Anmatarik

Anmatarik
ܐܢܡܐܬܐܪܝܟ
Neteradrah, the holiest Mountain in Anmatarik theology
Classification	Monotheistic w/ Abrahamic Influences
Scripture	Watek
Theology	Anmatarik Theology
Polity	Presbyterian
Tepyemi	Det Djedi
General Assembly	Sehrex
Sehsew	84
Senesht	3,595
Region	Alharu, Predominantly Hemahat
Language	Medieval Hemahatik and Native Languages
Headquarters	Swet, Namasetahat, Hemahat
Founder	Wabet-Anmatar
Origin	1650s AD Neteradrah, Hemahat
Members	26,200,052
Priesthood	Tepik/m - 26,794 Webah - 80,382

Anmatarik (Hemahatik: ܐܢܡܐܬܐܪܝܟ), otherwise known as the Anmatarik Religion or the Faith of Anmatar, is a monotheistic religion originating from both the teachings of Wabet-Anmatar and the various pagan beliefs of the pre-Anmatarik religions. While a universalizing religion, it is predominantly found among the Hemahatik people, though a large minority of Dochi are Anmatarik. The religion consists of 84 Sehsew, 3,595 Senesht, and 26,224 registered temples known as Hewets. The head of the religion is the Tepyemi, whose name of ‘first equal’ gives them their status as representative and mediator rather than High Priest. It is governed by the Sehrex, an assembly of priests from all 84 Sehsew who make decisions regarding canonicity, religious perspectives on current issues, and changes in orthodoxy.

Anmatarik is a monotheistic religion, holding that Anmatar is the only “God” in existence. While the sole deity of the universe, the Anmatarik is not the only supernatural being and is accompanied by Imiwext, a title which roughly translates to “angel” but also includes neutral/evil beings or mortals who transcended their form. They hold that morality and life stems from Anmatar, whose nature and commandments stem from his prophet Wabet-Anmatar, whose teachings were compiled in the Watek. However, since the downfall of the Kingdom of Hemahat, they also hold that the Amatarik Constitution has legal authority of the religion, nominating that Namaset is the only Head of the Religion.

Every Monday, the beginning of the week in Hemahatik calendars, the Anmatarikiq celebrate the Anmatarik dance in praise of the God, which is held on the roof of temples as to let followers receive the San. The San is a powerful motif in the Anmatarik religion, as Anmatar was originally a solar deity who became the sole deity. However, the interior of the temple is still used for prayers towards an Imiwext, such as Ituwex. The temples and their grounds also act as social and charity centers, with events such as festivals, soup kitchens, etc. being common on their grounds. For priests and their subordinates, helping the community is considered mandatory, a practice known as Demeyar.

The Anmatarik Religion, while recent, has had a profound impact on the Hemahatik world. The centralization of the many faiths of Hemahat under a singular authority allowed for the monarchs of Hemahat to centralize authority under them, establishing themselves as the head of the rapidly growing religion. With the overthrow of the monarchy, however, the religion’s followers began to fracture along theological lines. Both traditional faiths and new ones threaten to disrupt the Anmatarik religion, as priests begin to preach unorthodox beliefs, such as rejecting the Imiwext or preaching new ones imported from other countries. Fear of a schism has caused heavy debate within the faith. Similarly, its imposing role within an increasingly secularizing Hemahat is also criticized. And while it is the official faith of Hemahat, many people believe that it has overstepped its boundaries.

Name

“Anmatarik”, meaning “Of or like Anmatar”, is the officially shortened name of the Anmatarik faith. Due to grammar, this translates poorly into Anglish, and is often called “the Anmatarik faith” in Anglish translations of documents within the country. The full name is “The Fellowship of the Anmatarik Temples”, but outside ritual purposes, this is almost never used. However, it is the root of the word “Fellowshiper” or “Senweik”, which is often used to differentiate between mainstream followers of the faith and those who hold unorthodox beliefs.

The proper way to refer to a follower of the Anmatarik faith is as a “Anmatarik”, with its plural being “Anmatarikiq.” A priest is referred to as a Tepik if they’re a man and a Tepim if they’re a woman, with the plural of each being Tepiks and Tepims respectively. All priests are Tepik/m regardless of position, including the Tepyemi.

History

[WIP for now]

Beliefs

Anmatar, Namaset, and Imiwext

See also: List of Imiwext

There are three principle beings within Hemahaitk; Anmatar, Namaset, and the Imiwext.

