Draconism | |
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The High Dragons Song Kɬiiřax The Symphony | |
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Auřkon |
Artist renderition of The Four guardians of the Earth.
The Followers of the Dragons, or more commonly known as Draconism is a polytheistic reconstionalized religion first concieved in Nansha, Guangzhou, PRC China, but since the CCP does not support neo-religious occultism, it has remained small and private until it slowly through the internet, tourists and culture exchages reached European grounds. It has its strongest public following in Nothern Europe where it has transfomed until it bacame what it is today.
The religion follows dracomorph deities known as Thaař [θɑːʀ̥] (female: Mu'ur [mʊᵝʔʊ:ʀ̥]) whom act both as embodiments of laws and forces manifesting within our world, created by the two primeval forces Usór and Idaya, which can be seen as likes to Yin and Yang in tradition Chinese belief;
One can easily see the dragon gods as fulfilling personifications of such universal forces (gravity, time, energy etc.). Followers recognise a hierarchy between these dragon gods where some gods are seen higher, and more important than others, with one reigning supremely over all, whom worshippers refer to as Auřkon, with the last syllables in his name truncated (removed) as those syllables transcend normal human perception. Adherents believe this deity does not listen to "normal" prayers from normal people unless the prayer is given through to the other four dragon-gods or dragon-guardians of Earth, however an exception is that in certain circumstances Auřkon activly chooses a Njåd (priest), explained further down.
The aforementioned four dragon-guardians or gods, two female, two male, are regarded as guardians of hearth who protect the Túqou, our four-dimentional, physical plane. They are named Onnuř or "The White one", Ahsuř or The Black one, Křo'uř or "The Yellow one," and Břahkuř or "The Blue one".
These Guardian dragons are said to protect Earth from The Unkilled Lamb, known as Aúl, an evil entity whom feeds on misery, indoctrination, and fear.
The religious refer themselfs as Thřell, and their dragon-gods as Thaař, or Mu'uř for females.
Philosophy and teachings[]
Religious "text"[]
There are three main religious text, or rather; oral verses that are passed down, regarding the faith; "The High Dragons Song", "Kɬiiřax", and "The Symphony".
Unlike most religious texts who are often structured strictly in a specific manner, these books are often very poetic and loose, with some parts left extremely vauge. Another quirk is that numbers that appear in these books are counted in base 12, and still are, even in translated versions, as it is seen as "more draconic" and therefore better or purer.
The High Dragons Song is the longest one. Comprising 13 chapters and 680 verses on avarage. It is the most prose heavy as it reads more like a novel, with a story and characters.
Kɬiiřax comes second at 16 chapters with 520 verses avarage. The last chapter is unfinished as it contains The List of Dragons, and like the name suggest, it contains a list of as many different dragons-gods as possible. Currently it's supposedly at a bit more than 500.
Lastly there is The Symphony with 22 chapters with 350 verses avarage. It houses the do's and don't's of Draconism but also contains a lot of poetry and ethical dillemas.
Other than the main three books there are numerous smaller letters and books with ranging holiness:
The Letters are the least holy collection,
The Edicts are the second to lowest holy collection,
The Dreams, The Wars and The Tribunals are in the middle,
The Embers and The Velvet comes next,
And lastly The Songs, where the HDS can be found, are the most holy.
Afterlife[]
Adherents believe when one dies, they are not dead rather that Iá has taken their soul to cleanse it of all sins and when he finishes, well... noone really knows, with some advocate for reincarnation and some arguing that the soul lives through Iá, and taken to heaven forever. However the most popular concensus is that the soul grows into a new etheral body, with varying degrees of draconic traits (scales, horns etc.), dependent on how strong the fire was at time of death. Aftewards the soul-now-body is taken care of by the dragons to "serve"; a concept simmilar to Valhalla where Thřell, Thaař and Mu'ur live in paradise. However, unlike the concept of Heaven, the soul "must and will serve a dragons needs", which means exactly what it sounds like. Still, this is regarded as the ultimate pleasure as to please the dragons is to please oneself.
Ones Fire[]
According to the dragon faith, every human is born with a fire in their soul, reflecting their spirituality and loyality to the dragon cause. This fire is variable, growing either stronger or weaker depending on how one act and pray in life. Unbelievers are said to have their fire "put out" and what is left is perhaps small embers, or just a cold nothingness. The duty of a follower then is to try and be devoted and keep their fire burning by pleasing the dragons throughout life, and stay loyal, since your place in heaven is dictated by the strength of your flame, with stronger flames creating stronger more draconic servants in the afterlife, which is regarded as preferable by practitioners.
The size of the fire one can also influence the ability to communicate with dragons as it is believed that people whom have grown their fire enough, can get contacted, or may themselves contact and have spiritual dialouge with their assorted dragon. People whom are regarded to posess a great fire may be Njåds whom are priests in the 13th stratum and up, who work as controllants/advisors to the High Priest and double check the High Priest's rulings to confim they are in fact from the Dragons. They can be Asherns who can be regarded as spiritual warriors whom defend the faith from assorted enemies. They usually come from the 6th stratum up. Normal non-priests however may also get contacted by the dragons in certain circumstances, most often if that is the case, by indirect intervention, such as an odd feeling of calm and happines when doing something the dragons want you to do.
