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Storjunkare

File:Symbol
File:Church Báitil Seida (The Great Holy Place), Alriika
Total population
400,000
Founder
Unknown
Regions with significant populations
Alriika	350,000
Scriptures
Girji Osku
Languages
Almic

Storjunkare, sometimes known as Almicism is a pantheistic religion of Almic origin based on the collected stories passed down from generations of Almic shamans and storytellers. As there is no one known origin, It is not known who is credited with the founding of the faith, but the person responsible for its consolidation and credited for the Girji Osku, or the Book of Faith, is Aigesarri. Worldwide membership is small and mostly dominated by Almics, standing at 350,000 as of 2016. Storjunkare focuses and practices upon animism, shamanism, veneration of the dead, and reverence towards nature. Storjunkare plays a deep role on Alriikan history, and even plays into Alriikan politics.

Adherents of Storjunkare, known as Storjunkarists or Almicists, espouse the stories, parables, and practices as contained within the Girji Osku along with various smaller books and practices, known as rumbus. At 1257 verses, the Girji Osku is a smaller religious text than most, and is further divided up into four books, titled Girji Attje, Girji Dirran, Girji Goahti, and Girji Gazzi (Book of Gods, Book of Trance, Book of The Living, and Book of the Dead, respectively.). Storjunkarists focus on a set of ritual practices and diligence to establish a connection between Alriika and its past and dead. The word Storjunkare refers to the meeting places and shrines of ancient pre-Consolidation shamanism that dot the Alriikan countryside, often stone altars, rock outcroppings, or other formations considered sacred to Almic people. Many of these shrines are still public, and in combination with more modern church-like structures serve as worship places to a multitude of gods, goddesses, and spirits. Practitioners of the religion express their devotion through various rituals, songs, and dress, often taking the form of brightly colored coats with contrasting colors, plaits, embroidery, and a high collar called a Gákti. Storjunkare is largely confined to within Alriika and the wider diaspora of Almic peoples, though it has gained a small following among the more environmentally conscious.

Beliefs

With most of its worship practices, rituals, and traditions based upon the Girji Osku, Storjunkare is based off of the four books and their messages.

Book of Gods

File:Her Spirit in the Sky

She's in the Sky (1818) by Tua Dalessen depicts the spirit of The Great Mother, the whale whose bones make up the earth, flying above the sea.

In the first chapter of the Girji Attje ("Book of Gods"), the first book of the Girji Osku, the creation story is described as follows:

1.In the vast emptiness, nothing did walk upon the sky-snow above, the cold consuming all, 2. The void soon broke tthe Great Mother, and in her breast she did create life. 3. Upon her back, she created life, which flourished, and the people were grateful for her everlasting life. 4. Though, she grew weary, and as her body slowly died, so did those who needed her the most. 5. As she died, parts of her energy and life spread among her, and became Attje. 6. And those upon her back as they died became Gazzi, and were tasked with protecting those still living. 7. Finally, the Great Mother shedded her mortal form, and became the World.

The Attje and Gazzi have since come to represent a dichotomy of divine forces, the divine and the spirit. There are many Attje (gods) and countless Gazzi (spirits), though the Attje talked about in the ‘’Girji Attje’’ are She, Bavi, Bassa, Bieko, Tiermmes, Adni Boazu, Juksahka, Nietja, among others. Storjunkarists believe She, depicted as a giant whale, sacrificed her body in order to create a home for her creation, and the Attje are parts of her spirit. Referred to as the Stáđásmahttit or the Consolidation, this event marks itself as the core to Storjunkarist creation mythos, and is considered essential to their faith. However, many Storjunkarists have been able to reason the Stáđásmahttit alongside theories of evolution.

Girji Attje then describes how the Attje would come into conflict with one another over the nature of the elements, and their creations. Each attje would receive their own dominion over the mortal world, while She would rule over the immaterial and the after life, as she was incapable of maintaining a physical form after death. Bavi was the manifestation of all light, and would be locked in conflict with Bassa, or the manifestation of all darkness. Tiermmes would be given dominion over all stone and metal, while Adni Boazu would rule over nature. Portrayed as a white reindeer with golden antlers and piercing blue eyes, she and Tiermmes would forever be locked in conflict with each other for domination over the land. Juksahkka, who was given dominion over fire, would fight Bieko, the shovel-wielding god of the waves, with Nietja, the queen over the winter, threatening them all. This book lays the foundation for the other books, which discuss in greater detail the processes of trance, worship and the lesser spirits of the world as ruled by the Attje.

Books of Trance, The Living, and The Dead

File:Picture of Aigesarri Banging the Drum.jpg

Sketch of Gonagas Avvu Banging the Rumbus. The Trance is a process that involves various rituals, including music, chants, and sparingly the usage of hallucinogens.

Storjunkare goes into detail about not only when to worship, but how and where. Shrines are seen as public places, and are typically dedicated to either one or two gods, alongside several spirits. Maintained by Shamans, adherents to the religion will go to these shrines during holidays and various special events in their lives. For example, students would feel compelled to make an offering of berries or alcohol to Bavi for good fortune in their exams. Expecting mothers would pray to Juksahkka, whose dominion over fire would provide for a safe pregnancy, keeping the mother and her child warm. Many soldiers and first responders would seek protection in Tiermmes. Attje would have various special rituals that must be followed by shamans or adherents. For example, Bavi can only be worshipped in direct sunlight, while Bassa can only be worshipped in direct moonlight. Some rituals require adherents to wear various kinds of Gákti, and before entry, adherents and irreligious visitors alike must remove their footwear and wash their hands and feet. Offerings are left depending on the ceremony, but typically involves berries, salt, fish, alcohol, or other traditional staples of Almic culture. Cleanliness is expected to be shown at all times in the shrines. In the Book of Trance, it also demonstrates how shamans are to communicate with Attje and Gazzi. During rituals, dancing, performing a joik (traditional chants repeated, typically accompanied by drums or flutes, or light drug usage is used to induce a “trance” where the shaman’s body either hosts the entity, or imparts wisdom upon the shaman’s spirit. Adherents would ask shamans to pray on behalf of them or their family, and leave an offering and, traditionally, a small payment for the shaman’s services. This would traditionally be in the form of food but also money is accepted.

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