Scraps of Conjoined Religions
November 27, 2010Since the prehistoric eradication of the pagan, religion in the Shur desert has been, predominately, a recitation of oral traditions and poems. Both the Chosen and heathens of the Shur destroy pagan tablets and writing whenever they are found. The parallel faiths vehemently preach and practice intolerance of the existence of more than one god.
The heathen remain a nomadic people, living in the deep and inhospitable parts of the Shur. Their oral traditions persist, but very few written documents have ever been produced. No one suspected the heathen taught a written language to their children, but the verbose graffiti that young heathen militants spray paint on structures and vehicles captured from the Chosen military prove otherwise.
The early traditions of the heathen are identical to those of the Chosen. The traditions of the twin faiths parted when the Chosen sacrificed the messiah of both religions. The Chosen claimed dominance over anything mortal and eviscerated the imperfect deity. The heathen testify the messiah lived – the Living God – and vanished back into the Shur. A long war between heathens and the Chosen began with assassinations, a heathen art.
The Chosen dominated the oases of the Shur and formed a theocratic government, called the Church. The Chosen claimed the invention of print and churned out doctrine and propaganda until the modern age. The Church and its military more recently banned print and other media outlets, citing heathens have infiltrated the industries. Over decades, heathens had increased crusades and terrorist attacks against the Chosen, but the Church had simply seized a convenient opportunity to enforce control over its constituents.
Regardless the rarity of heathen documents, and the precedence set by the destruction of pagan tablets, pieces of heathen-Chosen literature survive the execution of the Mortal God. Below is a hand written poem*, recorded soon after the Chosen caste was formed from the tribes that killed the Mortal God. Of special note is the Mortal/Living God is given a female gender, although the agreed belief is the messiah was a man. Even more interesting, is the messiah is given the name “Ishtar.” The name appears no where else in Chosen or heathen literature.
1 Sing ye of the goddess, the Creator and Mortal God,
2 Praise be upon the servant of men, subject of the Chosen!
3 Sing ye of Ishtar, the only god,
4 Praise be upon the servant of the people, the enslaved god of the Chosen!
5 She who craves mortality, clothed in flesh,
6 craves to consume fruits, wines and meats.
7 She who craves mortality, clothed in flesh,
8 craves to consume fruits, wines and meats.
9 She manifests as man, her mouth is life,
10 She trespasses the Shur,
11 Without the blessing of the Chosen,
12 Her cheeks are comely, her eyes twinkle and sparkle.
21 Who can rival any of her glory?
22 her powers subject to the Chosen.
23 Ishtar, who can rival her glory?
24 her powers subject to the Chosen.
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