The Great Chant Organization in Black Light | World Anvil

The Great Chant

The Great Chant is a religion based around the belief that sparks are the remnants of a divine being that somehow broke down into millions of tiny pieces of raw power. The religion is mostly practiced in Einya, with as much as half of the planet's population practicing some version of the Great Chant.   There isn't a single set of scriptures considered to be the core of the religion. Instead, the scripture is an ever-changing set of hymns and reflections written by Priests. The core tenet of the Great Chant is that, just like how sparks are part of a single being, every single creature is a tiny part of a bigger whole. Beyond that, everyone is free and encouraged to live spirituality in whichever way works best for them.  

Internal organization

The Great Chant has a pretty flat hierarchy and there isn't a central figure with authority over the religion. Instead, each temple is under the care of a Priest that is helped by a number of Acolytes. Additionally, some temples also have a monastery, in which cases the whole sanctuary is under the care of an Abbot and their community of monks, which may or may not have a more detailed hierarchy depending on the community's size.   Temples and monasteries are grouped in congregations, usually by geographical proximity. Every year, the Priests and Abbots of each congregation choose a High Priest among them. The High Priest is in charge of ordaining new Priests and Abbots, as well as resolving conflicts between temples when they happen and communicating with other congregations when the need arises.   However, it's worth noting that one doesn't need to be ordained by a High Priest in order to found a temple or a monastery. Being ordained is just a proof that the temple is a safe place for praying and meditating.  

Rituals

The exact structure of rituals changes from congregation to congregation (and even within a given congregation), but something they all have in common is the importance of music. Everybody who participates into the rituals is encouraged to sing the hymns together, and even bring musical instruments to play along.   The hymns are short songs, usually between 30 and 40 seconds in duration (but they can be as short as 5 seconds), with a simple melody and a beautiful harmony that is repeated over and over again, usually for 3 to 5 minutes. The priest and the acolytes take turns improvising countermelodies from time to time to keep the hymn from becoming monotonous. When the hymn ends, there is a moment of introspective silence and the next one starts.   Even though there are designated prayer times, many people stay in the temple after the priest and the acolytes leave. When this happens, the priest designates someone else as the conductor, who will be in charge of choosing the hymns and passing on the role when they leave. The biggest temples can host thousands upon thousands of people in a given day, and singing can be heard all day and night long, only interrupted by times of silent meditation.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion

Comments

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Jul 6, 2022 16:01 by Laure Yates

What a great idea. I love sparks! :D

Jul 6, 2022 19:08

Thank you for reading!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jul 6, 2022 16:23 by Molly Marjorie

The part of organized religions that has always most attracted me is music, so I simply adore the concept of an organized religion that centers on it.

Check out Natural Magic : a coming of age fantasy novel, because life is hard enough when you're fourteen, even without saving the world. Or listen to it in podcast form .
Jul 6, 2022 19:09

We all need some relaxing music in our lives. Thanks for reading!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
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