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Backwards flew Wetul, thrown against pillar as<br/> | Backwards flew Wetul, thrown against pillar as<br/> | ||
The sea throws itself upon rocks in | The sea throws itself upon rocks in midst of storm,<br/> | ||
So to Cheljal he spake: " | So to Cheljal he spake: "Now! Defeat her while she<br/> | ||
Has spent her power thus, upon me and not thee!"<br/> | Has spent her power thus, upon me and not thee!"<br/> | ||
And so rushed forward did the brave queen-to-be<br/> | And so rushed forward did the brave queen-to-be<br/> | ||
Line 104: | Line 104: | ||
Against the sorceress-queen Galodin, seeress,<br/> | Against the sorceress-queen Galodin, seeress,<br/> | ||
Once wise and respected, but now bent upon power<br/> | Once wise and respected, but now bent upon power<br/> | ||
And | And wanton for secrets unearned by mortal ears.<br/> | ||
:— Bargains 29 | :— Bargains 29 | ||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
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<blockquote> | <blockquote> | ||
Treachery does not stain the skin as berries do fingers<br/> | Treachery does not stain the skin as berries do fingers<br/> | ||
It blackens the heart, | It blackens the heart, hardens beyond measure;<br/> | ||
A | A coal-hearted king cannot rule a kingdom-god-given.<br/> | ||
Such as I have seen, wrath shall come upon all who bow<br/> | Such as I have seen, wrath shall come upon all who bow<br/> | ||
Thoughtless and selfish, to a throne corrupt;<br/> | Thoughtless and selfish, to a throne corrupt;<br/> | ||
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Who hear not the divine word, wrath deserve!<br/> | Who hear not the divine word, wrath deserve!<br/> | ||
At once, all the sins of the king will rain thus<br/> | At once, all the sins of the king will rain thus<br/> | ||
Upon his people, for a king is no king without subject<br/> | Upon his people, for a king is no king without subject;<br/> | ||
So to subject that sees evil in their home and shirks<br/> | |||
At the doer–beware the burning brand of heaven's fury!" | At the doer–beware the burning brand of heaven's fury!" | ||
:— Gúlijalah 37:18 | :— Gúlijalah 37:18 | ||
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This narrative comprises about one third of the Book of Gúlijalah. The next section of text includes various hymns composed by the Prophet, which is among the foremost works of poetry in the ancient world (along with the ''Hymns of Haten'' and the Kallean ''Book of Hymns''). The next section includes various oracles and judgements against neighboring tribes and nations, including the states of Kara, Paquldoron, Orat, the Skypriots, and beasts from the Island of Dagen. Many of these tribes called out disappeared sometime before the Venerable Era, and in some cases the Book of Gúlijalah is the only source for their existence at all. The last part of the text includes various laws and legislations, namely the Great Oath of Peace that formalized the confederacy of tribes around Zor, affirming the domination of the high priestesses. The book concludes with commentaries, traditionally attributed to [[Nesoliah]]. Among these writings is the decree that the pious will never again inhabit such a place as Kara, for which Jana removed from the earth forever as a warning for rebellion against the eternal laws. | This narrative comprises about one third of the Book of Gúlijalah. The next section of text includes various hymns composed by the Prophet, which is among the foremost works of poetry in the ancient world (along with the ''Hymns of Haten'' and the Kallean ''Book of Hymns''). The next section includes various oracles and judgements against neighboring tribes and nations, including the states of Kara, Paquldoron, Orat, the Skypriots, and beasts from the Island of Dagen. Many of these tribes called out disappeared sometime before the Venerable Era, and in some cases the Book of Gúlijalah is the only source for their existence at all. The last part of the text includes various laws and legislations, namely the Great Oath of Peace that formalized the confederacy of tribes around Zor, affirming the domination of the high priestesses. The book concludes with commentaries, traditionally attributed to [[Nesoliah]]. Among these writings is the decree that the pious will never again inhabit such a place as Kara, for which Jana removed from the earth forever as a warning for rebellion against the eternal laws. | ||
===Book of Dirges=== | |||
The fifth book of the Jenolite scriptures departs from the narrative structure of the preceeding four in being solely composed of a series of funerary hymns. Modern scholarship holds that the first hymn in the Dirges was written explicitly pertaining the passing of the Prophet Gúlijalah, and that this first hymn may have once been located at the end of the Book of Gúlijalah. However, the First Dirge, as it is now known, was later removed from the Book of Gúlijalah and used as the beginning of a fifth separate book containing poetry touching upon the subjects of death, time, and the trascient nature of the world of mortals. To this extent, the First Dirge is thought to significant predate the successive poems that follow it in the Book of Dirges. | |||
{| class="mw-collapsible" | |||
|+ class="nowrap" |<strong>First Dirge</strong> | |||
|- | |||
| | |||
<blockquote> | |||
How bright shone stars, twinkling in mirk<br/> | |||
At His birth. A chorus of bird song<br/> | |||
Sweetly rang valley across<br/> | |||
and in melodious harmony sang<br/> | |||
"Welcome," they, creatures of sky;<br/> | |||
An infant, prophet-of-doom-to-come!<br/> | |||
Glorious heaven opened gates aloft<br/> | |||
So succoured Stargalon, verdant-spring rain,<br/> | |||
Yet like tears upon cheek in time of great joy<br/> | |||
None knew yet the power of His sight<br/> | |||
Although vision of mortal Earth eluded him<br/> | |||
So clear to Him was the light of god.<br/> | |||
Alas, now has come to pass<br/> | |||
Prophet, so wise, from this life<br/> | |||
None can escape the end-tribute;<br/> | |||
No-ever how wise the sage<br/> | |||
Can break even the tend'rest of<br/> | |||
bundles; Jana alone gives life.<br> | |||
As the clouds drift at night<br/> | |||
Scraping the stars, dancing wisps<br/> | |||
Around moon alot, how they end<br/> | |||
Like the life of man, at once<br/> | |||
Beautiful, at next, foreboding<br/> | |||
A portent of spring; death unto life.<br/> | |||
We look upon the dead with tears<br/> | |||
Welled in our eyes, and we wonder<br/> | |||
What one morrow more may yet have brought;<br/> | |||
Why now, we utter to god alone, What deservéd<br/> | |||
Now the suffering of mine own self?<br/> | |||
But tears, like rain, bring life anew.<br/> | |||
Cleansed, as Kara-magnificent though<br/> | |||
It was–cannot escape the will of god.<br/> | |||
For no day passes where death alone<br/> | |||
Occurs without absence of new birth<br/> | |||
And greatest memory holds those thoughts<br/> | |||
Which stirs most disquietously the heart.<br/> | |||
So let us mourn, but let us also give thanks<br/> | |||
To a life spent serving no nobler purpose than His.<br/> | |||
Blessed be the doomseer-of-Kara, He that saw<br/> | |||
Beyond the feigned magnificence of kings<br/> | |||
To gaze upon the glory that god gave alone<br/> | |||
To no man but to all that is upon mortal earth.<br/> | |||
</blockquote> | |||
|} | |||
==Historical Jenolites== | ==Historical Jenolites== |
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Scriptural narrative
Matriarchal Era
In the scriptural narrative, the Jenolites trace their origins to a series of cultural heroes, the first of which being the matriarch Mothúdul. After proving herself by solving a puzzle (presented either on a seeing stone[note 1] or from a shadag[note 2]), Mothúdul established a sacred well in the Pass of Hands and debated the Lord of Clouds, traditionally held to be an Oratian magistrate. Because of her intervention, there broke out a Battle of Twelve Kings, resulting in Mothúdul’s first cousin, Goul, leading a tribe from Orat into the mountains. Having completed this task, he turned into a rock pillar after meditating in the sea for 22 days. Mothúdul became miraculously pregnant, and gave birth to the patriarch Zurduli after twelve months of gestation. The narrative associates each of the descendants of Zurduli as becoming progenitors of the tribes of the continent, who gradually replaced the indigenous inhabitants, of the land[note 3] and defeated their divine patrons the Ijorunn.[note 4] The sons of Zurduli competed to earn his blessing, by collectively conquering 13 cities and performing miraculous feats. However, his daughter Qordul performed the greatest feat by flying to heaven, causing Zurduli to bless her line as being eternal priests. The story of Zurduli ends with a vision on his deathbed of a future great revealing.