Anmatar is considered the only true deity and is considered to be formless, timeless, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omnipresent. However, he is most associated with the San, which is said to have been his first creation. Anmatar is described as the sole creator of the universe, creating the worlds in just a few hours. While he is described in masculine terms, the Watek states that this is merely for linguistic purposes and that Anmatar has no physical form, let alone a ‘gender.’ However, while nominally formless, Anmatar can appear as aspects, and it said that many Gods from foreign nations are aspects of Anmatar, who supposedly has led all of humanity throughout history.

Namaset refers to the possibly mythical mother of the Hemahatik people, holding a similar role to other national and religious founders found in other regions. While having been immortalized and even dietized by some for a long time, Wabet-Anmatar stated that Namaset was the first human to ascend to the realm of Anmatar directly for her deeds, rather than simply passing in the afterlife. For this, she became a ‘demi-god’ rather than an Imiwext. She is described as being extremely powerful and able to affect the lives of Hemahat and the Hemahatik through natural disasters, resourceful boons, or other such events. Wabet-Anmatar also described there being other beings of Namaset’s “rank”, which are likely referring to other protective or national saints/deities, but does not elaborate on whom these figures are. The exception being the Dochi Izil, who holds an equal rank to Namaset among Dochi believers.

Imiwext are the various spirits in the Hemahatik that hold significant influence in certain fields, such as the Imiwext of the ocean or the Imiwext of Rice. They have developed from many origins, such as pre-reformation gods, post-reformation saints, local heroes, among other sources. However, they are generally considered to be less than Anmatar or demi-god but still immortal and powerful. The number of Imiwext varies depending on the priest, region, etc. There are officially 342 canonized Imiwext, but local and heterodox traditions often include various others, including local deities turned into folk characters and important heroes.

Immoralities and Forgiveness

Immoralities, otherwise known as Batahiq - or crimes, are actions or thoughts considered “unacceptable” by the Anmatarik faith. What exactly classifies as a Batah is vague in some areas, but really solidified in others. However, a Batah is generally defined as violating one of the four cornerstones of the religion: Piety, Honor, Life, and Community. Violations of Piety is perhaps the shakiest, as it is generally defined as ‘using Anmatar for one’s self gain’, and thusly has been used for priests to accuse each other. Violating one’s honor, including their own, is considered a Batah. This includes violent, non-lethal, transgressions against a person, cowardice, and adultery. Violations against life include enslavement, murder, and hunting without respect for the animal. Violations of Community are similarly confusing, but generally include theft, criminal activity, and corruption.

All Batahiq can be forgiven according to the Watek, and it is heavily encouraged that all transgressions be accounted for. However, while all Batahiq can be forgiven, punishment is supposedly still a very real possibility for Anmatarik believers. In the Watek it is said that “if nature does not punish them, then man shall instead”, which heavily encourages punitive action against those who have committed Batah. This verse has been used to justify punishments ranging from grounding children for stealing from the market to large-scale revolts against both local and national rulers. This is particularly a thing among repeat transgressors, such as career criminals, who often face more wrath than one-time criminals. However, this is not always the case. In a particularly famous case, a religious court in the 1920s ruled that a bandit who had his arm dismembered in a robbery had ‘been punished enough’ and was released. Similar cases also exist.

There are also Xebatik, literally ‘lesser crime’, which do not lead to damnation or even need forgiveness from Anmatar, but can still lead to consequences. Xebatik are often committed against individual Imiwext. Examples include cutting down a tree without prayer being a Xebatik against the Imiwext of forestry, fishing without letting at least one go being a Xebatik against the Imiwext of fishing and the ocean, etc. While one can theoretically ask for forgiveness to the Imiwext, for the most part, Xebatiks lead to minor bad luck, such as fish escaping a fisherman for a day, minor pest infestation of homes, among other minor annoyances.

Cosmology and the Afterlife

The Anmatarik believe in a spherical universe with multiple layers and smaller spheres within in what has been described as a “cosmic bowling ball.” The Anmatarik believe in three main spheres representing the underworld, the realm of Anmatar, and the mortal plane. There are several hundred smaller spheres that act as personal domains for some Imiwext, personalized hells for serious transgressors, specialized planes for “races” of mortals that split off from the main universe through magic, and grand libraries and museums that contain every creation and thought. All the spheres are surrounded by a viscous black paste that only Imiwext and Anmatar can see through, which prevents mortals from easily travelling between spheres in their lifetime.

When an individual dies, their souls are ejected from the mortal plane and thrown into the paste. If they were especially chosen by Anmatar, they become Imiwext themselves and can freely traverse to the realm of Anmatar. However, most souls are lost in the paste. This is where their deeds in life come in, as those of good morality according to the Anmatarik religion have hearts that shine a bright violet that only good Imiwext can see, whilst a bright red shines in the hearts of the morally bad that only bad Imiwext can see. They are then collected by the respective Imiwext and taken to either the Underworld or the realm of Anmatar.

