Lost Isles- Religion of the Naktul of K'tumal


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	Religion of the Naktul of K'tumal . .

	Creation Myth Now it moves, sighs, condenses, hums, whispers, and it is all blank and empty under the sky. There is not yet one Naktul, one serpent, one macaw, one shark, one jaguar, one snail, one tree, one rock, one plain, one cave, or one desert. Only the sky is there. The breadth of the earth is clean. The sea is drawn up under all of the sky, and there is nothing put together in things and oddments. Not a single thing is out of rest. Only the sea is there. Only the pool is there. Only the water alone is there. Only the Creator, Shaper alone, Sinuous Feathered Serpent, is in the water, a beautiful light. Covered in macaw feathers, in green and red. Thus the name, “Feathered Serpent.” And of course there is the sun, and there is also the Heart of Sun. This is the name of the god, as it is spoken. And then came his word. He came to the Feathered Serpent, the King, in the dark, in the time before light. He spoke with the Feathered Serpent, and they had great worry. They had agreement between them, and it was clear. Then Naktul was clear, when they conceived of growth, of generation, of life. “How should the sowing be, and the dawning? Who is to be the provider, who is to be the nurturer?” asked Heart of Sun. “This water should be taken back, emptied out for the formation of the world. Then should come the drawing out of the world, and the dawning in the sky. But there will be no bright days, and no heat or warmth, until the rise of the Naktul,” said Feathered Serpent. And then Oheia rose because of them; it was their word alone that brought it forth. They said “World.” It came up all at once, like a cloud unfolding. Then the islands were separated from the water, and all at once the great islands came forth. And the Heart of Sun and the Feathered Serpent were pleased with this. “It was good that you came, Heart of Sun. Our work will turn out well,” said Feathered Serpent. And the world was formed first, the island world. The passages of water were separated, their flows wound their ways among the islands. Such was the formation of the world when it was brought forth by Heart of Sun and the Feathered Serpent King. The sky was set apart, and the world was set apart in the middle of the waters. Such was their plan when they thought, when they worried about the keeping of their work. The Myth of the Feathered Serpent I am Serpent Strongtooth. I am Penak and I am telling you this. This is how magic came to the people. The Naktul have always been. Always we have hunted the land of the low grasses. Always we have made our home where the peak-crests stand and the mountains spit fire. This is truth. Always have we been, but not always as we are now. Not always were we so strong. When the trees of the wood were young, and the stone of the cliffs was rough, the people were weak. The people were mewling children. They cried. They left the land a disorderly jumble. They were not strong. The people were dependent on the Penak. He led them to food, and he led them to shelter, and he cared for them. But like children, the people did not realize that the Sun God had other things to do besides care for them. They demanded his time and attention, and did not wish to do anything for themselves. Though the Sun God's patience was infinite, and he loved the people, he was worried for them. If they did not learn to care for themselves, they would perish in the land where the wind blows and the jaguar prowls. They would be as children forever, and not as the strong good people that he wanted them to be. So the Sun God devised a plan, and with hope in his heart for their success, and fear in his heart for their failure, he let loose the Feathered Serpent upon the land. The Feathered Serpent was mighty and terrible. It had the gleam of fire in its eyes, and the strength of stone in its teeth, and the rush of wind in its breath, and behind it left trails of burnt ground. The Feathered Serpent had all that the Sun God was in it, but was not tempered with his love. Because it did not have his love, it was not respectful of the people, and of the creatures of the world. It hurt the land, leaving swaths of fire behind it. It raked at the cliffs with its feet and tail, and burnt the grass with its windy breath. The people were very scared, and were very hungry, for the Feathered Serpent had chased all their game away, and the Sun God did not answer their cries for help. Surely, we are cast aside, they called out. Surely, he who has protected us does not love us anymore. A young man came forth from the people. He was barely a hunter, for his chest was bare and his cheeks soft with youth. But this young man was brave. He took his spear in his hand, and vowed that he would make the Feathered Serpent stop its destruction. He would hunt the beast, and bring back proof of its death to his tribe. The people laughed at him. “You will be lost on the land, the grass will confuse you and the Sun God will not save you,” they said to him. But he would not be swayed. The young man took his spear in hand, and ventured out, strong of will like the hunters of the people are now. Season after season the young man walked. He wandered the land, searching for the Feathered Serpent. But all he could find was signs of its passage; he could not find the beast itself. Season after season he continued his hunt, though the wind was cold, and his home was far away. The trail of the beast curled around itself many times, and he was challenged in his tracking skills. But he would not be turned aside. The young man followed the trail, even as it led into a dark and deep wood. The trees of this wood were not like the trees of the people’s land. They were tall, and black, and