Re: Conreligion

Simon Kissane wrote:

>On a similar topic, how many people have developed conreligions to go
>with their conlangs?
The Vogu language actually originated in a conreligion, as a way to
generate consistent religious terminology.  According to the Kadane,
who speak Vogu, the world was created by the Good God, who turned
over adminstration of Creation to Adur (Fire) and Ngamilya (Chaos).
These two fought over primacy.  Adur (the good guy) eventually won,
but not until the original perfection of the Earth had been marred.
The cosmic struggle still continues on a less overt scale, and humans
can aid or hinder the cause of arta (righteousness, balance or
harmony).  Those who aid Adur get to live in Kachva kaslathap (Paradise)
after they die.

The Kadane are enthusiastically polytheistic.  Their most recent
catalog lists over 3000 gods and goddesses (pol).  Gods come in
three varieties: Sky and Earth gods (mostly representing elemental,
abstract or moral qualities), and Mountain Gods, who were originally
mortals.  These Mountain Gods are human beings who distinguished
themselves in some way in this life and have been deified by their
followers after death (by having their bones interred at Wawatranu,
or Mountain Temple).  The most important of these gods is Prabaset,
the legendary Emperor of the Kadane, exemplar of the perfect
person and leader of the human forces for good.

Kadane religion is primarily cultic; creed and theology came long after
ritual.  The main way that a virtuous Kadane aids in the struggle for
arta of Adur and Prabaset is by correct observance of the rituals (but
in recent centuries, it has become clear that ritual purity must include
moral purity, so it has an ethical component, as well.)

You can read more about it at my website.

-- Terry

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/2711/kadrel.html