Alouism

From #BlkDragon*Inn
Jump to navigation Jump to search
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

Alouism is a monotheistic religion which has its roots among the Teldanari and is heavily present in offshoot populations of the Teldanari, including the Etenari and the West Teldanari. It centers on honoring of the deity Alou and its compassion, but also emphasizes personal growth and striving towards excellence.

Sacred text

The Teldanari have never written down the sacred text, instead preferring to pass it by mouth to their children as they grow. This task is usually delegated to the Teldanari Nisaad, the religious leaders.

Some communities, including the Etenari, have turned the story of Alou into a song. This song is sung at different times of the day, and is long enough to be broken into parts for specific contemplations. The Etenari Nisaad (priests among the Etenari) often add new stanzas which are then widely circulated. If they are not taken up popularly, it is assumed that they were not touched (made perfect) by Alou, and they are thus abandoned.

Creation story

Before

There was sand in the beginning, and sand was all that was. And the sand took the form of a body with no face, and this was Alou, made from everything and all that was. And Alou created water, and mixed it with the sand and the blood of Alou, and bade it breathe, and it did. And this was Man, the one creative action of Alou, who does not create any longer, but maintains.

Primal Man creates all that is

And Man acted after the actions of Alou, gathering sand and blood and creating a great many things. Alou, fond of its creation and amused by the game, perfected these creations of Man. And they were animals. And Alou, after the pleading of Man, perfected the waters and lakes and plants, and laid these across the great expanse of sands. And this was the world. “Now”, said Alou, “We are finished.” And man pleaded to be part of its creation, so enamored of this thing. And Alou, understanding wholeism to be the essence of all that is, consented. But Alou forbade man to create any further, for the work was complete, and things created by the hands of man and not made good by Alou are poisonous and destructive.

Perfection of Creation, and Failure of Creation

And it was good for a time, and Man was happy. But soon it missed the act of creation. Taking up the wheel of Alou, Man spun a great many things- Sickness, cold, hunger, sexes, pride, jealousy, age And tried to make these things beautiful as Alou had. But being created by the hands of man and not perfected by Alou, these things ran rampant on the world, and destroyed many of the beautiful things that Alou had wrought. They changed the nature of Man, corrupting it- and Man became men and women and sages and crones and boys and girls, and divided into many separate kinds. And they changed the nature of all that existed, creating children and adults and elderly even in plants and animals. Alou, seeing that mankind was flawed beyond repair, decided to remove this chaotic element from the work and repair all else. Alou reigned in the new creations of Man, but did not destroy them, for it planned great and new things for these elements in other worlds.

The Hunting of Man by Alou and the Revelation of Perfection

And then Alou hunted man. Man took up the veil, pretending to be dust, to hide from the hands of Alou, that Man might survive the punishment. And Alou killed almost all men. Man was not a race anymore, but a dozen. And then a pair. And Alou came to the last man, raising a hand to erase it from existence- but it saw that in the hand of this man was something beautiful and perfect indeed. Alou saw love there in the hands of the child Man, pure and unadulterated- and Alou knew that at least one kind of Man was not flawed beyond repair.

Creation of the World As It Is

And Alou, understanding wholeism to be the essence of all that is, wrought many more of Man, decreeing that all the kinds were one kind, and that the changing kinds of man and beast and plant would persist, for at least one kind of them was capable of perfection And there were seasons to all that was, so that creation turns on itself like the dunes in the wind. And Alou, understanding wholeism to be the essence of all that is, left the creations of man in the world. And it was good.

Alouism in Practice

Alouist people wear long veils to cover their entire bodies. Men and women do this generally starting at round 13 years of age. They do this to remind themselves of the power and mercy of Alou.

Etenari people have certain dietary restrictions which are religiously based, as well. No Etenari person will eat eggs or young animals. Breads among the Etenari are bound with chia instead, and Etenari people eat only the flesh of adult animals. This is because children were the ones proven to be closest to Perfection, and out of deference to this, the Etenari refrain from destroying children of any kind.