Hell[]
Draconism does not have a hell one might imagine of eternal torture, because, there is no true hell of eternal damnation. Evildoers are instead sent to Iɬeřkos, which is a part of heaven, but can be regardes as a form of Limbo, where solus who did not keep their soul-fire burning, are kept, without pain, for eternity floating until they themselves manage to ignite their flame again, which is regarded as unlikely; they are saved by an ignited soul from above that manage to reignite their lost fire, or that they are saved by the grace of Iárnie, who herself can ignite a lost soul's fire.
Despite these three ways of reigition, most often the soul will stay, neglected by dragons, but still free to do whatever they want, suspended in an empty dark landscape.
"Pleasure and Power, in eternity, great dragon above, of any kind, and how little I am bellow. I will serve that power of good..." - Kɬiiřax 16 : 426
Sacred food[]
The religion's adherents have a selection of so called "holy foods" or "sacrosanct foods". Officially these foods are not "set in stone" as many lists of sacred foods switch out, most often by the command of dragons relayed through the High Priests and later confirmed by the Njåds. Despite that, there is one meat that can truly hold the title as "sacred food": Red meat, preferably lamb as it embodies Aúl; The Unkilled Lamb, the evil entity that feeds on misery, and by eating lamb meat it is seen as a ritualistic feast on Aúl, The Unkilled lamb, and it causes Aúl to suffer from it.
Priesthood[]
The Priests of Draconism are divided up into 24 "stratum" or floors / levels, with the 24th beeing reserved for the Arch Priest, an elected priest from the 15th to 23rd stratum whom represents the faith as a religious leader. Of cource, because of a low number of attendees in the religion, the democracy is somewhat abandoned.
The High Priest is the main shaman of sorts that is said to have the closest connection to the dragons, and such have the ability, and responsibility to relay the draconic teachings into the world through dialouge and negotiation. He is then instructed to pass on reforms that add or subtract from the faith as to clarify the message and make it more accurate.
Njåds are advisors and people that confirm the legitimacy of the High Priest's information by double-checking on their masters to make sure the High Priest does not abuse his authority, or succumb to human nature of corruption.
The Njådic Senate is the spiritual body that mostly handles such affairs within the faith, however the njåds in that senate are unelected, and positions are appointed in part by the High Priest. This has led the suspicion of collusion between newly appointed Njåds and the High Priest to allow deceitful reforms, not from dragon origin, within the faith.
Prayers[]
Prayers which are designated for use during worship in the religion are:
- The Family Prayer - a different prayer for all families that follow the religion, or just your own family. An example would be "May the Thaař watch over this household and protect it from the evils of Aúl. Thaař, Mu'uř, Thřell."
- The Confession Prayer - a prayer meant if one has wronged another person or done something that goes against the religion. "May the Thaař forgive me and wash away all of my deeds done for Aúl, Kniir, Hřey, Hiiř"
- The Marriage Prayer - a prayer either done as a blessing to newly weds or as prayers said by the clergy stating "May The Thaař protect this couples bond and keep their love as strong as can be. Fehřat, yin Ȥir, Xa"
These prayers are preferably prayed in "Draconic", a compiled semi-conlang trying to replicate the ancient "royal dragon speech". Some have described it as chewing rocks because of its many glottal sounds
Sinful behaviour[]
Sins are seen as certain acts that diminish the strength of ones soul-fire. While all sins can be forgiven if a follower dearly regrets their actions, the simple act of commiting sin even if it is forgiven, is still looked down uppon. Most often, such people will talk very little about their sins, or playfully joke about them for banter, commenting on how stupid one was back then. Sins within the religion are layed out in the "The Symphony" with the most grave sins being:
- Murder without defence (Murder is a muddy topic, as self-defense which result in accidental murder is seen as sin-free.)
- Sex whom shy from concent (Rape)
- Worshiping the lamb whom decieved (Worshipping false deities and/or Aul)
- Beat the child whom not said nor shown (Punishing or hurting innocent people)
- Fall for little price (Concede defeat to an enemy to the faith)
- Smuggle snails with giant maw (Humiliate others within the faith)
- Heart but maw in dragon soul (Not treating people as you want them to treat you)
- Struggle gives reward, not Aúl (To give in for pressure)
- Thřell whom locked gnosis dragon's cave (Spreading false news)
- Fling a sword at the supressed you must guide (Violently forcing heathens, heretics or apostates to covert)
Pantheon[]
Introduction to the pantheon[]
The religion believes in many, many deities. The highest deity is named Auřkon for he is the only dragon who will not answer the average follower. However, it is believed that he may listen to a few selected priests, these are called Auřkon's kin. The religion teaches this deity is a dragon who changes form dependent on who he chooses to speak to.