The Underworld is a realm like that of hell in Abrahamic faiths. While it is claimed that not all souls are tortured, most of them are. The underworld is described as a land shrouded in a thick fog and darkened sky, where the only visible thing is ones’ own body. Fear is a bigger factor than pain in the Underworld, as actual torture appears to be uncommon compared to an overwhelming fear of torture. Exceptions to this exist, however, as those of particularly “awful” nature are given their own personal underworlds with often ironic punishment. While Earthly authority has no say in this, priests have often made claims about who have been given this treatment and is often used in revenge fantasy and insults by followers of Anmatar. The Permanent Residence of its inhabitants is up to debate, some believe that the “mercy of Anmatar” applies to even the worst of men, whilst others believe in permanent residence for all non-believers.

The Realm of Anmatar is considered to be a utopian realm of beauty and ecstasy. It is described a vast land similar in composition to Alharu, albeit much larger to support its uncountable population. Normal mortals who end up in Anmatar live a utopian version of their previous life, with farmers always having good seasons, monarchs ruling over Kingdoms of vast wealth and undying loyalty, estranged lovers coming together, etc. Anmatar is said to live here in a vast city in the center of the continent, where the roads are made of gold and the buildings are made of granite. Imiwext often use the city to gather willing followers to go to their respective personal realms.

Practices

Temples

Temples, Hewets in Hemahatik, in Anmatarik range in size, complexity, and style, but are generally designed to be tall buildings that allow sermons inside and worship on the roof. Interior designs are often square to allow for a semicircle around an altar in the center. In older temples, altars tended to be simple tables where laymen would place their sacrifices or for the Tepik to lay down their arms when exhausted. However, newer temples often have a more Christian-esc pulpit in front of an altar. There tend to not be chairs in temples both old and new, except for the elderly or disabled, with a carpet or paved ground being used instead. Some wealthier temples or urban have cushions for their followers.

The tops of temples are accessible by interior or exterior stairs, or occasionally elevators in urban areas. Depending on the size, age, and wealth of a temple, the tops tend to be either not covered at all, covered by a fabric canopy, or have a retractable roof. The roofs have no furniture to maximize the amount of people who can be on a roof at a given time, and only have minimal walling or railing to prevent falls and maximize exposure to the San.

The yards of temples are often just as important as the temple itself. The front entrance of a temple is often a large and paved area. Depending on the occasion, the center of the area may hold a platform for marriage, a place for a band of musicians to play during festivals, a fire for sacrifices, or a grill for feasts. Seats may or may not be present depending on the festival, but most are held outside.

Prayer

Prayer is a vocalized invocation to Anmatar or an Imiwext. Prayer can be made anywhere and does not require sacrifice. However, it is preferred that prayer be made in temples where the Imiwext can allegedly hear the best. Prayers to Imiwext are made standing with arms extended downwards with palms forwards. However, prayers to Anmatar are made with arms and palms to the sky. Alternatively, closing one's fist during a prayer is said to be a revocation of a particular Imiwext and is often used to exorcise bad spirits from a location. Doing so against Anmatar is considered “pointless” as an omnipresent deity cannot be removed from an area.

While prayer books do exist for particular ceremonies, prayer can be in any language including heavy dialects and does not need to a pre-existing one. Many prayers are sung in a Baritone range, but as this is usually not appropriate in public areas, they are also frequently spoken or whispered. Anmatar is said to hear all prayers, though prayer to Imiwext is said to be more personal and immediately effective. While the Imiwext can hear all prayers directed to them, multiple people praying at once is said to be more effective at getting their attention.

Desiccation

Desiccation refers to the practice of Anmatarik followers of laying out in the San for periods of time to “dry away” their sins and connect with Anmatar. On a typical Monday, before a sermon inside, a congregation goes outside onto a roof and close their eyes before embracing the San with their arms and face. This practice is ancient and takes on a more literal meaning in conservative circles, who believe the San literally evaporates Batahiq or the desire to commit them. However, for most, it takes on a more symbolic meaning, with some even using it as a simple reason to get some decent exposure to the San.

For the average person, this only lasts for a few minutes and, if longer than that, has a few breaks for water and conversation. However, some zealous and or esoteric Anmatarikiq have been known to do this ceremony for hours. People who undergo extended desiccation often do so lying down, either by themselves on a circle with fingertips touching. Reports of vivid visions and voices of Imiwext and Anmatar alike are common in later stages of the extended ceremony, and historically, these have been treated very seriously. However, understanding of modern medicine has led most to believe that these visions are likely due to heat stroke or severe dehydration.

