World to come
|Origin||Est. BCE 6,000|
Qurosism or Qurosian Religion (Adzamasi: Qūrožarq /quʁʌʒɑʁq/; Neviran: Ḳūxośāq̇ /k'uɣoɕɒq'/) ; Ledzib: Kwexoc’madan /kʷexʷot͡sʼˈmadan/) is a term used to refer to a major family of religions originating in Lower Ekuosia, including Thazayin, Nevirism, and more. These are the main religions of Tabiqa, Nevira and parts of surrounding countries, and enjoy some practice throughout the former colonial holdings of the Adzamic, Neviran and Saruan Empires in Baredina, Lahan, and Ystel. While the various religions share a history—ultimately descending from a prehistoric Proto Ekuo-Lahiri religion—they vary greatly in beliefs and practices, and are typically tied to specific ethnolinguistic groups and geographical areas.
Despite their differences, there have been relatively few religious conflicts between the various religions throughout history. Even in the modern era, the relatively unstructured nature of most Qurosist religions, and their tendency to encourage oppenness in individual interpretation of scripture, does not lead to many inter-religious quarrels; furthermore, the moral tenets strongly discourage unnecessary violence. However, religious divisions have nonetheless served as impetus—or an excuse—for war at some points in the past.
As a group, the followers of Qurosist religions are called Quurožiri in the Adzamasi language. Due to the drastic differences between the different religions, this term is only typically useful in academic settings, or when overtly comparing against completely unrelated world religions such as Iovism.
Qurosism is practiced principally in Lower Ekuosia, where it originated. Most religions that fall under the Qurosist umbrella are strongly linked to an ethnolinguistic group, with the majority of Adzamic peoples following a sect of Thazayin, Kõ peoples following Kõregza, Nevirans following Nevirism, and those living in former colonies often following religions based on native beliefs with heavy syncretism from Qurosism.
In most Qurosist religions, the majority of followers are born into the religion; children are typically raised as members of their parents' faith. It is also typical that membership is lifelong; even if someone chooses to renounce their faith, ceases active practice, or chooses to convert to another religion, the community typically considers them to remain a member. It is in fact more common for those born into Qurosism to syncretise or blend their faith with another, rather than to wholly convert, although this depends on the second religion’s attitudes towards these sorts of actions and any fundamental incompatibilities in practice or belief.
Formal conversion between Qurosist faiths is rare, in part because many of the religions are so unorganized that there is no authority or organization guarding membership or even keeping track of adherents. Furthermore, informal conversion, or syncretism at the personal level, is so common. However, in some instances, it does occur. The most common reason for formal conversion between different Qurosist religions is for marriage purposes or the raising of children, although this is not always necessary or even expected, depending on the combination of faiths.
Conversion into Qurosism by outsiders is also infrequent. Since, again, most denominations are highly unorganized, there are few official structures, and little need to declare oneself an ‘official’ member of the faith. However, becoming an active practitioner typically involves visiting places of worship; larger temples have religious leaders who, among their other duties, guide converts on learning new practices, and teach on their beliefs.
Qurosist proselytism, especially in terms of formal missions seeking converts, is quite rare. However, there are a few key moral values and related practices that most Qurosists will strongly encourage non-adherents to follow. Historical empires often spread Qurorist faiths or practices with some degree of force, sometimes even requiring formal conversion of their subjects to receive full citizenship or to be considered for higher ranks within colonial governments or other systems.
Qurosism has been practiced since at least the 7th century BCE, when the first officially-recognized Idelvah texts date back to. The religion is thought to descend directly from the reconstructed Proto-Ekuo-Lahiri Religion, as it shows numerous similarities with religions natively practiced by other Ekuo-Lahiri peoples as far abroad as Lahan. However it has also clearly been heavily impacted by contact with neighbouring religions in Lower Ekuosia and has undergone its own changes over time as well.
For most of its existence, Qurosism and most of its subdivisions have had little to no official organizational hierarchy, leading to a vast array of different sects between individual clans, tribes, or settlements. Most seem to have recognized and respected the five major gods, shared the same basic myths of creation and the afterlife, and reflected these in their social organization in terms of gender roles and certain aspects of social stratification.
More organized sects seem to have begun forming around the advent of agriculture.
The Adzamic Empire was responsible for spreading various forms of Thazayin throughout much of Baredina; the short-lived Holy Adzamic Empire attempted to force its populace to convert to Bantharq, a move which proved instrumental to its collapse. The Neviran and Saruan Empires spread Nevirism farther afield, to Lahan and Ystel.
