Sol Magna
"The SUN is ETERNAL
Sun made SOUL
Sun shined on KING
King, servant of SUN
We, servant of KING
Worship SUN,
makes King SHINE"
Sol Magna is a monotheist sun religion within the world of Infaru that originates from the continent of Meridia. The sun, seen as a divine god by worshippers, is connected to, and serves to legitimize the rule of, the kings of Aréole.
Beginnings
Pre-Origins
Various forms of sun worship existed all across Meridia as a folk religion with their own particular practice; such folk worships still persist to this day in remote corners of Meridia. Other folk religions that revolve around the worship of a celestial body (such as the moon) existed for a long time before the domination of sun religions took hold.
Origins of Sol Magna
Chief Jean Lébad initially ruled Arés, a small chiefdom, and went blind after staring at the sun for too long. It was during the process of getting blinded by the sun that he received divine messages from the sun, reporting "I am the SUN, LORD GOD... be in my TRUST, my AGENT". The Arés people did not believe his messages about the glory of the sun and risked abandoning him if he persisted. During this time, raids by the local Hannish tribes started to increase in both their violence and their occurrences. Perceived as an empire by the Arés people, Chief Jean took it as a mission from the sun to conquer the empire; many of his people, both supporters and critics, thought it impossible to conquer such a vast and wealthy empire. Jean would conquer significant amounts of territory in rapid succession. Such a feat amazed even the newly subjugated Hannish lords (as well as the Arés officials) and they proclaimed him King. With such successes perceived to be due to the providence of the sun, many Hannish lords and Arés subjects converted to the sun religion created by Lébad. He was then known as "He who Delivered the SUN".
Every king of Aréole after has been related to Jean I, forming the House of Lébad. Officially, the kingdom and House claims to seek to bring "the glorious message of the light of the SUN" to all lands. Due to being descendant of Jean I, the kings of Aréole are the head of the religion. Such is the relationship between the monarchy and the religion that it is believe that a lack of belief in the SUN will lead to disaster for the kingdom.
Some smaller sects of the religion that Jean I had a brother named Dagobert (unknown to the historical record), and that Dagobert was the one who was the blind. Those sects, named Dagists after the name Dagobert, theorize that while Jean I, deemed to be not blind, commanded the armies it was Dagober that was advising him behind the scenes. The Dagists claim true succession to the throne through unclear lines of succession, with rival pretenders often fighting each other over legitimacy.
Modern Day Religious Practices
On Places for Worship: Solariums, the name of the places of worship, are typically open courtyards surrounded by a circle with small triangles around with big triangles pointed East and West and smaller big triangles pointed north and south. Temples are often built on elevated ground compared to the rest of the settlement, in order to be closer to the sun and its holiness.
On the Blind: According to religious doctrine, those born blind and those who became blind through staring at the sun are considered holy while those who become blind through other means are looked down upon. The most devout inner sections and monks of the Solar Order blind themselves by staring into the sun.
On Punishment: According to religious doctrine, those who have done wrong will be subject to “The SUN’s Judgement” which is to be tied up somewhere high left without food or water to become severely sunburnt, starved, and dehydrated. This practice is called sunning and is sometimes used as a means of execution.
"For thy crimes against the Crown, you are sentenced to sunning. May Sol have mercy on ye so(u)l"
Holy Days
Summer Solstice: Celebrated by believers as the longest day of the year with "the greatest amount of the SUN and its glory".
Winter Solstice: People gather around each other for a feast and to celebrate how they’ve made it to the day with the least light, the least Sun out. They also give a few small gifts to friends and family.
Sects
Jeanists: This is the main form of the religion. They believe most of the kings have been descended from Jean I and that people must revere the king because he is the representative of the Sun on Infaru
Dagists: Those who believe that Jean had a brother, Dagobert, who is the real prophet and king.
Revivalists: Those who want the return of the ways of the original Solar Order and argue that the modern Order has become corrupt and strayed too far from the original vision. They are extremely pro-monarchy and often make up the lower ranks of the Solar Order.
Radicals: Those who want to focus more on the worship of the sun god and de-emphasize the king. All believe that at least Jean I was a true prophet and great king but some draw different lines on where their support ends. Various flavors of Radicals ordered by relative popularity:
- Direct Radicals: The direct descendants of Jean I, the kings up to Jean IX, were the only true Prophet-Kings. The end of Jean IX’s reign was in 120 so it has been 1550 years since a true prophet-king.
- Originalist Radicals: Jean I was the only Prophet-King and the rest have been merely important political figures.
- Conditional Radicals: The last true Prophet-King was Jean VI because he was so great and he could have only been so great on the condition that he had been a prophet. This is sometimes used to argue that Jacques VI was also a Prophet-King due to how great, according to popularity, we was too.
- Lazy Radicalists: All the good kings were Prophet-kings and all the bad ones were not.
- Dualist Radicals: Every other king is a true Prophet-King. This belief came about recently from people reading texts on esoteric ideas of succession following the recent annexation of eastern territories into the kingdom.
Determinists: Those who say that the sun deity has control over literally everything and so can control how everything plays out through all of the universe, everything determined by the sun god.
Hyperroyalists: Those who believe all the kings have been direct avatars of the Sun and so the King must be obeyed for he can never be wrong. They are extremely loyal to the kings.
Jean Reincarnationists: Deemed heretics by all the other sects, and dwindling in numbers, they are those who believe that Jacques VI was the reincarnation of Jean I due to just how great he was and all the things he did during his reign. This belief is more common among the remote peasants. This is different from the conditional radicals as they do not believe in reincarnation.