Chapter XXI: Religion

Half asleep, I rolled over as I found a rock digging into my side. Pain lanced up my side and I yelped and scrambled into a sitting position. I groaned, as my body decided now was an ample time to tell me how sore it was.

Deciding that I might as well do something, I got up. Getting up, I stretched and changed into a fresh pair of clothes compared to my grotty ones from the past few days. I grabbed some food out of one of my saddlebags and started munching on the fruit. I looked up to check what time it was, and saw that the sun was almost halfway across the sky.

I grabbed the book that Brom had given me last night and sat down. "Well with nothing else to do, I might as well read." I said to myself quietly.

I opened the first page, unlike last time the word Skulblaka and dragon weren't written at the top. Instead, the words Magic and Religion were written. I looked around the clearing, void of life besides Eragon, the horses and myself. I leaned against the tree behind me and started reading, certain that Istal would notify me if anything happened.

Religions are plent in Alagaësia. Many cultures have a different religion that it follows. Religion refers to the belief in and worship of supernatural controlling power, especially a personal god or gods. A particular system of faith and worship and the way of life committed to by monks and nuns.

Although few cultures have more than one form of religion, it isn't that rare. Humans have many different religions, although the majority of these cults have died out. Despite this, many humans are still superstitious (superstitious meaning the belief in supernatural causality – that one even causes another without any natural process linking the two events). Wherever you go within human cities, villages and towns, there are variations for human death ceremonies known as funerals. It has been noted that in the north-west end of Alagaësia that the funeral rites are considerably similar. When this was first noticed, it soon became apparent to me that this is the same wherever you go in Alagaësia. Humans living near each other normally have similar behaviour.

I have tried to figure this out for a long time and have thought up a theory that makes sense. My theory is that when humans settled they all had one main village in each area of Alagaësia. When these villages grew overpopulated, and the human species started spreading out, each beginning with the same superstitious behaviour. Nevertheless, as time past, the people in the villages started adding their own bits. I think that actions and knowledge were lost in the past leading to a number of the changes.

However, as I was saying, in the north-west of Alagaësia the funeral rites are quite similar. Carvahall and Therinsford, both villages residing in Palancar Valley near the Spine, normally placed a spring of hemlock on someone's chest when they died, a silver amulet was placed around their necks, and black pebbles were placed over their eyes. In Therinsford, where the terrain is not as mountainous and black pebbles not as common, smooth river stones of different shades of grey were placed on people's eyes and leather necklaces with an amulet consisting of a stone with a hole in the middle placed around their neck. Therinsford people also place springs of hemlock on people's chests, which was how I first linked it to Carvahall.

During my travels, I noted that Kuasta was one of the cities with the most superstitions and strange customs. One, that is quite well known, is that the people always knock three time times on a doorframe before entering or leaving a room.

Knocking on wood is another superstitious custom that is quite widespread, this time spread over many cities, towns, and villages near the sea or lakes and rivers that can be sailed in. Knocking on wood refers to literally touching, tapping, or knocking on wood, or stating 'knock on wood' or 'touch wood' to imply that you would if there's no wood nearby. This is done to avoid 'tempting fate' after making a favourable, observation, a boast, or declaration concerning one's own death or other unfavourable situation beyond one's control. After speaking to many people, I believe this originated due to the elves and their forest, Du Weldenvarden, and the magic they used. The quick rate that the forest grew at, due to the planting spells the elves used, caused the humans to believe that magic beings resided in the trees, and they protected the forest. Therefore, humans thought that knocking on wood or stating that they would, could invoke the magic beings that resided in the wood to protect them from fate and allow them to grow and flourish.

Superstitions in human culture aside, there are still cults and religious sects to go through. Although there are many across Alagaësia, I will focus on three. I will tell you about Helgrind and its worshipers – a brutal and violent cult, Arcaena – a human religious sect (sect meaning a branch of a larger religion; a group sharing particular political and/or religious beliefs), which originates from Erihizor – the third religious group.

The Worshipers of Helgrind are a cult found in Dras-Leone. They believe that you can sacrifice body parts in order to become closer to the spiritual world. This cult, which many exist worship Helgrind, worship the Ra'zac and the Lethrblaka that live there. A cathedral modelled on Helgrind's three highest peaks has been built in the city for the worshipers, while the beliefs of the cult were recorded in the Book of Tosk. The Book of Tosk is named after Tosk, who invented a set of runes and an unnamed language (that I couldn't find out lest I my enquiries be noticed). The priests and followers of this religion believe Tosk to be their enternal prophet. The barbaric acts of this church are that the acolytes (an attendant, assistant, or follower) practise mutilation and drink human blood. As stated earlier, sacrifices of human flesh were offered to Helgrind, which I believed would be consumed by the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka.

Arcaena are a secretive human religious sect, originating from Erihizor died out afterwards and only a few things have been remembered and only due to Arcanea. Arcaena believed in the purity of knowledge and that it was vital to record and preserve any form of knowledge in the preparation of an unspecified cataclysm that would destroy all civilasations in Alagaësia.

Although the Empire has no state religion, when Galbatorix became king he declared that Arcaena was profane and had its followers burned at the stake. Heslant the Monk was one of the followers burned at the stake. Heslant the Monk is infamous for his writing of the book, Domia Abr Wyrda, which is a complete chronical history of Alagaësia. The book has been declared blasphemous and was banned by Galbatorix and any of found to have it in their position would be killed.