Qordul leads a great multitude of tribes into the Land of Stargalon where she meets the god Jana’ah and receives several prophecies. The tribes construct a temple in Jana’s Grove, after which two Heaveners appear, who guard its entrance with flaming swords. The tribes disperse, losing knowledge of the location of the Grove (or alternatively the Grove leaves the human realm). Qordul anoints a young warrior named Panonpalo, and tasks him with uniting the land in the name of Jana, before descending into a cave and disappearing. Under Panonpalo, the people do battle with the Oratians, who are stopped in battle by the sound of Mothúdul’s Horn. After forty years, Panonpalo conquers a kingdom stretching across all of Stargalon and conquers the holy city of Zor, which is called Zorqojanyahol (“the mound of the most high god”). An election selects Joreh as the first Regent of god, after which Panonpalo dies of his wounds after wrestling an orca named Shaviouth.
Book of Bargains
The Book of Levitations ends with the death of Panonpalo, but the Janist scriptural narrative picks up with the Book of Bargains, also known as the "Jenolite Book of Kings". Arjalah inherited the lands of Panonpalo, establishing a centralized government across the entire Stargalon Valley. He created a magnificent court in the city of Kara, which consisted of dozens of distinguished princes and warriors from across all "thirteen cities of the Jenolites". Arjalah's "Court of Kara" is the focus of many epic traditions, several of which are recorded in the Book of Bargains, but also supplemented by local folklore. Among their adventures includes the slaying of many fire giants (Ijorunn), and in one case the hunting of a mountain-sized boar, the Gennasha. The main focus of the Janist scriptures is to establish a continuity from Panonpalo to Arjalah, and from there the rest of the Zurjuli dynasty down to the Oratian conquest. The most prominent member of this court is Ambinian, the legendary military leader and progenitor of the patrons of the prophet Gúlijalah, who's life and exploits are further detailed in the Book of Gúlijalah.
Arjalah was succeeded as king by his son Carvo "the Wise", who relocated the capital from Kara to his own city of Zarpatulr. Carvo had a vast imagination and insatiable curiosity, and he desired to expand his knowledge and wisdom by testing every physical and magical phenomenon on Earth. So he constructed a vast network of underground chambers, extending for thirty fathoms beneath the city of Zarpatulr. These chambers would contain hundreds of unique objects or experiments, ranging from the mundane to otherworldly in nature. For example, one chamber was designed to measure the maximum length a cricket can jump, while another contained a Seeing Stone linked to a world of evil spirits. Still other chambers had various monsters imprisoned, such as men with the heads of dogs or bulls. Carvo is often depicted as rather callous if not irresponsible for the lives of those in charge of conducting these experiments, some of whom would never see the light of the Sun ever again. But he believed that the revelation of new knowledge and wisdom was worth the risk, which the Janist scriptures depicts as an admirable virtue.
When Carvo died, he willed the kingdom to his only daughter, Cheljal. Cheljal was described as a fierce and brave warrior, a cut above her peers in terms of agility and proficiency with weapons. She was betrothed to marry Cybo the son of Ambinian, and by the time of Carvo's death they had grown steadily fond of each other. However, Carvo's sister Galodin immediately seized the throne in a coup, placing Cheljal under arrest. Galodin transformed the chambers of Zarpatulr from a house of learning into a prison, re-arranging the corridors to become a labyrinth of confusing passageways, and there she locked up Cheljal and all her political supporters in the deepest part of the maze. As for the handsome Prince Cybo, Cheljal planned to forcefully take his hand in marriage in Cheljal's absence. But Cheljal allied with an imprisoned sorcerer named Wetul, and together the two of them managed to escape the maze after overcoming many trials and tribulations.
|
In a rather colorful and dramatic passage, Cheljal managed to defeat Queen Galodin and rescue her true love. However, it was at this point that Wetul revealed his true intentions, and using a magic spell he banished both Cheljal and Galodin back into the labyrinth, taking control of the kingdom for himself. After putting aside their differences, the two women worked together to escape the maze once again, and confront the evil sorcerer in a final battle. Cheljal used a Seeing Stone to banish Wetul to the dark side of the Moon, finally putting the conflict to an end. Cheljal was then crowned as Queen of Stargalon, with Cybo as her faithful consort. She relocated the capital back to the city of Zor, and before long the city of Zarpatulr had become totally abandoned and forgotten.
Cheljal proved to be a great military leader in her own right, further centralizing the kingdom back to the capital. But she is also noted for balancing this trait with her great piety, as she sponsored further expansion of the Zorist priesthood and erected a monument to Lady Biomi.[note 5] She ultimately predeceased her husband, Cybo, uniting the houses of Arjalah and Ambinian into a single dynasty. After the death of Cybo, there was a period of civil war in which Stargalon was divided between three courts: Skeniraqa ruling at Leoni, Ononduaga ruling at Kara, and the rulership of Yotungilah. When this conflict was concluded, Yotungilah reunited the three courts into a single nation. Yortungilah's death was foretold by the prophesies of Gúlijalah, so he willed that the kingship after him should pass to the House of Joreh, namely Morqulayah and his descendants.
Morqulayah was succeeded by Awinita, although the Book of Bargains is ambiguous whether they were biologically related. In those days, the King of the Northonans sent a mighty army on horseback into the Stargalon region. They are described as having a towering height and equally bulked in muscle, making war against their neighboring lands as often as one might go for a jog. Assuming this invasion to be another tributary raid from Orat, the Regent of God ordered the Stargalon armies to assemble a defense at the city of Jasur[note 6], anticipating the slow, methodical movements that are typical of Oratian tactics. But the Northonans, who fought entirely on horseback, swiftly surrounded the armies of Jasur, and thereafter captured the city itself. This battle happened so quickly, that news of the invasion had not even reached Awinita until after the city had fallen. The Northonans proceeded to sack the Jasurites, until every man over six feet in height were cut down by the sword.