When a follower is let into the religion, through a confirmatory ritual or by just formal confirmatory agrement, one dragon choose to accept the follower as a servant. That dragon becomes your peronal dragon, and the dragon one will serve in the afterlife. There is plenty theories about about the system the dragons work upon to choose servants, but there is little confirmation in a model that works absolute, Some dragons are a bit picky, rarer to manifest, and does not choose out new converts that often. Auřkon is one such dragon, who have only chosen around 20 followers. Still, there are some dragons whom are rarer to get chosen by. Iskirión, god of Inertia, have only chosen a meager 3 followers, all female, which is strange for a dragon.
Bellow Auřkon are the four guardians, each representing a colour, a season, and a force of nature. It is these four that also choose the most human followers.
Ahsuř[]
The first dragon to be birthed by Auřkon, Onnuř is the god of time aswell as god of life, and since draconists believe a "God of X" also is "X", Ahsuř is time and life itself, at the same time as beeing himself. He embodies Spring, when new things come to life to start a new cycle. Since Auřkon poured a bit too much "energy" into him since he wasn't sure how much was needed to create Ahsuř; It was after all his first one, he became the only god to occupy more than one thing (apart from Auřkon) and therefore took on the colour of his father: Black.
Ahsuř represents Spring, when life returns and is awoken anew.
Onnuř[]
Onnuř was the second to be birthed by Auřkon, The first Mu'ur; or female dragon, she became the god of death; to counter Onnuř, and to make sure life wouldn't become stagnant, but ever-evolving. In Draconism however, death isn't seen as a malevolent "thing"; rather it's Onnuř leading you into heaven (or Naiɬ). She does this by eating, digesting, and leaving you by as excretion in Naiɬeřkos; the gateway to heaven. This is also how you know you've been accepted into heaven, for if you've been bad; Onnuř won't eat you, but rather throw your soul away from Naiɬ. While beeing eaten is perhaps not the most pleasured experience to ascend into heaven, The Symphony 19:100 lays out:
<19: 100> It'll be painful, It'll be pleasurable <101> It'll be instant, it'll be endless. <102> But rest assured, for if you know you're being [cleansed], stand tall, Onnuř is with you. And soon, you shall be with him [Auřkon] too,
Onnuř represents Autum, when the past cycle of life comes to a close.
Břahkuř[]
Břahkuř came third, She is the god of the Moon, benevolent, loyal, she would be the oracle to speak for Auřkon when he couldn't. Břahkuř also, while not beeing the god of knowledge, gave fire to the humans, and showed that "light can be created from everything" (everything may glow). She would go on with Křo'uř and have many children. Most of them, gods over something in the sky. She represents Winter, as she is as blue as ice.
Křo'uř[]
Křo'uř came fourth. Beeing the god of the stars and sun, and kind of a prideful dragon, he often bragged about his "light". But don't let his prideful nature trick you into believeing he is malevolent, no, no, no; for inside the scales hides a warm heart. He maintains the life Ahsuř created during his season; Spring, but sometimes his pride get's out of hand and we get drought. However, to compensate for his pride, he arranges the lights, known as stars in the night sky. In Draconism, the sun is seen as his heart, and the stars sprinkled around us the scales; The band seen throughout the sky; The Milky Way, is seen as his tail, wrapping around us in a great hug. He represents Summer, when the heat of the Sun burns strong in the sky.
Practices[]
Draconism believes in a strict, no stress practice, so its adherents practice their religion by meditation and calm sessions where one isolates themselves in a darkened room and focuses inwards, sometimes to reach a state of oneness with the dragons, or to cleanse oneself of sins and seek forgiveness.
They also lay great importance in finding "The Song" - a supposed universal pulse or song in which all living things resonates at. It's supposedly like a slow waltz that's permiating everything. Adherents believe that when one knows or feel this "song" their soul grow closer to "dragonhood" - i.e becomes more draconic in general, and their fire grows exponetially, leading to greater favours by the dragons.
Rituals to invoke dragons exist in many forms within the religion, most often taken place outside, but indoor rituals do occur aswell. These rituals have been theorized by onlookers to be of wiccan or freemason origin, as they share similar traits (standing outside, pattern carving, symbolery), however while the rituals may look the same, they play out in a very uniqe way. often involving mass incantaions, offerings, and intricate theatrics and coreography.
Extra[]
- The word Thaar which is used for the many dragon-gods can be traced back to the Swedish word "Far" which means "Father"
- Female dragon-gods, or Mu'ur, also a loanword, this time "Mor" or mother, in Swedish.
- Many draw paralells between the evil Lamb and Jesus, however, this is only a coincidence according to the priesthood. Still, this has created tension between the two religions on rare occations.
- Draconism is acctually just a cach-all term for many "local groups" who share the same ideas, but still have many differences, much like Hinduism . Wer Flohli di Wer Darastrixi is one of the biggest separate groups.