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| Kolkaran religion http://forums.paradigmconcepts.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2600 |
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| Author: | Dante [ Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | Kolkaran religion |
A recent post by Henry Lopez on the Arcanis 5e KickStarter page (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/14 ... ts/1855547) covers the Kolkaran Minotauros. It speaks of an an alternative representation of Saluwé as a divine duality. Fitting this religion into the bigger picture of Arcanis, it appears to be the Pantheon of Men's re-interpretation of the Cosmic Dragon as being as aspect of Saluwé. Just as with the Cosmic Dragon, the Kolkaran representation of their Goddess includes halves that embody:
[This post is entirely out-of-character.] |
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| Author: | val Holryn [ Tue Apr 18, 2017 11:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kolkaran religion |
::nods head:: I like that idea. And it doesn't particularly look like Saluwe to me regardless of what locals believe. The Cosmic Dragon has a lot of obvious parallels. Something else I toy with is that the ancient Kolkarans had some completely different "3rd Party" Divinity that got shoe horned into the Pantheon of Man back in antiquity. Hard to know. Very little information of the people of the far West. And nothing of the possible Deities that the ancient Ossarions (or others) might have worshipped. Or might still be actively worshipped in some corner in some form. Consider two guys from early Coryan or the First Imperium trying to figure the Kolkarans out: "It's kinda a nature cult. Must really be Saluwe." "But it's a Bull...and also a cow?" "Don't over think it. Nature Cult! Obviously they are a really primitive people!" If that sounds crazy remember that Tzizihet got passed off as an Amalgam of Neroth and Sarish for 1,000 years in the Coryani Empire. I like to think the initial conversation might have started something like: "Sacred poop! Is that thing a starfish? With tentacles?!?" "Wow. I guess the debased Myrantians are pretty messed up. I hear they do undead and human sacrifices. That sounds Nerothian to me." "I dunno. LOOK at it! Anything that weird and extraplanar has got to be part of Sarish." "Yeah maybe. Listen, either way we've GOT to do something about this. Let's dump this on both the Val Mehan and the Val Mordane and let them sort it out..." Hopefully we'll learn more about the Kolkarans. And other deities like Lysandra, Wantir and Nayal. Though really maybe I would be okay if we could skip Nayal... |
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| Author: | Haakon_val'Ishi [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:47 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kolkaran religion |
val Holryn wrote: ...I would be okay if we could skip Nayal... But I hear Nayal is really fun at parties! |
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| Author: | Hat [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 7:27 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kolkaran religion |
It's interesting to think that in a world where gods have existed and walk the world that there may be Pantheons or individual deities that we're still unaware of. If the PoM disappeared, but the others remained, where are they? Why haven't they pushed to fill the divine void left by the others? With a sweep of his hat, Paul |
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| Author: | val Holryn [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:33 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kolkaran religion |
Well the Varn soulbridge was destroyed and the SK isn't quite there yet. Kassegore and Yig presumably ate a bunch of deities in the wars of extermination. Belisarda remains hidden; after the other four were eaten by the PoM. The Pantheon of Man also did in the crystal people ... The Khiaffrie? Or was that just the one God chained up in Neroth's basement? The Myrantian Pantheon is out there...but no one sane wants to call them. I hope they don't come looking to fill any voids. Is there a divine remnant still keeping watch? Maybe nothing wants to mess with the remaining Valinor? (Or Loshnek). Or are three deities of the PoM holding down the fort while the rest fight the Silence? (A la the Deathmongers/divine Trinity)? So there COULD be reasons why we don't have foreign gods or semi-gods setting up shop. But of course I have more questions... Who did the Ossarions worship? Or were they godless? Or did they also somehow worship the Pantheon of Man in some way? What happened to Wantir? Is he still around? Or other Ssethrics deities? Does Lysandra have any real impact on Arcanis (and if she is the "Belisarda" of the Green Moon then what impact did she play in the Gods War? ) |
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| Author: | blackthorn [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kolkaran religion |
Having picked up a Kolkaran Minotaurous pledge level, I am really excited to play it. Between the practice of sacred bull worship, horn topped altars (known as horns of consecration) and the sport/entertainment of bull leaping, Kolkara seems very similar to the culture of Minoan Civilization (Island of Crete) if you need to compare to a 'real world' perspective. And since Minoan religion was primarily 'matriarchal' seems perfect sense it would be a val'Dellenov stronghold (I assume). Best, Joe Cirillo |
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| Author: | Nierite [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kolkaran religion |
Interestingly, while Bull-leaping is best known from Minoan Crete, there is also records of it happening in the Indus River Valley Civilization, which was contemporary with them (their peak was before, however). Since these cultures almost certainly didn't directly interact, it says interesting things about pre-Vedic, pre-Indo-European cultures of the ancient world. That said, these guys are much more certainly pre-Greek Minoan inspired 
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| Author: | val Holryn [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kolkaran religion |
Sure. I see the Minoan connection. But we know a lot less about the Minoans than the Romans so that doesn't entirely help me. While I'm thinking about Bulls, does anyone more knowledable than me know if there are significant connections between modern bullfighting (and the running of the Bulls) and antiquity? |
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| Author: | Nierite [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 7:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kolkaran religion |
Yes and no. Bulls have always been symbols of strength and masculinity through the ancient world, and most cultures with cattle had SOME variation of the bullfight. You can see this in the story of Gilgimesh and Enkindu fighting the Bull of Heaven. A lot of times these fights would be part of a sacrifice to the gods, and after the bull was killed it was cooked and eaten by the worshipers. As such, the killing of bulls was viewed as a mixture of entertainment and worship, and because of the price of bulls was often associated with 'high class'. In Iberia (and Mexico), the secular aspect of the bullfighting died off, but the 'sport' of it continued on as a noble sport (similar to Polo in other nations). Eventually the entertainment (and masculinity) aspect took over, and it became more of a pastime than a form of worship. In Kolkara, we probably have the Bull as more of a divine figure, where they worship Saluwe' as cattle. As Her sacred animal, the assumption of her form (through the magical means of becoming a minotaur) and the killing of her sacred animal would be done (very likely) as a sacrifice. I know it sounds counter intuitive to kill a God's sacred animal (look at how cattle are treated in Hindu India), but a lot of cultures view that only the strongest and most holy animals are valid for sacrifices. As an example, look at the ibis bird in Egypt and its association with the god Thoth. Based on almost no information provided, Kolkara also likely has matriarchal aspects to their society, as most Saluweans do, which jives well with a Minoan-derived culture. The fact that the "Fury" archetype is the playable character from this region, they also value a certain wildness and primal fury, which does not speak to a 'cultured' civilization. They likely let their bestial natures come forth, likely as part of worship of Saluwe' as the Lady of Beasts. The name of the city hearkens to the Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta), which is located in West Bengal. Not much is known about this land before the coming of the Aryans, but it was part of the greater Vedic world of the Gangean civilizations prior to the coming of Ashoka. As such, the dominant culture was not dissimilar to the ancient Persians and Medes, but a lot more spiritual and stratified than either of those. It was a culture that valued purity, heirarchy, and overt signs of masculinity and bravado with bawdy stories of Heroes and war. |
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