Madacuain

Naomh-Òrain a ’Madacuain (Song of the Whales), sometimes shortened as The Madacuain or Tianism, is a polytheistic animist native religion of the Isles of Earrach which has a slight lean towards agnosticism. The religion is currently isolated within the Earrachian Archipelago, with the majority of Earrachians worshipping at least one deity from this religion.

History
The Earrachian Archipelago, mainly the isle of Eranor, consisted of various tribes ruled by different ruling clans. Due to the rugged geography of Eranor, these differences were stark. This was the case for the tribes of the Valley of Mt. Bas and the tribes of Rusliath, both regions separated by the Mor mountain range.

These different tribes worshipped different deities based on their professions, priorities, location, and tribal affiliation. Where the majority of people of the Earrach region worshipped either a God of Time for prophecies or a God of Knowledge for guidance to live atop of the often barren mountains, the farming tribes of Rusliath venerate a God of the Autumn Season in hopes of a good harvest. When later migrants landed on Southern Eranor to form the tribes of Aran, they brought to the archipelago their veneration of the God of Light.

The Highland Minotaurs of Earrach, which fell from the sky, had similar philosophies to the native Earrachian religion, though with a few quirks of their own. They have no detailed view of Gods and no personification of natural phenomena. They saw the divine in everyday life, and the magic of the living creatures and earth around them, but without a concept of "higher powers" like Gods. They were nature worshippers first and foremost. They did, however, venerate a few things more than others: Mountains were sacred, as were whales, snakes, bears, horses, dragonflies, moths, and any sort of bird, and believed in reincarnation after death.

When the tribe of Minotaurs arrived in Earrach, their beliefs merged with the various beliefs of the other clans over the years, eventually forming the religion as it is today. It was only codified as one religion by Summer of 64 TE, the exact date of the founding of the Earrachian Republic.

Beliefs and Practices
Madacuainists believe that gods, nature spirits and ancestral spirits exist, and have many druidic and mystic practices. However, they also acknowledge that these forces are extremely difficult to study, and nothing can be known about them with absolute certainty (thus having a lean towards agnosticism). The gods that they have chosen to worship, and the rituals they have chosen to perform, are simply their best attempt at understanding and respecting the supernatural.

Madacuainists believe that the best way to understand the gods is to understand the natural world, as the natural world is both made of divine creatures and influenced by them. Because of this, high priests within the religion spend a great amount of time studying and performing research. Libraries are often considered shrines to all the gods, and are very sacred places for the followers of this religion.

Adherents of this religion can be very eclectic in the veneration of their deities. As an example, Aukovaians revere 4 gods as they are all equally important to the ability to grow, harvest and produce their crafts. Earrach, as the god of the planting season, is revered to bless the seeds and saplings, which are planted to create the food we eat and give them the supplies to create their brews and cheese as well as build their homes. Samhradh, as the god of the growing season, is revered to bless the growth of their trees and crops, making them strong and plentiful. Oharan, as the god of the harvesting season, is revered to bless their harvest in the hopes that they grow large and allow Aukovai to gain wealth from selling and sharing. Omhan, as the god of light and warmth, heals the earth and warms their hearths in the winter, so that when spring comes, they can start the cycle again.

Madacuainists utilize the Earrachian Calendar for timekeeping.

Creation Myth
Based on the book called the "Naomh-Òrain a ’Madacuain", Madacuainists believe that the creation of the universe was started by what locals call the “Creation Whale”, a massive whale-like creature whose size is far greater than all of the known and unknown realms, swimming in some seemingly infinite sea. They believe that the realm we all inhabit was created when the whale breached the water’s surface and let out one mighty breath, from which formed our entire existence, in the cold and dark night’s sky.

The creation whale’s breath was extraordinarily hot when it was released into the sky, taking eons to cool down to the condition where mortals could survive. The nether dimension and the sun are two remnants of the heat of the early universe. It is prophesied that the universe will continue to cool in the eternal night’s sky, and that eventually our existence will end in cold, in dark, and in silence, when all the suns have died and the earth grows cold.

Early Deities
Creation whale       : The gods of all creation, very powerful though slightly indifferent to the mortal world. Highly respected and honored

Tìan, the Serpent   : (Known as Mura in the Tuhrifelian pantheon) The God of Time and The Storyteller. Tìan was born at the same instant as the universe was, patron of all who seek to understand the past; Tìan tells the universe's stories to all who listen. Tìan is capable of influencing the future by guiding those in the present, and is often prayed to for this reason. Tìan is the creator of the god Keal (protector of the spirit realm, high chief of the dead), and the elder sibling to Srios and Omhan. Sometimes depicted as a snake or a serpent-like being eating its own tail.

Srios, the Silence    : The god of silence, emptiness, cold, darkness and the most powerful and dangerous forms of magic. Was born shortly after Tìan was born.Omhan, the Storm    : The god which formed the stars and other celestial bodies. Omhan is associated with light, warmth, order and justice. Omhan is the younger sibling of both Srios and Tìan. Sometimes depicted as a bear.

Descendant Deities
Keal            : Created by Tìan, the Serpent, they are known as the protector of the Spirit Realm and the High Chief of the Dead.

Roh            : Created by Srios, they are the god of war, luck and skill in battle, destruction and violence, patron god of warriors, pirates and bandits.

Rùs            : Created by Srios, they are the god of deception and trickery, leader of the spirits of those who had died in combat and all other unrestful/vengeful spirits. They often help the spirits bring misfortune to their enemies who remain in the world of the living.

Mataig     : Created by Omhan, they are mostly associated with learning/discovery, revealing hidden things, invention and creativity. They are thought to have been the one who taught humanity to use language

Eòlas        : Created by Omhan, they are associated with knowledge and magic. They are said to have aided humanity in building local structures, such as shrines.

Worldly Deities
Earrach        : God of the planting season and of springtime. Sometimes depicted as a swan.

Samhradh   : God of the growing season and of summertime

Oharan         : God of the Harvesting season and of autumn

Note that winter is when the three gods mentioned above leave the lands, leaving Omhan as the sole protector of the isles against the cold and silence of Srios

Taro            : Patron god for healers and herbalists and a child of Earrach

Rea             : God of the Hunt, wild/foraged foods and medicine, and of luck

Aran            : The teacher and protector of farmers, bakers, brewers, etc., and is said to help with preparing/preserving/storing food for hard times to come (aka, winter). A child of Oharan

Caoramòr : The God of sheep, patron god of shepherds.

Celestial Deities
There was a god of the sun, Tei. They are a parent of the god of the early earth named Seanndi. Seanndi had a lover called Leia, who Tei had forbidden from touching, lest they destroy one another.After walking through the vast skies together, side-by-side for years, Seanndi eventually reached out to hold Leia's hand. That instant, they were both destroyed.

From the ashes of their remains, two new gods were born: Talam, god of the earth, and Rè, god of the moon. The two mourned the loss of their parents. Talam was overcome with grief that their tears became the oceans and rivers. Rè tried to comfort Talam, and vows to never leave their side, wiping away the tears from their face This caused the tides. Rè weeps their own tears onto Talam's shoulder. Where their tears fell, sweetberries emerged. As sweetberies were traditionally the staple of early Earrachian hunter-gatherers and are still important to Earrachians today, mainly as a food for the lost, Earrachians venerate Rè with a feast of sweetberries every full moon.