Manaia : The Most Ancient Religion in the World - Amanism
The Aman religion is considered the most ancient of all religions in Manaia, but is most prominent in the Wetlands and the Alochian Kingdoms of Aneyes. The religion has no written doctrine and has been passed down over thousands of years through word of mouth, stories and song.
As a consequence of the oral tradition of Amanism, and no written documentation within the religion, the beliefs of Amanists tend to vary - sometimes drastically - from city to city, and from tribe to tribe. The fundamental pillars of the Aman faith remain the same, however. All Amanists believe that the Creator is female; that She is ever present on Manaia and within man in the form of water; and that Her return will be preceded by the trials and triumphs of the Agwa - a great magician imbued with the power of nature.
Water is regarded as the presence of the Creator because of its unique life-granting properties. Some Amanists also believe that every drop of water contains the entire history of the universe within it, and that using advanced magic one can access the memory and discern the will of the Creator.
Followers of the Aman religion tend to avoid the desert as the lack of water is interpreted as the Creator's absence. However, a minority of the Aman population believe that water is everywhere, including the air, and so too is the Creator omnipresent throughout Manaia.
In some branches of Amanism, rituals such as funerals, weddings, and rebirths symbolising the passage to adulthood, begin with a celebration in the wait for rain, when the ritual itself will take place. If no rain arrives within ten days then it is thought that the Creator does not approve of the ceremony, or in the case of a funeral, that the Creator has not looked favourably upon the deceased's time spent on Manaia.
The prophecy of the coming of the Agwa differs largely depending on which Aman civilisation one is brought up within. In the Sacred City of Gavaho and the surrounding areas, it is believed the Agwa will descend from the Mighty Willingwood, fall in love with its protector and then unite the tribes and pave the path to the Creator's return. In Anakai, it is most commonly understood that the Agwa will be turn down the opportunity to be King and go on to rid the entire world of rulers. In the Alochian Kingdoms, it is thought that the Agwa is not a predetermined individual, but the goal and inevitable destination of any human being who lives up to the fullest extent of the potential gifted to them by the Creator. The Alochians train daily towards this goal. They further believe that the ascension of the Agwa will be coincided by the fall of another to great evil, and that a final battle between good and evil will ensue.
Unlike many other religions in Manaia, Amanists believe in and frequently practise magic. They consider it not evil, but a tool that can be used for good or for bad, depending upon one's intent.
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