Emberian Religion
Table of Contents
Introduction
Seeing the hostile environment that both provided sustenance and threatened their livelihood, a very interesting religion emerged from the people. Trees, mountains, lakes and other elements of nature formed what is known as the "Eternal Snow", with each of them being a legacy from a different diety. For an example, Vattenkälla is the diety representing all the water that flows in Mount Ember.
Being a folk religion of nature, it places a strong emphasis in the individual. However, a sharp increase in nationalist sentiment during the Unification War led to the creation of a system of Emberian evaluation, much similar to the Blessed and Cursed people in Drakenland. Indeed, throughout generations, an exclusive perennialist school of thought named "Thousand Snowfalls Doctrine" emerged to unify and justify their spiritual, naturalist views.
The coalescence of different faiths now revolves around the pursuit into the unity and self-cultivation of the individual to a greater otherworldly realm (Andlig). Some Emberians may attempt to become one with Heaven (Himmelriket). Even with the fusion of different folk religions, Emberian scholars have divided the Snowfalls Doctrine into numerous Ethics, with each of them having other Constants that dictate humanist or supernatural ways of self-cultivation. As such, Emberian scholars that were "wiser", or had more political leverage were able to maintain most, if not all, of their laws relevant to the Snowfall Doctrine. In essence, it meant that senior Emberian scholars managed to keep their power intact - In primis et ante omnia - now being strong figures in Emberian theology.
Artistic depiction about the arrival of Hemminiki Aghmund to a small congregation of Emberian scholars. Although originally an Selenist aristocrat, he deserted his country and became an extremely influential figure in Emberian history.
Thousand Snowfalls Doctrine
Founded by Humanist and Himmelrikets Emberian scholars ca. 1000, the Snowfall Doctine seeks to explain, from a perennialist view, the spirituality of the world. Thus, it is not fair to assume that Humanist ethnic is purely Humanist, or that Himmelrikets have purely spiritual constants; every ethic is related to a Constant, without any exceptions. Most Emberian scholars would agree that Humanism is composed of three ethics, with each of them having five Constants. However, other scholars that have a relation to mysticism could add, subtract or even fuse different ethnics or doctrines.
Ironically, one of the biggest events in Emberian History took place in the poorest village in Emberia, named Molle.
Emberian Humanism
Humanism with Emberian characteristics attempts to explain the role of man in the World, or earthly realm (Obegynt). It lies out ethics and Constants that should be followed for self-cultivation and spiritual improvement, with notable rationalist views of the world. Often regarded by outsiders as a "religion with secularism", it also places a particular emphasis on Traditionalism concerning social harmony and family values. Frequently studying human morality, it is believed that one can transcend to the throne of Himmelriket should they attempt to; the topic of transcendence is still a hotbed for long and heated debates.
A common scene regarding Humanist debates. Transcendence is still a sensitive matter regarding many scholars, but their interest in it continues unperturbed.
One of the most accomplished and influential Humanist philosophers, Hederlig Heminiki Aghmund, published a manuscript in 982 titled "On the Nature of Human Will", which greatly expanded the belief of supernatural dieties. Much similar to a Selenist "Cult of Victory", it implied a point of juncture in Emberian behavior - with invisible authority -, that the man could develop, augment and act on a higher plane of existence (Överstiga). Thus, when all conditions were fulfilled - a removal of materialistic struggle and transcendence from earthly resistence - within an spiritual and materialistic event, an Emberian could receive a supernatural and a "more-than-life" catharsis; an ignis essentiae. Unexpectedly, after Heminiki's death, young scholars took his view of Överstiga into a militaristic approach, much to the dismay of the Selenistic Church, which was already struggling to keep any semblence of loyalty within the region.
In a metaphysical point-of-view, the current world is living through a Dark Age (Mörka Tidsåldern), a time of strife and discord that can only be fixed through achieving Himmelriket, that holds the key, the answer, for overcoming this period. Emberian Himmelrikets are ones responsable for attempting to reach a higher state: a state outside of reality. More extreme Emberian Humanists; however, believes in an outsider influence on the man, instead of an internal self-cultivation.
An illustration of house-to-house fighting during a particularly bloody fight in Uppåkra in the Independence War. Although the Old Dragoons had a shortage of weapons, Emberians decided to bring their own bows and knives to battle. Note an Old Dragoon leading the men.
Humanist Ethics
Ever since the Snowfall Doctrine was formally founded, Emberian Humanists rapidly organized and unified their beliefs into Ethics and Constants. Even though there are some disagreement between what Constants should be officially adopted, most Humanists are in favor of five Ethic Constants.
Humanist Constants
Constants are small subsets of an Ethic. Generally being guides for a doctrine, they assist an Emberian to understand a specific school of Emberian Thought. Although the Humanist Constants have been created by men without divine inspiration, they became entrenched dogmas in Emberia, and are still relevant in folk culture.
Självutplånande
Meaning "Self-effacing", Självutplånande is an ethic that seeks to humiliate an Emberian for an specific purpose: studying Mörka Tidsåldern. Emberian Humanists attempt to stop clinging to impermanent states and things in order to become truly frugal, modest and altruistic. Undoubtly an extremely difficult Ethic to overcome, it is a process that takes years to understand.
