A few thoughts on the Chariot of Lightning sect or Henotheism

[Jeff Richard]

The Chariot of Lightning sect was founded in 1605 by Surantyr the Non-heretic after he made a pilgrimage to Top of the World Mountain. Within three years, he made himself master of the city of Valantia and by 1611 he conquered Fiesive with his Lankstite allies. In 1619, the sect destroyed the armies of Sentanos, triggering another round of Safelstran alliances and opportunistic wars. As of 1621, the sect is one of the most widespread and powerful religious movements in Safelster.

The Chariot of Lightning sect is often described as Henotheistic Malkionism (including in the Guide), but it might be even more accurately described as Henotheistic Orlanthism. The sect holds that Orlanth is the Supreme Being, the Hypistos, the creator, preserver, destroyer, revealer, and concealer of all that is. Other deities are important and deserve worship, BUT they are names, manifestations, symbols, limbs, consorts, and so on, of the Supreme Orlanth. Orlanth is the Supreme Cosmic Breath (soul) of the World. Humakt is his weapon, Issaries his tongue, Lhankor Mhy his eyes, Chalana Arroy his healing touch, and so on and so forth.

The Chariot of Lightning claim that this Supreme God is the same abstract entity that the Malkioni know as the Invisible God, but the Supreme God has revealed his identity and true nature to Surantyr and he is Orlanth. Many, perhaps most, of those who follow the Chariot of Lightning teachings still initiate to Orlanth in the traditional way and use his Rune magic. However, its core followers also practice sorcery (since all the Runes serve the Supreme Orlanth). The Lightbringers have been “demoted” to being manifestations of Orlanth: Orlanth Goodvoice, Orlanth Lawspeaker, Orlanth the Healer, Orlanth the Tricksters, etc (although these “demoted” cults are popular and can be socially prestigious).

For a real world analogy to this, look at how these divinities are identified with Marduk in the Enuma Eliash:
Ninarta is Marduk of the hoe,
Nergal is Marduk of the attack,
Zabada is Marduk of the hand-to-hand fight,
Enlil is Marduk of lordship and counsel,
Nabium is Marduk of accounting,
Sin is Marduk, the illuminator of the night,
Shamash is Marduk of justice,
Adad is Marduk or rains.

Or this Egyptian text:
All gods are three:
AMUN, RE, and PTAH, whom none equals.
He who hide his name as Amun,
he appears to the face as Re,
his body is PTAH.

[Hervé CARTEAU]

I’m glad – this is how I cast Surantyr in my Rise of Ralios reboot. “I have seen the Invisible God and He is the Soul Wind!”

[Jeff Richard]

As an aside, it is worth keeping in mind that folk in Otkorion and Safelster continue to offer sacrifices to their traditional gods or dance to please the local spirits, or whatever, without interference. But the big public festivals either acknowledge the supremacy of Great Orlanth or are celebrations of it. New dedications to Issaries in Otkorion may well be in the name of “Issaries Orlanthi” or even “Orlanth Goodvoice”, although otherwise the rites are the same. The Chariot of Lightning is a new overlay on top of traditional practices, but does not replace it.

Unless your cult publicly rejects the very idea of Orlanth being ruler. Then you might have trouble with Surantyr and his followers.

[David Cake]

I’ve always figured that his title was one of those ‘doth protest too much’ things. If someone feels it necessary to call himself the Non-Heretic, you can be pretty sure that a bunch of people regard him as a heretic. In his case, practically everyone not part of his sect, I suspect.
But mad heretics that nevertheless are reasonably sensible in their day to day practices and useful allies may be perfectly fine to many Orlanthi as long as Orlanth doesn’t seem to mind too much.
Great to get this snippet of description, Jeff – it really gets into the level of detail that gets down to player level concern, which is great.

