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The Way

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Kingsperson:

The Way of the Steppe
The Way of the Steppe originated a thousand years ago, long before Urkhun the Khuzait rallied the tribes to conquer and settle in the eastern imperial provinces, now under the rule of Sanjar Khan, the spiritual decadence is apparent to those still inhabiting the Great Grass Sea.

The nomadic tribes beliefs have been sustained by shamans for hundreds of years, it is more than just a religious outlet, but a way to live. The Way of the Steppe is based on personal relationship with the gods and spirits and personal experiences, which cannot be fixiated in writings; thus there can be no prophets, dogmas, holy scriptures or any articles of faith, hence attaining religious tolerance towards other beliefs and faiths.
The Primordial Beings
The pantheon of deities diverge in many levels of divinities.The Primordial Beings, the Earthly Spirits and the Ancestors. The Primordial Beings are responsible for the sustenance of all existence, Gazar the mother earth, Urgumal the goddess of the celestial world and Tamag the ruler of the underworld.

Gazar is the primary deity worshiped by the inhabitants of the steppe, it is viewed as the main figure of all other deities, the creator of earth and the mother who gave birth to the spirits.

The Celestial world is the dominion of Urgamal, it resembles many similarities to earth but as undefiled by humans, the nature here is untouched and the humans preserve pure souls, on some days, the doors of this heavenly world are opened and the light shines through the clouds. During this moment, the prayers of the shamans are most influential.

The inhabitants of the underworld resemble humans, but have only one soul instead of two, they are also pale and their blood is dark as the sun and the moon of the underworld give far less light. Tamag reigns over the underworld and the souls within, some of which are waiting to be reborn again, while extremely evil souls are extinguished forever. If a sick human is not dead yet, a shaman can move to the underworld to negotiate with Tamag to bring the person back to life.
The Earthly Spirits
Within the pantheon of deities come the earthly spirits, the first inhabitants of earth, manifested by Gazar the timeless. These spirits in turn diverge into levels of significance, for all things there is a spirit, the most prominent being, Lus, Savdag and Od, the water, earth and fire spirits respectively.

These deities are called upon and worshipped by their respective shamans for protection and good fortune. The spirits can be invoked from the astral world by performing rituals which usually involve sacrifices, singing and dancing.

Powerful spirits may communicate with humans without any intervention, a calling from the spirits is a rare event and is revered by the steppe people. While some spirits serve a particular function, such as Bayatur and Mori, the protectors of heroes and horses, most spirits are but inhabitants, attached to the primordial beings, some choose to attach themselves to totemic items such as rocks or amulets, gifting the owner special properties and capabilities.
The Ancestors
Those who have lived a balanced life with pure souls, ascend to the celestial world where they achieve absolute divinity, thus becoming a spirit able to influence the physical world, therefore ancestral veneration was practiced.

Similar to how the primordial beings and spirits are divided into a multitude of categories, benevolent and terrifying, eastern and weastern, white and dark, the ancestors are also categorized based on how they lived.

The Lords, were the souls of tribal leaders to whom any member of the tribe could appeal to for physical or spiritual help. The Protectors, who were the souls of great shamans and shamanesses and lastly The Guardians, who are made up of the souls of smaller shamans and shamanesses. The protectors and the guardians are often invoked for soul and flesh mending, usually by healers and physicians.
Shamans
Shamans, messengers of those gone by, mediums between the worlds, intermediaries between life and death.

Young children are chosen by their ancestors to ascend to shamanhood, it is considered an honor to be chosen as a shaman for one’s tribe, as their duty is more than intermediates between spirits and deities, but they are also healers and men or women of great importance in the hierarchy of the tribe.

During shamanic rituals, horse milk is usually thrown in the air as offering, other rituals include reciting hymns while banging drums or playing the mouth harp, fire also plays a major part in rituals as it draws the ancestral spirits. To enter a trance the shamans must usually dance and sing, the trance would allow them to communicate with the spirits or visit other worlds.

Many shamans have expert knowledge of medicinal plants native to their area as herbal treatments are often prescribed. In many places shamans learn directly from the plants, harnessing their effects and healing properties, after obtaining permission from the appropriate deity. They recite hymns and shamanic songs to evoke spirits that could help mend the body and soul.
The Afterlife & Funerary Practices
The steppe peoples believe that after death they will live in another world depending on how their lives were lived. The celestial (heavenly) world for those who were upright or the underworld for those who were wicked.

Therefore it is necessary to take one’s belongings with one into the next world, that includes their yurt in which they lived to make their abode, a mare to provide milk and that they may be able to increase their horses and lastly their weapons and armor, for it was described that there is “fierce fighting” in the other world, same as the present one.

Human sacrifices were mainly male and female slaves and servants, and sometimes concubines, this practice was reserved to men of great importance, such as chieftains and khans, so that they may continue and grow their flock in the after life. Such men were usually buried in great mounds.

Lesser men were sometimes left atop high mountains or hills to be consumed by the wildlife, a way to honor the earthly spirits and the mother, Gazar. On other occasions, they were buried in the ground before grass was put over them, so that no one may be able to discover the spot; After the place is covered, horses are driven over it so that no trace of it remains.
Ethnology
Ethos of the steppe people is interpreted in honorable actions, respecting nature and self sacrifice; those traits amongst others are the virtues which are greatly revered by the tribes of the steppe. There is no god of war or spirits that advocate destruction and conquest, but the shamans emphasize on the importance of a high-minded principle.

War is lawless as anywhere else in the continent, even though no sets of laws regarding war exist, traditions do entail the prohibition of raping the women of a defeated tribe, killing children shorter than a wagon’s wheel or polluting a water source. Failing to do so would anger the spirits and ancestors alike.

Marriage is considered a great event to the people of the steppe, those who still clench to the nomadic lifestyle hold such event in high regard, a shaman is necessary to unite the two people, more often than not to secure alliances and impose peace between to warring tribes. Amongst the gifts given to the newly-weds are a mare for the woman and yurt for the man.
Prayer
The steppe peoples worship deities, spirits and ancestors so their souls may forever remain pure and prosperous as the flames of fire. Worship is usually done around fires or altars or ovoo, each with its own unique set of traditions, however different tribes may carry out things differently.

During worship around bonfires, the shamans would observe the flames for signs to help them interpret omens, all the while songs are being sung:

We pray by proffering grease
To the noble spirit of fire
Flaming as a cloud;
Feeding the ground with its warmth
May a good omen prevail the world over!

Ovoo worship usually includes more festivities and decorations, offerings are made including horse milk and boiled mutton, After the ceremony is finished attendants come down to the foot of the mountain and attend a small event, including horse racing, wrestling and archery, with the accompaniment of singing and reciting of hymns and songs. In such a manner the mountain and the water spirits are pleased.


Created by Jones.

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