Panic had struck the other cities of Stargalon, and many people immediately fled to the hills and highlands in the east, mostly taking refuge in the city of Zor. This proved to be an effective tactic against the Northonans, who found it much harder to maintain a tactical advantage while traveling through mountains. But as winter began to set in, the King of the Northonans coordinated his army to push directly for the city of Zor, crossing over a lake that had frozen over. It was on this lake that Awinita brought to bear the entire army of Stargalons to fight back against the invaders. But as the heat of battle intensified, the ice beneath their feet began to buckle and crack. Awinita had anticipated this scenario from the start, and pulled back the Stargalon armies to a safer position. As for the Northonans, the incredible weight of their stature proved to be their undoing, as the ice shattered beneath their feet, swallowing all of the king's horses and all of the king's men.
Book of Malisons
The subsequent Book of Malisons abruptly transitions to a setting in which "the ancient laws and obligations were most often forgotten", and Stargalon is divided into multiple regencies and tribes, further disturbed by the arrival of "Travelers from the Sea". The story retells the previous election of Joreh, revealed as Jana's Regent after solving the "Mystery of the Eleven Birds".[note 7] It is then recounted how a curse was placed on the line of Arjalah, because "he claimed the title of most high".[note 8] The rest of the book is divided into six individual stories, each focusing on a different hero or leader.
In the first story, the high priestess Lanonsyoni is asked by Arjalah to cede the treasures of Zor to him, so that he might melt them down to create a spear capable of slaying the Gennasha. Instead, Lanonsyoni grants him a feather, stating that faith through Jana would make the feather as powerful as a spear. Arjalah kills the Gennasha (just as in the Book of Bargains), but feels emboldened with the power of the feather to seek out more fame and glory. He hunts down "the Gennasha's mother"[note 9] on the "Island of Dagen"[note 10] and attacks it as well, but is mortally wounded in the battle; Lanonsyoni remarks that the forces of Jana cannot be misused for evil intents. In the second story, a "chief of Kara" angered by the death of Arjalah named Tuunosha requests that Carvo the Wise (also known as Carvoquabosh) join an alliance against Lanonsyoni for "selling defective amulets". Carvo instead decrees that Lanonsyoni receive a chance to defend herself. An army descends on Zor, and a contingent of 700 priests and seers challenges the high priestess to a duel. Lanonsyoni performs a series of miracles, including walking on water while the 700 priests drown in their attempt. Convinced of the power of Jana, Tuunosha performs a sacrifice and declares he will repay Lanonsyoni for his insults. Angered by the killing of the 700 priests, a priestess of the Crooked Finger tribe, called the Juqonishi ("Ambivalent One"), shapeshifts into Tuunosha's form, but is discovered as she does not wear one of the defective amulets.[note 11] The Kara chiefs slaughter the Crooked Finger army; Tuunosha is mortally wounded in the fighting but dies satisfied his life repays the debt for his family. Carvo gives praise to the amulets, which are called more useful than previously imagined, and donates Tuunosha's as an offering to the city of Zor.
The third story describes the Return of Joreh. A highly poetic section, the Return of Joreh is often read as a metaphor for the turning of seasons, the cycle of life, or as an etiology for the phenomenon of nostalgia. Joreh's exit for which he is returning is never explained – although he is praised for traveling to "a state of contemplation" – and now an old man he comments on the things he no longer recognizes. After a grand parade, Joreh learns that he has predeceased his son, Neporquel. He visits his grandson, Herongisda and delivers a prophecy:
Hark! Thine own hour will beset the next sons, yet
I saw a speck of life outside such griefs,
whence hands hardly find a tear, inasmuch pain passes,
fathers don't grow old, fires never turn to ashes,
suns don't set, tire not for the day not relent,
passionate peace awaits, I dreamt
- — Malisons 4:16
The story concludes with Joreh falling asleep under a willow tree, becoming one with the roots. In the fourth story, the widow of Arjalah, Dagihasi remains bitter at the priests of Zor for the death of her husband. Stealing items from the Chambers of Zarpatulr, she creates stilts that make her as large as a giant. She gains a following of widows, wounded soldiers, orphans, and urban poor in Zarpatulr and takes this army to a hill outside the city. Founding her own throne, the Dagihasites collect the wounded and the dead from the battlefields of Stargalon for many years and create a powerful fortress. The city of Kara languishes without its common people, so Carvo dispatches Ambinian to make peace. Ambinian travels to the court of Dagihasi, who declares she will relent if Ambinian enacts vengeance on Lanonsyoni. However, when Ambinian travels to Zor he learns that Lanonsyoni is no where to be seen; her daughter Qenangida relays that she has turned into a great lake, and asks, "must you take vengeance on the water despite the plight of the fish?"[note 12] Ambinian takes Qenangida captive instead. Dagihasi allows people back to the cities and the field but keeps her fortress intact, and soon after there is famine and plague in the lands around Kara. Qenangida while in captivity meditates and enters Carvo's dreams, during which she duels the prophets of Kara and defeats them. Moved by this dream, Carvo travels to the court of Dagihasi and tearfully reconnects with his mother. Thus is made the Dagihasi Promise that charity shall always be extended to the poor, and Qenangida is released with a promise that Stargalon will always keep and respect the priestesses in Zor.[note 13]
The fifth story begins after the death of Cybo, and a description of how the court of Kara languished and fought amongst itself due to the influence of the foreign attendants of Biomi. Several sons of the late ruler do battle with each other, including Skeniraqa, Ononduaga, and Yotungilah, who each go their separate ways and lead separate tribes. During this time arises the Great Prophet (later identified as Gúlijalah), who sings songs of the future adventures of the Cyboites and prophesizes the fall of Kara. The youngest son, Yotungilah, deciphers a Seeing Stone's riddle using the words of Gúlijalah, learning that the artifacts of Jana have not been properly venerated based on the deciphered instructions. He undertakes several labors and recovers these artifacts, laying them to rest in a Sarcophagus of Ancients. Carrying the Sarcophagus into battle, Yotungilah defeats his brothers and seizes the remnants of the kingdom, although several chiefs rebuke him. Ordered to repay his victories by depositing the Sarcophagus at Zor, Yotungilah does so, but steals a ring from the Sarcophagus before doing so. He builds a new palace in the city, then begins a series of conquests lasting forty years. The tribes of Stargalon meanwhile pay upkeep to the temple at Zor.
The final story begins in the reign of Herongisda's son Morqulayah, who slowly unites the tribes of Stargalon in a new alliance. In one instance, he destroys a tribe worshipping Biomi'ah with Mothúdul’s Horn. He seeks to sail to the Island of Dagen, but finds the island is gone and the seas too fierce to continue; his ship wrecks and he loses the horn in the process. Nonetheless he slays a Stoneman named Asneviramnah on the coast, causing the Great Prophet to summon him to Zor. There it is again prophesized the end of Kara, most especially after they are cursed for the theft of Jana's Ring. Morqulayah attempts to relay this information to Yotungilah, but the old king finds the weight of the ring weighs him down from fleeing. The Smiting of Kara occurs, when a great blast ascends from the sky and levels the city; Morqulayah flees with the last of Arjalah's house. The Great Prophet gathers the many tribes, who swear the Peace Oath. They promise to follow the ancient laws, to support and protect the independent priests of Zor, to rule kindly by one another, and to "never relent to a king". The "Mothers of Stargalon" come together in a council, and 11,870 men volunteer to serve the priests of Zor (later nicknamed "Jana's Elect").
