Tanhunga

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Tanhunga (Norjihani: Tanhungá (/tɑ.nu.'tn̥au/)) is a major religion, mostly followed in South and Central Baredina by over 100 million followers. Coming from the Proto-Baredan words for 'Path of the Son', the religion appeared at the height of the Greater Barada civilisation, and appears to have been influenced or be a branch of the Adzamic faith group. Followers, called Tanhungði, believe that they are engaged in the task of helping rebuild Kalkatur, the eternal perfection and mother of the universe, who was killed by Huad. To do so, we must follow the path of Tan ('The Son', ie. Kalkatur's son) , who it is believed is a guide to mankind. Tanhunga has played a pivotal role in the history of South Baredina, being closely linked to the Baredan people.

Tanhunga first appeared around 100 AD, at the end of the Great Baredan Migration, as a codified form of the Bareda Faith, founded in Hajenired by Mahadras Mahdrin, whom followers of Mahadran Tanhunga view as a perfect manifestation of Kalkatur. It quickly spread to the other Baredan peoples in South and Central Baredina, becoming a large scale organised religion. It mostly remained confined to Baredan peoples until the 1600s when the Grand Tanhungði Servant Ponu II declared the 'Cleansing of Souls', what was to be a major missionary effort in the Hemesh peninsula and the rest of Baredina to consolidate smaller communities facilitated by trade. Small communities exist outside of Baredina, but the main concentrations are in Norjihan, Sjuu and Istan.

There are two main denominations of Tanhunga, Mahadran and Sjuun Orthodox, of which Mahadran is the most flowed with 80% of Tanhungði being Mahadran. However, both denominations do cooperate under the Council of the Warriors of Tan, the ruling council of the Sovereign Order of Hajenired. The head of the Tanhungði clergy is the Grand Tanhungði Servant, who is elected by the Council and is the ultimate theological authority of the faith.


Beliefs

The Hunga

The Hunga is the path laid out by Tan which it is believed you must follow to be able to return to Kalkatur at the end of time and understand your role in the universe. Yte is sometimes seen as a manifestation of the two central tenants of the Hunga, which are;

  • Hádan

Hádan is the idea of knowledge of the self, or rather more the knowledge of the role the object should play. All living things have a role to play within the universe, and Hádan is the thing that keeps them in that place. Inanimate objects have Hádan, such as a chaire fulfilling the role of a chair. The concept of Hádan for humans and other living creatures changes depending on the specific circumstance, which is what allows humans to be able to pursue different careers etc., although the concept of Hádan still restricts certain things according to the wider Hunga Hádan can be seen as the ‘meaning’ of life, something that one must search for and cultivate, but due to the pure abstract notion of it many philosophers see true Hádan as unattainable, due to the curse of Huad which creates an imbalance within the individual’s Yte

  • Nøvad

The concept of Nøvad, the best translation of which is ‘Knowledge of the Universe within and by the self’, may seem rather bizarre or overlapping with the concept of Hádan. However, Nøvad is generally taken to be an expression of epistemological awareness, as well as what gives ‘reality’ to the universe. Nøvad is seen as awareness of the world and its needs, as opposed to Hádan which is the individual’s needs within the world.

Combined with the other two aspects of Yte, Heddin and Huryð (roughly 'life-force' and 'order', both explained below), these order the life of a Tanhungði; we should seek to live simple but fulfilling lives, appealing to the inner self that the order of Yte has created.

Ætpare

Pantheon

The Quadrumvirate

The Glorious Quadrumvirate are the four central dieties of Tanhunga and are seen as the most important by Tanhungði. An explanation of the role of each is below:

  • Kalkatur

Kalkatur is the mother of the universe, having created the Primordial Spirits, Tan and Huad. Huad killed Kalkatur and from her remains Sahar, and thus Yte, was formed as an incomplete copy of her 'Eternal Perfection'. The entirity of Tanhunga is based on returning to the eternal state of Kalkatur at the end of time, and our role in helping rebuild the mother so that those who followed the path may live for eternity in peace.

  • Yte

Yte is an inperfect copy of Kalkatur, formed by Tan from the remains of Kalkatur. The spirit of Yte manifests itself in all things, and humans themselves are an extension of Yte and thus ultimately of Kalkatur. Yte is also a representation of the Path itself, being a representation of our duties and need to understand our connection to the eternal nature of Kalkatur. Yte will return to Kalkatur at the end of time, and thus so shall humanity.