the young man felt that surely if any place was bereft of the Sun God's love, it was the forest place. After walking three days’ time into the black wood, the young man came to the home of the beast. Walking day and night, spear in hand, he had tracked it to the place where it went to sleep. The young man did not pause for reflection as he walked into the lair of the Feathered Serpent. He did not pause to ask the Sun God for guidance, or to debate over his decision. The young man came into the heart of the dark wood, and faced the beast. It was more beautiful than he remembered. It was long and sleek, and a twinge was in the young man's heart that such a beautiful beast could be so destructive. But if the people were to survive, the Feathered Serpent had to be tempered. Spear against tooth and claw, the young man and the beast fought their combat. The fighting was long and hard. Both hunters became exhausted from the battle. But they fought on and on. They fought until the strength was gone from their bodies, and the breath gone from their mouths. The young man and the beast realized that they could never truly defeat each other. They were an equal match. Tired and resigned, the young man turned around and began his trek home. Though his spirit soared, because he was as strong a hunter as the strongest of beasts, his heart was heavy. The Feathered Serpent might not trouble the people anymore, but they were still without strength. The people of the Naktul clans would not understand the lesson that the young man had learned, self-reliance. Suddenly the wind whipped itself in a cone of heated air around him. He was lifted into the sky, and the voice of the Sun God was in the rushing air, and in the sparkling stars, and in every part of him. “You are a strong hunter”, said the voice. “You faced down the only creature given as much of me as the people of the people. As my beast has learned temperance, you have learned power.” As the young man was dropped back onto the ground by the wind, the voice spoke one last time. “Make them see,” it said. The young man returned home, marked by the Sun God and by his encounter with his beast. He carried with him his blessing, and he carried with him the power of the beast. The young man brought magic to the people. With that magic, the people grew strong. Hunters learned the power, and the Sun God showed his children his love again. That is the story. You would listen to it, because I am Serpent Strongtooth. I am Penak.
	Death and the Afterlife The two main sites of worship are the Temple of the Shadow and the Temple of the Light in the capital of Antubal. The first, the Temple of the Shadow, is dedicated to the end of life, death and endings. The second, the Temple of the Light, is dedicated to the beginnings of life, birth and commencements. These two complexes are serviced by the most elite of the Naktul faith, and are regularly attended by court and courtiers, to the exclusion of the common people. The exception to this is during the major holy festivals. The Naktul believe that the afterlife exists in the space within the Temples of the Shadow and Light. Though the space is small in this world, it is magnified greatly in the spiritual realm, and all souls are contained within the temple complex. For this reason, it is necessary for a person’s body to be familiar with the temples, and familiar with the route to them, so that when death occurs, the spirit can fly to its new home. All Naktul undertake a pilgrimage during their lives to visit the great temples, and observe religious rites from the highest of the Naktul priests. This pilgrimage is called Ko’axca, and is a source of great ceremony in small villages and towns. Death Rites The Naktul undertake a three-step process of death rites. Each step is accompanied by a prayer vigil by the immediate family members of the deceased. If there are no immediate family members, the possessions of the deceased are sold, and the money used to pay mourners to take part in the rites. Indigent Naktul with no family are disposed of in mass burnings, with only very abbreviated funeral rites. The first rite of death is the anointment of the body. The Naktul believe that the body is merely a shell, and that the spirit must be freed from that shell to move on to the afterlife. During the first rite, the body is cleansed with water, then marked with oils and tinctures of metal. Religious symbols are painted on the chest, throat, and genitals, and the face is covered with a death mask. The fluids are said to act on the bonds of the body and spirit, separating them at the throat and genitals, where their connections are strongest. The death mask acts to block the body from seeing through its corporeal eyes, forcing it to use its spiritual senses to “see”. This rite ends when the priest can no longer “feel” the spirit in the body. The second rite of death is the fanning of the body. The Naktul believe that the spirit is taken back to childhood when first it emerges from the body, and for a time is unable to talk, move, or understand that its body is deceased. During the second rite, the body is wafted with palm fronds and smoked with incense, while around it people talk as though to an infant. The fanning and smoke are said to act as impetus to movement, forcing the spirit to cease hovering above the body and begin to move towards the afterlife. The speech of the mourners is designed to “teach” the spirit how to use its senses, and how to be adult again. This rite ends when the priest is “spoken to” by the spirit. Children automatically pass to the afterlife, and this rite is skipped for dead children. The third rite is the destruction of the body. The Naktul believe that the spirit, though it yearns for the afterlife, is weak and crippled with desire for the body. During the third