Besoan Animism (Focáoaa)

Besoan Animism, called Focáoaa [fo-COW-waa], is the traditional folkloreplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigFolklore

Folklore

This is in a series of articles about oral traditions, tales, folk practices, and folklore.

topics cult1 and spiritual beliefs of the island of Besoa, which forms the core of ceremonial and religious practice. Historically Focáoaa was the single religious practice on the island, but some modern Besoans have embraced religious practices from Anrel and Ororr, whilst continuing traditional animist beliefs.

Besoans believe that everything in the world has an essential spirit, of which humans are the only truly conscious and self aware. The spirits of rocks, plants and animals have various levels of awareness. Humans can therefore communicate with these spirits on an unconscious level, and receive support and guidance by this communion.

As well as nature spirits there are demigods, beings with an awareness beyond that of humankind. which humans can only have access to in dreams. Like humans, the demigods are have only partial awareness a greater natural consciousness, the World Spirit, sometimes called The Voice, of which humans can only be vaguely aware. Rare humans can sometimes hear the Voice of this all-knowing spirit.

The Voice of nature can sometimes be heard by meditation in special natural places, called kiaam, where the Voice is strong. In Besoa the most important centre for this is the oracle at Welvér. According to Focáoaan belief, oracles were constructed by the ancients in order to communicate directly with the Voice.

Besoan tradition believes that contact with the natural world is essential for health and well-being. The petty concerns of human life leads to selfishness and depravity, and losing our connection to nature and to each other. Kiaam, natural sites of awe and beauty, have a purifying effect on the soul, so meditation, offerings and ritual cleansing are an essential part of spiritual self-maintenance. Work can also be a spiritual practice, particularly if it is done to improve the natural environment. Farmers take particular care to manage their land, ensuring there is a balance of nature, and builders and architects have a duty to respect the natural landscape when expanding settlements.

Devotion to gods is both separate and complimentary to this core world view. Many educated Besoans follow variants of the Aralsic gods as worshipped in Anrel, or other traditional Iskean gods.

Therist missionaries are having increasing success in the islands, since respect for the natural landscape is a core tenet of the Mother Church, and the “Voice” is said to be the Great Mother. Theristplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigMother Church of Ororr (Therism)

The Mother Church is the state religion of Ororr, which combines both religion and government in one institution. It is based on the teachings of the Great Prophet Therion, who in the early decades of the modern era raised an army that conquered much of northwestern OrorrOrorrOrorrOrorrOrorrMEMEOrorrMEMEOrorrOrorrHerHerHerHerHerHerHerHerHerher priests were murdered or expelled by the Hartherans during their occupation of the island and Therist practice was entirely banned. Since the unification of the island as the United Kingdom of Besoa, Therismplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigMother Church of Ororr (Therism)

The Mother Church is the state religion of Ororr, which combines both religion and government in one institution. It is based on the teachings of the Great Prophet Therion, who in the early decades of the modern era raised an army that conquered much of northwestern OrorrOrorrOrorrOrorrOrorrMEMEOrorrMEMEOrorrOrorrHerHerHerHerHerHerHerHerHerher has grown significantly, though blended with traditional beliefs.

The concept of the World Spirit or Voice was historical a relatively minor belief to Besoans, but today is exploited by Therist missionaries as being a version of the Mother Goddess of Therism. Missionaries have made some progressive in folding traditional practices into Therist belief, with some success.