Jindo

Jindo (神道 Jindō), also known as Chiseian shamanism or Chiseian animism, is an umbrella term for the various traditional syncretic religious traditions practiced in Chisei, and in the former Chiseian empire.

Though not an organised religion as such, Jindo ceremonies, shrines and festivals are officially embraced and supported by the Chiseian state, and in particular the monarchy, which is the traditional protector of such beliefs. The Grand King - have played a leading role in the organization of it's clergy and various other institutions. Overall however the religion is highly decentralized, with a myriad of different theological sects, cults around particular deities and innumerable local traditions.

It is often difficult to obtain exact estimates of Jindo adherents outside of the clergy or those in societies dedicated to the faith, as there are no strict rituals and only a loose identity associated with membership. Many Jindoists may practice other religions such as Jinayana or any number of local faiths alongside Jindo. They may also worship privately, as is common among the upper class, or may publicly practice Jindo rituals while being nonreligious or entirely committed to a different religion as a result of upbringing. In Chisei, studies suggest that around 70 - 80% of the population partake in religious festivals and visit a local shrine at least once a year, but only 41% of the population identify as being 'religious' - of which only 10% specifically name Jindo as their religion.

Kamui
All varieties of Jindo are polytheistic, involving the veneration of gods or spirits known as Kamui. Linguistically, the concept is clearly related to the kami of Michi, though it is unclear if it was brought to the mainland via the Yashiman migrations or if it originated in the language of the ancient Kojin people. The usage of the word is very extensive and contextual, and can refer to anything regarded as especially positive or powerful. Kamui may be spiritual beings, animals, plants, natural disasters, weather and even human tools. Some Kamui are delineated and named while others are not; personified deities often have the word kamui in their names.

Dead humans are sometimes venerated as kamui, generally as protectors or ancestral figures, and in some denominations kamui may also possess or incarnate as mortal people - 'Kamuy' was occasionally used in Saramosir as an honorific title for especially renowned people (e.g Kapapkur Kamuy, a famous Saramosiri explorer). It is still used as such in a secular capacity for various awards, honours and decorations.

Some deities may be worshipped only in a single location or by a single community/sect, while others may be worshipped at many shrines around the country by a variety of cults. Isaman-Kamui, god of luck, the sea and plenty, and Hakuen-no-Kamui, the god of fire, are the most widely worshipped. They are among the 48 "court kamui" enshrined at the Usu Grand Shrine, the personal shrine and ancestral ritual site of the Royal Family.

As kamui are believed to reside in almost all things, simple rituals are traditionally incorporated into daily life to give thanks to kamui of tools, raw materials and animals. Animals that are slaughtered for meat must be given proper "sending off" rites (complete with "gifts" of incense, herbs and flowers) to ensure their spirits do not linger, and small prayers are traditionally offered before and after a meal. Newly constructed buildings, ships or vehicles will similarly recieve blessings for longevity and good fortune by priests and workers.

Death and Ancestor Worship
Ancestor worship and death rituals are one of the most notable manifestations of Jindo beliefs in modern Chiseian life. While specific views on life after death or reincarnation vary greatly based on upbringing and syncretic influences, there are generally strong taboos against disrespect or even mention of the dead outside particular contexts. Deceased relatives are almost always referred to by posthumous names or euphemisms, and given honorifics indicating seniority or nobility. Ancestral spirits are often invoked in oaths, or sought for guidance during times of struggle, and annual family visits to graves or mausoleums are common, particularly around the winter equinox.

Traditional burial practices vary greatly by region and culture, as well as by social strata and age. Older people and those who die of illness or otherwise natural causes are typically cremated, especially among Jinayana practitioners, and their ashes and bones collected in a large urn for burial. Along the northern Shirakawan coast and in western Saramosir, families may maintain seperate 'turtleshell crypts' where the recently deceased are brought and stored, until their flesh decomposes, and their bones are cleaned and collected for burial. Families will gather for large celebratory wakes, in which poetry and funeral myths are recited, along with dances and the ritual breaking or burning of the deceased person's personal treasures, to prevent them from lingering in the world.

Funerals of the very young and those who die in accidents are shorter and more solemn affairs. In coastal regions, burial at sea is often practiced in these cases, with cremated or decomposed remains as well as personal affects being burnt and sunk using weights. This is done to more quickly return the spirit to the kamui of the sea. In Uraan and Kumagahara, as well as parts of eastern Saramosir, sky burials were traditionally practiced, where the body is taken to an isolated place in the mountains and left exposed to the elements and wildlife. Such practices have increasingly fallen out of favour due to public health and environmental regulations, and are explicitly outlawed in Shirakawa and Saramosir as of 1998 and 2002 respectively.

A family grave will usually consist of a pointed, carved stone or wooden marker, and a crypt or chamber for the storing of ashes. Flowers, incense and bowls of rice or stew may be placed on a grave by family members. Grave sites are often isolated and far from residential areas, or if located within a city, are surrounded by high walls or even entirely indoors. This is to preserve the seperation between the dead and living.

Burial practices vary by class, and upper class families often have their own unique traditions; this includes the Royal Family. Mummification was popular from the 16th to 19th centuries, but is today largely only practiced by certain segments of Saramosiri aristocracy. Most wealthy families will maintain a private mausoleum on their property, or store remains at a shrine of which they are the financial patrons.



Clergy
Priests in Jindo fulfill a number of roles, including the maintenance of shrines, the hosting of festivals and rites, and direct participation in practices as shamans, spiritual mediums or fortune tellers.

Clergy in Jindo are typically divided between 'private clergy' and 'professional clergy'. Private clergy are private citizens responsible for the maintenance of the thousands of small shrines scattered across the country that are not under the direct control of the state; usually they perform clerical duties in a part-time capacity and may be informally elected to their role by the local community. Professional clergy meanwhile are granted permits and accompanying funds by the Chiseian Ministry of Rites to maintain major shrines and perform their shamanistic functions full-time, though they are not really civil servants in the traditional sense, as the vast majority of priestly positions on the local level are effectively hereditary and their holders are trained for the role by parents or grandparents, and are merely recognized as valid shamans by the state.

An average community shrine in Chisei will be headed by a single high priest, who will employ a number of assistant priests as assistants and fellow ritual participants - often these are family members or volunteers. Helping out at a shrine is a popular extracurricular activity for Chiseian children, and large shrines often function as a form of community service-focused youth group, akin to scout or cadet organizations.

About 73% of Chiseian professional clergy are female, as though there are no formal restrictions on male clergy, there is a traditional association in most areas between religious roles and women. Historically, head priests were often local elderly wise women who also worked as village doctors or filled other such roles. This association is not as common in Uranuur and Saramosir, and in these areas male priests are usually the majority.