Scildism
 | This article is part of Project Basis. |
| Scildism | |
|---|---|
 The Hand of Sluj, one of the most prominent symbols of Scildism, particularly used in Qym | |
| Classification | Meranian |
| Theology | Misotheism |
| Region | Meran |
| Language | Ottelian |
| Founder | Sluj (according to tradition) |
| Origin | 13th century BCE TBD |
| Number of followers | TBD (Scildists) |
Scildism (IPA: /ʃi͜yldɪzᵊm/; Ottelian: 𐐟𐐷𐐮𐑊𐐼𐐪𐐻, Shjyldũt; Qymish: Ⱋⱜⰺⰾⱍⰰⱄ, Shjylchas) is a misotheistic syncretist Meranian religion and philosophy. It has no imposed dogma and no uniformly organized clerical institution. Scildism has its roots in the ancient polytheistic religions of Meran, particularly Byrakan and Ottelian traditions.
The core belief of Scildists is that gods exist, whether they are many or one, and are evil, which consequently makes them enemies of humanity. In their eyes, it is humanity's duty to protect itself against the gods and their agents among humans. This protection takes the form of human cooperation and ingenuity in the face of disasters, diseases, and inhumane behaviors. The majority of Scildists believe that Sluj was the first hero of humanity who recognized the evilness of the gods, although that view is disputed.
Scildism is currently the fourth most practiced religion on Basis after Sunneism, Ānism and Manigism. It is the most practiced religion in the continent of Meran.
Philosophy and beliefs
Evil gods
Scildists believe gods are evil and are the enemies of humanity. While they recognize the capacity of gods to do good, they assert they only do good from time to time in order to trick humans into lowering their guard and worship them, to ensure their own existence. They also believe gods are only powerful so long as they are being worshiped by humans, meaning that humans are the source of their alleged divine power. Consequently, Scildists view gods as being able to metaphorically "die" or "become powerless" if no one worships them, citing the "death" or disappearance of many ancient gods of the Byrakans and Ottelians as proof of this belief. Scildist philosophers have also put forth the idea that many more unknown gods may exist beyond those known to or created by humans, but their impact on the human world is null due to them being unknown and not worshipped by humans.
Humanity and the Golden Rule
Humanity is the most important element of faith in Scildism. Like most other religions in existence, Scildist morality is based on the Golden Rule to "not do to others what you would not want them to do to you", which to them is entirely based on human-to-human interaction and does not require the involvement of gods to be applied. To Scildists, the gods disrupt this natural human-to-human interaction by introducing a third party that supplants one's moral responsibility, consequently justifying inhumane behavior and decision-making in a god's name, depriving a human of their own sense of self-responsibility. Religious fanaticism is thus deemed incompatible with Scildism, and has often been used as a rationale for the use of violence against other religious groups in the so-called "defense of humanity". In practice, polytheist and monotheist groups have often been the victims of dehumanization campaigns by certain violent Scildists groups who persecuted them, as was the case most recently in the Austral War by the Qymish Armed Forces. Similarly, Scildists throughout Basis have been victims of demonization since the beginnings of the religion.
Scildists are divided on the question of the use of violence in the defense of humanity. The current of Pacific Scildism considers nonviolence as the most humane approach, while Militant Scildism considers violence as a humane response that respects the Golden Rule as a matter of reciprocal reaction or justice.
Apotheosis, divinization and deification
A central tenet of Scildism is apotheosis, divinization or deification of folk heroes, but particularly its Corens, who are seen as role models for humanity. While the term deification is used, these folk heroes are never regarded as deities or equivalent to gods, but rather as exalted humans, in a form of idolatry. Comparative religion classifies this idolatry of folk heroes as deification due to the similar veneration of gods in other polytheist religions. In traditional Scildist practice, the Corens are similar to a pantheon of gods, with particular regions or countries venerating certain heroes. As an example, Sluj in Qym is venerated at a level comparable to Pum of Walambi in Ānism.
The House of Zhifol, the ruling royal dynasty of Qym, is often regarded by historians as having been deified as a whole, with many of its rulers regarded as national heroes, blending elements of personality and imperial cult.
Scripture
No scripture has universal consensus in Scildism, with some texts having significant importance in particular regions, while others are virtually unknown in the rest of Basis. The King who defied the Gods by Mylas is largely regarded as the most important scripture in Meran, particularly Northern Meran, and tells the story of Sluj, who is often considered to be the first hero of Scildism. As a fully decentralized religion based on the veneration of humanity, local legends and folk tales are often synonymous with Scildist scripture, since real and mythological historical figures are often venerated by Scildists. In the case of the Corens, their existence have all been proven by historians and anthropologists, and their epics compiled in the Chronicle of the Corens, making them – and their associated scripture – the closed thing to a consensus, although not every Scildist necessarily venerates them or believes their tales.