Book of Gúlijalah
The Book of Gúlijalah serves as both the hagiography of the Prophet Gúlijalah, and also a compilation of works attributed to him, including his hymns, oracles, and legislations. Gúlijalah is the most venerated figure of Jenolite literature, and the Smiting of Kara during his lifetime is the climax of the Jenolite scriptures.
The book begins with a description of the life of Ambinian, and the epic wars he fought against Oratian invaders. When Ambinian was facing off against overwhelming numbers, he humbled himself to the city of Zor, and sponsored sacrifices being carried out by Joreh the Regent of God. Joreh was impressed by Ambinian's piety, and allowed him to borrow a "piece of Jana" to use against the invaders. With enough prayers and acts of humility, Ambinian was able to use the artifact to channel the power of Jana, summoning an army of spirits to decimate the Oratian army. Although he was tempted by the unlimited power of this weapon, Ambinian fulfilled his promise and gifted the artifact to Zor.
The narrative skips forward in time, introducing the Nativity of Gúlijalah during the reign of Ambinian's son, Cybo. On the day of the Prophet's birth, many birds come to bow before the infant, and a new star appears in the night sky directly over the Stargalon Valley. According to tradition, the Prophet was a descendant of the reigning high priestess and either the son or nephew of Morqulayah, representing a unification of the regency line and the priestess line, and both dynasty's powers. The child's parents take him to the temple at Zor eight days later, and ask the High Priestess to elucidate from the Seeing Stones what future the child holds. Heongisda, who was regent at the time, said that he will be blessed with the sight to see into people's hearts and minds, and to see across time and space. And so he was named Gúlijalah, meaning "sight of God". Unfortunately, this name turned out to be quite an oxymoron, as it soon became apparent that Gúlijalah was born fully blind. Disgusted by this turn of events, the Prophet's parents forced him out of the house, although he was only two years old. But then a group of Heaveners came to his side, and led the child into the great temple of Zor, where he remained for the next ten years. Birds would come to bring him food, so that he never needed to beg for sustenance. As soon as he became twelve years old, the High Priestess suggested that it would be indecent for a man beyond maturity to live in the temple. So they arranged for Gúlijalah to be married to the priestess Saraquya, and by this contract he was compelled to relocate from the holy place.
Many years later, after Cybo's death the Kingdom of Kara fell into a civil war between his three sons: Skeniraqa, Ononduaga, and Yotungilah. Ononduaga was by far the strongest contender, and it wasn't long before he killed Skeniraqa and forced Yotungilah into exile. But as soon as Ononduaga solidified his control over the state, his ambitions turned towards the holy city of Zor. For the House of Arjalah had a long-standing rivalry against the priesthood at Zor and the allied House of Joreh, which remained the only things standing in their way of controlling the entire Land of Stargalon. So Ononduaga sent a vast army to quickly occupy the city, and he looted the temple of all its precious relics, monetary wealth, and other fineries. Zendaqaryoni, the daughter of Qenangida, was numbered among the martyrs who defied Ononduaga's reign. But the Prophet Gúlijalah boldly spoke out against this tyranny, and he uttered many prophesies that this transgression against God will spell doom for the Kingdom of Kara. He said "I may not be able to see your eyes, but I can see the heavy stone of guilt that weighs on your heart, chained to the anchor of your sins link by link". Ononduaga gave orders to have the Prophet captured, but a flock of birds picked up Gúlijalah and carried him far into the wilderness, where he survived miraculously for forty days and forty nights.
It came to pass at this time that Yotungilah grew sick, and his remaining followers were worried that his fight against Ononduaga would die with him. But instead of accepting the aid of any doctor, Yotungilah insisted on seeking out the help of the Prophet Gúlijalah, to ask him to intercede with Jana. So Gúlijalah came to Yotungilah and blessed him, and his illness was miraculously cleansed. Then Gúlijalah offered to help the prince's fight for the throne of Kara, but only if he promised to return all of the holy relics and treasures to Zor. So Yotungilah gave a solemn oath before Jana and Mothúdul that he would. So the armies of Yotungilah and Ononduaga prepared to do battle against one another, although the incumbent king had far greater numbers. But Gúlijalah stood at a high mountain, and stretched his hands over the battlefield, and at that moment a great cloud of darkness fell over the land, blocking out the Sun and Moon. Then bolts of lightning fell from heaven against Ononduaga's army, along with fiery hail larger than a man's fist. After Ononduaga was killed and his army surrendered, the plagues immediately dissipated, and Yotungilah was proclaimed the rightful king of Kara.
Shortly after these things took place, Yotungilah sent mercenaries all across the kingdom of Kara, and he meticulously tracked down every single relic and treasure, including that which Ononduaga had stolen from the city of Zor. Then he gathered all of these things into a great box suspended on two poles, which was called the Sarcophagus of the Ancients. And the King of Kara discovered that whenever he carried this box into battle, all of his enemies fell helplessly to his will, with the same miracles that Gúlijalah performed against his brother. So Yotungilah tried to go back against his word to the Prophet, in order to keep this unlimited power to himself. He argued that with these powers he could obtain great wealth for the people of the kingdom, was was prescribed in accordance with the Dagihasi Promise. But Gúlijalah rebuked this notion, saying "you have all the nobles and merchants in your land who you can tax, this is wealth that belongs to the poor. But you may not violate any part of the sacred property of the priesthood, for this belongs to Jana". So King Yotungilah relented, and he relinquished the Sarcophagus of the Ancients over to the priests of Zor. But a ring of Jana, the smallest piece of the treasures therein, he secretly kept for himself.
Treachery does not stain the skin as berries do fingers
It blackens the heart, hardens beyond measure;
A coal-hearted king cannot rule a kingdom-god-given.
Such as I have seen, wrath shall come upon all who bow
Thoughtless and selfish, to a throne corrupt;
So shall become lest ill deed is undone
- — Gúlijalah 36:4
"Complacency hath bred complicity, for ye
Who hear not the divine word, wrath deserve!
At once, all the sins of the king will rain thus
Upon his people, for a king is no king without subject;
So to subject that sees evil in their home and shirks
At the doer–beware the burning brand of heaven's fury!"
