Lahani bird worship

Lahani bird worship
Abbreviation	LBW
Type	Folk religion
Region	Lahan
Other name(s)	Lahani folk religion(s)

Lahani bird worship, known by a multitude of other names across the world, is a name used to describe a complex of folk religions and mythologies followed by most native Lahani peoples. There is evidence of 'bird worship' extending back to prehistory in the cave paintings, ritual sites, and other artifacts discovered by archaeologists; it is also described at length by early explorers and missionaries to Lahan, although many traditions were lost during the colonial era.

Overview

The term "Lahani bird worship" (LBW) does not apply to one singular, organized religion, but a complex of different beliefs and practices exhibiting similar themes, most obviously the worship of birds, especially the island's many endemic species. While some of these religions seem to have been developed from the same prehistorical sources, there is evidence that each wave of arrivals to the island (up until the colonial era) probably came with their own, pre-existing, distinctive religions, but that these became heavily blended with local traditions. This cultural exchange went in both directions, exemplified by the similarities to Proto-Ekuo-Lahiri and Sanju-jutean religions across the beliefs of unrelated ethnic groups.

Despite their complex differences, LBW traditions have been historically seen as one religion, especially by invading colonizers from the Saruan Empire and Shohuan. This has sadly lead to the idea that they were one singular religion, and many distinctive practices have been lost (especially among groups who experienced greater population decline or cultural assimilation), now evidenced only indirectly. While some traditions are still thriving, many have been replaced or heavily influenced by the religions of the colonizers.

Recent decolonization efforts have included the return to LBW, either fully or in part, by Lahani natives (and those of mixed heritage).

Figures of worship

Lahani giant eagles

One of the key figures respected in all LBW is the Lahani giant eagle (majok, nawayo, and other local names). All groups honour and respect the eagle itself, and many worship the bird or a mythologized character based on it as powerful deities. The importance of the bird varies depending on the location of the people — chiefly, of course, whether their traditional territories fall within its range.

Practices

One of the practices seen as most 'barbaric' by the first Neviran explorers were the sacrificial offerings made to the giant eagles, including dead or living livestock and, among some groups, humans.