The reason for the lack of universal consensus regarding Scildist epics is often attributed to the addition of supernatural and other implausible elements to a folk hero's tale. Many Scildist scholars believe fantasist embellishments are no different from theistic fraudulence and should consequently be ignored, as otherwise they would result in the veneration of fraudulent figures. According to the Ottelian scholar Lumi Sẽtõ, who lived during the 3rd century BCE, mythological heroes should only be venerated if their deeds are "humanly possible" and "true", even when dealing with the gods or anything supernatural. As such, Sẽtõ notably rejected the Ottelian Epic of Ramol due to Ramol's alleged achievement of killing an entire Byrakan army by himself in a single day, even though Ramol had been venerated by some Ottelian Scildists during his time.
In Antiquity, the heroic debates were common place where scholars and philosophers would argue against or in favor of certain mythological or contemporary heroes to venerate. This is mainly due to the syncretistic nature of Scildism as it blends elements from various cultures and mythologies, leading to disagreements but also common ground on the Corens. The passing of time eventually led to the disappearance of certain heroes from Scildist veneration, while those that endured were regarded as canon. In the end, the veneration of a particular hero remains a personal choice and a Scildist could therefore only believe in one hero's scripture, or multiple, and from their own culture or not.
Practices
Scildist practices are not universal and vary from one continent to another due to different syncretistic influences. In Meran, where Scildism originates, most traditions are the same with only slight regional variances. These Meranian Scildist practices are often considered to be the norm, despite other Scildist practices existing elsewhere on Basis. With the advent of modern media and the influence of Qymish culture in Meran and globally, many Qymish practices have become "universal", such as the Festival of the Dead.
Pilgrimages
Scildism has a strong tradition of pilgrimages to sites associated with the heroes of humanity.
The Cave of Sluj in Prasty, County of Prasty, Qym, is a major site of pilgrimage to honor the Byrakan hero Sluj.
Marriage
Marriage is generally regarded as a sacred act of humanism to Scildists, representing the basic union of two souls with the intent to procreate. The purpose of the marriage is thus to fulfill a social commitment to humanity and reproduce to spread human knowledge through time and space. A Scildist marriage is primarily a civil union where divorce is not only tolerated but also encouraged if the spouses have discord.
Since a Scildist marriage is linked with reproduction, same-sex marriage has historically been regarded by Scildists as incompatible with marriage. However, views on the matter differ widely, as some Scildist communities in Daroch accept same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption, as well as polygamy due to the influence of Manigism. Surrogacy is, however, prohibited by most Scildist jurisdictions, notably Qym.
Funeral
In Meran, a Scildist funeral typically comprises two burials. During the initial burial of the body in a burial chamber, the body is left to decompose for about a year to obtain a bare skeleton. During the secondary burial, the deceased's family gathers the bones, which are then piled up in bulk before being stacked in ossuaries. Once an ossuary is full, the bones are transferred to a common grave during a second funeral service to which the entire local community is invited.
Scildist ossuaries are often decorated with the bones of deceased people, making them museums of the dead. Due to lack of space, larger cities usually have catacombs, which are underground ossuaries. Catacombs, although most notable as underground passageways and ossuaries, also house many decorations and sculptures dedicated to the dead. The Catacombs of Zhifol, beneath the Palace of Zhifol, are particularly famous for being the resting place of all the members of the House of Zhifol, the ruling royal family of Qym. Other famous Scildist catacombs include the Catacombs of Zhol, by far the largest, and also the Catacombs of Teurek for its unique decorative ornaments.
During the Festival of the Dead, Scildists perform an evening communal procession to the local ossuary with candles and various skull-related iconography, from makeup, masks or baked goods shaped like skulls. This festival honors all the deceased and a person's ancestors, making it one of the most important in Scildism. Specific regional varieties regarding this festival are found throughout Basis, but it is generally considered a continuation of funeral practices and a way to respect the deceased long after their death.
History
Demographics
Main branches
Militant Scildism
Militant Scildism is the largest branch or current in Scildism. Militant Scildists believe that the use of violence against other humans is justifiable. Most polls estimate around 80% to 90% of Scildists are militant, based on people's views regarding violence, while the vast majority self-identify as solely Scildist, without any extra epithet.
Pacific Scildism
Pacific Scildism is the second-largest Scildist branch or current. Pacific Scildists believe that the use of violence against other humans is never justifiable. Most polls estimate around 5% to 15% of Scildists are pacifist.
Other branches
- Fantasist Scildism (pejoratively) or Creative Scildism (self-titled) is a branch of Scildism that recognizes all and any fantasist embellishments in folk heroes' tales to be valid.
- Atheist Scildism is a branch of Scildism that denies the existence of gods or anything supernatural.
Persecution
Scildists are one of the most persecuted religious groups on Basis, particularly outside of Meran where they are a minority. U/C
Criticism
Criticism of Scildism goes back to the beginnings of the religion in Byrak and Ottelia, where it was initially seen as an insult to the gods and local polytheistic faiths. U/C