The Sínja korù of the Rice Plateau (Hamanas)
Mythology:
The world the Sínja korù inhabit is a living one. The world and the spirit world have existed forever in their current state. The material world is mundane and solid and what humans inhabit. The Spirit world is very different, though it is a reflection of the material one. Physical things, events, strong emotions, and metaphysical concepts spawn spirits, who inhabit the spirit world. Most of these spirits the boundaries of reality unassisted, unless they have help from a shaman. Great and powerful spirits can cross over without a problem, though very rarely do so. Instead, their effects tend to be felt even when they remain in the spirit world. Additionally, Shamans (Sekemns) can throw themselves over into the spirit world, at least mentally. Sekemns exist to build alliances and relationships with spirits, ensuring their people are safe.
The Halaxi believe themselves to be patronized as a people by a Great Spirit, or Great Ensha, known as Mígwon. Mígwon is a great hound, born of the friendship between Sínja korù and Dog. As such, the dog plays an important part in the symbolism of the Sínja korù, representing both Strength and Trust. Additionally, Theran and Jenashak, the Ensha of the great rivers, Shírnash, the Great Otter, Shul, the Ensha of the sun, and Aymo, one of the greater embodiments of love, are are believed to be spirits friendly to humanity.
The Shape an Ensha may take is defined greatly by what kind of Ensha it is, though power is a limiting factor. A Very minor fire Ensha, for example, can only be a spark or small flame, while a Great Fire Ensha can appear as anything even vaguely connected to fire. The Truly Powerful Ensha have no restriction on shape.
The Sínja korù believe that humans, otters, and dogs are the only creatures with souls. In death, their souls (and that of dogs and otters) makes a perilous journey through the spirit world, travelling northwards, until finally arriving and joining with the “Mawr Ansa,” the Sea of Souls, an ocean comprised of the souls of the unborn, where they are washed of their sins and memories, and sent back into life as a newborn child, puppy, or kit. The Soul, when it enters the Mawr Ansa is burdened by the weight of the sins committed in life, which drags souls of sinners deeper into the depths of sea, thus taking longer to return to the surface to be reborn. All agree, however, that for a soul to make the journey from death to the Mawr Ansa alone is to court complete destruction. As such, Sekemns are meant to petition friendly minor Ensha to protect and accompany the souls of the recent dead in the village or city, and some even sacrifice a loyal dog upon the death of its owner, so that their souls may safely travel together and be reborn together. Dead bodies are buried, usually with a sacrificed (or recently dead) Pirgwon, and a pitcher of water is poured over the grave to remind the soul of the dead where it needs to go.
With regards to the faith of other people, the Sínja korù simply believe that the “gods” of others are simply great Ensha who have demanded a specific kind of worship from humans. Sínja korù do not approve of this, as the stories have always said that spirits of that kind are generally not friendly to humans, but know better than to try to actively offend them. A Sínja korù travelling to lands ruled by gods will generally carry with them a metal spiral, a token of a friendly Ensha, for protection.
Sínja korù believe that the spiral is a difficult shape for Ensha to understand, both confusing and enthralling them, and only those invited in are easily able to travel a spiral unhindered.
Society:
All Sínja korù are led by a balance of secular and spiritual power. Whether greater power in a Sínja korù City or tribe resides in a King (Known as Krek) or a Megshekem depends entirely on the group, and likely shifts depending on the charisma and strength of the individual.
The Spiritual guardians of the Sínja korù are the Sekem, who are drawn up from the ranks of the people of the city based on prophetic dreams they or an already ordained Shekem may have at any age between five and fifteen. Traditionally, shekem were trained in an apprenticeship system with an older shekem teaching a younger shekem everything they know (lore, history, medicine, etc), and, theoretically, passing along the relationships that he has with local spirits. This still tends to happen in smaller Sínja korù villages. However, the advent of larger cities has shifted the focus of shekem training from a one-on-one practice to a more academic institutionalized one, though students are still selected through the traditional methods. In cities, Shekem also serve as historians, bureaucrats, and record keepers. Often, in these cases, though Shekem may have Alliances with individual spirits, the city as a whole also has it’s own network of relationships, especially with the spirit of the city.
The Krek is a hereditary position, and is meant to lead the people in all manners secular. Some evidence suggests that this position was originally a “chief-diplomat,” in charge of interacting with other groups of people. However, be that as it may be, the Krek now is ostensibly the one in charge of the military, trade, and development. Beneath the Krek, and there to assist them, are the noble families.
Also powerful, though not nearly as much as the Nobility are the Brewers, who hold a special place in society, as they produce beer and wines (Fruit and honey.) These products are seen by the Sínja korù as key to nearly all formal social interactions.
