Guso
| |
|---|---|
| Total Population | |
| Founder | |
| unknown | |
| Origin | Toshi-bu date: ~7580 |
| Type | Syncretic |
| Theology | Practical, ancestral worship |
| Scriptures | |
| Branches | |
| Significant regions with adherents | |
| Southern Altaia | |
| Languages | |
| Kakuri (liturgical) Bahaso | |
Guso is a syncretic religion that is practiced predominantly in Sokoku and to a lesser extent on the southern Altaian mainland and northern Radhria Island. It has its basis in southern Altaian Lizehanist religion where ancestral worship is a central tenet. Guso is a rather new and modern religion, having developed from practices of the Kakuri people in current day Mirei State of Sokoku after their contact with Fisks settlers and Vittmark as a parent state. The religion rejects concepts of fate or divine intervention and embraces modern scientific theories while valuing mythological stories as alternative truths from historical times. Guso's dynamic nature allows for various denominations and sects to coexist peacefully and encourages interaction between different congregations.
Etymology
Guso comes from the Kakuri language, but can have several meanings depending on the context. The Kakuri's so-called second language, rich in simile and metaphors, is the highest liturgical language used in Guso, but the Kakuri people are not teaching the language actively. Therefore it is as good as impossible to give an accurate translation or interpretation of the word.
Origins
The religion dates back around 120 years, when the Kakuri people of Gilles Fisks, then a Vittmarker colonial holding, reached out to the federal government of the Anarian nation. As part of of the cultural exchange between the Kakuri and Vittmark, the soul keepers of the Yakosei no Konchuu cult traveled to Östervallen. They are generally seen as the first registered Guso congregation, even though they predate the foundation of the religion under the Guso name.
While the whole point of the cultural exchange was to create a situation where Kakuri culture with its 5000 people could survive in a globalising world, the effect was that the Kakuri cam in contact with Anarian science. It somehow fitted the framework of the Yakosei no Konchuu, because they only focused on life questions where science didn't have an answer (yet). By modernizing the Kakuri mindset, the role of religion might have become smaller, but in the region of south Altaia, it was the only religious world view that fitted a modernising society.
With the foundation of Sokoku as a nation state and the following expansion north- and westward, Guso got a platform in a decolonizing region, where older religions like Tamahunan or Anarian beliefs like Orkanan felt out of touch with reality. Groups like Yakosei no Konchuu traveled through the country, building on the tradition of storytelling with a compelling new and mystical view. They actively recruited new soul keepers, thus widening the foundation of the religion among local communities.
Beliefs
The Lizehanist element of Guso is ancestral worship. According to followers of Guso, life and death are just opposite sides of the same plane of existence. Both sides can be connected. A pivotal role is played by the so-called Soul Keepers (Tamashi Bannin), a clergy that is loosely organised in several different congregations (Kaishu). Soul Keepers bear The Gift (Okurimono), which enables them to make contact with spirits currently residing on the other side. Gusan clergy state that about one in a thousand people are born with The Gift, one in five of them male but predominantly female.
Practices
The Gift usually discloses itself during puberty, between age 11 and 16. Gift bearers then receive training for their tasks ahead until they reach 16 to 18. During their first active phase, Gift Bearers will have to build a spiritual relation with people who feel connected to them. It is up to the individual spirit to find a compatible Soul Keeper. It is the Soul Keeper's task to create a lasting spiritual bond, so that the connection will last even after the person has died. This soul gathering phase ends at around age 28. In most congregations, the Soul Keeper will play a role as mentor for the offspring of the spirit she is keeping. In some congregations, Soul Keepers play a role at births. But in all congregations, Soul Keepers play an important role in the dying process and the following burial rituals.
For an individual follower of Guso, the spiritual guidance can start early in life in the form of the mentorship by an established Soul Keeper. At age 7, all children will have an individual mentor (Shikatate or Wayhand) who will help them in their personal spiritual development, often one of their parents' Soul Keeper. Choosing one's own Soul Keeper happens later during adult life, this due to the Soul Keeper's task of keeping a spiritual connection once one passes to the other side. It is however not unusual that people choose a Soul Keeper earlier in life, upon reaching the age of adulthood at 16-20, if the spiritual connection with a Soul Keeper is so strong that he or she is able to connect to the spirit's ancestors. Some congregations confirm the choice for a Soul Keeper by a tattoo, indicating that the spiritual bond is eternal.
Choosing early or choosing late are clear distinctions between congregations rituals. Another distinction is the emphasis of spiritual guidance, a large congregation like the Nocturnal Insects (Yakousei no Konchuu) provide support mainly during the last stages of life, while the Black Flowers (Kuroi Hana) provide an equal amount of services at births as being a defining spiritual moment for the newly born and its parents.
