs while Akua rested fulfilling her drunk desires. Creating the first Urthians.
Vaccines
Much discussion in the late 1990s' by the brewmasters and scholar with many of them taking harsh lines on either side of the debate citing several stories at each other. A consensus was finally reached after brewmaster of Melkvernby Mathias Kinn made the argument that a particular story wasn't literal but metaphor for vaccines themselves brought forth by Akua's wisdom. Which put a end to the discussion in late 2002.
When several members of Akua's gathering fallen ill to the wicked ways of the heat, their bodies turning into a stone as their spirits went to tavern beyond us. Akua tears for her lost children filled lakes all of Borea, flooding a green suited man's home. When the green suit man cried out to Akua demanding why the great Goddess flooded his home with her tears, she could only point towards the graves of her lost. The green suit man understood, death comes for all mortals bodies but our spirits are eternal. The lost of one mortal body is always great lost on one's community, Akua plead with the green suited man for his assistance. So the green suit man labored for several days and nights while Akua wept before finally returning to the great one. He had tiny magical spears that when poked into one's skin it prevent the heat-rot from taking their lives. Thus Akua no-longer wept for her children's fate for as long the had tiny spears. They could be defend against the evilness of heat rot.
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory has been universally rejected by Akuanists, citing several dozen stories about the creation of the universal by Ny-Gin-Stol spirits. Which spiritual bodies created the physical manufactured the land, space, sea and all other bodies Urthians inhabit.
Holy Book of Akua (WIP)
In the beginning the land laid bare, hopeless and sober. Thy Akua flew down on a lighting bolt, to breathe life into the empty world. Wielding knowledge of thy heavens Akua made heaven on Urth, with thinking machines that did all the labors and a kegs of wine that never empty. Akua had hair that was as blue as the sea and flowed like a river down to her waist. Her gaze is the same as an iceberg.
Akua grew bored of her harem and wine, her desire to create exotic tastes. Her desires lead her to an alchemist lab where she made vodka from potatoes and with corn she made the first moonshine bottle. She tasted her works and slept, the thinking machine carried her to her resting spot. Her drunkard ramblings told the thinking machines to create her a harem. The thinking machines spent much time in the alchemist labs while Akua rested fulfilling her drunk desires. Creating the first Urthians.