Subservient to them are craftsmen, farmers, and artisans, who generally live on the outskirts of cities and come in to sell their products.
Gender roles within Sínja korù society are segregated at the lowest levels, and completely open at within the higher ranks. A Krek can be a woman, and as Sekems are discovered through spiritual means, there are as many men as women.
Material Culture:
At the heart of the greatest Sínja korù city or meanest village is the Enshasal, or Spirit Hall, the place used by a Shekem to commune with spirits. This building is circular with paths in a reversing spiral towards a central chamber, which holds at it’s heart a slightly recessed ritual pit, where a Shekem will attempt to intercede with spirits. Lining the hallways to the ritual chamber are images of the spirits that the Shekems know to inhabit the corresponding area in the spirit world, with images of the greatest Ensha (Usually some combination of Migwon, Shirnash, Thylai, Theran, Jenashak, Shul, Aymo, and the spirit of the city)
The Enshasal itself is a dome with a hole in the roof at the top of the dome, above the ritual pit.
While small villages will have nothing more for the shekem than the Enshasal, great cities will boast immense walled complexes housing sleeping quarters, classrooms, kitchens, libraries, kennels, etc, around truly massive (Relatively) Enshasal, which always must be in their own open courtyard at heart of the complex.
The Sínja korù Temple complexes are also inhabited by a breed of dog called Pirgwon. These dogs have been bred by Sekems for generations for small size, friendliness, loyalty, and intelligence, and are allowed to roam freely throughout the temple complex, and sometimes even the city. Pirgwon are easily recognizable by their small size, flattened face, curled tail, and short red and black mottled fur. Pirgwon, when they age, are sacrificed and buried with the dead, so that both the soul of the Pirgwon and that of the human may travel together to the Mawr Ansa. Similarly, Otters are allowed to roam free.
The spiral is not important only in ritual architecture, but also in secular architecture. The homes of the richest individuals tend to be large complexes of interconnecting spiral hallways, with rooms juxtaposed in unexpected manners. The complexity of these homes decreases with lower economic status, until the poor must make do with a simple circular home, a paltry protection against hostile spirits: And indeed, the the poor are often sicklier than the rich.
Sínja korù bath regularly, believing that doing so brings them closer to their original state near the Mawr Ansa. Every affluent house has a bathing room, but poorer Sínja korù must make do with bathing less often, and usually in the rivers.
The calendar of the Sínja korù is a lunar calendar is used for ritual purposes by Shekems.
Sínja korù historically were not hugely keen on wearable jewelry, though obviously with outside influence, modern Sínja korù do. Traditionally, Sínja korù adorned themselves with tattoos in intricate interwoven spiral and dot patterns. Shekems tend to wear thin robes and sport shaved heads tattooed with the aforementioned spirals.
Abbreviated History:
Human, otter, and dog were born on the shores of the Mawr Ansa ages ago, both creatures of the material world and endowed with the inner light of the spirit world. In those days, death was not an obstacle, as the souls of the death had only to travel from the shores of the lake into the water itself, and back out. Deva, an Ensha of death, watched over the people, warding hostile Ensha away.
But, in the darkness of night, the foul Ensha Sova the Brackish, who had long been jealous of mankind, attacked, and with him came a great wave of dark water which poured into the Mawr Ansa, forever tainting the souls of the dead. Nemor, an Ensha of memory, sacrificed himself for a human friend, melting into the Sea himself, causing the Mawr Ansa to make the dead forget the impurities and giving individuals a choice between good and evil. Sova and Deva engaged in a combat that still occasionally shakes the earth to this day. Humanity was forced to leave the spirit world by the rising water, travelling in a myriad of direction, and becoming all the people of the earth.
The Sínja korù travelled south, guided out of the spirit world by Mígwon while their retreat was covered by Shírnash the Otter. For forty years and forty days, the Sínja korù roamed, until the Shekem Elel spoke to the Spirits Theran and Jenashak, who both gave the Sínja korù leave to settle on the shores of their river and taught them irrigation and farming.
And so, over the next thousand years, the Sínja korù built a number of walled cities, the greatest being the twin cities of Gunjyo and Uimei, on their respective rivers. A series of petty kingdoms and Shekem-doms rose and fell, and never were the Sínja korù truly united.
The Great Langur-Ensha Thylai gave the Sínja korù Rice and a myriad of other foods and spices, but is not considered trustworthy, a trickster, just as willing to take as to give, and similarly, his agents, the Langurs, are tolerated, honored, but never trusted.
