Re: Constructed Religions

On Fri, 1 Jan 1999, Andrew Smith wrote:

> Some years ago I decided to start on a thoroughly worked constructed
> religion for a world that I was designing.  I am still working on it but
> it has taken a life of its own.
>
> I decided I wanted to start from religious texts because it seemed to me
> that few con religions start from that point - conreligion from below
> rather than above, if you like.
Gosh!  I didn't think _anyone_ else did this sort of thing.  One project I
started some dozen or so years ago, the writing out of a few religious
texts from an odd sort of Christianity found in a Certain World, has
eventually evolved into the "Book of the Holyman".  It's a collection of
various noncanonical Christian texts (either old or written by me) that
started out as the basis for the conreligion for a Germanic speaking folk
who settled along the coastlands and took up trade and piracy.  [The
various gods were variously identified with angels, saints or God.  (God
was never given a name in this system, so you could pick your favorite!) I
don't know now what happened to it, but I had made a little icon of Our
Lady of the Vengfull Seas, whom could be placated by various rituals and
sacrifices.  The religion itself was divided into several layers,
depending upon how involved any individual wished to be: there is a level
open to all, several layers for those who wish to study more deeply but
not enter priesthood, then several layers of priesthood.  I never worked
out any of the rites involved for any of these groups, though.] There are
34 books in all (the Book of the Teacher, the Didache, the Book of St.
Judas, the Gospel of Philip, the Book of the Weapontake, the Gospel of
Gnato of Taracona, etc.) detailing the works and philosophies of a
particular wandering disciple, known only as The Teacher, and various
other Christian (and some not-so-Christian) stuff.  I ought to try and
find the missal that went with it...I remember there was a long Mass and a
short Mass and a couple of other tidbits.  Perhaps I'll make up a combined
book of the two.  Oo, another project!

Padraic.

PS, Andrew:

Have you translated any of the Stowe Missal into Brithenig yet?  I seem to
recall that was at one time a possibile project.

> - andrew.