Old Religion

The religion of the Old Gods

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The Old Religion is the worship of the Old Gods and has been around for thousands of years. Those that practice the Old Religion are called Old Followers. The Old Religion worships nature and its deities as a single good and right force.

Beliefs and practices

The Old Religion is a relaxed one, in that there are not many stringent rules to follow, but there are a few main tenets that every Old Follower adheres to.

The sacredness of nature

All those who follow the Old Religion view nature as sacred: every animal, rock, and blade of grass should be viewed as divine. The needless destruction of nature is abhorrent to Old Followers. If nature must be destroyed, it should only be done if there is a need, and it should be done humanely. Because of this, most Old Followers are vegetarians.

Morality

The Old Religion prohibits many crimes, including murder, rape, incest, and bestiality. In addition, the Old Religion promotes mutual respect of others, the protection of nature, and family being the main unit.

Views on other religions

The Old Religion does not look negatively upon other religions; instead, they speculate that the Old Gods appeal to others in different forms, and so everyone is truly worshipping the Old Gods, no matter what religion they practice.

Worship

The 'when, how, and who' of worship in the Old Religion is completely up to the adherent, and it is not uncommon for different members of the same family to practice their worship in completely disparate ways. There is no formal place of worship (there are some sites, however, that are more sacred than others) and no set way to practice one's faith. Many adherents have religious symbols and altars in their homes, and many in Ilyrium will visit sacred sites frequently.

Deities

As mentioned, adherents to the Old Religion see everything in nature as sacred, but there are a few "main" gods. In the Old Religion, the gods do not have genders, as gods represent the abstract. However, two of the main gods are gendered, probably as a result of historical gender ideals.
There are four "main" gods. However, there is no requirement to worship these gods, and some place little importance on the idea of named gods at all. (Many gods have informal nicknames as well.)

The four gods:

The All-Father

Typically represented as a wolf, the All-Father, along with the All-Mother, represent leadership. On "his" own, adherents may pray to the All-Father for freedom and loyalty to those one trusts. "He" also represents a sense of community and discipline.

The All-Mother

Typically represented as a deer, the All-Mother, along with the All-Father, represents leadership. On "her" own, adherents may pray to the All-Mother to gain compassion and gentleness. "She" also represents a sense of innocence, but also fierce determination.

Death

Represented by a raven, Death is not considered negative; in fact, it is viewed as a regeneration into one's true form, which is to be a part of nature once again.

Fortuna Magicae

Represented by a crow, Luck and Magic is considered a good omen, both because of the luck aspect, but also because a visit from a crow signifies strong magic is present.

Minor gods

(This is just a sampling.)

Animo

Represented by a wild boar, practitioners may pray for courage.

Sapientia

Represented by an owl, Sapientia is called upon to give the adherent wisdom; for those that practice Psychic Magic, the owl is often their favorite god.

Brother Fox

Represented by a fox, Brother Fox is mischievous, but he can also be called upon to aid an adherent in their intellectual goals. Many children prefer to worship Brother Fox.

Sister Sheep

Represented by a sheep, Sister Sheep is prayed to for innocence and gentleness; Sister Sheep is often worshipped by those with emotional issues.

Lepus

Represented by a rabbit, Lepus represents fear and fertility; many women wishing to get pregnant may call upon Lepus, as well as those that have issues with anxiety.

Mythology

Creation

For many adherents of the Old Religion, the creation of the world is not a very important issue; however, the prevailing tale is that the All-Father and the All-Mother created the Earth and created humans to populate the Earth. After a period of time, the All-Father and the All-Mother created witches. (Please see the Twins for more information on how witches were created.)

Afterlife

Worshippers of the Old Religion believe that once an adherent dies, they return to nature as an entity. The afterlife for the good is considered to be very peaceful. For those that break the tenets of the Old Religion, an afterlife simply does not exist.

Significant places

The most famous (and largest) Old Religion site in United Britannia and Hibernia is the Elderwood.

Type

Religious, Pantheon

Demonym

Old Followers

Related Traditions

• Quia Nunc Vale

Main tenets

Nature is sacred and should be treated as such.

Mutual respect for others is merely the minimum.

One is born from nature and will return to nature when one dies.

Committing a crime is an offense to both the person/institution wronged and nature itself.

Gods are guides and ultimately one must be their own guide through the mortal world.

Members

About 20% (approx. 700,000)

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