Berkhyargostith | |
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Religious symbol of Berkhyargostith | |
| Scripture | |
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Book of Eternal Laws Book of Episodic Laws | |
| Theology | |
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God - Universe - Caste - Lives-Spirits |
Berkhyargostith, also known as the Faith of Herders, is an ethnoreligious tradition which teaches monotheism and the strength and purity of blood and soul.
The religion was established after a series of prophetic dreams experienced by a man called the Dragon or Mndochok.
Basic beliefs[]
Berkhyargostith teaches that God created the world through perfect harmony by means of eternal song; this eternal song shaped all things and is believed to originate from the Host of the Choir, powerful spirits trusted to preserve God's creations. The tradition also teaches that there are parallel universes filled with evil, suffering, and weakness; they are not preserved through song but by the screaming of tortured and damned spirits.
Its taught that a spirit from the Host of the Choir wished to save one of the universes by introducing the screaming to the good universe, which caused worlds to collide and for the evil spirits to fall silent. Such an event is said to have led to the birth of the known universe through the merging of good and evil.
When this universe was made, God created humanity out of iron from a mountain. Its said that God taught humans to adapt or die in the world which was created for them instead of being pampered. According to Berkhyargostithi teachings, this is why God does not always answer prayers yet instead forces humanity to fix or get over problems by themselves.
The strongest of all men became the King of Humanity; he ruled the world in God's name. While king, humans evolved and learned about the world as they still do today; the king's wife, however, had an affair with a bastard child who was born weak and feeble, yet cunning. This child grew up as one of the princes and tricked his brothers into hunting him by leading them to a lion's den. He led them to be killed by the lions and the king learned of the adultery and had, by God's laws, his wife crushed by a large stone. The death of his wife led to the illegitimate son being angered. In his anger he tried to get people to follow him and convince them to worship him as God. As a result, the king exiled him and his children. The king, who was then an old man, had cut his bowels and allowed his nephew to take over as king.
It is believed by Berkhyargostith's adherents, that all evil rulers of the world are descendants of the bastard son and all noble leaders are from the lineage of the nephew. The first two castes are born from the nephew's people and all of the last caste is born from the bastard's people.
The dreams of Mndochok state that to enter the afterlife, one must go through a large forest guided only by a skinless dog. In this dream, when one has reached the destination, its said there is a beautiful place made of gold buildings and towers built upon a waterfall, having spiraling bridges and long narrow alley ways. The sun shines bright and there is nothing depressing, however, at the bottom of the waterfall is one of the hells which is comprised of black water where souls constantly drown whilst being stalked by a being with long black tentacles, seeing over people covered in algae and rotting flesh, swimming away for an eternity.
Philosophy and teachings[]
Spiritual beings[]
There are various spiritual beings who are referred to as the hatsahgostii, or hidden people. There are either malevonent or neutral, having no interest in humanity. These beings often live in the hidden cores of the world. Hatsahgostii shouldn't be confused with the Telangostii, who are benevolent spirits.
There are various myths of people defeating the Hatsahgostii.
Caste system and governance[]
The tradition teaches that humans belong to three different castes: herders, warriors, or priests.
Priests are the upper caste who own great flocks and can travel anywhere they please. The second caste are independent farmers who may own and live upon their own land, however, they may not own too much flock and may only have a few horses. The final caste is comprised of labourers who cannot own anything, not even themselves. Low caste members must pay respect to the upper castes and must always wash their hands before interacting.
Caste is often determined by blood, if one must inbreed to stay in the cast then they are to do so. Low caste people are often forced into bonded labour or brutality at high caste members.
The first and second castes may marry, however they must marry into the higher caste. Children born from mixed caste parents outside of marriage are generally considered to be a part of their mother's caste.
God[]
Its believed there is only one God who is the backbone of the universe; this deity is called Umberq't'an. Followers of Berkhyargostith believe without God the universe would crumble. God is neither good or evil for this does not matter all that matters if humans serve him and worship him. God is seen as beyond all things, along with dwelling in the twilight and being infinite. Followers of the faith are forbidden from visuasling God but can still visualise his power through nature and through major destructive events throughout time
God has nineteen named angels whom protect the world. Each of these angels has nineteen angels who act as their subordinates and then below them is countless other angels.
Reincarnation and the afterlife[]
Berkhyargostith followers hold that there are 20 afterlives depending on how someone behaves in this life. Its said humanscan still die in these afterlives and reborn into new ones until the reach the highest of all heavens where they gain eternal life and eternal happiness or gain eternal death and eternal sadness and end up in the lowest hell.