[Jeff Richard]

Surantyr’s title of the Non-Heretic is addressed to a Western audience – heresy is a product of written canon. The Orlanthi are perfectly willing to accept new stories about their gods as long as you don’t make them change their traditional ways.
The Westerners, on the other hand, rely on certain divinely-inspired or even divinely-written doctrinal texts. Differences and divergences between different groups of Westerners are cast as the struggle of “orthodoxy” against “heretics”.
Since Surantyr seeks to gain the support of Malkioni in Safelster by proclaiming that his Chariot of Lightning sect is “Non-Heresy”. For some Malkioni that might be enough of a fig-leaf to embrace his sect (largely for reasons of power, status, or defense against rivals). I doubt any Rokari accept that claim though. 😀

[jonathan quaife]

Jeff, thought this was great. Do the Esvulari follow a similar tradition? (I had them down as pretty much on this page also.) No reference here to the “Chariot” part of the movement’s title. One would be tempted to speculate that this perhaps resonates with the mystery traditions of the ancient near east and levant which involved ritualised ascent to the deity, often passing through the various gates or parts of heaven, and concluding with the worshipper blessing her or his god. In Judaism these practices came to be “merkavah [chariot] mysticism”. Interestingly these traditions are branded as ‘theurgic’, not in the sense of divine intervention in human affairs, but rather in the sense of humanity shaping the divine. Sounds very much like Surantyr’s experience…

[Jeff Richard]

As the Guide states:
The Esvularings were once atheists like the folk of God Forgot, but have embraced a unique henotheist variation of Malkionism called Aeolism, which holds that the Orlanthi gods are emanations of the Invisible God. They worship the Invisible God as the Supreme Creator, but heartily participate in Orlanthi rites as well.

So for the Esvularings the lesser gods (Orlanth, Ernalda, Yelm, Magasta, Lhankor Mhy, Issaries, Chalana Arroy, and so on) are aspects and emanations of the Supreme Creator or Hypistos. These gods are evoked and influenced through ritual theurgy, with an emphasis on sacrifice and prayer. Orlanthi mythology is often interpreted allegorically, as a grimoire for understanding the cosmos.

The Esvularings offer sacrifices to the gods at many the same places the Heortlings do, and many attend Heortling festivals and ceremonies. However the Esvularings are generally disliked by Heortlings, being viewed as being intellectually specious, wasting time debating topics of no practical value, or asking questions whose answers hold no intellectual consequence. They are not Hendrikings and are often held in contempt for having no patron gods of their own.

[David Scott]

So what are Surantyr’s origins. Getting to Top of the World Mountain is not something to do lightly, assuming he went to the top.

[Jeff Richard]

If I recall, he was a Arkati-trained Malkioni from Valantia who rationally determined that since Orlanth is King of the Gods he is the Supreme God. He initiated into the Orlanth cult, learned its secrets, and gained its magic. He performed several heroquests, culminating in a pilgrimage to Top of the World. There he was carried to Orlanth in the Chariot of Lightning and had a moment of Unity with the World Soul (which Orlanth revealed himself to be).
He returned, a Hero with a new cult.

[jonathan quaife]

This is the vision of the hero Esfular, by whose hand the apostasy of Suranty is cast down.

And an angelos of fiery visage came to me and took and brought me to a place in which those who were there were like flaming fire, and, when they wished, they appeared as men. And they brought me to the place of darkness, and to a mountain the point of whose summit reached to the highest place in heaven. And I saw the places of the luminaries and the treasuries of the stars and of the thunder and in the uttermost depths, where were a fiery bow and arrows and their quiver, and a fiery sword and all the lightnings. And they took me to the living waters, and to the fire of the west, which receives every setting of the sun. And I came to a river of fire in which the fire flows like water and discharges itself into the great sea towards the west. I saw the great rivers and came to the great river and to the great darkness, and went to the place where no flesh walks. I saw the mountains of the darkness of winter and the place whence all the waters of the deep flow. I saw the mouths of all the rivers of the earth and the mouth of the deep.