- — Gúlijalah 37:18
But Gúlijalah's eyes were not deceived, and he could see right through all of the king's secret intentions. So the Prophet relayed to Morqulayah the Regent of God all the terrifying visions he has received, indicating that Kara would be imminently destroyed for their insolence against Jana. So Morqulayah went to Kara and told all these things to King Yotungilah, explaining that all he needed to do was relinquish the ring, and the people of Kara would be spared. But the king had become so thoroughly intoxicated with the lust of power, that he was no longer able to part ways with such a precious object, even at the cost of his own kingdom. So Yotungilah attempted to flee from the city before the smiting could happen, but he suddenly found that the ring had miraculously become incredibly heavy, so that he could not move it off the floor. And so, the king of Kara died still clutching the precious treasure that he had staked his life on. Nonetheless, Morqulayah spent some time preaching throughout the city of the imminent day of judgement, and that all those who followed the instructions of Gúlijalah would be spared. The sky rolled back like a scroll, and a gigantic ball of fire descended from heaven on the city. Every tree caught fire and every stone melted, such that the entire region was bathed in molten rock. Only Morqulayah and all those who listened to his preaching had escaped the city in time. These survivors became organized as a new tribe that slowly rebuilt a "new city"[note 14], ruled over by Yotungilah's daughter, Talullah. After the death of Morqulayah, Gúlijalah oversaw the election of his successor, Awinita. Awinita was a great ruler, most famous for defending the Jenolites multiple times from the Northonans of Orat, who threatened their very existence. These wars are further detailed in other Jenolite books.
This narrative comprises about one third of the Book of Gúlijalah. The next section of text includes various hymns composed by the Prophet, which is among the foremost works of poetry in the ancient world (along with the Hymns of Haten and the Kallean Book of Hymns). The next section includes various oracles and judgements against neighboring tribes and nations, including the states of Kara, Paquldoron, Orat, the Skypriots, and beasts from the Island of Dagen. Many of these tribes called out disappeared sometime before the Venerable Era, and in some cases the Book of Gúlijalah is the only source for their existence at all. The last part of the text includes various laws and legislations, namely the Great Oath of Peace that formalized the confederacy of tribes around Zor, affirming the domination of the high priestesses. The book concludes with commentaries, traditionally attributed to Nesoliah. Among these writings is the decree that the pious will never again inhabit such a place as Kara, for which Jana removed from the earth forever as a warning for rebellion against the eternal laws.
Book of Dirges
The fifth book of the Jenolite scriptures departs from the narrative structure of the preceeding four in being solely composed of a series of funerary hymns. Modern scholarship holds that the first hymn in the Dirges was written explicitly pertaining the passing of the Prophet Gúlijalah, and that this first hymn may have once been located at the end of the Book of Gúlijalah. However, the First Dirge, as it is now known, was later removed from the Book of Gúlijalah and used as the beginning of a fifth separate book containing poetry touching upon the subjects of death, time, and the trascient nature of the world of mortals. To this extent, the First Dirge is thought to significant predate the successive poems that follow it in the Book of Dirges.
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Historical Jenolites
Origins
The exact origins for the Jenolites are unknown, with various theories having been proposed. Traditionally, the Jenolites were linked to a migration out of Ancient Orat. The story of Mothúdul, traditionally dated to 1300 AA, may speak to a cultural memory of migration out of the Oratian region into Stargalon, with the story of the Twelve Kings being related to the civil wars that transpired during the fall of the Middle Kingdom. It has also been proposed that the Jenolite narrative drew inspiration from the Kalleanite Exodus. However, most historians reject a migratory conquest model as there is no widespread evidence of a separate people group migrating into Stargalon from Orat in settlement remains. Instead it is proposed that the Jenolites began as a branch of the indigenous Stargalonians who gradually differentiated themselves through their religion centered around the worship of Jana. The Jenolites may have also been the descendants of peoples settled in the region after the establishment of the New Kingdom in Orat, based on inscriptions of Miktal the Restorer, which allude to pushing back “the Split Mountain Host” and subjugating several tribes of the east. Due to the later emergence of an anti-monarchical tradition in Jenolite culture, it has also been proposed that the Jenolites were descended from those who broke away from the hierarchical city states of the Bronze Age, and intermarried with pastoralists and migratory groups, some of which could have been Oratian.
The earliest reference to the name "Jenol" as a distinct people group in the historical record emerged in c. 1071, in the form of the Kalamis Stele, raised in the early Iron Age by Oratian ruler Kalamis the Swift to commemorate a successful campaign against the Jenolites and other groups of the region. Awinita is the first leader of the Jenolites whose name appears as the patron of certain Seeing Stones, thereby making him the oldest Jenolite ruler attested by extrascriptural sources. He is also identified as "Onida" at the Kedah obelisk, which lists out various people groups who paid tribute to the Northonan King Kalamis "the Swift". The dating of this obelisk is somewhat in dispute, as Kalamis was known to claim some of the acts of his father (Shada Shethu) as his own. These were the most powerful Northonan kings in recorded history, who subjugated the northern half of Orat in the wake of the Kalleanite Exodus. The Northonans are generally believed to have originated out of the Skypriot plains south of Stargalon, but to what extent they exerted influence over the Jenolites, if at all, is unclear.
Many historians have attempted to connect the events of the Jenolite scriptures with the destructive civil conflict that occurred in the Middle Kingdom of Orat, called the War of Five Kings (1282-1265 AA). This is slightly later than the traditional date from the Jenolite Calendar, but according to Poth's revised chronology this can be reconciled by reinterpreting a few chronological references in the Book of Bargains. While there isn't any contemporary evidence for Goul's exodus, there are many examples of mass emigrations of foreign tribes in the last years of the Middle Kingdom, and at least one source implies that a similar event happened at some point in the past. While this theory has a strong following, especially adherents of Poth's revised chronology, it is not the leading view of most academics.
Based on archaeological evidence, the majority of modern scholars consider the story of the matriarchs to be national myth narratives constructed centuries later. The oldest historically-confirmed monarchs in the Jenolite scriptures are several generations removed from Mothúdul, although the stories of the earlier matriarchs may preserve some historical reality. The historical matriarchs are believed to have likely worshiped the Stargalonian god Dul’uh, which is preserved in the names of the matriarchs and key locations containing linguistic reference to “dul”, such as in Mothúdul and Qordul. In Jenolite scripture, the word “dul” is also used as a generic term meaning “lord” in several passages, before the use of the name Jana after Levitations 11:3. Scholars have proposed that this text is likely a composite of two separate sources, one preserving the story of Dul worship, which incorporates more spiritual traditions associated with his cult, and a story of the Janist tradition, in which Jana is anthropomorphized as speaking to Qordul.
Archaeology confirms the thirteen principal cities of the Stargalon Valley date back to at least the 13th century AA, and were built on top of older settlements that are Neolithic in origin. Relatively early on, Zor emerged as an important religious site, whose leaders commanded respect among the Jenolites on account of their accumulation of religious artifacts. However, the archaeology suggests that these cities operated as completely independent polities, and at no time were part of a unified kingdom. It is often suggested that the "Court of Kara" and similar conferences in the Book of Bargains alludes to a loose confederacy of states, of which Zor may have been hegemon. Despite a high degree of later romanticization, no archaeological evidence has been found to confirm the existence of the "Labyrinth of Zarpatulr" or the city of Kara, leading some scholars to propose that both sites should be understood to be metaphorical, similar to the mystical "Island of Dagen". Alternatively, Kara may have been a nomadic tent city, with the story in the text preserving a memory of Jenolite pastoral roots. Although not corresponding to urban remains, several palace complexes destroyed during the time period have been linked to the "Smiting of Kara", which are key to the chronology of the semi-legendary era. The bronze age complex that once stood at Qoj Kara was destroyed in some natural disaster before the emergence of a nearby iron age site at Neomila. No consensus has been reached on the exact nature of this catastrophe, but events similar to it have been identified in other regions of North Methona around the same time. For example, the natural upheavals associated with the End of the Middle Kingdom of Orat, which are also described in the Kallean scriptures, share several features in common. The plagues called down by Gúlijalah himself may also be remnants of this same event. If correct, this places the events of the Book of Gúlijalah roughly between 1110–1100 AA.
