Kowut

Kowut

Kowut is the traditional Sanmra belief system. While the cosmological beliefs of Kowut are not necessarily held to be true by modern practitioners, the ritual practices are widespread and are performed by a very large percentage of dalar in Sanmra. Most of these beliefs center around the divide between the physical and spirit worlds, along with ancestor worship.

Etymology

Within Sanmra, the religion generally isn't referred to by a name at all, due to how ubiquitous it is. Thus, "Kowut" is an exonym used primarily by foreigners. The word literally means "rituals" in Tirina.

Theology and cosmology

Kowut beliefs are remarkably varied, and many modern practitioners do not necessarily accept traditional Kowut beliefs about the origins of the world or of sentient species. That being said, most different strains of Kowut agree in broad strokes.

Creation myth

In the beginning, all was in chaos. The Nameless Spirit (or Nameless God, in the five- and one-god traditions) wandered through Chaos, seeking Beauty. Because the universe was constantly changing, the Nameless Spirit often found something beautiful, only for it to change and disappear as soon as it saw it. Dissatisfied, the Nameless Spirit decided to create beautiful things of its own, but permanent so it could return to them whenever it wanted. Thus, the Nameless Spirit created Sahar, and on it all of the people, animals, and plants. (whether or not it created anything else--and where it is now--depends on who you ask)

The Nameless Spirit then either created or merely appointed four spirits (dini) to watch over Sahar: Ani, god of the seas; Eri, god of the hills and mountains; Iwi, goddess of forests and plains; and Oni, god of wastelands and deserts. (whether they were created or already existed before this also depends on who you ask. Also what gender they are, or if gender even applies to nature spirits.) According to the four-god tradition, only these four beings should be worshipped as gods. According to the five-god tradition, all of them plus the Unnamed God should be worshipped. And the relatively rare one-god tradition thinks only the Unnamed God should be worshipped, and the four spirits are merely assistants.

The relationship between these four gods/spirits definitely depends on who you ask, although the most common tradition states that Oni rebelled against his three siblings for getting a better deal than him. Thus, evil spirits and mental illness are usually attributed to his influence.

The origins of the sun, stars, and other planets are also murky. Some groups hold that they're separate realms created by the Nameless Spirit, just like Sahar, and are ruled over by gods of their own, and some even believe they were created by some rival or peer of the Nameless Spirit.

Dinili

According to Kowut beliefs, a spirit world (dinili) exists side-by-side with the physical one. Just as physical beings inhabit this world, so too do nature spirits (dini) inhabit that one, along with the spirits of the dead. Living bodies cannot enter the spirit world, although some fringe cults hold that a person's soul (adeifo) can make the journey with the help of psychedelic drugs and meditation. The physical world also can only have little impact on the spirit world, although the spirit world can exert some influence on the physical world.

Dini and kesyed

The dini or nature spirits are the ordinary inhabitants of the spirit world. They are often associated with specific places and landforms in the physical world--not necessarily specific things (e.g. a tree or rock), but a location. Dini have some ability to affect the physical world, and thus are invoked for everything from help with exams to healing from illness. The dini are believed to be capricious, alien beings, so appealing to their morality isn't likely to get their attention. Instead, they are believed to assist people primarily out of boredom, curiosity, or friendliness. Certain particularly powerful spirits (such as Ani, Eri, and Iwi) interact with the physical world on a more regular basis, although they are "large" enough that they are not likely to notice or care about the prayers of an individual.

The kesyed or ancestral spirits are the spirits of living beings who have died and passed into the spirit world. Unlike dini, kesyed are not tied to specific locations, although they have a tendency to remain in the vicinity of their remains. Kesyed also cannot impact the physical world. However, kesyed can communicate with dini (even with the most powerful, like Ani/Eri/Iwi) and intercede on behalf of their living relatives. As a result, they are revered and prayed to on a regular basis. When directly addressed, a kesyed is usually referred to as a leardi (ghost/spirit).

Both the dini and kesyed are believed to be most active in colder months and fall asleep in the warm summer months. Strict practitioners of Kowut thus believe the Tuanmali cannot effectively worship, as their climate is simply too warm.

Prayer

A person can pray simply by speaking aloud, but such a prayer would not be likely to be heard by the intended recipient(s). To ensure a prayer makes it to the spirit world and comes to the attention of the dini or kesyed it is intended for, there are several steps a person can take. Traditionally, prayers are written on strips of paper that are wrapped up with a piece of the petitioner's body (e.g. a piece of hair, a drop of blood, or even a fingernail clipping), then burned. Burning the prayer destroys the physical representation of the prayer, thus allowing it to pass into the spirit world. The name or introduction to the prayer (e.g. pin leardi ni leten nue "ancestral spirit of my family") indicates to whom the prayer is directed. Finally, the piece of the petitioner's body creates a link between them and the spirit, allowing the spirit to find them.

Prayers are typically addressed to either a person's ancestors (perhaps even a specific one, such as a deceased spouse) or the spirits of a particular place (a lake, for example), but sometimes, especially when a person is very desperate, they can be addressed broadly to any spirit that will listen. Prayers intended for one of the "great" dini (such as Ani, Eri, or Iwi) are usually addressed to a lesser spirit or ancestral spirit, to be delivered to the great spirit. To increase the odds a prayer will be heard and answered, it is best to burn the prayer at a place associated with the spirit. (or, for ancestors, near their physical remains)