The study of the Dark Ages, pioneered by Odulphus Ervast, was major contributor to Emberian ethnocentrism and nationalism, which in turn led to Selenist hostility; it was an Emberian's sacred duty to completely wipe the world clean of the Dark Age, according to more extreme Humanist elements.
Although originally interpreted to be a scholarly ethic, some villages translated such teaching to a more traditional element; Självutplånande, to them, meant the preservation of Emberian costumes, family traditions and rites.
Rites were especially sacred as they could reach one closer to a "complete" lustral cleasing for Andlig, and eventually, Himmelriket. In folk Humanism, rituals could approximate a community closer to a communal englightment, essentially turning the "invisible", visible. Elements of the spirit of nature, of a human's underlying soul could be seen if such rituals align perfectly with the deity the villagers attempted to contact.
Rättvisa
In a Selenist vision of righteousness, chivalry was considered to be a supra-national circle of those who were ready to wage war at all times, whoever it might be, - and to bring to arms the banner of honor and justice. Hederlig Heminiki Aghmund interpreted this doctrine, and chivalry as a whole, as a supra-political and supra-human battle that was defined no longer by a particularist, materialistic soil; but by an universal value, an unshakeable point of reference bound by the chains of the supernatural.
Again, in classic Emberian militarist fashion, a recent revision of Emberian justice by young scholars have led to another radical mix of Himmelriketism and Humanism: A supra-spiritual form of achieving an Överstigan catharsis could, theoretically, be formed through the spill of blood in battle. As such, it is one of the only things that can grab the attention of the gods since it is an honest, righteous attempt of separating the individual from a materialistic struggle to an otherwordly realm. Quoting a recently published work by a group of Emberian scholars, it says: "...a last stand against misfortune, especially if he himself challenged it, can command the sight from even a god."
An Emberian's willingness to connect and relate his life to a membership in the army gives it an ethic shape it's own; it is precisely that attitude which arouses supra-natural forces. As a basis, to seek a physical and spiritual conjuction in the army, with it's disciplines ready for absolute and instant action against, and on the plane of materialistic struggle, is the correct path to follow.
Emberian hunter-scouts during the Independence War. Contrary to popular belief, Emberia had the semblance of an autonomous region before the Great Unification by Axel the Brave.
Vänlighet
"Our modesty will be rewarded. Do not long for metal or feelings, friends. We are all worth more than that." - Hederlig Heminiki Aghmund.
Following the law of noncontradiction of metaphysics, two contradictions, (i.e Being and not Being) cannot be true under the same condition. The condition, or constant would be the earthly realm. The contradictions however, would be goodness and evil. Emberian Humanism classifies all living, rational beings as evil by nature; and non-living beings or animals as kind, or good.
Theoretically, Emberians can overcome their evil in order to ascend to Överstiga, and possibly Andlig. But, a complete disconnection of the world must be achieved before any of these steps are to be followed. A simple answer emerged to justify the reason to live in humbleness and modesty: Since men are born evil and selfish, and the earthly nation was colonized by men, the only logical conclusion is that one must attempt to arrive at the antonym of the negativity, - to distance himself further and further from his current plane of existence.
Indeed, kindness and amiability are true to Emberians; but what about the others? What about the brutish, blind savages? Are they deserving of mercy? The answer differs when asking different Humanists: the more conservative ones might argue that yes; their duty is to leave this plane to end the Dark Ages, even if it means showing kindness to the oppressors - gentleness is the antonym of evil.
The more extreme elements of Humanism however, believe that Emberians should not only rely on the Unknown to find their answers to the Mörka Tidsåldern, a true Emberian should take matters into his own hands and wipe the slate clean to achieve enlightment.
Emberian Himmelriketism
The historical and profound spiritual transformations that will determine the future of mankind have an unnatural stratospheric, foreign feeling to the common man; certainly it is not being talked about by the media or the school one attends. Even the person itself cannot begin to comprehend the eschatological implications beyond one's control, - the brain cannot understand what is larger than the man itself.
An uncurable patient, groaning in pain, hardly pays mind to the medical, biochemical and pharmaceutical controversies that unwind in remote places, with languages he does not know. But out of those controversies, it could bring, one day, the cure for his disease. The unseeable, that is closer to his destiny seems distant, abstract and alien to his pain.
Himmelriketism, in a Vedic concept, rejects the limitations of man as a pawn to a higher power, normally citing an influential Himmelriketist philospher that studied how men influenced the supra-natural, and vice-versa: Johannes Ighul. Johannes was, and still is, the unquestionable authority in Himmlekriketian universalism.
Himmelriketism, much like Humanism, emerged from an unification of beliefs by the Snowfalls Doctrine. However, Himmelriketism remains by far the oldest religion to appear in Emberia: some manuscripts are dated to be hundreds of years old. Indeed, it attempted to justify, albeit crudely, the origins of their Being and actions. Like the name implies, Himmelriketism deepens the study of the supra-natural without losing focus of human individuality in relation to the telluric realm they are inhabiting.