Religion of the Rahi Vasa Company

The Rahi Vasa Company practice the same core religion as the  Hui'leia. Their beliefs attribute spiritual essence to non-sapient objects, such as the ocean and animals, but also stress the connection of these elements to each other through the shared, common spiritual origin of the Mother and Father. Ravaco themselves are believed to have such a spiritual essence, which can be strengthed or damaged through actions in life.

Theology
Of particular importance is the concept of “Mother Water” and “Father Land”, the creator spirits who are said to have given birth to the Bawa species and all other living things. These two spirits are complementary opposites. Each living thing (plants and animals) is known to have a piece of both the Mother and the Father spirit within it, making up its soul. The Ravaco believe that they have a balance of the Mother and Father, which is why they live on water and on shore.

This shared soul origin binds all of creation together in solidarity, and the soul is free to reunite with the Mother and Father when the physical body dies.

External spirits also exist as separate entities, and contribute (along with the Mother and Father pieces) to the spiritual soul of living things. For example, a bird might be said to have a piece of wind spirit within it, which helps teach it to fly; while a Don'Rahj might be said to have a piece of storm spirit within it, which causes it to be destructive and dangerous. The Ravaco believe that sapient beings also have many spirit pieces making up their soul, giving them unique character traits and talents. Ravaco are encouraged to discover which totem spirits or animals contribute to their personal spiritual essence, and will often tattoo symbols related to their favorite spirits onto their chests and backs.

External spirits can influence trade and markets, as well as crop yields and other unpredictable actions, or punish them by causing anything from bad luck to major catastrophe. Many rituals appeal to these spirits for help and guidance, or are intended to cleanse and protect against evil spirits.

Beliefs
The Ravaco believe that the Mother and Father created all of existence, bringing the spirits and living things out of emptiness and disorganization into a time of life and order. In Ravaco mythos, the spirits live alongside the physical world, directly influencing and impacting living beings.

Ethics and morals are influenced by the belief that all trades should be balanced. If you trade in poor faith in any aspect of your life, people will trade in poor faith with you. This feeds back into an acceptance of unfortunate incidents, as a ship who was boarded and seized by Ravaco must have been operating in poor faith. When tragedy strikes a Ravaco, they will often accept it, and strive to continue trading in good faith.

The Ravaco believe that the Mother and Father value a spirit when it leaves this world, so seek to have a strong spirit. Someone who constantly does harm or trades dishonourably during their lives will cause irreparable damage to their spirit, rendering it unrecognizable valueless to the Mother and Father after death. Instead, the soul will be trapped in the physical world (and become an evil spirit), or be sent back to the emptiness and chaos that existed before time-- never knowing the connection and bliss of being part of the whole, and losing its chance to be reborn.

Structure
Worship is more highly structured than that of the Hui'leia, but not overly. Worship is made at sunrise and end of work, usually with a prayer song, lead by the eldest male (if on shore) or female (if at sea) if no shaman is present. Each tribe has a male and a female Shaman who are both the spiritual leaders of the tribe, but consulted for political and economic actions. They represent the Mother and Father Spirits during rituals, and are responsible for leading festivals, organizing the tribe, and keeping order. Shaman leaders are chosen only for their supposed connection with the spirit world, since they are a purely religious and cultural position.

Elderly Shamans will select a young Ravaco who they train for a number of years before passing on the leadership responsibility. During their training, they are given the title of “little shaman” and may be asked to fulfill secondary roles during rituals.

Shamans capable of applying tattoos require separate and more extensive training before they are allowed to perform this ritualized task. A tattoo shaman usually selects a promising apprentice at a young age and trains him or her for many years to reach a high level of skill and deep understanding of the symbols.

Ravaco religious tradition is fixed in oral, totem and written tradition. While prayer chants and songs are similar to Hui'leian ones, spirit totems are also carved and displayed often, and written spiritual texts are produced when the writer experiences something extraordinary or wishes to record a chant / song.

Practices
The Ravaco have major religious holidays at the spring and autumn equinoxes, as this is when the balance of the year is reached. During the equinox and a day each side, wild religious parties occur during the afternoon and evening, while more formal ceremonies are conducted in the morning. Competition and play factor strongly into these festivals, with the best of each tribe competing for honors in diving, surfing, swimming, dance fighting, and hunting events. There is a lesser emphasis on naming and tattooing, as large family groups are less dispersed than in other Bawa cultures.

Smaller holidays occur at monthly intervals, on the waning half moon, and are led by the male and female shamans of the group. These holidays are used to give thanks to the spirits and ask for good weather and honest trading.

Naming ceremonies are also big events, and occur during a child’s 4th year of life. During this time it is more certain that the child will survive into adulthood and become a member of the tribe. The naming ceremony officially gives the child a tribal surname, and also assigns them a totem spirit or totem spirit animal which will be their personal guide. The naming ceremony is followed by feasting and celebration.

Funerals are also celebratory affairs, where the spirit of the dead is encouraged to return to the Mother and Father. It is important for the Ravaco to show the recently departed spirit that everyone is happy for them, so that it will not linger in the physical world or worry about leaving. The dead are celebrated for their deeds in life, with much story-telling and joke telling at their expense. Stories about the Mother and Father are reiterated for the spirit, encouraging it to move on. Grieving family members speak with the spirit, resolving any conflicts they may have had in life, and making sure the spirit knows that it was loved and will be missed.

At the end of the ceremony the body is wrapped in linen, and men are returned to the ocean, and women to the land, the opposite of where they came from, so that they might return in balance.