There are five principle deities in Qurosism, known collectively as Quuros and the Four. The various denominations of Qurosism hold these five deities at different levels of importance (and give them slightly different names); among the Temyiri, the sect most widely followed in Tabiqa, the Four are the primary figures of worship. There are also many minor deities, many of which are only recognized locally, called biārevah (sg. biāren). Gods from other religions are generally held to be biārevah.
The First Being, Quuros (Adzamasi: Qūros /quʁʌs/, Dzimraic: Ɣuɣwes [ʁuʁʷəs], Nevesh: Ḳüxus /k'ʉɣos/, Ledzib: Kwexocin kʷexʷot͡sʲʼin, PEKL: *kawəˈgwəs) is the deity who created the universe, Sahar, and the Four. They are genderless and portrayed typically as a giant golden centaur-like creature, with the upper body of a human woman, the lower body of a male oryx or other large antelope, and a head mixing the features of both. Quuros is associated with the colours black and gold, birth and death, fertility, children, and the underground.
All Qurosism sects worship Quuros as a central and important figure; the creator, the all-parent, protector of children, and the one to whom most will return in death. Their nature is often considered unfathomable due to its age and power, but they are considered loving, loyal, and forgiving.
The Four (Adzamasi: Il-Temē), also called the Four Greater Gods are the four gods created immediately after and by Quuros. They represent the cardinal directions, the four winds, and the four genders. Each of the Four have standard depictions, symbolism, and associations, but are known to be shapeshifters and therefore can appear in many forms. Their exact attributes also vary among religious sects. In Temyarq they are considerably more significant to everyday life than Quuros themself.
Amet (Adzamasi: Amet /amɛt/, Dzimraic: Ammet [am:əθ], Nevesh: Oxät /oɣat/, Ledzib: Adetin /aˈdʲetʲin/, PEKL: *aəhəmjət) is the goddess of women (seen) and productivity, whose main associations are with the south and southeast, red, life and healing, and fertile soil. She is also broadly associated with economics and manufacturing. Among Temyiri, Amet is also associated with birth and human fertility, while in other denominations that is the realm of Quuros.
Amet's physical avatars are often that of a healthy, middle-aged woman with the pelt, tail, and ears of a deer or smaller antelope, or an older woman with dark red skin like iron-rich clay. In Temyarq she is often portrayed somewhat younger, and often pregnant.
Amet is often considered practical, level-headed, organized, efficient, and industrious; especially among the Temyiri she is seen as a leader of the Four. These are all qualities that many Quurožiri hope their daughters will embody.
Hastur (Adzamasi: Haŧur /haθʊχ/, Dzimraic: Hezreɣ [həzrəʁ], Nevesh: Soŧixä /soθiɣa/, Ledzib: Haŧxwin /ˈhaθxʷin/, PEKL: *hasˈdɨwgə) is the god of men (bakraan) and war. He is associated with the north and northwest, fire, the colour white, and the desert. He is typically portrayed as a large, strong young man with the head of a lynx or caracal, and sometimes claws. While often more evocative of destruction, Hastur also symbolizes physical protection, resilience, energy, enthusiasm, bravery, and sometimes male potency.
Hastur is considered to have a sort of dual nature; the warrior and the father.
Karne (Adzamasi: Ḳarne /k'aʁnɛ/, Dzimraic: Ekkɣen [ək:ʁən], Nevesh: Q̇axän /qʼɒɣan/, Ledzib: K’axnin /ˈkʼaxnʲin/, PEKL: *khaˈgənə:) is the deity of letheen and thought. Le is primarily associated with the west, dreaming, the colour green, and the sky, but also creativity, intelligence, engineering, and humour. Leir physical appearance is usually that of a small and nimble androgynous individual with the wings, tail, and beak of a bearded vulture or eagle, or sometimes a smaller bird. Since the advent of historical contact with Boroso, the Kavs have sometimes been considered living avatars of Karne.
Of the Four, Karne shows the most tolerance for tricksters in stories and legends, and is seen as somewhat finicky and egotistical; for this, le is somewhat mistrusted. However, le is also cunning, witty, and selfless.
Tali (Adzamasi: Tāli /tɑlɪ/, Dzimraic: Tal [θal], Nevesh: Toźä /toʑa/, Ledzib: Telin /ˈtʲelʲin/, PEKL: *taəˈlɨ:) is the deity of benthiin and magic, as well as water, the east, oceans, and the colour blue, with additional associations of loyalty, traditionalism, kindness, love, and peace. Ve is depicted as a tall and slender person with the gills, fins, and scales of a blue and silver fish. In modern times, electricity and digital technology are sometimes considered the provenance of Taali, as forms of modern 'magic.'
