Naimonism

Naimonism
Sketch of a mural depicting the naimonist creation myth.
Classification	Hatic
Theology	Polytheistic
Language	Khotgodian
Territory	Krasna Sea
Origin	Unknown, before 5000 BNB
Separated from	Proto-Hashan religion

Naimonism is the native polytheistic religion of the nomadic Khot people of the Krasna seashore. At one time, it was also the de facto state religion of the Hashan Great-Madalate.

Core motifs and tenets

Androcentrism and phallocentrism

Clúnydd are, due to the way their reproduction works, all male. Therefore, Khot culture places a high importance on the fact of being assigned male at birth, and having a penis. Penises are prolific in their art, as they are considered a symbol of power, not only over women, but over people themselves, the land, and all living beings. The more important rituals often require stripping almost naked in the coldest days of winter, something clúnydd are well-equipped for on account of having very well insulated fur. Semen is seen as a divine fluid given to every man by the supreme god Naimon himself, and originates in the emürrüng, Amur's semen.

Mythology

Creation myth

According to the Khots, before the inception of history, there was the giant Amur, representative of the primordial chaos. In the emptiness he lived in, he slept, thought and engaged in self-pleasure. Whenever he slept, he dreamt of a paradise full of fruit and sea and good weather, and women who would bear his children. And so, as he dreamt of copulating, he had an enlightening orgasm in his sleep. It was so powerful that it impregnated the empty chaos and caused Amur to break apart into seven parts: his head, his torso, both arms, both legs and his genitals. His head became that of the undivided celestial light, which would then separate into Ülüür, the moon, and Oon, the sun. His torso became that of Üc. His right arm, the one that sowed the seed, became that of Xaan, while his wrathful left arm became that of Daamurux. His right and left legs became the twin gods Engür and Shaftan. Lastly, his genitals became those of Naimon, patron of fertility and life, who quickly asserted himself as the supreme god, as he possessed the primordial member from which everything was created.

Deities

It is important to note that hotgodian deities, unlike avannic deities, while often being described as having specific deific domains, are much more fluid. Their duties often get exchanged between each other. As an example, in one popular tale, the god Daamurux, associated with war and hate, collaborates with Xaan, god of herding and pleasure, to create a divine alcoholic elixir for the gods to gain impossible cosmic knowledge with. Engür, associated with alcohol, does not involve himself with the process, instead being the last to taste the concoction.

Amur

Amur was the primordial being, a giant of immeasurable stature, whose body displayed the most incomprehensible of virile beauty according to the Hotgodians. He created reality from chaos by expelling forth from his tool the most pure of seed, which impregnated the black nothingness he resided in. As such, everything that exists, living or not, is a child of Amur. He died creating the universe, and separated into seven parts, which would become the seven principal gods.

Naimon

Naimon is the supreme god, king of all immortal and mortal beings alike. Because he was generated from Amur’s severed genitals, which are divine and invincible, he is the giver of all life and rules over all. All men are said to be vessels for him to transmit his semen. As such, all hotgodians are believed to be paradoxically fathered by Amur, Naimon and their biological father all at once.

Ülüür and Oon

Ülüür, the moon, and Oon, the sun, are dual deities representative of the two biggest and brightest celestial bodies in the sky. They are lovers, constantly chasing each other and thus creating the day-night cycle, and technically siblings, in that they were both born from the severed head of Amur, each of them having one of his eyes.

Üc

Üc presides over health and disease, childbirth and death. He was generated from Amur’s torso and thus retains his heart and bowels, thought to be sacred organs, often preserved separate from the body when a person is buried in special funerary jars.

Xaan

Xaan or Khaan is the god of herding, fertility, pleasure, rain and storms. He was born from the right arm of Amur, which he used to pleasure himself. He thus retains the touch needed for the primordial genitals to generate semen of eternal life. Due to this, he and Naimon often convene together.

Daamurux

Daamurux or Daamurukh is the god of war, hatred, battle and the hunt. He was generated from Amur’s left arm, which he used to take his anger out on the things in his cosmic dream.

Engür

Engür is the god associated with alcohol, playfulness, games, parties and festivals. He was generated from Amur’s right leg, which he was said to have used to pleasure one of his consorts in his dream once when deeply intoxicated.

Shaftan

Shaftan is the god of rest, sleep, dreams, and knowledge. He was generated from Amur’s left leg, which he once cursed out for having become numb while he slept.

Traditions

Midwivery and childbirth

The women engaging in Khot culture may take on two roles, those being wives or midwives. A midwife is an especially important part of a clan, living a life of celibacy and chastity in exchange of being trained by the clan shamans. During childbirth, a midwife must be present to guide the mother and anoint her belly and vaginal opening with a mixture of animal lard and aromatic numbing herbs. It's also common for one or more shamans to pray at the scene to Üc so that the birth may proceed without issue, and for the child to be born male. Once the child is born, they are inspected for any health concerns, and then anointed on the head with the same mixture. A warm wool cloak is then wrapped around them, which will accompany them through their childhood. A female baby, therefore a ferur, will be given a similar treatment, which is rare for Khot traditions.

Naming traditions

Khots believe that children mustn't be named, instead having to choose a name of their own when they are of age. While they are young, they are often given nicknames instead. Once the child reaches the marriageable age of 16, a ceremony is held where the child sits in front of his father, or a shaman (usually if the father has died), while the rest of the clan watches. The son may then choose a name for himself, which is tendentially based on his father's name or a notable feature of himself. Women are not given this same treatment, and instead for their entire life they must live with a patronymic, or a derivation of the name of her husband once married.

Birthday rites

On a male child's 6th birthday, as his horns start to come out, a ceremony is held. The kid, witnessed by the clan members, must walk into the Krasna sea, naked, wrapped in his woolen cloak. This causes the cloak to shrink, an apparent symbol of the child's growth. After this, he's then able to join their clan in helping with setting up their tents and moving their livestock. The same ceremony is held at his 16th birthday, right after the naming ceremony, and indicates his passage into adulthood. He is then sprayed by a shaman with blessed water from the Krasna, and his sheath anointed with a mixture of lard, wine and herbs. The young man must then consume specific parts of recently hunted game, such as the liver, stomach, heart, pizzles and testicles, all thought to help the spirit of Naimon, descendant of the Elder Genital, enter through the bowels.

Funerary rites

Khot funerals are usually first prepared by preserving the dead person's heart and bowels in terracotta vases shaped in the likes of the gods Ülüür and Oon. The body is then stuffed with wool and feathers, closed, and then covered in aromatic herbs, thought to remove the stench of death on the soul of the departed, thus making them acceptable to enter the heavens. The body is then buried near the coast, at an altitude where the tides won't wash away the terracotta vessels, which are put on top of the burial site.

Divination

A common form of divination among Khots is the throwing of stones into marked patterns in the sand, usually two concentric circles divided by a cross. The positions of the stones are then read and interpreted.