Desiccation can be a fairly dangerous ritual if done improperly. While safety practices have made these increasingly uncommon, incidents related to eye injuries, heat-related injuries, and dehydration have been reported since ancient times. Serious reforms and studies have been put into minimizing danger to practitioners during the ritual.

Sacrifice

Sacrifice in the Anmatarik religion comes in a few forms, but shares a commonality. Sacrifice does not happen to appease a higher power, but as thanksgiving to a higher power. Generally, most sacrifices are in the form of an offering of food or valuables. These goods are usually not directly given to Anmatar or Imiwext but are normally taken by a temple’s Tepik who then uses the valuables to further the word of Anmatar and gives a large portion of the food out to a community’s poor. This practice is well known and is generally accepted that this kind of sacrifice is symbolic, showing the lengths one is willing to go to thank Anmatar or an Imiwext, rather than a direct thanksgiving.

Animal sacrifice is uncommon in a daily sense, but is practiced regardless of orthodoxy. During many festivals and all feasts, a goat or cow is sacrificed in front of a fire. Most of the animal's meat is cooked and prepared for onlookers to eat. The rest is tossed into the fire, its ashes spread by the wind. Sacrifice of this nature has been a major point of contention between the secular government and the religious population. Public sacrifices are officially banned in many cities, particularly tourist-heavy ones, and pre-stunning is required. However, further reforms have been heavily pushed back by conservatives, who feel as if anything more would violate religious freedoms.

Festivals

There are two holidays in the Anmatarik faith. Iarew or ‘Day of Ascension’ and Anmatarew or ‘day of Anmatar’. Iarew is the day the founder of the religion, Wabet-Anmatar, died and allegedly became an Imiwext. It is celebrated every June 9th. Anmatarew occurs during the winter solstice, or the day of least San. Since Hemahat is close to the equator, this is usually a difference of 2-3 hours from the summer solstice, but is still considered a notable difference. Anmatarew is a day that, despite the low sanlight, is used to give thanksgiving to Anmatar for all he had done the rest of the year. Both holidays are events of high spirit and are accompanied by music, dancing, eating, and sermons. Secular holidays, such as Namaset Day, and Independence Day, are sometimes celebrated with religious connotations as well. However, Dochi Anmatarik typically have their own holidays, with Independence Day or Namaset day being looked down upon due to ethnic tensions.

Alongside festivals, throughout the year, there are various optional feasts for Imiwext. These feasts happen at set dates throughout the year, but do not happen every year, as there are more Imiwext than days in a year. Similarly, feasts tend not to be universal and local tradition matters more. Some feasts are held to Imiwext found only in certain regions or congregations. Similarly, feasts tend to have certain events. A feast to Iahawext, Imiwext of the Moon, is only held during night as an example.

Organization

The Fellowship of the Anmatarik Temples is a Presbyterian polity, despite having no known relationship with the Amendantist churches of Argis. Tepiks of a temple are typically members of a congregation elected by the locals. Seneshtiks are elected from a pool of temples, Sehsewiks elected from a pool of Seneshtiks, and Sehrexiks elected from a pool of Seneshtiks. This organization has its roots in the teachings of Wabet-Anmatar, who lambasted both the hereditary positions of priests of pagan Hemahat and the Episcopal positions of newly arrived Tacolic and Orthodox Christians, claiming both turned “Priests into Kings.” As such, Wabet-Anmatar preached for an elective system where priests can be kept “in-check” by men in this world and by Anmatar in the next.

Tepyemi and Sehrex

The religion is governed by an organization known as the Sehrex (Anglish: General Assembly). The Sehrex is an elective assembly of one member from all 84 Sehsews. The Sehsew acts as the central administration of the religion, with them holding the responsibility to decide upon interpretations of the Watek or other matters of Orthodoxy, the official stance on modern issues, along with the canonicity of text outside the Watek or conclusions from it. All Imiwext considered formally canon are those approved by the Sehrex and only translations of the Watek into other languages approved by the Sehrex are considered canon. Any decision must get a supermajority, which has led to discussions and debates nearly months long.

The Sehrex elect one person to become the Tepyemi. The Tepyemi is the leader of the entire religion and represents it on an international scale. However, their name translates to ‘first equal’, and most of their roles are either ceremonial or diplomatic. Tepyemi still get to vote, propose, and debate laws as an equal, but they still must get any decision approved by a supermajority of the Sehrex.

