Ugama Cathay is a religion practiced by Amarelos, Asian slaves brought by the Iberian Union to Benoa Taixei (The Americas) from the 16th century to the early 19th century. Many of the Amarelos originate from several parts of Asia, some far as Mongolia, Tibet and Persia.
Forbidden from practicing their local religions and converting to Catholicism, the Amarelos melded traditional Asian religions and major Catholic influences to create a syncretic religion called Ugama Cathay.
Core Tenets
Ugama Cathay is a race-based religion. It mean that only Amarelos or anyone of Amarelo descent is initiated to the religion and understand their writings.
The backbone of the faith is based on ancestor worship and polytheism. The term for deity/spirit is Joss, originating from the Portuguese word deus. Ancestors called Anitao are venerated throughout the year by Amarelos to maintain the memory of people who were once free and then enslaved.
The Joss-Joss originate from several deities and spirits from Asian religions. Due to eclectic mixing of religions, most Joss-Joss tend to incorporate aspects from other deities and spirits. The Joss-Joss are worshiped and venerated as protectors of Amarelos from slavery and masters of natural and social order.
The supreme deity in the Ugama Cathay pantheon is Ilahi. It is referred as the creator and the head Joss in the Cathay. It is God in Abrahamic sense, a singular, genderless god that controls the universe. Along the major deities is Amida, a messianic deliverer of the Amarelos whose arrival is foretold and keenly expected and the Yellow Emperor, the ancestral progenitor of the Amrelos from Cathay.
The main canon of Ugama Cathay is based on oral tradition and a collection of sacred texts and arcane literature called the Pustasha. The Pustasha is written in a writing system unique to Amarelos and its based on a mixture of several Asian writing systems. Only Amarelos can understand the writings of the Pustasha.
Thanks for @LostInNewDelhi, @metalinvader665 and @Hindustani Person for the inspiration for the major parts of the Ugama Cathay writing prompt.
Forbidden from practicing their local religions and converting to Catholicism, the Amarelos melded traditional Asian religions and major Catholic influences to create a syncretic religion called Ugama Cathay.
Core Tenets
Ugama Cathay is a race-based religion. It mean that only Amarelos or anyone of Amarelo descent is initiated to the religion and understand their writings.
The backbone of the faith is based on ancestor worship and polytheism. The term for deity/spirit is Joss, originating from the Portuguese word deus. Ancestors called Anitao are venerated throughout the year by Amarelos to maintain the memory of people who were once free and then enslaved.
The Joss-Joss originate from several deities and spirits from Asian religions. Due to eclectic mixing of religions, most Joss-Joss tend to incorporate aspects from other deities and spirits. The Joss-Joss are worshiped and venerated as protectors of Amarelos from slavery and masters of natural and social order.
The supreme deity in the Ugama Cathay pantheon is Ilahi. It is referred as the creator and the head Joss in the Cathay. It is God in Abrahamic sense, a singular, genderless god that controls the universe. Along the major deities is Amida, a messianic deliverer of the Amarelos whose arrival is foretold and keenly expected and the Yellow Emperor, the ancestral progenitor of the Amrelos from Cathay.
The main canon of Ugama Cathay is based on oral tradition and a collection of sacred texts and arcane literature called the Pustasha. The Pustasha is written in a writing system unique to Amarelos and its based on a mixture of several Asian writing systems. Only Amarelos can understand the writings of the Pustasha.
Thanks for @LostInNewDelhi, @metalinvader665 and @Hindustani Person for the inspiration for the major parts of the Ugama Cathay writing prompt.