rite, the body is destroyed by fire, preventing the spirit from reinhabiting the body and becoming a to’l, or golem. The body is burned because the Naktul do not believe in burial, as it allows the spirit too much time to reinhabit the body. This rite ends when the body is burned, and the ashes scattered across the local temple complex. Afterlife The afterlife, which takes place within the spiritual space of the great temples of Antubal, is a place of spiritual fulfillment and religious bliss. There the spirits interact with the deity, Penak-Naktul, and are given ultimate freedom to do as they wish. They are free of the constraints of the body, and of the bonds of their former lives, and are no longer part of the class system which is present in the living world. Deity Structure The Naktul are a monotheistic people. They have one god, Penak-Naktul. They also practice ancestor veneration, and believe that by speaking to the spirits of their family’s dead, they can convince them to put forth their living causes to the god, and gain his favor for the most chosen among his chosen people. Officially, the state denounces this practice of spirit -guidance. Religious doctrine is that the only vehicle for communication with the god is the Penak, and through praying to him, a person can attain a state of grace and communication with Penak-Naktul. The *Penak-Naktul* is the chief sun god of the Naktul. He is also the god of life and death, the comforter of the sick, the keeper of wisdom, the protector of women and children, and the god of corn and agriculture. Each aspect of his personality has a different name, though it is important to stress that these facets are not separate gods. *Penak Sula, the deity of the sun, is the bringer of light and the one true holy flame of the world. He is the chief facet of the god, and is considered his most glorious and brilliant aspect. Penak Yla, the deity of the people, is the comforter of the sick and the provider to the troubled. He is the facet of the god most often prayed to by those set upon by hard times, It is said that Penak Yla will succor all who pray to him with desperate need. Penak Tik, the deity of knowledge, is the keeper of wisdom and the provider of understanding. He is the facet of scribes, of the intelligentsia, of the literate, and students. Penak Mumal, the deity of women and children, is the feminine aspect of the god, and is the protector of hearth and home. Perversely, women pray to Penak Mumal both to grant them children, and to aid them in aborting children. Penak Brin, the deity of crops and life, is a minor facet of the god, most often prayed to by corn (brin) farmers and indentured agriculturalists. He is considered almost a common god, closer to mortal. Because of this, his worship is barely tolerated by the state, which does not share in the joy of a touchable deity. In addition, some villages have Penak shrines dedicated to the god as sacred protector of their homes and land. These folk shrines are frequently gaudy, always in use, and totally against the mandates of religion set forth by the state. Penak-Naktul represents birth, life and death, though he does so in different ways to the different castes of Naktul society. To the poor, who are mostly agrarians, he is the cycle of brin (corn-field) farming. He is the seed, from which life grows and begins. He is the shoot, growing strong under the bright light of the sun. He is the cob, stripped from the plant, providing food and sustenance. He is the broken stalk, aged and burned, replenishing the fields for the oncoming season. Penak-Naktul and brin are interlinked for the poor farming Naktul. They regard him as the planter of all things, and the one true god. To the middle classes, who are mostly traders and merchants, he is the ultimate maker of transactions. He is the raw materials that can be shaped into marketable product. He is the shop, providing a place for business and the security of a constant market. He is the gold, the currency of light that provides for all things. He is the sale, a promise that the cycle can begin again and continue constantly. The middle class see the god Penak-Naktul as interlinked with the system of currency, trade, and prosperity that keeps their families in comfort. They regard him as the merchant of all things, and the one true god. To the wealthy, who are the landowners, the religious political elite, he is the ultimate authority over all events. He is the monarch, bestowing gifts and granting favors to the devout. He is the kingdom and the country, the venue in which life occurs, and the environment that shapes all actions. He is the system, by which all men must live and in which each man has his place. He is the many riches of being a Naktul, the most beautiful and blessed race of Oheia. The upper class see the presence of Penak-Naktul every day, mirrored in their wealth, and personified in their God-King. They regard him as the ruler and the light, and the one true god. Holy Days and Religious Holidays* The chief and most important holiday of the Naktul is the period called Bala Malar, a seven-day series of rituals and sacrifices. At the end of the year, the Naktul believe that they are burdened with sins and evils, and if they do not purge themselves and their culture of the transgressions, Penak-Naktul will forsake them and cast them out of his creation, the world of light. This holiday is considered distasteful for many of the other races of the archipelago, and visitors are encouraged to avoid K’tumal during the festivities. Mass bloodlettings are common, accompanied by rituals of purification. The Naktul regard these practices as crucial, and it is not unusual for Naktul abroad to attempt to return home during Bala Malar. The pinnacle of the festival is the sacrifice of a single Naktul, who must