Entry #344720, added on 05-02-05 @ 9:40 am EDT
Entry Access Restriction: None.
| Religion Of The Apsiu | Entry #344720 |
Seeing as this essay takes off a bit from the previous ("Timeline Of Ameni Chronicles Events"), I thought I'd post it next. This concerns the concept of religion, and various religious ideas, among the Apsiu.
Seeing as the Apsiu were directly created on orders of the god Set, they owe a strong allegiance to him, especially earlier in my Kemet timeline, when they still served him directly. Set is the only being without wings who they do NOT consider "Moru," or inferior (sentient creatures who cannot fly, including humans and other Apsiu, are considered inferior by the Apsiu). This having been said...Set does not appear to have actually been WORSHIPPED by the earliest Apsiu, who instead serve him more like a king. This is likely because Set created them to be his subjects and not his devotees; he was thinking an army, not a cult. So while he was accorded great respect by the Apsiu, they do not normally refer to him by any religious titles in my writing; titles such as "Lord-King" are much more common. Another possible reason for this lack of worship is the fact that the earliest Apsiu lived in the immediate vicinity of their creator, and witnessed him carrying out his daily duties as any regular king would, and so they referred to him as such. Even after Set retreated to Celestial Kemet and the Apsiu were left behind in Kemet, this idea of him lived on, though it did shift over time, and Set came to be hailed more as their creator and patron than as a deity to be feared.
Perhaps in early Apsiu culture, once Set was absent, he might have garnered a cult following, but this following, if it existed, is limited to solitary priests by the time TAC takes place. These priests, unlike before, refer to Set as the god he is and honor him with rituals and ceremonies indicating this. A "festival" dedicated to Set, which takes place at the appearance of a particular comet in the sky, has also been instituted, though the great majority of Apsiu see this merely as an excuse to go out and get wasted. Similar to the Festival of Bastet. ;) By the time of TAC, there is barely any religious ritual left, if there was ever any to begin with. Set is seen as more symbolic than anything, and many Apsiu even doubt his actual existence.
Regarding the rest of the Paut Neteru (company of the gods, or pantheon), the Apsiu are even more skeptical; individual belief in particular gods varies, as some Apsiu believe more strongly than others for various reasons, yet there is no organized religious system, and no dogma. The great majority of Apsiu are agnostic or even atheist, either doubting the gods or not believing in them at all. Most Apsiu, on the other hand, ARE vaguely superstitious of what are perceived to be supernatural events, and even skeptical Apsiu, when in the presence of tribal priests, tend to show deference. Rather than indicating any specific beliefs in anything, this is more a reflection of a "Just in case" attitude prevalent among the Apsiu--it is best to show respect when in the presence of something holy, just in case that something holy actually exists. Any Apsiu who show much stronger signs of religious or spiritual belief, on the other hand, are regarded as superstitious by their fellows, and are even scoffed at. Apsiu engaging in this scoffing do not see anything hypocritical in their behavior since a SLIGHT amount of superstition, or else the "right kind" of superstition, is considered prudent and normal, whereas anything more than that is considered silly.
Most of the gods at the time of TAC exist only in their symbolic form; e. g., Maat is seen as the embodiment of truth, and Apsiu regularly "swear on Maat" or "speak maat." Scribes may offer invocations to Thoth, god of writing, and various other gods may be referenced in the course of an Apsiu's work. Again, this reflects either a culturally ingrained symbolism (see how the blindfolded Justice, carrying the scales, is still referenced in American society even though few people actually believe in her as a goddess), or else a "just in case" attitude toward supernatural things.
I haven't fully explored the idea yet, but just as there are solitary priests dedicated to Set, and the festival of Set at the appearance of the comet, there may also, in various tribes, be other such priests and festivals dedicated to other gods. There MAY be tribes wherein the Apsiu FULLY believe in the gods or in particular gods, and devote themselves to rituals concerning them--but this essay is about the MAJORITY of Apsiu tribes as I've already developed them. One example in the works is a potential "sea tribe," which may show what most Apsiu would consider a highly superstitious attitude toward the sea and its powers.
Oddly enough, superstitions regarding such things as ghosts and curses are much more common and more widely accepted by the Apsiu. The Apsiu do not share the Kemeti belief in the various parts of the body (the ba, the ka, the akh, etc.), and do not believe that mummification or the preservation of the corpse is necessary after death; they do, however, believe in the general concept of a ghost or spirit/soul, and most have a vague idea of an afterlife, similar to the Kemeti idea but not nearly as detailed. They do not seem to believe in the whole "judgement of the dead" and weighing of the heart that the Kemeti believe in, though this is just speculation. Their idea seems to be more that once you die, you die, and you are either rewarded for what you did in life, or punished. Restless spirits which for whatever reason do not make it to the underworld become wandering ghosts. Not all Apsiu believe in the concept of ghosts, but some do, and this belief is not regarded with QUITE as much skepticism as beliefs concerning gods are. To put it shortly: The Apsiu are highly superstitious in some areas, and highly skeptical in others, and see no conflict at all between these two extremes.
The Free Apsiu are more religious and spiritually inclined than their tribal fellows, simply because their contact with Kemeti has been more extensive, and their minds are more open to what are not considered traditional ideas. The Free Apsiu always live in a state of flux, combatting both humans and other Apsiu and frequently moving in order to avoid conflict, and perhaps their stronger reliance on divine agencies is more necessary. Because of their scattered settlements they do not possess an organized priesthood but solitary priests are much more respected than are those of the tribal (traditional) Apsiu.
|
© Copyright 2005 Tehuti, Lord Of The Eight (UN: tehuti_88 at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Tehuti, Lord Of The Eight has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
|
Content Rating Notice: Recommended for Readers 18 Years and Older Only
Static Items
Books
Forums
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