Scriptural analysis
Traditionally, the Jenolite scripture was assumed to be contemporary with the events it described, and was attributed directly to important prophets and leaders, such as Gúlijalah. However, beginning in the 19th century, inconsistencies in the modern text, as well as the discovery and analysis of contradictory literary traditions present among the historical Jenolites, led scholars to propose a compilation or Multitextual Theory to explain the creation of the Jenolite scripture. The vast majority of the modern scripture is believed to have been written between 700 and 300 AA, partially in response to the introduction of Douism and Oratian rulership, centuries after the events they claim to describe. The writings or compilation work of this period would have been conducted by a priestly class centered around the city of Zor, who sought to codify Zorist religious practice and authority as central to traditional religion, retroactively asserting themselves into older forms of the stories. Several hypothetical sources have been proposed, with the Book of Levitations for example typically being subdivided into Janist and Dulist currents, which were then interwoven into one text, leading to several possible inconsistencies and doublets.
The traditions associated with the city of Zor and its religious order within the Jenolite scripture is commonly attributed to an independent "Hieratic Source", estimated to have arisen after the 8th century AA. According to the Multitextual Theory, earlier sources for the books of Bargains and Levitations were compiled by a priestly class established in or centered around the city. Levitations would have been edited and augmented with the addition of about a third of its modern content by these priests, mostly to retroactively justify the existence of the subsequent priestly order by rooting it in ancient foundational myths. While several textual clues persist pointing to an original form of the story, which may potentially speak to authentic religious beliefs of the 13th century AA, the text has been shaped to reflect later practice. Notably, the later half of Levitations features Qordul establishing a priestly line that's given supreme sovereignty. There is also several doublets regarding Mothúdul, such as alternate versions of the carrying of the altars. Likewise, the Book of Bargains contains several framing devices meant to imply a great curse upon the House or Arjalah for claiming the title of king, leading scholars to believe the text is an editing of a foreign dynastic mythology to conform to a pro-Zorist religious understanding.
A fourth possible source is the Gúlijalist source, associated with the titular prophetic figure and the ethical teachings he may have espoused. The Prophet Gúlijalah is a semi-legendary figure, regarded as the most important codifier of the Janist religion, who lived sometime around the late 12th century AA. While there is no contemporary documentation of his life, he is described in the Jenolite scriptures as being contemporary with Awinita the son of Morqulayah, who is the oldest Jenolite ruler for which there is extrascriptural evidence for his existence. Most of the hymns in the Book of Gúlijalah are theorized to go back to a historical prophet, deviating heavily from the fundamental marks of either the Hieratic or the monarchist schools. It is therefore generally accepted that these were penned by Gúlijalah himself, or alternatively a disciple or school following in his tradition. The rest of the Book of Gúlijalah, however, overlaps with the Hieratic school. The Panonpalo Cycle is linguistically and conceptually linked to the later Book of Gúlijalah, which likely represents a national myth of the Gúlijalist school meant to retroactively justify the unification of Stargalon, as it proposes the tribes had a common origin centuries prior despite a lack of evidence for such a unified state. In the process of compiling the Jenolite scriptures, it is possible that the Panonpalo Cycle formed as a hybrid of multiple local legends throughout the Stargalon Valley, where the local heroes of each city were synthesized into one person. Ambinian and Arjalah of Kara are two possible prototypes for this epic. While the Book of Bargains distinguishes Arjalah and Panonpalo as two separate individuals, other sources such as the Songs of Jatom seem to use their names interchangeably, leading some scholars to refer to Arjalah as "Panonpalo II Arjalah".
There is a jarring contradiction between the setting of Bargains and Malisons: the former implies the land was unified under a monarch, in which several rival cities and peoples have been annihilated (e.g. Jasur, Paquldoron, Musgistli, Nour) while the latter picks up with these peoples coexisting with Jenolites and no unified monarchy to speak of. Similarly, archeological excavations of early iron age settlements indicate no evidence of a violent conquest around the time of a historical Arjalah; Paquldoron notably was uninhabited from about 1800 to 1000 AA (the exception is Musgustli, for which there is definitive evidence of a great fire around the year 1250 AA, the city's foundations being built over). The Book of Malisons is mostly attributed to the Hieratic School, especially concerning its anti-monarchical, pro-Zorist themes, which seek to establish the supremacy of a transregional priestly city state centered at Zor. Although all the stories of the text follow this narrative goal, it is likely that the six stories featured in the text were originally different regional traditions and heroic narratives, which were later adapted into a shared mythology. This is most evidenced by the apparently parallel dynasties of Joreh and Arjalah, which are effectively two separate monarchies that have become coexistent and intertwined.
The Book of Malisons and the Book of Gúlijalah both revolve around a running theme of religious responsibility for the health of the population, uniquely linking moral and ethical codes of conduct with legal prescriptions. Among Gúlijalist themes are a focus on caring for the needy, as exemplified by the Dagihasi Promise, and the supremacy of the religious authorities, through the Great Peace Oath. If Jenolite scripture was taken at face value, secular society was completely subservient to religious authority, despite fragmentation into multiple independent polities. Alternatively, it has also been theorized that the secular prescriptions preserved in the text were written in response to Douist philosophy, as Konnu the Wise wrote that the secular state should be responsible for the welfare of the people and supplant the need for religion. The argument between Gúlijalah and Yotungilah seem to be framed as a Doutang debate. This lends more weight to the Hieratic source being written after the tenth century AA, when Douism was introduced to the region.
Religion
The historical Jenolite religion, also known as "Janism" by modern scholars, constitutes the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Jenolite tribes. Janism is understood to be an essentially henotheistic branch of the Stargalonian religious culture emerging in the late Nurmic period (1500–1000 AA), characterized by its elevation of Jana as the national god of the Jenolite tribes. Also venerated was a consort of Jana, who was either Qandash or Dul, and several lesser deities, including Biomi (sometimes called Jana's daughter), Nuun'ah, and Temuoyah. Also existing was a possible third tier of local and ancestral cults, many of which evolved into heavanic beings in Jenolite scripture. The Jenolite religion was originally highly decentralized, with archaeological evidence of multiple temples being discovered from the Jenolite period, despite later Jenolite texts associating worship around a primary temple at Zor. There existed a high-ranking priestly class, likely descended from the Talisan tradition, which served as attendants for the temple at Zor, as well as in the role of legal authorities, scribes, political advisors, and medical professionals. Intersecting with this group was a large number of prophets and seers, as well as "anointed" secular monarchs sometimes called "regents" (in reference to serving in the stead of a god).