Morals
The Guso religion shows a complex and almost paradoxical combination of individualism and group ethics. Followers of Guso often live in extended families, guild based clans with a very strong internal structure. Individual spiritual development is seen as an important asset to be able to function in such a relatively closed group. The clan or guild promotes self development with sources from outside their own social context as a way to make sure the individual will be functioning in the right social setting. It is believed to be better for the fabric of society that individuals not fitting their birth clan or guild move on to a more corresponding group. In practical terms, this can be done my marriage, but also by open apprenticeships. As such, the Guso clan structure of Sokoku fits with the aim for efficiency which is a central element in the prevailing Mireist political system of Sokoku.
Guso society therefore shows characteristics of tribalism even in a modern and urbanised setting. The tribalism is more about a sense of belonging, which corresponds with ancestral worship as having elements of heritage and belonging as well. Ancestral worship also leads to worshipping rites surrounding Soul Keepers, since they have the ability to connect to ancestors. Soul Keepers are treated with the highest respect, which can be considered a risk by worldly leadership.
The concepts of love, both in loving and being loved, are central elements within Guso. This concept is much broader than romantic love and Sokokans have at least 70 different words for different types of love, like parental love, brotherly love, passion, etc. For example, in order to build a functional relation with you Soul Keeper, you will need to have mutual love. For a Soul Keeper, that is often more an urge to care, while for an individual it is more based on respect. Developing a romantic love with a Soul Keeper however is considered counterproductive. A functional bond with a Soul Keeper is fundamental for her (or him) to be able to follow love paths towards ancestors right through the plane of existence.
Beside these general elements, morality and ethics can differ considerably between congregations and denominations.
World views
Being a modernist religion, Guso lacks a creation myth. Followers are generally accepting current scientific theories about the origin of the universe and how life came about. Guso therefore limits itself to those manifestations and life questions that can not be answered by science. The religion lacks a deity but is based around three common mysteries in modern society: the cause for the creation of the universe (directive of energy), the origin of life (directive of entropy) and the essence of the human soul or spirit.
Personal spiritual development is a central tenet in the belief system. Self consciousness, self respect and self progression are seen as cornerstones for being able to participate in a social structure like society. This process should be driven from interior motives, not by peer pressure or social constructs.
The combination of both the modernist and individualist nature of Guso leads to a rejection of most other religions as being oversimplified, archaic and constrictive. Concepts like fate, premonition, providence or divine intervention are not only completely alien to Gusans, they are generally frowned upon or in some cases even ridiculed.
Followers of Guso still appreciate mythological stories from their own region, like legendary historical events or explanations for natural phenomena. Mythology is valued as a narrative that explains how the world and humanity evolved into their present form, because they pre-date modern scientific research or explanations. They are considered vital alternative truths from a historical age, that played an important role in finding the theories and hypothesis that are part of the modern day framework of society. This type of historical creative thinking is still considered to be important, since it is this type of mental creativity that pushes mankind forward. It is theorised that this element actually is an influence from Orkanan, but there is no evidence backing this hypothesis.
Development and current issues
Due to its bottom up structure and history, Guso is a highly dynamic religion. New cults, sects and denominations pop up and disappear again, where once in a while, a local innovation gets a foothold and can become a regional denomination. There is also a tendency among established congregations to assimilate these innovations, thus remaining relevant in an ever changing society.
The whole process of identifying bearers of The Gift and train them for a task within a Guso congregation can be seen as controversial. The women and men involved are of a young age and are quite easily influenced or dominated by Guso clergy. Training programs can be harsh. At the same time, young Soul Keepers will have to build up their own following, thus generating revenue for the congregation. The economic burden and the pressure put on these young people leads to many people dropping out, sometimes within months. In some congregations, Soul Keepers that do not meet their quotum of gathered souls will not be fully economically supported by the congregation during the second stage of their tasks as Soul Keeper. On the other hand, there have been Soul Keepers with over 10,000 individual followers, which even to Guso standard is considered a situation that takes too much toll mentally of a Soul Keeper. There have also been reports of sexual offenses by Guso clergy towards apprentices and trainees, clearly exploiting the hierarchical situation the religion has built up. If a congregation does not take immediate action agianst this type of abuse, the whole congregation could loose their affiliation with Guso.
Organisation
Guso is loosely organised in denominations and geographical charters. There are quite a few interpretations in this grass-roots religion, which seem to co-exist peacefully and in a cooperative matter. Denomination is the common term used for a distinct doctrine within Guso with its own rituals, clergy and organisation. Each local group within such a denomination is commonly labeled as a congregation. The charters gather all the congregations of all denominations within a certain region.
