Re: Conreligion

On Thu, 5 Nov 1998 22:49:09 +1100 Simon Kissane <jilba@...>
writes:

>As for putting it into a conculture, I never thought of it, but now
>you mention it it's prob. a good idea.
>
>On a similar topic, how many people have developed conreligions to go
>with their conlangs?
I have.
The Rokbeigalm's theology can pretty much be summed up in a few
sentences:

1. The world (ilmal-a) was created by a single transcendent, indivisible,
unopposed, omnipotent, omniscient and incorporeal Creator (yeishedh),
whose essence cannot be truly described.  (like in Judaism).  The Creator
has no real name, but is instead referred to by a number of descriptions
(also like Judaism), the most common of which is Khada-a oolu-Kabak
Dwim-a Sudglendm-a, "the One who Founded the Great Waters" - or just
Kabakh-a, "the Founder", for short.
2. Apart from the Creator, there are an uncounted number of Ailzm,
"Powers", of various strengths and types - everything from
not-really-more-powerful-than-people shapeshifter Beijabar (_beijambadm_
in Rokbeigalmki) to nature-spirits to the Valar.  But ailzm cannot go
against the will of the Creator.  (the abundance of ailzm is somewhat
similar to Shinto beliefs).

Those are the most important concepts....since the Rokbeigalm live in
Tolkien's Middle Earth, Kabakh-a is the same as Iluvatar (as well as
being the same conceptually as the Jewish God).  Since the Rokbeigalm
don't worship ailzm, they would never worship the Valar or Sauron, etc.,
the way many humans (and the other races, sorta) do throughout the
various books.

As i mentioned in the numerology post, they have 5 life-elements, each of
which is related to a life-cycle experience:
aurez (wood) - being born
zek (fire) - puberty
reiyug (blood) - marriage
dwi (water) - giving birth / begetting
amal (earth) - death

Each life-cycle ceremony involves all five elements, with it's designated
element playing a more prominent role.  For instance, in the Rokbeigalmki
marriage (blood) ceremony, the bride and groom do a sort of "blood
brothers" kind of thing....they each make a small cut in one hand, and
then hold their slightly bleeding hands together so that their blood
mingles.  In the death-funeral ceremony, the only one which i've figured
out in detail, the most important part is the sprinkling of soil over the
corpse - they believe that without at least this, the soul of the
deceased can't leave the world and go down to Shail, the Underworld.

I've also figured out a holiday, _dzu''fa''ri_, which stands for
^dzuwaurg^dafal^ri.hlao^semoz-a - "the festival of the widening of the
circle of the sun".  It's the New Year's day, which is the day after the
winter solstice (they live(d) in the Southern Hemisphere, btw).

In the Rokbeigalmki calendar, today happens to be the 17th of Meiyabat,
the 6th month.


-Stephen (Steg)

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