Jenolite religion is typically understood as a synthesis of multiple cultural traditions, having its roots in the Stargalonian religion, which is itself a composite of the Meto-Qurian and Burvian civilizations. The Meto-Qurian migration, constituting a slow diffusion of people into the lower Qopulian Plateau (typically dated to after 2600 AA), introduced the historical Nurmic religion into the northern Methonian continent, which was practiced from c. 2000–1500 AA. From this tradition developed Talisanism in the late Nurnic period (1500–1000 AA), as well as another Meto-Qurian complex which rejected Talisanical ideology in favor of the ascetic Qorama movement, giving rise to the modern religion of Stedism alongside the Jarogula Empire. Between 1000 and 500 AA the "Stargalonian synthesis" developed, during which the decline of Talisanism gave rise to a synthesis incorporating Qoramic and Oratian influences, possibly in a response to pressure from the growth of Douism and Stedism. Also contributing to the decline of the Talisans was the reemergence of urbanization during the late Nurmic period and early Iron Age, disrupting the traditional powerbases of the Talisan class. This "new Talisanism" appealed to rulers in the Stargalon region, as it combined local religious traditions with the practical advice and power of the Talisan class. During this period, the first Talisanical texts were created, primarily preserving a form of the mythology held by the influential Veranseyah tribe. Among these writings were the Nurmas, a collection from which the Nurmic period retroactively receives its name. The oldest hymns of the Nurmas are dated to 1600–1300 AA, providing background for the historical Nurmic religion, albeit the texts represent a later, elite-centric religion not necessarily corresponding to popular practices or beliefs. Jenolite scripture emerged almost a millennium later, and it is unclear to what extent Jenolites revered the earlier Nurmic traditions. Several passages of their scripture appear to quote large sections of the Nurmas, the prophets also on occasion quote sections of the Nurmic texts, indicating some level of awareness and shared use.
The emergence of Janist worship is unknown, although evidence for a Jana cult has been discovered dated to as early as 1800 AA, alongside other Stargalonian deities. There is strong evidence to suggest that the Jenolites originally worshipped Dul as a national god, based on archaeological remains and references preserved in scripture, although how a shift in hierarchy occurred is unclear. Excavations of the temple complex at Zor reveals that the city housed idol statues for multiple iterations of Jana and other deities simultaneously, despite the later prescription against depiction of Jana. The centrality of Zor may have originated in its importance as a trade center, attracting worshippers from all across the region and importing cultic rituals and statues into a shared temple complex, which later evolved into the temple to Jana and the practice of pilgrimage. In addition to the pilgrimage ritual, the Jenolites were known to perform sacrifices and other sacred rites, many of which shared across the region and in subsequent religious movements. This includes the rites of the sacred fire, the purification lodge, the female puberty ceremony, the reburial feast, the orb toss, and the dream quest.
For a long time, it was theorized that the Nurmic religion was directly inspired by the Pre-Douist polytheistic religion of Ancient Orat, due to many similarities between the two. For example, the Ijorunn bear similarities to the predynastic demigods that are also referenced in the Kallean scriptures, and Jana himself may be a counterpart of the Ona Cult. Jana's Grove may be connected to the "Tree of Life" motif found in Predynastic Oratian tombs. This theory has lost much of its support in recent years, however. It is now believed that these connections speak to the Burvian influence in Stargalon, as well as a hypothetical Proto-Methonan religion which existed sometime before 3000 AA, from which both the Pre-Douist Oratian religion and Nurmic culture descend.
Writing System
Stargalon script is a pictographic writing system which first appears in the 14th century AA. While it is the oldest known writing system in northeast Methona, it was rarely used prior to the eighth century AA. The earliest samples of this writing system are inscribed on Seeing Stones, which are religious monuments meant to intercede with the gods or other mystical beings. Janist scriptures imply there to be over a hundred such monuments at one time or another, but so far only 38 have been uncovered. Outside of these divinatory inscriptions, much of the history and laws of the Jenolites were kept strictly by oral tradition.
Starting in the eighth century AA, there was a dramatic shift towards literacy among the elites, which is when some of the earliest books of Janist scriptures date from. Many non-religious forms of literature have also been identified from this time, such as a cache of letters found in the city of Kara. This shift is most often attributed to the influence of Orat, after part of the region was annexed by Reman the Great in 970 AA, and Douism was introduced to Stargalon over the next few centuries.
Notes
- ↑ In Jenolite literature, seeing stones are described as large pillars erected in wilderness regions, usually containing a cryptic inscription. The Book of Bargains as well as several Songs of Jatom preserve the view of the seeing stones as being portals to other dimensions or locations, allowing supernatural figures to look through the stone on those in the human realm. Their inscriptions were said to be riddles, codes, and incantations meant to open the portal and reveal divine knowledge. Bargains describes the Mothúdul Stone as being erected by divine powers, while the Epistle of Jasjurdo implies it was raised by giants.
- ↑ The nature of the shadags are unclear, although later depictions imply they were heavenly beings with mixed humanoid and canine features. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the shadag myth preserves an ancient belief in other divine beings, which were later revised to a role as supernatural messengers.
- ↑ According to the Book of Levitations, there were three principal sons of Zurduli:
- Bariqulyah of the East (Bariqulyah na Cuonar), progenitor of all Cuonarite peoples
- Getsaliyah of the North (Getsaliyah na Binoq), progenitor of all Binoquite peoples
- Polmantiq of the South (Polm atil na Qus), progenitor of all Qusite peoples
The originators of the Levitations myths, a probably landlocked people, apparently did not ascribe a "progenitor of the west", due to the fact that Stargalon was bordered to the west by water. This generally synchronizes with the Stargalonian tradition that the ocean belonged to the gods and could not be given to man. However, later traditions and works, especially outside the Jenolite scriptures, began to associate the west with Juqonishi, a word that also appears in the Book of Malisons as a title meaning "The Ambivalent One". - ↑ Usually translated as “fire giants”, from the Gezic root words “ij” meaning “fire” and “oror” meaning “impressive”. Based on the Book of Levitations, the Ijorunn are described as powerful beings with snake-like appendages and heads, and in popular culture have been depicted as being giant in height. However, based on literary reconstruction it has been proposed that the Ijorunn were initially viewed as an alternative set of deities associated with the city of Larchulam, whose worship involved the use of snake augury. The use of snake imagery in depictions of the Ijorunn is theorized to represent a priestly school of thought associated with distancing the Jenolites from the Larchulamian traditions.
- ↑ Lady Biomi is a divine figure of Janism, also known as the "daughter of Jana". She was initially worshipped as a deity in her own right, but in the Venerable Era her status was reduced to more of a divine helper or shadag. Those who connect the the Jenolites to the Kalleanite Exodus point out linguistic similarities between Biomi and Bomi, who was the wife of the Prophet Hobin.
- ↑ If this battle actually happened, it is likely that the city of Jasur was an independent state fighting the Seventh Dynasty of Orat on its own. Archaeology shows that Jasur went through major reconstruction sometime around this period, which is sometimes associated with the Smiting of Kara.
