Structure of modern Raa-dyanism
In 1822 the jaar-'yodaa (religious leader) of the then-capital city Kaa-daal was a man named Raadodaal Akara. He was born in 1751 in the english settlement that later became Jilaamoko and is now known as Janaa-daal. Raadodaal was born to parents who worked as staff for a wealthy scottish family, so he also worked within the manor as a gardener for many years until the Kaan-daal revolt. Due to his grandfather being trained to become a jaar-'yodaa before the arrival of colonisers, Akara's grandfather and father passed down much spiritual and religous knowledge which allowed him to become a jaar-'yodaa himself at the age of 68 after he retired as mayor of Jilaamoko in 1819.
After being the jaar-'yodaa of Jilaamoko for two years, Raadodaal relocated to Kaa-daal to replace the recently-dead jaar-'yodaa of the capital, who had become a close friend of Akara. When he became the jaar-'yodaa of Kaa-daal, Raadodaal set about writing a book which would detail how he thought the religion of Raa-Dyanism should operate in the growing nation of Syana, he called the book Ryodaa Di-minil No A Oda-jaras Di-raa-dyan (modern faith and the rebirth of Raa-Dyanism). This book formed the basis of the modern form of Raa-Dyanism which is known as raa-dyan di-akara-so in honour of Raadodaal Akara.
Within the akara-so form of Raa-Dyanism, there are three broad classifications of people:
Collectively, human beings are referred to as o'aas-di-o'kaara.
O'kadoa-'kaado is a broad label used to describe anyone who is not a holy person or religious leader, these make up most Raa-Dyanists and it is believed (in modern times) that even a person who do not follow Raa-Dyanism is still classified as an aas-di-o'kaara.
The role of a jaar-'yodaa is similar to the traditional role of the same name that existed within proto-Syan tribal society, that being community leaders who advised on matters of the faith and acted as a connection between humans and the divine.
A kika-'kaado is a person who has devoted their life to the study and interpretation of the words and messages of the gods. They do not have any religious authority but they are seen as respected within the faith. O'kika-'kaado usually live in monestary-like halls seperate from society, known as o'loma-di-ryodaa.
One of the main differences between the two branches of Raa-Dyanism is Raadodaal Akara's addition of the o'ka, explained in his book Ryodaa Di-minil No A Oda-jaras Di-raa-dyan. These are religious rules that demonstrate how to act in a way that is in line with traits and qualities which the gods are believed to encourage and reward.
There are twenty in total, which are split up into four categories: valour/protection (the o'karaka), mercy/forgiveness (the o'kaaka), wealth (the o'isaka) and treatment of nature (the o'maanika). Each of these catgeories contains five rules each and although they are not enforced or seen to have any consequences, most Raa-Dyanists follow them in their day-to-day lives.
These are rules that show how someone should show bravery and protect/care the ones they love, similar to how the gods protect and care for humans. The o'karaka are:
These are rules that show the correct way to respond to wrongdoings and how to not display the hubris or ego of your soul. The o'kaaka are:
These are rules that show how wealth should be managed and distributed, as well as what is classed as greed or over-indulgence. The o'isaka are:
These are rules that explain how nature and the world should be nurtured and respected, since it is the divine creation of the gods. The o'maanika are:
Unlike in raa-dyan di-roa, the akara-so branch of the faith has formally written down theology (as well as other types of religious philosophy). These come in the form of o'karyda, which can be written by anyone within the religious heirarchy, but are most commonly written by o'kika-'kaado.
These books set out philosophical and theological ideas tied to all aspects of Raa-dyanism, and are mass produced to be kept in the religious libraries attatched to temples throughout Syana. Raa-dyanism in its modern form is based around a person reading these books and deciding which views they agree with and which they don't. For this reason much of Raa-dyanist belief is highly subjective and largely decentralised, with many conflicting viewpoints and competing ideas existing for each facet of the faith.
Follow the links below to read about specific theological ideas and arguments:
Inclusive / Exclusive determinsim