Tali is considered patient, calm, wise, and supportive, but with no tolerance for mockery or disloyalty, sometimes leading to violence. Veir ability to grant magic to humans is both lauded and feared.
The biarevah (Adzamasi: biārevah /bjɑʁɛva/, Dzimraic: byaɣafeḥ [βjaʁafəχ], Nevesh: fäxevox /ɸaɣeβox/), Ledzib: pešava /pʲeˈʂava/, singular form biaren (Dzimraic: byaɣan [βjaʁan], Nevesh: fäxe /ɸaɣe/), Ledzib: pešan /ˈpʲeʂan/, are sometimes called minor deities, spirits, or saints. Although many biarevah are associated with nature (animals, plants, the elements), most biarevah were once humans, who have now returned to the mortal plane after death, due to their great power. Monarchs, revolutionaries, inventors, warlords, and others of great fame, notoriety, or even infamy, are said to become biārevah after death. They have some powers over the physical world and can be good, evil, or somewhere in between.
Gods and other important figures of other religions are often considered by the Quurožiri to be biārevah. Some particularly powerful gods are instead considered aspects or manifestations of Quuros or the Four. While biarevah are typically not worshipped outright by Quurožiri, they are afforded great respect and may be given offerings and prayers.
There are three main paths souls take after death. The first is to return to the mortal realm as biārevah ; the second is to become subsumed in the universal dream as rosönet ; and the final is to join the courts of the Four Gods as temiārenet. Finally, a small selection of people may be reborn as mortals, especially those who died in infancy or before birth, and among others who commit certain actions in their afterlives.
Becoming a biāren is the most coveted and esteemed path. It is considered a great achievement, and something many aspire to and strive for during life. To be a biāren can be a responsibility, but also is a great honour.
Most who die will go on to become rosönet, "those who are lost". They join the fabric of the universal dream, retaining consciousness and individuality, but losing most of their volition and agency. This is something of a dreary fate, but it is not final, and one can rejoin one's loved ones. They are not able to communicate with or interfere with the living.
Those who are selfish and evil go on to become temiārenet, "those of the Four." They will spend the rest of this age in the dreams of the living, where they may guide, help, or hinder. Some more accomplished people who have done many immoral things may instead manage to become evil biārevah.
Reality and the Ages
Quurožiri believe that we are currently living in the first age or Kēnkenÿn. Kēnkenÿn is considered to be a dream of the Quuros and the Four, initiated by Quuros, who has purposefully created the other gods and the world in their dream-state. This does not, however, indicate that Quurožiri do not think of the world as real, substantial, material, or important.
It is believed that when humans sleep, they are able to enter the realm of the gods and interact with them directly. As such, dream interpretation is of great importance to the Quurožiri.
Although some doctrine has tried to state how long ago Quuros first dreamt up the world, there is no overall consensus, and as such most modern Quurožiri agree with the current scientific theories on the age of the universe, planets, etc (if not the cause thereof). The length left to Kēnkenÿn is also not firmly established.
It is said that Kēnkenÿn will end with the deaths of Quuros and the Four. Since the universe is the dream of the gods, their death necessitates the death of this universe. However, in their demise, Quuros will create the next age, Abenÿn, for the biārevah and rosönet; the temiārenet will perish alongside Il-Temē.
Abenÿn is expected to be similar to our world in many superficial ways but to work very differently at a fundamental level. It will no longer be a dream of higher beings, and the great gods will also no longer be present to help guide and protect mortal kind. However, as the temiārenet - souls of the foul and evil - will not transition to the Abenÿn it is expected to be a kinder and safer place.
It is not agreed how long Abenÿn will last and whether there is another age after it.
Qurosism occupies an uneasy realm between organized and unorganized religion, with little overarching structure or governance. There are no universally recognized leaders of the faith as a whole, and even many of the larger sub-sects have little official organization. As a consequence, both the canon and the practices of the religion vary greatly between regions, sects, and individuals.
Thazayin is a major grouping of sects, or a distinct sub-religion, under the Qurosist umbrella. These sects are unified by a strong focus on the worship of the Four Greater Gods. Quuros is also recognized and worshipped, but is less central to everyday life and, therefore, everyday religious practice. Thazayin sects also tend to downplay the importance of benevolent Biarevah, focusing more on the evil ones.
