  Ferna Sed
Ferna Sed ("The Ancient Tradition"), also referred to with the proud nicknames Ansantru ("True to the Aesir") and Haiŝandom ("Heathenism"), is the native religion of Friland and closely related to the pre-Christian religions of Northwestern Europe, with the difference that Friland was the only country that managed to preserve this faith while in others it was replaced with Christianity. The Ferna Sed religion has multiple gods, the belief in worlds outside our own, the afterlife and the belief that everything around us has a soul, including inanimate objects. Humans are therefore not by definition better than other life forms and the earth, which gave birth to humanity, is regarded as sacred. Anyone is free to convert to Ferna Sed, but to be accepted by the Ferna Sed community they must have sufficient knowledge and sincerity. It is forbidden to force someone to convert to or leave the faith. Abandoning the faith of one's own free will is always permitted. Ferna Sed is generally tolerant of other religions, provided they are not hostile to it. Movements Ferna Sed offers lots of room for personal interpretation and therefore there are many different movements within this religion. The most important movements are the Orthodox, the Modern and the Moral Ferna Sed. The Orthodox movement is the oldest and is true to the lore in detail: when the sagas say that the god Ŝunar is a man with a red beard who rides through the sky in a billy goat wagon and causes thunder by hitting the clouds with his hammer, they accept this as true. The Orthodox movement mainly has supporters in the remote villages of Medga, but has strongly waned during the last few decades. The Modern movement, which the majority of the believers follow, acknowledges the existence of the gods but sees the sagas as a mere guideline and therefore doesn't take everything literally. The Moral movement has a non-religious character but does follow the norms and values that originate from the Ferna Sed religion. Many non-religious Frilanders consciously or unconsciously belong to this movement. In addition, there are movements that have adapted to local customs or even adopted elements of other religions, such as Maliŝgin or Muŝabir. Temples
Rituals Although Ferna Sed is not an institutionalised religion, there are priests who hold religious services and where people can go to for counsel. A priest is called "gudar" and a priestess "gudarin". Priests are usually trained by other priests, but ultimately knowledge and prestige determine who is taken seriously as a priest and who is not. Monasteries serve as religious centers from which many matters are coordinated. The Frilandic monarch has traditionally played the role of protector of the faith and is therefore considered the religious leader of Ferna Sed. Making offerings ("blotan") is an important part of the Ferna Sed religion because one can simply not ask anything of the gods without giving something in return. Usual offerings are food and drink but also every day objects can be sacrificed. The most important thing about the offering is that is takes effort and that the offering is of value to the person giving it. A poor man who gives his last piece of bread therefore makes a larger sacrifice than a rich man who offers a whole bread. Magic Ferna Sedars believe in the existence of supernatural powers and that some individuals can also use these powers. Examples of this magic are Galdar (magic chants), Spa (seething) and Seiŝ, the highest form of magic that only few have been able to master. Seiŝ involves things like shamanism, soul journeys, shape shifting and influencing the mind. A Seiŝ practitioner is called wikkar ("magician"). However, it are mainly the higher powers who are believed to possess such talents. Within Ferna Sed however, there are people who are called weitag ("seer"), they are mainly concerned with Spa and sometimes gain astonishing results with this. The most famous weitagin ("seeress") is Friŝa Ingwaldsduhter, who, amongst other things, foresaw two fires, a plane crash and the terrorist attacks in St. Gérard. Prayers There are many prayers, which usually serve to ask certain powers (gods, spirits or ancestors) for a favour, forgiveness, support or comfort. Or to swear allegiance, to compliment or just to tell them something. The text of the prayer can be personal, but there are also commonly known prayers that are spoken together during services. An example of this is the Support Prayer (Stuŝbon):
Gods The higher powers in general are called "Ragin". Within these there are two divine families: the Ansan and the Wenan (Aesir and Vanir). Unlike Scandinavian mythology the Frilandic mythology regards most gods as the offspring of Wodan and Fri. The god Wodan, his brothers Wil and Wi and the children of Wodan and the earth goddess Fri are the Ansen. The goddess Fri herself belongs to the Wenan, just like the nature spirits and her children from an earlier relationship. Although there are many gods, spirits and other supernatural beings, in the following list only those are named who are the most important in Friland: Ansan: Wenan:
Other beings:  |
