Sapientianism

The crest of the Sapientian Lodge of Lavelle

Sapientianism, commonly known as the Jungle Lodge, Grande Loge de la Jungle, or Sapientia Mundi, is a religion which originated within Gaullica during the 19th century. It is based primarily upon the writings of Pierre-Joseph Sciboz, a layperson in the Solarian Catholic Church who encountered the Fetishist belief systems of the Doudagi people in the Central Green Belt of modern day Mabifia. Considered to be a new religious movement which emerged from the interest in alternative religious beliefs sparked by the research of the Euclean Society of Austral and Oriental Anthropology, Sapientianism mixes traditional Euclean esotericism with native Bahian and Irfanic religious practices.

The core teachings of Sapientianism are based on the worship of Roggius, an omnipotent creator god who exists within a different plane of reality and interacts with the mortal world through intercessors known as Fangolii, wise figures who bring guidance to humanity and dispense his orders onto earth. Sapientianism holds that all religions have a common origin, and that all retain some degree of the divine truth. This universalism is tempered by their view of reincarnation, which holds that only those who truly follow their faith can be reborn as a Fangolius. The religion is centred upon lodges, initiatory brotherhoods inspired by those of the Bahian initiatory societies, and has many secretive rituals which take place in these groups.

Sapientianism came into being in 1851, when anthropologist Pierre-Joseph Sciboz published his work De Sapientia Mundi, in which he explained his new religious views which had come out of years studying the Doudagi of central Mabifia. Sciboz founded the first lodge in Lavelle three years later, attracting interest and followers from among the Euclean Society of Austral and Oriental Anthropology and then in broader society. Sapientian lodges were founded in many other Euclean countries, retaining a degree of secrecy and mystique which led to a negative public view of the religious movement. Following Sciboz's death, the movement fractured, but still remained prominent among the Euclean intelligentsia throughout the colonial period. While the overall influence of Sapientianism is considered to have been minor, it helped inspire other new age religions to form and was important in early Euclean Bahianology and Irfanology. Due to the secretive nature of the religion and its role in the upper classes of Euclean society, many conspiracy theories allege that prominent politicians were affiliated with Sapientianism and that lodges retain important control over Euclean institutions.

History

Origins

Pierre-Joseph Sciboz dressed in robes, 1862.

Among the peoples of the Boual ka Bifie, the Doudagi were the only ones whose pre-Irfanic belief system had survived more or less intact. This made them a topic of great interest for the anthropologists of the Euclean Society of Austral and Oriental Anthropology, who often clashed with the colonial administrations due to their desire to document and better understand the religious beliefs and worldviews of the native Coian peoples. One such researcher was Pierre-Joseph Sciboz, a Catholic who had previously been interested in Esotericism and Gnosticism. During his research, Sciboz became convinced that the Doudagi were closer to what he saw as the divine truth than the Cathoic milieu he had been raised in. Over the next year, he would study the Doudagi religion as well as other initiatory societies such as the Abasoremwezi and the mystical brotherhoods of Irfan in order to write his treatise on religion, De Sapientia Mundi.

The publication of this book received much attention among the Society's members, several of whom approached Sciboz about the possibility of gaining access into his religion. As he gained followers, Sciboz set about creating the lodge structure which would characterise the religion. He crowned himself as the Saltigus, or high priest of the faith, and began appointing his followers as Lamanii who would lead lodges of their own. The first lodge was established in Lavelle in 1854, presided over by Sciboz. Around 100 disciples were present at their first meeting, this number would grow quickly over time. Other lodges were founded by the Lamanii in other cities in Euclea, permitting the religion to grow even further. Originally concentrated among the members of the Euclean Society of Austral and Oriental Anthropology, Sapientianism was popular with the intellectual classes who saw its Deism, Universalism and exotic aesthetics as more appealing than Catholicism. Sapientianism also flourished within much of the upper classes, but was feared by the general population who saw Sapientianism as being foreign and heretical. Its esoteric and secretive structure was also source of much controversy, leading to theories about who was involved and what went on in their ceremonies.

Beliefs

Cosmology

A symbol used by the Sapientians, interlinked pentagrams to represent the two worlds.

Within Sapientian doctrine, the universe was created by Roggius Immensus, the creator god. Sapientianism divides the universe into two spheres, that of Roggius and that of the physical world or Mundus. Roggius's dimension is also referred to as the spiritual world, and it is here that spirits take their essence and are formed. According to Sapientianism, while Roggius is composed of pure light, the physical world is a reflection of this which is composed of darkness and impure matter and it is this darkness which keeps us from viewing the divine truth. Roggius's dimension is also referred to as the spiritual world, and it is here that spirits take their essence and are formed. The separation between these two spheres, which Sciboz termed the Voile céleste (Celestial veil), means that Roggius is unable to interfere in the mortal world directly and must instead grant a fraction of his power to conduits, known as Fangolii. It is only through proper religious initiation that an individual can see beyond the veil and gain access to Roggius' light. Sciboz, inspired by the Euclean Gnostics, also believed in a deity called Dacatitus, who functions as a demiurge in ruling over the material world. This worldview is manifested in the interwoven pentagrams of the Sapiantian symbol, which represent the two worlds.

Reincarnation

A core element of Sapientian belief is belief in reincarnation of the soul. According to Sapientianism, all beings are composed of an immortal soul which is composed of pure light which is entrapped within a mortal form. When we die, this form is shed and the soul returns to Roggius. However, only those souls which have been sufficiently initiated within the faith are able to remain within the realm of pure light, and those which have not flee back to the material world. Sapientianism does not adhere to an idea of karma as expounded by the Jatic faiths of Satria, instead holding that after passing the celestial veil, these souls are no longer controlled by Roggius and instead it is Dacatitus who selects their new life. Good deeds and a religious lifestyle, while important parts of the religion, are therefore no aid for those who do not gain esoteric initiation. For the average Sapientian, the goal of life is to live virtuously and be initiated to such a degree that one can leave the material world upon death and reside forever in the light.

Fangolii

Sapientians also believe in Fangolii, souls who due to the extent of their esoteric initiation and religious practice have been able to leave the material world while still alive. Such individuals are believed to be immortal, and act as messengers who grant guidance to the world. Sciboz claimed that while among the Doudagi people he had met a Fangolius and been taught secrets by him. Sapientians also claim that the founders of most of the world's religions either were Fangolii themselves, or were taught by them, only to have their true teachings later distorted. Sciboz also claimed many gnostic mystics were taught by such figures, placing himself as merely one in a long line of illustriuous teachers.