- ↑ The poem of the Mystery of the Eleven Birds is widely considered by scholars of ancient Jenolite language to be among the oldest passages in the entire Jenolite scriptural tradition, with some scholars placing the text as early as the 14th century AA. It notably uses several linguistic constructions that would have been largely alien to Iron Age Jenolites, based on comparison with later texts, as well as mythological allusions not seen elsewhere in the Jenolite scripture. The abrupt shift in language has led historians to assume this text was inserted into an otherwise far more recent section.
- ↑ The Hieratic Source in the Jenolite scripture frequently claims that the sole king of the land is Jana, preferring the title of "regent" for secular rulers who serve Jana in the human realm. Lending credence to a multi-textual compilation, in the previous Book of Bargains as well as elsewhere in the scripture the title of "king" is applied to human rulers regardless, and evidently kingship would not be unheard of in the late Jenolite period.
- ↑ The Jenolite scriptural narrative gives almost no information about the Gennasha's mother and lacks a proper description. Based on only one other mention in passing, the Song of Vyasoni, it is implied that the Gennasha's mother was a normal sized boar, adding to the message of Arjalah's surprise defeat. In the apocryphal Tadunoshopi Letter (dated to the 4th century AA), the Gennasha reappears with no reference to boar characteristics whatsoever.
- ↑ Although theorized to correspond to a real island, including by figures within the Jenolite scripture and later historical works, it is commonly understood that the Island of Dagen was a metaphorical place lost to mankind. This is based on its etymology from the Gezic word "daeg", meaning "unknowable", as well as its description in later texts. For example, in the Book of Malisons, the decision by Morqulayah to try and find Dagen is described as a great folly, for which he is punished by having Mothúdul’s Horn lost to the ocean. Similarly, the prophet Gúlijalah frequently refers to Dagen as a metaphor for divine mystery and human's hubris:
- "He who thinks the word of most high will not come to pass will be pass thinking they have reached Dagen." (Gúlijalah 11:37)
- "Because it has been willed that the seasons transpire, that cycle continues unabated, but only until He has willed it to cease. Just as it is willed that the tides come to pass on the shore, and just as the Island of Dagen cannot be gazed upon by man or fallen into the grasp of Morqulayah; because all things obey the laws of Jana." (Gúlijalah 30:3–5)
- ↑ Evidently referring to a title of a powerful rival deity or priestess, the Juqonishi may be an interpretation of the deity Uqonesh who was associated with "multiple faces", or a cult associated with her worship. Outside the Jenolite scripture and in later traditions, the Juqonishi appears to have evolved from a title referring to any number of powerful magic users to a specific being associated with the westward direction (as shown in setting sun imagery), who acts as a bringer of trickery and misery.
- ↑ The story of Dagihasi's vengeance is commonly read as a parable of "not punishing the daughter for the sins of the mother", which appears to be an innovation on the part of the Jenolite scripture, compared to other contemporary law codes of the region. This story also serves as the apparent origin story for the great Lake Yoni, located west of Zor.
- ↑ The Dagihasi Promise represents one of the longest sections of the Jenolite scripture pertaining to legal and moral obligations, before the introduction of Gúlijalah. Considered the archetypal Hieratic code, the Dagihasi Promise prescribed moral obligations to care for the poor, sick, wounded, and widowed, creating a general expectation of charity. The promise also created the first oath to the supremacy of the priestesses of Zor, effectively subjugating all secular rulers to the authority of Jana.
- ↑ There are several theological and historical interpretations of this nebulous creation of a "new city" described in Gúlijalah 39:
- In the literal sense, it has been interpreted as saying the survivors of Kara built a new city, corresponding to one of the major capital cities of the influential Jenolite tribes that emerged in the late Nurmic period:
- The founding of the city of Qosretesi is generally dated to c. 1100–1000 AA, possibly representing a population that fled from an initial Oratian incursion into the lower Qopulian Plateau. It has been proposed that the Smiting of Kara may speak to a cultural memory of this destructive war, which prompted the formation of new cities in the Lake Yoni region.
- The city of Paquldoron, which the Book of Bargains lists as being conquered by Arjalah, was uninhabited from 1800 to 1000 AA, with a new settlement arising on the location around the traditional date of the fall of Kara. The connection of this city once belonging to Arjalah also lends credence to its status as a "new" Karan city.
- Although archaeological excavation of the city of Jasur indicate a continual habitation and a lack of major overhaul around the time in question, as the city eventually rose to become a major Jenolite capital city it is possible this passage was thought of as referring this city. The "Seal of Jalquriah" discovered in 2002 makes reference to the "House of Jasur and the New Kara", for example.
- The common theological interpretation of the passage is that the "new city" is a metaphorical reimagining of the relationship between humans and Jana. The Janists denounced the old world, with its association with improper worship, in favor of a new "city of god".
- The proclamation of the "new city" seems to imply the consecration of a new center of religious worship:
- The overwhelming view of the compilers of the Jenolite scripture was that the sole religious center of the people was Zor, and that the "new city" was the people beginning the reconsecration of the Zorist temple.
- Because of the passage not listing the new temple by name, other groups are known to have cited this passage as referring to their own religious centers. The most famous of which, denounced in late Jenolite scripture, is the temple at Mount Emoth, which appears to have been a temple primarily exalted by the Jeqemians that rivaled Zor in power for a time.
- The new age religious movement Revelism (founded in 1809) attributes this passage to an exodus out of Methona and the revealing of new laws to the Revelers.
- Jenolite maximalists and Nolist scholars, who hold that Kara was a literal historical city, often argue that the new city means that a city called Kara was refounded, on or near the same location as Old Kara. While this view clashes with the Book of Gúlijalah and the commentaries of Nesoliah, which hold that "eyes never again glanced at any stone of Kara, nor did any living thing ever go to that place..." (Gúlijalah 44:3), others read the frequent denouncements against Kara as being motivated from the opposite taking place.
- The ancient Nolist apologist Nehemuoyah of Yargur (f. 200s AA) argued there was a clear distinction between Old Kara and New Kara in the writings of Gúlijalah, based on the Prophecy of the Second Raven, which describes every event befalling man as happening twice. In his chronology, the Smiting of Kara occurred in 1080 AA, and the Second Fall of Kara occurred in 801 AA.
- Jenolite scholar Ampoth Loyosena proposed that the late Jenolite commentaries preserve an idea of the follies of Kara being repeated, for which the commentaries in Gúlijalah were written to denounce. In his view, the description of Kara's smiting speaks to a great sacking that occurred, possibly by the hypothetical "Great Alliance" (first proposed in the 19th century) opposed to Karan domination. The city wasn't destroyed outright, but existed in some highly weakened capacity until eventually withering away after never recovering its relevance.
- Alternatively, most scholars hold the doublet of Kara's destruction to be the combination of two independent versions of the same story, whose details were then reconciled together. Jenolite minimalists and centrists generally hold that the continued denouncements of Kara are the result of Kara being a catchall for impious behavior; the return of the city is a return to depravity, not a literal resettlement.
- In the literal sense, it has been interpreted as saying the survivors of Kara built a new city, corresponding to one of the major capital cities of the influential Jenolite tribes that emerged in the late Nurmic period: