Phnom folk beliefs

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The Phná Folk beliefs are the traditional religious beliefs and code in Phná Khaet, Prei Meas and elsewhere inhabited by the Phná people. Historically it has functioned as a separate religion but since the introduction of Kammism it has become largely syncretized into the local form of Kammism.

The Sky Code

The basic beliefs of traditional Phná rests on a series of codes and laws referred to vernacularly as "The Sky Code"

Laws on Hospitality

To the traditional Phnom (Phná) people hospitality is one of the important cultural concepts with the failure of showing proper hospitality being akin to the greatest dishonor a person can commit.
(Credit for the translation to Tikrongmeas Nokor University's department on Phná Studies):

  1. The entrance to a yurt is expected to be open unless one is attending to matters of the house or already receiving a guest and requires privacy in the conversation.
  2. When a guest is in one's yurt it is expected that the host is to provide them with a traditional meal of mare's milk and goat meat. If the guest cannot eat dairy they are to be provided with just the goat meat and a drink from the host's well.
  3. the protection of a guest's person and honor is the host's sacred duty and the murder of a guest is more heinous that even the killing of one's own father and brother and the perpetrator is to be barred from rebirth and condemned to Realm of Demons for all eternity.
  4. When a guest arrives to a host's yurt it is expected that the guest shall be granted the first word and it be a request.
  5. The guest is expected to always come unarmed when visiting a yurt and if he must be armed any attempts to reach for his weapon will result in the renunciation of his guest rights.
  6. If a guest dishonors a host he renounces all rights and protections afforded to a guest.

Burial Rights

Prior to the arrival of Kammism the Phna worshiped a group of secret spirits who inhabited the sky. One of the ways this translated was into the concept of rebitth and their "burial" customs. Unlike most cultures the Phná would find it incredibly distasteful and horrifying to burry someone. Instead they perform a type of traditional sky burial. There are detailed instructions of how this would be done.

  1. When a man or woman of good honor falls they are entitled to a sky burial so that they may be instantly reborn under the sky.
  2. Before the sky burial the body must be properly prepared in one of two methods. In both the first step requires a cleansing of the body insuring there are no contaminants on it. Then the process shall diverge based on weather the deceased is to undergo a wind cycle or a feather cycle.
  3. To properly provide a wind cycle the deceased following their cleansing shall be cremated into ash careful to ensure that none of the ash gets separated until the wind burial. They are to be placed upon a sacred mourning shrine in such a way so that the sky may carry the deceased's ashes on the wind to their next incarnation.
  4. The Feather Burial is less common but considered a great gesture of charity from the deceased. Following the ritual cleansing the deceased is to be placed bare upon the top of a mourning shrine tower so that the local carrion birds may eat the body so that the deceased in death has provided food and his or her wisdom to the scavengers. This shall indeed make the spirits of the cycle look favorably upon the generous deceased, unfortunately though the transition to the next life may be faced with more peril and the path shall be longer.
  5. All Phná are entitled to be burred in the view of the sky and such is necessary to be able to reincarnate.
  6. Only one who has slaughtered a guest shall be transferred directly to the Realm of Demons by being buried in the ground following their cremation.