Sehsews and Seneshts

Sehsews and Seneshts hold similar functions as subdivisions of the religion, with Sehsews being the larger of the two. There are 84 Sehsews, which contain roughly 43 Seneshts between them. There are 3,595 Seneshts, which contain roughly 7 temples. However, of the two, Seneshts tend to vary much more widely in size.

Both divisions run similarly to a smaller Sehrex. Seneshts consist of approximately 3/4ths of all temples within it and mostly exist to organize events within and without a Senesht, such as soup kitchens, feasts, etc. They also maintain funding within the Senesht, such as assisting less well-off temples. Sehsews contain two members from every Senesht, who are elected by members of a Senesht. The Senesht functions similarly to a Senesht, but also has the added authority of managing local affairs such as local religious courts or divorce, but not marriage as that is considered a matter for the temples themselves.

Membership

There are officially 26,200,052 members of the Anmatarik religion and is a rather sizable force in Western Alharu. However, of its members, most of them live in the country of Hemahat (90%) and the remaining members stem from Hemahatik or Dochi diaspora elsewhere in the world. While officially a universal religion with no ethnic or regional boundaries, non-Alharun Anmatarik are rare. Of the two, Hemahatik peoples make up the majority of the religion, and the archaic Medieval Paranik dialect, the native language of Wabet-Anmatar, is the unofficial liturgical language.

Issues

Secularization

While officially secular, the only Anmatarik-majority country of Hemahat is significantly influenced by the religion and its organization. The relationship between the state and the church has been shaky and fluctuating, but in general, Anmatarik has been a favored religion. Anmatar is mentioned in many of the country’s pledges, in speeches, and symbolism of the religion is enshrined in many governmental buildings, including courts and legislature. Similarly, while religious buildings are not taxed, local governments are known to fund religious buildings or events. Namasetahat is also legally a theocracy, with a historically elected leader who holds the position of both leader of Namasetahat and the priest of a Swet Temple. Although in recent times, this is mostly ceremonial.

The role of Anmatarik in Hemahat has been a point of conflict in politics. Factions of the Hemahatik Party for Unity officially believe that Hemahat should establish Anmatarik as a state religion, though allowing other religions in a pluralist system. Meanwhile, the Coalition of Free Parties has an official position of secularizing Hemahat. Even within the organization, there have been disagreements, as many believe that a state Hemahatik religion would intertwine politics with religion in a way that would turn the religion into an arm of the government, whilst others believe that the introduction of a state religion would help bring in more members.

Centralization

A major internal problem of the Anmatarik religion is that of centralization. In its current state, Anmatarik is a disorganized entity, with local deviation in orthodoxy and beliefs being common. As such, many believers throughout the religion have argued for a more centralized organization where the Tepyemi and Sehrex are given more authority over the Sehsews and Seneshts, such as the removal of heterodox priests without the approval of locals. Those who support this are called Herayibik, or “Centerists.”

Pro-Heayibik arguments claim this centralization would allow for a more organized religion that can hold its weight, pool its resources, and maintain unity against disorganization from within and threats from non-believers. This isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility, as the religion is historically “rivalled” with Salam and Christianity. Similarly, being able to pool resources would allow it to assist historically impoverished or marginalized temples and communities.

Conversely, there has been major pushback from conservatives in the region. Many claim that such centralization would create a “Monarch of the Anmatarik”, which in their eyes is utterly heretical. More practical arguments come predominantly from ethnic minorities and regionalists. Dochi and Wasahatik followers have claimed this level of centralization would erase their identity in exchange for a centralized orthodoxy around the predominantly urban and Meryetik church organization.

Abrahamic Question

The Anmatarik religion is officially not an Abrahamic religion, claiming no relationship to Abraham and the Yehudah, Christians and Jesus, or Salam and Nabi Hanan. However, secular historians and anthropologists generally agree that Anmatarik is at least influenced by Abrahamic religion, particularly Christianity, as It was founded during a time when Christian missionaries had a large presence in Hemahat. Similarly, Anmatar is described as having multiple aspects, as both mortals and gods. As such, the question about the relationship between Anmatarik and Abrahamic religions has been a major internal debate.

A few Anmatarik believe that it is acceptable for a pluralist view between Yahweh and Anmatar, with debates often stating that Anmatar is an aspect of Yahweh, vice versa, or that they are two Gods of “equal” rank. Similarly, many who do not hold this viewpoint still believe in improving relations between Abrahamic and Anmatarik religions. However, there is a faction of those who believe that integration with the other religions may end with the Anmatarik faith being replaced by Christianity/Salam, or Christian/Salam Syncretist, and a more hostile view. However, in general, most Anmatarik officials believe in improved relations, though not integration, with Abrahamic religions.