Temyarq is the state church/ecclesia of Tabiqa, where it is the predominant religion, and is also prevalent in the neighbouring Dzimur region of Barradiwa. It is the Thazayin sect with the largest number of adherents and the most popular religion in Tabiqa.
It is fairly unorganized for a church, having very little in the way of religious governance or hierarchy, and so the specifics of local practice across its range may vary considerably. Temyarq continues to heavily rely on dream interpretation, a practice that has fallen out of frequent use in most other denominations.
Hemetarq is among the most populous Thazayin sects, especially in southern Tabiqa; it is second only to Temyarq. A direct descendant of Bantharq, it is much more heavily organized than most other forms of Qurosism, and one of the few that actively proselytizes.
Almost extinct in the modern era, Bantharq is the predecessor of Hemetarq and a few other sects, and is the form of Thazayin that was forcefully spread by the Holy Adzamic Empire. It is one of, if not the, most strictly organized factions of Qurosism ever to exist.
Today it enjoys limited practice, mostly among Tabiqan monarcho-fascists.
Manauism is the largest denomination in the Povan Union, practiced by roughly 20 million people concentrated in the Ekuos Valley. It involves worship of Quuros first and foremost, followed by a Greater God that most corresponds with the individual (known as their patron). The other three Greater Gods are comparatively neglected. Manauists usually have the same gender as their patron, though rarely some seen or ukraan will choose a patron that more closely reflects their personality. Manauists typically pray alone, or in congregations with those having the same patron.
Kõregza, sometimes also called Osuregza or Kõjark, is a large group of religions that is clearly closely related to Qurosism, and typically considered a subsect thereof. It is practiced predominantly by the indigenous Kõ peoples of the Qanding valley in north-eastern Tabiqa and nearby Ebo Nganagam and Povania. There are many common elements to these traditions which are unique among other Quurozarq sects, reflecting their status as 'creole religions.' Almost all of the world's 8.4 million Kõ people are Kõreziri, with the next most common belief system among them (around 5%) being atheism. Some separatist groups promote the return to 'pure,' pre-Adzamic forms of the Kõ religion, but even among separatists this movement has met with very little success, due at least in part to the difficulty of reconstructing an ancestral form of the religion which does not still show striking resemblance to Qurosism.
In general, Kõregzi subsects follow scripture similar to Thazayin, Altanism, or Taajeenism, based on proximity to those religious cores. What sets them apart from their neighbours is the heavy integration of additional greater gods, with main pantheon sizes ranging from seven to twelve. The Five gods found in Qurosism at large are also interpreted somewhat differently — in general, having fewer domains, associations, and less overall power; they also each tend to have two names, one borrowed from the Adzo-Neviric languages, and one tracing back to the pre-Adzamic era. The native names of Quuros and Taali in particular bear no resemblance to the Adzo-Neviric terms, while other names may reflect a common origin of the indigenous religions and the Qurosism faiths with which they have been syncretised.
While their expanded pantheons have been met with calls of heresy, most other Quurožiri are happy to accept the Kõregzi deities as powerful local biarevah. The Kõ people also have a long history of resistance and resilience within the Qandin valley, and have learned to downplay cultural differences that would make them targets for outsiders. In the modern, globalized era, the many differences of Kõregza from other Qurosism faiths are well-known, and have been used to incite ethnic tensions by both separatists and Kõiphobes, with limited success.
Taajeenism is practiced extensively in northern Nevira, and central and eastern Povania. It is characterized by worship of Quuros and the Four independent of each other, instead of as a cohesive whole. Taajeenists believe all of their daily struggles are most suited for the aid of one of Quuros or the Greater Gods. As the use of and belief in magic is considerably important to Taajeenists, this may appear to other Quurožiri as a focus on worship of Taali, from which the name of the denomination is derived.
Altanism is a denomination common in north and central Povania. It typically involves the worship of only one of the Four, with great respect and acknowledgement paid to Quuros and other major deities. It has a patron system similar to that of Manauism, however it is believed that one's patron is revealed to them in a dream. Altanism is often thought of as a blend of Manauism, Temyarq, and Kõregza.
Koherarq is a denomination common in southwestern Povania and bordering regions of Tabiqa. It involves worship of Quuros on the same level as the Greater Gods, working in harmony to ensure the health and survival of the planet. Koheriri believe nearly all conflict can be explained by disputes between the Greater Gods, and that Quuros mainly breaks ties when the Greater Gods cannot agree. Over 90% of Povan Koheriri consider Karne, as the deity of the west and the sky, to be their guardian. As dreaming is considered part of Karne's realm, dream interpretation is seen as highly spiritual, but not practiced as frequently as by followers of Temyarq.