Arcaena follows the goddesses Seren and Letis and the God Citro. These gods are from Erihizor and at least one of their domains has something to do with knowledge in one way or another.

Arcaena has many hidden meeting places over Alagaësia. One is near Kuasta, however, I cannot say where for powerful magic forbids me from saying such things. There are a total of ten in Alagaësia. Many are near major towns, villages, and cities although some aren't. If you do believe you have found any, a question will be asked upon your arrival. The question 'What ach ono ach medh hugin?' shall be put forth. The reply is 'neo hainaí', which translates to not harmed as a reply to the question what do you do with knowledge.

The third human religion I shall speak about is Erihizor. Most knowledge about Erihizor has been lost to the past when the last person died in 200 BBRW / 7800 AC. From what I can learn, there are nine main gods. These gods make up the Zorian council. The Zorian council apparently makes the decisions for what happens in the land and it's where the gods come together to discuss events as a council. According to rumours about Erihizor, the religion knew that the gods would fall and, apparently, the religion would fall with them. When this information was known by the gods is partially unknown, but many spectate that it was known at the last meeting of the Zorian council. The last meeting of the Zorian council, has been written about in a book filled with notes on religion, but this book was also declared banned by Galbatorix when he became king.

The meeting began with all nine gods came together once more. Izel, the god of love, the earth, language, hearth, writing, earthquakes, and communications was the first to arrive. His wife, Seren the goddess of regret, the sky, wisdom, pleasure, madness, and intelligence, joined him after a few seconds. The third to arrive was Nau, the goddess of healing, fire, beauty, wilderness, boundaries, animals, and darkness. She was followed by her brother, Rian the god of war, violence, sickness, light, festivals, holidays, and travel. The identical twins were next to arrive, Rajo and Citro. Rajo the god of trade, order, bloodshed, water, the sea, time, and home was two minutes older than Citro, god of jutice, balance, arts, chaos, prophecies, and the underworld, and made sure to make Citro remember it. The next two to arrive were Oki, goddess of the heavens, marriage, handicrafts, battle strategy, metalworking, and daytime, and her husband, Mes, god of the moon, weapons, nighttime, shadows, hunts, and childbirth. The last of the seven to arrive was Leitis, goddess of knowledge, sun, the air, growth, poetry, music, and agriculture.

When all nine had taken a seat in the council room, Citro was the first to speak in a grave tone. "By mine sight alone, we cannot tarry."

"For by the time all hath been spoken and done this present day, the falleth of us shalt beest nigh." Leitis replied.

"Betwixt weapons of battle, mere blood spewed red, one shalt becometh king." Seren told the others.

"Cometh two, yet one, a second, yet third and fourth. Allow those folk huzzah and cry, for their dole is approaching." Citro said.

"Thee speaketh in riddles, cometh clear, speaketh now." Izel said.

"The falleth of the Zorian council is near, the others wilt falleth with us. Battles wilt beest wonneth and fought but naught we sayeth shalt matter. A tallt's reign, wrought with greed, power and corrupted by hate, wilt hold our land. Two with two shalt leadeth a charge, may the tallt bow to the power of others." Rajo murmured.

"Once more we shalt see the moon rise high, and the sun warm the desert sand. But nev'r shalt we see the sun rise in the east and bath the sea in glorious light. The world shalt continueth forth without a bethought and none shalt recall us." Nau said.

"Cometh alloweth us speaketh once more as fere, wife husband, sister, brother, and family. We has't pondered topics such as these far too long. Alloweth the music beest free Leitis! Izel light the hearth! Seren shine the stars bright and alloweth us laugh in their light! Nau alloweth us see the natural beauty! Mes remind us that darkness still exists and dark times art ahead, and so we must enjoy our now. Rajo bringeth food forth, for time still goeth on and we art home! Citro showeth us the balance and giveth us art too 'ooh' and 'ahh' over!" Oki exclaimed.

"Alloweth us beest free one last night mine breoal." Rian and Nau, the joint leaders of the Zorian council, said.

This is all the recorded knowledge I found before the book was stolen from me by a theif, who met his tragic end at the hands of a soldier from the Empire. The language used that the gods apparently speak is an elder version of the native human tongue.

These are only a few religions. There are still the religions of dwarves, Urgals, and the debate about elves and religion.

The elves are strongly doubtful and uncertain about the existence and demonstrability of God or other deities. They personally believe there never was any diety or dieties. Although, they are not so arrogant as to say they knew for a fact that there were never any gods, and aren't completely opposed to the thought of a god. Elves prefer to stick to the hard fats of the world, things that can be held and observed. Their views appear to have been influenced and jaded by the condition of the world. A friend of mine stated that if there was a deity, then that deity was not a good steward of the earth. Reasons for this are that war, death, and corruption survive in the Alagaësia.

A nicker caught my attention and I looked up, suddenly feeling thirsty. Istal was standing next to me. He dropped his head and knocked my shoulder gently. I had a feeling he was also thirsty and I got up and stretched. Rolling my sore muscles, I looked over at Istal. Istal nodded his head, knowing what I was thinking. I quickly stored my book in a saddlebag and followed Istal to a river.

Istal stopped by the edge of the river and took a drink. I quickly filled up my waterskins and started checking over Istal's injuries from yesterday and checking he wasn't hurt. My search yielded nothing but sore muscles and minor cuts, and Istal and I wandered back to the campsite. 

Picture of where Helgrind is located

I still haven't done anything for the first chapter of the next book...