Yte is percieved to have a Heddin, or ‘life force’, that links all living creatures together with Sahar. Heddin’s role in Tan appears in the role of the spirits, also called Heddin(ai) who represent aspects of the world. As a more pure and abstract concept it can be referred to as ‘interconnectedness’, in that all objects in the universe are all extensions of a universal being, which Yte can sometimes be viewed as itself; Heddin is what links us to Yte and makes us exist.

Huryð is the idea that over time Yte will tend to try and become more ordered ie. it will try to fully apply Hádan to all things, and make Heddin spread out and more uniform and ‘perfect’. Huryð is sometimes seen as the ‘soul’ of Kalkatur, and provides a link between man and the eternity that was and is to come (due to the action of this Huryð), and due to its imbalance we can not know this eternity - Huryð may therefore be seen as an explanation for time itself.

  • Tan

Tan, literally meaning 'Son', is one of the two sons of Kalkatur who she brought into the world when she grew bored of the primordial spirits. He is the guide of all Tanhungði, having laid the Path, or Hunga, which all followers of Tanhunga must take to ensure the return to the eternal perfection of Kalkatur at the end of time after the Last Battle.

  • Huad

Huad was the other son of Kalkatur, and was tricked by Yni into killing Kalkatur, and in an attempt to undo his own work and stop the formation of Yte cursed modern man to be born cast asunder from the Hunga, and so we must follow Tan's path to return to Yte and thus Kalkatur. He is not seen as purely evil, but rather misguided and a representation of what happens when you don't follow the Hunga.

Primordial Spirits

The primordial spirits were spirits created by Kalkatur or are the children of those spirits. They were the very first spirits - personifications of concepts, but they did not interact with Sahar or anything living on it. These spirits will return to be one with Kalkatur at the end of time except for Haje, who will be killed and thus usher in the 'perfect' eternity once more.

Spirit Purpose Description
Haje Spirit of Time
Hansa Spirit of Reason
Husal Spirit of Knowledge and Memory
Jeimdo Spirit of Sound and Music
Unfwa Spirit of Impulse
Wekago Spirit of Eternity Killed by Huad, but will be reborn from Haje at the end of time
Yni Spirit of Love and Betrayal The spirit who tricked Huad into killing Kalkatur due to her rejection of him. He is thus seen as both the spirit of Love and Betrayal. His remains are the stars, as an example of the other spirits not to rise up against Yte or Genn.

Other Spirits

The other spirits are either descendents of the primordial spirits or creations of Tan, tasked with watching over Yte to keep her safe, as well as to aid and guide humans on their quest to fulfil their Hadan and eventually return to Kalkatur. Meth and Uled are the children of Huad, and so were cursed to become spirits when they died; they, however, agreed to aid Tan, with Meth becoming the Keeper of the Dead, watching over the souls of humanity so they may return to Kalkatur. Meth and Uled are the ancestors of all modern humans.

Spirit Purpose Description
Derog Spirit of Travellers and Shelter
Protector of the Baredan Peoples
Fuamhe Spirit of Mist and Trickery
Kontrum Spirit of Vanity and Beauty
Lowke Spirit of the Weather
Meth Spirit of Death As the direct descendant of Huad, Meth became a spirit when he died. He was cursed to forever watch mankind die and to be the Judge of Men and the Guard of the Englightened. He will be unable to enter the Eternal Kingdom, so Uled his wife will kill both of them out of mercy.
Nerin Spirit of Nature
Nonkay Spirit of the Mountains
Osa Spirit of the Sea
Regsa Spirit of the Harvest
Tuwa Spirit of the Sun
Uled Spirit of Mercy and Kindness The other child of Huad, Uled is also cursed with being an immortal spirit. She is the spirit of Mercy and Kindness, and will kill herself and Meth at the universe so Meth doesn't have to bear the pain of never being able to enter the Eternal Kingdom.
Utsaf Spirit of the Land

Spirit Family Tree

Kalkatur / Yte
Sahar
Tan
Light
Huad
Darkness
Yni
Betrayal
Haje
Time
Husal
Knowledge
Jeimdo
Sound
Meth
Death
Uled
Mercy
DemonsWekago
Eternity
EndingsHansa
Reason
Unfwa
Impulse
Derog
Protection
Utsaf
Land
Osa
Sea
Nerin
Nature
Tuwa
Sun
Nonkay
Mountains
Kontrun
Beauty
Regsa
Harvest
Lowke
Weather
Fuamhe
Mist
GuidesMountainsRiversForests