Chakrana
| |
|---|---|
| Total Population | |
| 68,400,000 | |
| Founder | |
| Unknown | |
| Origin | D'Runia Date: Unknown |
| Type | Semi-Organized |
| Theology | Polytheism |
| Scriptures | Various |
| Branches | |
| Eastern Western | |
| Significant regions with adherents | |
| Chaska Ayawantin Huilcasonco | |
| Languages | |
| Remana Wariano | |
Chakrana is the general term used for the polytheistic customs and practices on the continent of D'Runia used prior to the arrival of religions from elsewhere. In one sense, Chakrana is a mere 400 years old, dating back to a codification in the middle years of Huilcasonco's empire; in another, it is 22,000 years old, dating back to the first religious beliefs on the continent.
Key to Chakrana beliefs are two different, and sometimes diametrically opposed, principles. The first is that of ayni, representing a sense of "collective reciprocity"; the world is interconnected, and all things one does creates an exchange of energy between oneself and the universe. Sometimes the balance is in one's favour, sometimes it is not, but all things are returned. One must therefore work, and love, and learn, and live. But this may not be easy without guidance. This is where the second principle comes in: kama, "noble action", the path shown to one by one's god that teaches how one might best work, and love, and learn, and live, in order to ensure ayni flows truly.
To a Chakranar, kama may well change depending on culture, but ayni is universal. What goes around must come around.
Etymology
Chakrana in the Remana language of Chaska means "tool for inheritance"—a physical means of passing on information from one generation to the next.
History
Although Chakranar worshippers have occasionally been prosecuted by followers of other faiths, they have for the most part been largely left to their own devices. The exception to this relates to followers of Kunkata.
Attempts at codification came after colonization efforts elsewhere, with the government of Ayawantin seeking a unifying force against the new practices such as Orkanan which were being introduced into the region. To this end, a number of philosophical and religious texts were deemed "canon", and propagated whenever possible—although this was not to say that older or less widely-known texts were destroyed or even dismissed, merely confined to their own particular temples.
Worship
Typically worship is divided into three forms: public, familiar, and private. Private worship is found in acts of personal contemplation, or in keeping to the kama one has found, either on one's own or in the presence of a trusted few. Familiar worship links to outward appearances, how one dresses, attending ceremonies at one's temple of choice, and so on. Public worship is when the practices of one's god are granted to all to celebrate, a mixing of kamakuna like the swirling of liquors in a cocktail, with great ceremony and jubilation. Typically these follow days in the Planting Count of the Long Count Calendar, although there are certain occasions that may be drawn from the Birthing Count if deemed important to one's deity.
Not all settlements will have temples to all the gods, despite best efforts. Moreover, usually each city will have three "patron" deities: a god, a goddess, and a third who is subject to change. They receive the largest temples, or the largest niches in the primary temple. Still, the worship of all deities is theoretically welcome—the exception, again, being followers of Kunkata, who are accepted somewhat cautiously.
Deities
Champila
Champila promises a proper cycle to the world, a predictive quality to nature, and a sense of karma within one’s own lifetime. He is also the god of seasons and agriculture, and there are harvest festivals dedicated to him each year. It is likely that he represents the serpent deity worshipped in the north by the Riparian civilization (2000-3500 RH). His followers paint their foreheads with two white dots, one atop the other.
Kunkata
Kunkata demands discord—not to destroy a community, but to test and temper it, to make it stronger. This has not, by any means, made her followers particularly popular over the centuries, but they do ironically tend to maintain a certain continuity of spirit. Her followers paint a yellow-orange triangle on their foreheads in recognition of her "overturning the bowl".
Marakan
Marakan marks justice, as well as obedience to the general practice of the kama of the other gods. A storm god from the south, he provides rain, wind, thunder, and lightning as warnings against not acting as one's kama demands. Still, he has a gentler side too, in the form of the great rings that surround the world. Followers of Marakan paint two white semi-ovals on their foreheads, marking both lightning and rings.
Qhana
Qhana rewards those who are bold and decisive, making changes as surely and certainly as the sun strides across the heavens. For a long time Qhana was directly associated with the emperor of Huilcasonco; in the modern day, he is a recognized but not all-powerful deity. His followers paint a yellow-orange dot on their forehead.
Si
Si holds in particular favour those who would be patient and subtle in their passions, waiting for the right moment to strike, as solemnly as the moon. She was a goddess of some renown further west along the coast, as queen of the cosmos, but has largely replaced older moon goddesses from the east. Her followers paint a white crescent (facing right) on their foreheads. She is also known as Qilla in Chaska.