Representatives from most denominations and charters meet at the start of each new season in the so called Congress of The Other Side (Meido Kaigi). The Congress is more about sharing what the denominations have in common than to outline or limit the contents of the religion. Having attended a Congress is generally seen as proof of belonging to the Guso community, but it has happened that congregations have been removed during a Congress.
Denominations
The following ten denominations have the largest amount of followers. Together they stand for about 50-65% of Guso worshippers, with the remaining part belonging to smaller denominations with less than one million registered members.
- Yakosei no Konchuu (meaning “nocturnal insects”, abbreviated Yakoko), seen as the original Guso cult, still has an important following around Sokoku. In Kakuri society their role is largely outplayed but the branch is still active and relevant especially in the west (Nelyasyat and Ayatawantin, Keadaan Matang and Tanah Ek). It is generally speaking more seen as a death cult.
- Kuroi Hana (meaning “black flowers”) is the first branching off within Guso. It was not started by ex members of Yakoko, but the cult gained traction after three prominent Yakoko soul keepers went over in 7579. Provides services around birth rituals as well as burials. It has its majority of followers in Mirei and Shuuen.
- Kuso, whose name actually is a curse or damnation in the Kakuri languages. It is more rebellious by nature, dating back to the days in the early 77th century when it had to position itself between the traditional branches.
- Maatarashi Shakai, meaning “new society”, which was founded in 7629 and an important contributor to the spreading of Guso in the former colony of Aspasia.
- Tanoshi warui owari emphasises the importance of love and fun before the life on this side of the plane comes to an end. Seeking pleasure is the main goal, since suffering will occur anyway. Followers will pursue increasing pleasure and reducing suffering for all beings capable of experiencing them.
- Yukue shirezu tsure zure (meaning “wherabouts”) refers to a concept of insecurity and leaving loose ends at the end of one's lifetime. This in contrast to most other congregations, who try to prepare people for the inevitable in the most thorough way. The congregation tends to attract people with more risky lifestyles, by profession or choice.
- A Kaiten whose followers focus on circular patterns as the main structure in society, like the change of the seasons or the phases of Hela. One of the few congregations that established a large following on the mainland as well in Diyin Tsidii and Shaaniaah.
- Erisu, the main congregation on Tanah Ek, which combines pre-Lizehanist indigenous polytheistic beliefs creating a setting fitting this particular island state.
- Sorewa subete no seidesu, who blame non-believers for all the wrong-doing in the world.
- Watashi wa is the branch that focuses most on the individual and individuality of all the congregations. It is quite popular in large cities, among individual migrants from the countryside that have left the cooperative lifestyle of Sokokan culture behind them.
Places of worship
Since the religion is based around the mysteries of the directive of energy, the directive of entropy and the essence of a spirit, there are no holy or sacred places as such. Individual development can take place about everywhere, but followers of Guso prefer inspirational places. It is however highly individual what makes a place inspirational, to some it is a sunset on the beach, for others the bustling city life in a metropolis.
Most congregations have their own gathering places, which are a combination of a theatre, music hall and bar called Gekijō. The smallest units are more like bars (Sakaba) or silent retreats (An), where people can meet up with (potential) Soul Keepers. Since performing arts are important in Sokokan society, almost all of these facilities will have some sort of stage. Bars without a connection to a congregation are called Ikaza, so that a visitor will know what to expect.
The larger congregations have their own theatres, where there will be performances at least once a day, often accompanied by the opportunity to meet individual Soul Keepers afterwards. Guso has embraced the possibilities of modern society and most congregations will have their own entertainment programs on radio or TV, while the largest even have their own dedicated channels or networks. As such, modern media has added a way of outward information, which supports the live events that still are central.
It is quite common that congregation members visit facilities of other denominations. Even Soul Keepers attend performances at rivalling congregations, out of curiosity but also as a way to openly compete with each other.
Culture
Guso creates cross relations within Sokokan society, since the choice for a Soul Keeper and this congregation is of an individual nature. It is therefore common that within the same family or clan, people are members of different branches of Guso.
Sokoku's emphasis on quality of life can be traced back to Guso as well. The efficiency that is engraved in the economical system and as such society has an opposing side in the form of quality of life. Enjoying life, family life and cultural expressions is generally seen as a reward for efficiency, it literally creates time for recreative and leisure activities. About half the performing arts in Sokoku is somehow related to religion, especially the Guso religion where Soul Keeper performers are used to build and maintain the relation between congregation members and their ancestors.