A SONG OF AGES                         jaganatha          

                                                             

 

JAGANATHA

 

(An extract [with footnotes] from MALIN, Jøram; Errensea 2999 “A Commentary on the Texts of Power”; chap 2 “Duality as the Source” pgs 28 – 29)

 

“And to each creature He made, Ohrmazd (1) gave of his own Power in various measure, and to the best children of Gayomard, the Just Men, he gave Great Power, and to the least none.”
“And to each creature of Ah’remmon, all crooked and vile, the dark god gave of his own power, according to his design.  To the Just Men he could give nothing for they were unmoved by his glamour; but to the least of Ohrmazd, Ah’remmon gave Power in various measure, that he might lure them to his purpose.”

Thus to this day men and gods and creatures of the earth have all different degrees of power, and that power may derive either from the dark god or the bright or both.  This is the power we call the Power Inherent as contrary to that which may be assumed by invocation.

It is well documented that the Power Inherent waxes and wanes. Some philosophers have claimed that all variability of Power Inherent is driven directly by this duality of source. They posit that the mingling of powers from both the dark god and the bright is inevitable. Being equally present within any individual they limit the power of that individual; whereas an imbalance will lead to an increase. As the mood, intention and emotion of an individual undergoes change, then so will the balance of powers within him. It is suggested that the greatest wizards gain their strength from a fierce, and steadfast allegiance to one side or the other. By this formula those lesser individuals, who protest indifference, those apathetic or undecided, will be weak of purpose and therefore enjoy no Power Inherent whatsoever.

However, this theory, while it grasps towards the truth, is fatally flawed. It is demonstrable that many very ‘good’ people, and many very ‘bad’ people have no ability or strength in magic at all, and that even the most apathetic, and undecided wizard may retain his Power Inherent until death.

It is the view of this school that all Power does indeed derive from the tension that exists between Good and Evil, Ohrmazd and Ah’remmon, as created by Time or Zurvan. It is in the constant clash between these two forces that Power is released, and in the immediacy of the struggle that the Power may increase. But Power Inherent is rarely available to all mankind and must, in normal circumstances, be harnessed by only that portion blessed (or cursed) with the correct attributes at birth. There is only one circumstance, one practice, that has been shown to create so much excess of the Power Inherent that even common people may experience, if briefly, a strength far beyond their means.  This circumstance is the rite of Jaganatha.

On the continent of Sullinor, in the central states of the ar’Andalan Empire, the rite of Jaganatha has been practiced for almost all of recorded history. Once in every thirty years  a village with a suitable geography is chosen by The Child of Jagana to be the site of Renewal. Colossal statues of ancient gods are made by the villagers, and mounted upon gigantic wheels. These great vehicles, the Jagana, are built in pairs: one is made as a representation of the Spirit of Evil, and the other a representation of the Spirit of Good, though the actual form and names of these gods vary according to local beliefs. Each god has supporters among the wider population of the region and these gather by the thousand to watch as their idols are charged at one another from opposing hills. Many devotees are so inflamed by religious zeal that they throw themselves beneath the wheels of their god’s chariot, believing they are adding the power of their lives to the forthcoming clash. When the Jagana meet of course there is a tremendous crash, but that is not the end or purpose of the rite. It has been reported that upon the point of impact the Power of the two gods, in great measure, is released and spread among the onlookers. Many people present are endowed with immense strength as a result.

Whatever the truth lying at the root of this phenomenon, it should be noted that often great battles ensue between the opposing groups of devotees, and there occurs inevitable destruction of the village involved, and much death, and, I am sorry to say, a great deal of fornication before the event is deemed to be finished.(2)

After nine months have passed - exactly nine months - the first child born that was provably conceived during the previous rite is named Child of Jangana. And when he reaches adulthood at the age of thirty his task will be to begin the process once again. It is said that  disputation as to the identity of the true Child of Jagana regularly leads to violence and legal argument. Many families and villages are keen to claim the Child as one of their own. It is significant that, by custom, the Child can choose any village at all for the next site of Renewal - any that is, barring his own.
 

1. There is some confusion here: are we to believe that Ohrmazd is the creator of Mankind? Probably not.  This quotation in the Texts is an unsupported fragment.  Extant texts of the same period without exception describe Zurvan as the creator with Ohrmazd as his son and, by proxy, ruler of the creation.  It is likely that the preceding passage described Zurvan’s creation of both Earnor and of Mankind.  The clue is in the capital H.  Texts of the First Period never allocate that honour to either of the sons, only the Father. It would not be in the nature of Ohrmazd to seek a role as creator, instead he awards power to his best servants as would a King to his favourites.
See appendix 2: Syntactical norms and anomalies of the 1st Period. 

2. Reader please note:  By Order of the High Council of Errensea, any student of the College found to be engaged in the construction of the above described Jagana is liable to immediate suspension. The practice to conclusion of this rite of Jaganatha will, if the practitioners be yet living, lead to their expulsion from this school without leave to appeal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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