Wildkin Ancestral Worship
The wildkin of Gaia are much different from the beastfolk of Gaia. More attuned to nature, the wildkin worship no gods, but their ancestors, and general animism to give back to Gaia. Its is more of an ideology, and seen as godless to the more religious empires and people of Gaia.
For our kin, may they return to Gaia and be reborn anew, gifted, We welcome our kin into our embrace as they can live to see life through our eyes, to know love, to know excitement, to know wonders, to know what it is to live. We shall lay to rest those we see forgotten in the world, in the trees, in the seas, in the mountains, and in the sky. We pray for them to rejoin us, to rejoin us and be granted true life.
Beliefs
Wildkin believe that natural life can be granted life anew upon passing. They strongly believe they are reincarnated animal souls given a blessing to live. to them, animal lives are sacred, and should they ever find one who has passed, or been killed on their travels they are obliged to properly bury them to return them to Gaia for reincarnation.
There are no sermons, there are no gatherings. They individually are obliged to keep true to nature. Adventurers often who seen a wildkin burial ceremony were often touched and humbled at how devoted the wildkin are to giving their ancestors a proper burial.
Communal Gatherings only occur when there was a mass loss of life, due to a disaster, or over-hunting, or outside influences. Predator and Prey alike, put aside their primal desire to hunt to honor and bury the fallen.
Domestication of Pets
Wildkin rarely if ever have pets. They believe it is a form of slavery unless it was willing and the reason for it was mutual compassion and respect. Wildkin radicals are known to sabotage farms and breeding programs to free the animals. There is however a line they do know and accept as a fact of life.
Prey Species
What would be considered a prey species, honors even predators in death. The natural cycle of life must not be thwarted or stopped. Prey species never hunt unless its needed, they resort to farming, scavenging, and foraging to sustain themselves and remain true to their faith. They thank the bounty the plants have given them and sow the field for the next season.
Predator Species
What would be considered a predator species knows they must hunt to survive. Their sentience forbids them from hunting other wildkin, but wildlife is fair. They understand a life must be taken to sustain, but may that life be returned to Gaia through a ritual before a hunt, and when they claim a kill, they honor and thank it for its bounty, and properly give it a burial so that one day it may awaken again as a fellow wildkin. They never senselessly kill without reason. Ones who do are often cast out, or left to the wilds for them to be claimed.
Omnivore Species
What would be considered an Omnivore would practice a mix of both prey and predator rites during sowing, or hunting. Killing without gratitude they believe would leave them cursed, or be stricken ill to suffer and die. Each wildkin has their own way to honor this rite across all three types.
Reception Across Gaia
The Wildkin Ancestral Worship is seen as a pagan like belief akin to druidism. It is not rare to see a wildkin convert to a more dominant religious, but most stay true to their primal roots. It is also not unheard of for a "greater" species to convert to Wildkin Ancestral Worship.
Ancestral Worship is one of the oldest religions on Gaia, next to the Gaian Pantheon and Draconic Circle. Due to the ties of nature, Wooshu is often referenced in prayers and practices. He is not worshiped, but respected. Most trinkets of the Wildkin religion may have images of his Dragon form, but as a nurturer, not a patron.
The Other religions do not recognize the validity of this Ancestral Worship, as it is 'worshipping items over a god." This often leads to religious clashes to wildkin within these areas.
The Sending Ceremony
I challenge you, to watch a wildkin sending ceremony, and not cry at how beautiful it is. They truly believe in reincarnation to send poor animals to rest.
In the case of a mass death or kill off, Wildkin may perform a Sending Ceremony, where the local wildkin devoted gather to perform an ancient rite of passage to lay the souls of the fallen to return to Gaia. its a lengthy ceremony that is performed after the bodies of the dead are buried and marked with animist runes. It is said to be a somber sight. It uses primal magic to anchor the souls to return to the earth of Gaia. It is said that it looks likea night sky, full of 'fireflies' in a rather sobering sight.
Pet Funeral Services
The true animal lovers often seek a wildkin to help them bury a loved pet. Its a service that is not charged, and is done out of pity and duty for a wildkin to assist in a burial of a beloved pet. Some wildkin get meals out of it for a thank you. it is a taboo to charge for this service as greed has no place in this belief. All lives deserve a second chance, and to be blessed to be reborn anew.
Wildkin worship and honor their ancestors over any existing god. to them, wildlife was what they once were before they were given thier gift.
Comments