Unificationism is a denomination characterized by the belief that only Quuros is a true deity, and that the Four are merely parts of the universal dream. Most Unificationists believe the Four are merely biarevah, albeit the first four to become such. Unificationists are fairly evenly spread among Quurožiri populations, though their numbers in Tabiqa have been in steady decline over the past century.
Ametarq is a large, loose, polyphyletic collection of denominations which do not necessarily share close historical affiliations and may additionally fall under other groupings. However, they are united in a major restructuring of the pantheon, falling under the 'conflation' type (wherein one deity, typically with the Amet-derived name, occupies both roles) or the 'reversal' type (wherein Amet and Quuros have their positions in the hierarchy or other characteristics swapped, with Amet as the original creator or higher being). The repercussions of this on various beliefs and practices manifests very differently in different divisions.
One minor conflationist Ametarq group, which is sometimes labeled a cult, is Adat (Mazjeeri for 'the religion'). It has under twenty thousand adherents, almost entirely within Tabiqa, and mostly of the Mazjeeri ethnolinguistic group. The sect has traditionally been reclusive, although never closed to converts; however, it is broadly misunderstood by most Tabiqiri and other Quurožiri. Adat promotes the worship and reverence of many biarevah to an extent that rivals the Greater Gods, which has in the past included the adoption of important deceased Adatiri as important deities. These practices have lead to claims of heresy, fractures within the sect, and religious and ethnic violence, including forced conversions and attempted genocide during the reign of the Holy Adzamic Empire. Furthermore, the Mazjeeri, resolute nomads and traditionalists, are noted for refusing to use modern technologies, and although they are well-respected as traders by small settlements, are often mistrusted in other walks of life. In the modern era, Adatiri are overall safe from outright persecution, but face other systemic barriers, stereotypes, and moderate xenophobia from their countrymen.
There are forms of traditional magic that are still practiced by many Temyiri and some Taajeenists today, despite advancements in science and medicine that disprove their effectiveness or accuracy. There is a strict delineation between what is considered religious/spiritual and what is considered magical, and they are the responsibility of the letheen and benthiin respectively.
Practices considered to be "magical" include...
Arts and culture
As diverse a group of religions as Qurosism is, there are few cultural or artistic traditions in common across all sects. However, some remain, and some tendencies exist as well. Many of these traditions cannot be clearly distinguished from areal features that may have no religious origin or significance.
Five is considered and important and even holy number due to the 5 greater gods, and as such, Qurosist music traditionally incorporates this number heavily into its musical theory. For example, many Qurosist songs feature:
- Five instruments, parts, or harmonies
- Multiples of five notes, words, or syllables per melodic line
- Five lines per stanza, five stanzas per song
- 5/4 time signature
- Pentatonic scales and modes
Both in musical education and when discussing music theoretically, the notes of a scale are referred to by distinct individual syllables, which are named after the five greater gods. (The names indicate the ordered relation of the notes to one another, not any fixed frequency.) The earliest forms of musical notation used in Lower Ekuosia simply involved writing the names of the notes in the order they appeared in the song, eventually developing into shorthand symbols still used in musical notation today.
As the first god, who encompasses all, Quu (Quuros) forms the tonic (first or base note). The following notes are distributed according to the 'heaviness' of their deity's respective elements: Met (Amet), representing the support of the strong earth and fertile soil, is second, followed by Hath (Hathur) of the desert sands, Taa (Taali) of the sea, and finally Kar (Karne) of the sky.
Traditional, religious Qurosist music is usually limited to these notes as the main scale (although ornamentations may hit other tones). However, the same solmization is used for non-religious music across much of Lower Ekuosia, where scales frequently expand to six or seven notes. The most widespread solmizations for these scales among Qurosists make reference to Iovist gods (Muu for Muhe, and Osh for Hosha to fill in the additional notes . These are typically placed between Taa and Kar, so that Kar always remains the subtonic.
In whole, the solmization is therefore:
Although the Anglicizations of terms referring to Qurosism would probably make more sense to be taken from Neviran (which has a lot more speakers), this religion was originally restricted to Tabiqa & the Adzamasiin, therefore the Adzamasi-based nomenclature is being preserved (mostly for reasons of aesthetic and convenience).