be innocent, pure at heart, and solid in his devotion, and it is a great honor for the individual, and for his family, to be chosen for these rites. Official worship services occur every Walun (Wednesday), at noon atop state and local temple complexes. The Penak is not present at all save the most important ceremonies however, instead delegating much of his ceremonial responsibility to his under-priests. The Clergy Naktul become clerics for one of two reasons. The first is political. The priesthood is very powerful in the government, and an intelligent person can climb the ranks to wealth and comfort with an ease not found in civilian life. Priests of the one god hobnob with the elite of Naktul society; they sit on state councils and provide services to the Penak and his family. Even the lowest Penak-Naktul priest is insured a bed, a roof over his head and a constant term of employment. Many join for the benefits and security, with little devotion to the faith that the profession espouses. The second motive behind being a cleric of Penak-Nakul is religious fervor and a devotion to the state. The faith is a thing of magnificence, a simple faith of one god clothed in all of the most beautiful trappings the kingdom can provide. Penak-Naktul inspires many of his “children” into service, providing them education and an outlet for the presentation of their faith. There are many true believers among the Naktul, and the priesthood provides for both religious dedication and patriotism. It is said there is no greater gift a son can give his father than the assumption of the clerical robes, and no greater gift a father can give his people than the blessing of devoted religious son. Both men and women may join the priesthood, and they have similar duties and serve similar roles, largely dependent on the interests, strengths, and capabilities of the individual. However, it is very rare for a woman to be chosen as Penak, as women are considered weaker vessels. Religious Life Yearly, as the culmination of the celebration of Bala Malar, the Naktul publicly sacrifice an innocent, either a child or a warrior, much to the dismay of some other peoples. While the sacrifice is both public and important to their religious practice, it is not undertaken lightly, and it is a great honor to be chosen for the rites. In addition to death sacrifice, there is also a practice of symbolic sacrifice. Most of the sacrificial need is filled by bloodlettings, the most common being nicks of the arm, legs, or chest with obsidian blades. Duties of the Clergy The chief duty of the clergy is the indoctrination of Naktul citizens into the faith of the one god. All Naktul services follow a basic pattern of prayer, donation and sacrifice. How grand each of these aspects are, and how grand the service is in general, is dependent on the wealth of the community and the status of the parishioners. Naktul prayers and prayer-songs are simple, and most often rhyme. As most of the population is barely literate, catechism must be taught orally, and the singsong nature of prayers makes memorization and retention easier. Naktul Prayer of Want We are warriors We are proud We your people Sing aloud Hear our voices Heed our song In our faith We are strong Look on us Your black-haired kin Take our gifts Cleanse our sin See the blood Each sparkling jewel We bleed for you Penak-Naktul Daily Worship In the everyday life of most Naktul, the worship of the one god is a staple of the day’s events. All households, large and small, poor and elite, have at least a holy space dedicated to the god, most have some sort of shrine or incensario, which is a stand for holding incense braziers. The burning of incense is a common practice. Copal is the predominant incense, made of ground fruits of the copal tree shaped into cones and orbs and painted blue. Also common are ceremonial cakes of masa, a dough of dried corn which has been soaked in limewater and then rinsed and ground, and cups of red wine, and a special liquor distilled from bitter herbs. It is believed that Penak-Naktul’s attention can be garnered through the practice of burning offerings, and every family member attempts to give a little of their sustenance to their deity. Politics The Naktul are a religious monarchy, with a single head of both government and ritual life. That head, the Penak, oversees all aspects of Naktul life, and is the worshipped figure of the entire population. Upon his head is the golden crown of Penak, and through his voice the one god, Penak-Naktul, speaks. How the Penak is initiated is shrouded in the mysteries of the priesthood, but he is always chosen from the elite class, and is traditionally a male. In the case of the Naktul, the temples are a function of the state, though there is a growing schism between the power-seeking members of religion and government. In law, however, the state has governance over all religious personages, as well as all citizens at home and abroad. The arm of government is long and strong. Sacred Symbols, Objects and Colors The Naktul hold corn and corn products as sacred. It is believed that Penak-Naktul fashioned his people out of corn masa, filling them with his light to give them light and spirit. The Naktul, from the poorest to the richest, always have a corn dish during their meal, and during religious rites corn is incorporated in its various stages as a ritual tool. The Naktul hold the vulture, the serpent, and the jaguar as sacred animals. Gold, green, and red are the colors sacred to the Naktul. Gold represents the largest crop, corn. It also represents the sun, light, knowledge, and wealth. Green represents the most precious material, jade. It also represents fertility, growth, ego, and the earth. Red represents the fluid of life, blood. It also represents birth, the soul, power, and the heart.