Hlenderian religion
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The Hlenderian religion, or la-Dereik ("Our Path"), is the traditional religion and spirituality of the Mūni, Kwari, and Vrotri people of Hlenderia. Though each ethnic group inhabiting the nation have their own unique religious beliefs, scholars have identified key pillars linking them, including the worship of a monotheistic creator deity known as Chém/Ḥém, the veneration of ancestors, and the belief in an afterlife associated spiritually with the Oramin Mountains of western Hayaneste.
The primary rites or rituals associated with Hlenderian religion are its funeral rites, holidays taking place on the death anniversaries of influential Hlenderians, and the Day of the Dead, the holiest day of the year. 86 percent of Hlenderians practice this ethnic religion to some degree, with the Mūni expression representing its most traditional form.
Beliefs
Divinity
The Hlenderian religion is structured around the belief in a supreme, single creator god known as Chém, or Ḥém. The traditional spirituality of all three ethnic groups of Hlenderia hold that Chém created the universe by raising land from the primordial ocean, beginning with the Oramin Mountains of Hayaneste and extending outward in all directions.
Prayers and material sacrifices are traditionally offered to Chém on major holidays and the death-anniversaries of loved ones. Except for among the most remote, tundra-living Mūnim, all Hlenderian prayer is offered while facing the Oramin Mountains.
Traditional belief holds that Chém lives with the spirits of the deceased in "Chém's Manor" (Chém-Oramin) atop the Oramin mountain range. Liberal branches of the folk religion, prevalent among the Vrotrim and Western Kwarim, hold that this is best understood metaphorically.
Ancestor veneration
Despite an ultimate belief in Chém as creator, Hlenderians typically direct prayer and sacrifice toward the spirits of deceased ancestors and prestigious community members, the latter usually referred to as "saints" in foreign sources. Among the Kwarim and Mūnim, both family members and saints are typically venerated. The influence of foreign religion has lessened the practice of direct ancestor veneration among the Vrotrim, who today mainly practice "saint" veneration.
Traditional belief holds that the spirits of the deceased go to live in "Chém's Manor" atop the mountains of western Hayaneste. The Mūni of the southeast and interior further believe that aspects of the deceased's spirit go on to inhabit wildlife - a relative who was particularly skilled at hunting may see that aspect of their spirit re-embodied in a bear, for instance.
Participation in the Hlenderian ancestor cult rituals has historically been mediated by female members of Hlenderian clans. The relative power of women in the local religion is strongest in the Kwari regions, where women lead most official rituals and fill chapel choirs. Most homes in Hlenderia contain a room with a small altar on which relics and memorials to departed loved ones or saints are placed. This home-altar is a locus for prayer for the family. Urns containing ashes and reliquaries holding bones and bone fragments of deceased family members are commonly placed on these altars, and the physical space near it is considered an auspicious and solemn place.
Vrotri beliefs
Among the Vrotrim, certain characteristics of the Hlenderian religion are predominant. Saint veneration has taken a greater prominence than in the sects of the Kwarim and Mūnim, to such an extent that many Vrotri no longer pray to their immediate ancestors. Syncretism has also taken place, especially in communities along the coast, with Ademar influences being integrated into traditional Hlenderian thought. The Vrotri saints of Hlerazi and Manūs are believed by many anthropologists to be re-interpretations of the Ademar saints Lerasi and Magnus, and the worship of these saints in particular is absent from Mūni and Vrotri
Kwari beliefs
Of the three ethnic groups of Hlenderia and their respective religious sects, organization and hierarchy are strongest in Kwari regions. Most Kwari families maintain a home altar for the worship of saints and departed loved ones, but even more important is the "chapel", a building in each Kwari settlement for ancestor devotion. Chapels are usually multi-tiered structures with an attached crematorium and adjoining memorial garden. Chapels are maintained by community elders, usually women, and host weekly meetings for prayer and devotion. The chapel also contains a vault containing portions of the ashes of various community members, and maintains a library and history of the settlement.