Baa Yalu
"... and so it came to pass that the egg was passed from Baa's mouth. For it was from something so simple that it all started. Yes, you see, it was from this simple egg that the world was born..."
Tenets of the Faith
The Tenets
- Guard thy fellow as thyself
- Keep vigil against the darkness
- The unknown shepherd may lead thee astray
- United in Baa's embrace, never to part
- Honour the wisdom of those who came before
- Share thy knowledge that others may not stumble
- Tend to thy neighbour's needs as thine own
These tenets are memorised by all followers of Baa Yalu.
The first three are all about the dangers that one might encounter in life. The first is about looking out for other members of the flock and encourages people to keep an eye out for each other. The second encourages them to stay alert and look out for potential issues, and the third warns of strangers who could bring danger or wish to do harm.
The remaining four focus more on the community and an individual's duty within it. The fourth tenet is often summarised as "flock for life" and recognises that followers should stick together, while also suggesting that the group is more important than the individual. The fifth tenet talks about remembered wisdom being as important as learned wisdom and encourages learning from other people's mistakes. The sixth encourages the sharing of one's own mistakes, suggesting that a lesson shared is a problem avoided for someone else.
The seventh, and final, tenet is sometimes paraphrased as "keep your neighbours' wool clean, and they'll clean yours".
Kurothic Carvings
The Kurothic Carvings are the text that the Baa Yalu religion is based on. Despite the name, they are not in fact carvings, but a collection of manuscripts that document carvings that are said to hold the secrets of the Old World and the truth of the gods. They were recorded over 4,000 years ago by Too To Mo, and it is said that Too copied them from the sides of the Kurothic mountains, thus the name. The location of the mountains has been lost to time, but the lore of them lives on in the flock of Baa Yalu.
Deities
Baa, The Creator
The Great Creator who brought about the world by mating with a sky serpent and birthing an egg through their divine mouth. Baa watches over all followers and guides the flock with infinite wisdom and protection.
Kaw, The Traveller
The Raven of Travel and Fire, bearer of the sacred feather cloak, who soars between worlds. Kaw aids those who seek solutions, carries messages across great distances, and guides the faithful on their journeys.
Skat, The Trickster
The Cunning Fox who weaves plots and plans in service of the flock's protection. Skat teaches the wisdom of careful planning and reveals the hidden dangers that strangers may bring.
Hoo, The Watcher
The Silent Owl of Nature and Patience, keeper of ancient wisdom and watcher of the night. Hoo embodies the sacred act of listening before speaking and preserves the remembered knowledge of generations pastCulture & Ceremonies
Culture
There are many ways to recognise a follower of Baa Yalu. Here are a couple of the most important ones.Ovine Respect
Sheep are not penned, nor farmed and certainly never eaten. They are greeted formally, allowed to wander where they will, and their wool is collected from where it falls and used for only the highest quality items.Cleanliness
Cleanliness and order are considered extremely important among followers of Baa Yalu. They like things to be neat and tidy and they do their best to make sure that at the beginning and end of each day they look their best.Greeting
In greeting, they hold their fist out towards the person, palm up, and snap their fingers twice, followed by either "Baa creates" or "Kaw travels" or "Skat knows" or "Hoo watches". The person greeted responds in kind.Gnarled Branch
Gnarled branches are an important part of Baa Yalu due to their connection to 'The Story of Baa and Hoo'. "By the gnarled twigs!” is often used as an exclamation of surprise, and it is not uncommon to keep a pile of gnarled twigs by the front door.Ceremonies
Worship
Worship of Baa Yalu takes two forms; that which happens at home and that which is available in places of worship.
The worship in and around the home happens daily and includes adding to the gnarled twigs at the door, and Morning Solace where they connect to Baa and the other deities in meditative prayer.
Places of worship are open from dawn until dusk, and offer both regular ceremonies which are held twice a week, and the opportunity for members of the flock to attend whenever they choose.
Regular ceremonies start with the "unbroken note" to connect those gathered before they begin their worship.
Funerals
Funerals are lead by the head of the Abbey where the service is held. The deceased is carried in procession, in which all participants wear special headdresses decorated with wool and feathers hanging from them. A similar headdress is placed on the chest of the deceased - the wool to lead them to Baa, and the feathers to encourage Kaw to ensure they have a safe journey. Everyone hums an "unbroken note", single note continuously, throughout the ceremony, which helps keep them all connected and represents the unbroken bond between them and the departed.Atonement
If a member of the flock commits a minor sin, they can atone for it in the eyes of Baa and the rest of the flock. First they must admit their sins to the flock publicly. This allows all who hear it to learn from their mistake (see tenet 6). Second, they must find a wild sheep which they must then feed and care for. This shows they are in direct service to Baa, that they are united in Baa's embrace (see tenet 4) and that they can tend to their neighbour's needs (see tenet 7). The act shows humility and reconnection with the deity through caring for sacred animals.Kurothic Anniversary
The Kurothic Anniversary celebrates the discovery of the Kurothic Carvings, a collection of manuscripts which record carvings on the Kurothic mountains in the old world. These carvings have only been partially translated and tell stories of Baa, Kaw, Skat and Hoo.
The celebrations take place every year at The Abbey of The Monks of Baa Yalu, where the Kurothic Carvings are held, and take place over two days. During this time the manuscripts are on display and people travel from far and wide to see them.
The first day of the celebrations is a procession all around the Abbey grounds, with various people wearing large papermache heads representing the four gods. On the second day these same papermache heads are used to reenact stories from the manuscripts.
Flock for life
Type
Religious, Pantheon
Alternative Names
Those sheep people (disparaging)
Demonym
Flock
Location
Related Traditions
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