And I proceeded and saw a place which burns day and night, where there are seven mountains of magnificent stones, three towards the east, and three towards the south. And as for those towards the east, was of coloured stone, and one of pearl, and one of jacinth, and those towards the south of red stone. But the middle one reached to heaven like the throne of Makanos, of alabaster, and the summit of the throne was of sapphire. And I saw a burning wind, and knew that I looked upon the seat of Orlathos.

And the angelos said to me: ‘Here stand the fourteen, the emanations of Makanos, who make known the unknowable: Acos, the unmoved; Nakala, the cold; Uleria, the warmer; Orlathos, the highest, the lord of change; Gatanalda, mistress of bounty; Lhankorenoaros, truthspeaker; Elimalos, the orb; Erematos Salphos, the treacherous; Karganos Umathos, the disruptor; Megastamakos, the flood; Adkoranatos, the champion; Elissarios, the gatekeeper; Chalana Arilora, mistress of healing; the Vessel, who shall not be named.

And she showed all things to me and wrote them down for me: also their names she wrote for me, and their laws and their companies.

[Critics of this pericope argue that it names 15 deities, or 28, or 29, or that interpretation in terms of a defined number of deities is problematic.]

[jonathan quaife]

(And while I’m at it…)

The commentary of Philotheos of Jrustal-Izish
= = =
Acos, Nakal and Uleria are known to all, and they are in little doubt. Now the sages say that Orlathos is the Lord of Change, called Orlanth Larnsting, the son of Umath; Gatanalda is his Queen, Ernalda, descended from Gata the Empress; and Lhankorenoaros is Lhankor Orenoarsson, the Lord of Truth; Elimalos is Ehilm, the sun, called Elmal; Erematos Salphos is Ratslaf, who made Eurmal from a wart that sprouted on the posterior of Entra Pigmother; and Karganos Umathos is Kargan, or Humakt, gods of war and conflict; Megastamakos is evil Magasta; and Adkoranatos is Hedkoranth, the champion or Orlanth; Elissarios is the companion of the dead, Issaries, and Lord of Rain; and Chalana Arilora is called Chalana Arroy, the sister of Harana, lady of harmony.

[Jeff Richard]

Excellent stuff Jonathan! That is exactly the right attitude!

[Scott Martin]

Quote:

Quote from Jonathan-Quaife on April 1, 2014, 14:29
This is the vision of the hero Esfular, by whose hand the apostasy of Suranty is cast down.

Gorgeous.

These fine merkabah texts just turned my own light on when it comes to where and how poor old Mastakos may be as important as he seemed in earlier editions.

Especially in our now-vedic West:

Orlanth’s voice was choked with emotion once more as he said, “O Lord of Lords, You are the Primal Imperishable Motion! Nothing can equal you! I prostrate before you and seek your mercy. Ignorant of your greatness, I called you ‘Mastakos’ and ‘friend.'”

Both Mastakos and Krishna are blue men after all.

[David Cake]

The similarities between the Chariot of Lightning sects inner sorcerous tradition, and that of the Orgethite school of sorcery (air based, declared Air to be greater than other elements) can’t be just coincidence, especially as both are from Ralios, albeit separated by more 1400 years or so. Perhaps Surantyr studied those ancient grimoires, or they even form the core texts of his sorcerous teaching. Which would make the school have deep roots indeed.
(while the the Orgethite texts were declared heretical back then, it was by some First Age Hrestoli types, so that hardly matters)

And let me add my voice both to agree with Jonathon that the link to the merkavah mysticism is a very fruitful one (I’ve often thought that kabbalistic texts are among the most useful sources to mine for ideas about Gloranthan sorcery), and to praise his rather fine writings.

[jonathan quaife]

@Scott Martin: I like your style sir, I like it a lot. (And I am so on your page: Mastakos seems to me to represent the fundamental and secret power of Orlanth, and so inevitably, in some interpretations, greater than Orlanth as both the origin and provider of Orlanth’s key power: change.)

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