Mitra & Zingara

Mitra & Zingara Religion in Zingara

The religion of Zingara is a vague at best. Zingara is not a Hyborian nation according to Howard, although they were conquered by Hyborians as most other nations were. L. Sprague de Camp establishes Zingara as a nation of Mitra worshippers, though it is not unreasonable to presume that gods akin to the Shemite pantheon and the Pictish gods also exist there.

According to L. Sprague de Camp, Mitra is the head of the pantheon. This is interesting because in all other Hyborian nations, Mitra is the One True God. The melting pot of Zingara has also produced a melting pot of religions. Mitra, as the god of the last conquerors, now rules supreme over the other gods in a Zeus-like role. The saints have vanished, but the legions of heaven and hell remain. A variant of Ishtar serves as his consort in a court that contains Shemitish and Pictish deities, all with portfolios of power in an complex fashion duplicating the complicated Zingaran court.

Mitra, Great Prince of Light

Mitra is the one unknowable god and from him came the archons known as the Sabaoth, god-like entities who comprise the celestial host. Mitra demands that his worshippers stand upright before him rather than prostrating themselves and does not require either man or beast in sacrifice. He is a god of rights and justice; those kingdoms that have adopted his rule usually have at the very least some kind of minimal human rights that apply even to the lowliest of peasants, though the Zingarans get around this with some complex theology to allow them to continue owning slaves. Worshippers of Mitra are encouraged to battle oppression and seek out justice wherever they can. At heart Mitra is a warrior god, holy to soldiers and knights, who are encouraged to show mercy on the field of battle, forgiving enemies. It is possible that this latter concept is the origin of chivalry among the Zingarans.

The Sabaoth

These celestial beings sprung from Mitra’s essence. In the past they were erroneously worshipped as gods, but Epemitreus the Sage established their true nature to the Zingarans.

Abrazas

With the head of a rooster, the body of a man and feet like a mass of snakes, Abrazas is a horrific figure. He is the number 365 and he commands this many demons and archons in the world, ensuring the world moves as it should. Originally a servitor of Urci, once the truth of Mitra was revealed, he rebelled and offered his Allegiance to Mitra. He is now the general of Mitra’s armies. Every act he makes is good and evil, truth and lie, light and dark. He speaks lies so that his listeners learn truth. His word kills and resurrects all in the

same moment.

Ahriman

Ahriman is the archon of anger and discord. He is the source of evil and taunted Mahri into creating Urci. He then influenced Urci into becoming a jealous and angry god. He taunts those in power and brings strife and disease wherever he looks. His power is to bring down those who wield power. He is a force of rebellion. He created Set and Asura to oppose Mitra. He is the father of Atophys and Hedone.

Aletheia is the truth of Mitra, the guardian of secrets and true knowledge. When one advances through the Mysteries of Mitra, Aletheia is invoked to show the way, to enlighten the path and darken all heresy so it cannot be seen as true. The sister of Nous, she sprang directly from Mitra.

Atophys

Atophys is the essential nature of things, the good or evil hearts of everything. He gives people and objects corruption or virtue, and allows them to grow according to their nature.

Azâzêl

Azâzêl is the archon of arms and armour, the god of metalworking and war. He is also the god of cosmetics and beauty. He is symbolised by the peacock. He is sometimes portrayed as a demon, working devices of torture.

Elaios

The archon of olives and agriculture, Elaios is also the god of peace and the cessation of strife. Even he has a wrathful side, though, and can take up arms as a god of war when defence is needed.

Hedone

Hedone is the ancient goddess of pleasure, both virtuous and corrupt, now treated as the archon child of Macaria and Ahriman.

Iadabaoth

Iadabaoth separates time into past, present and future, breaking eternity into discernable ages and years. A god of separation and the creation of gulfs, he is also an alchemical god, teaching the breakdowns of chemicals and herbs.

Macaria

Macaria is the archon of happiness. She is also the patron of martyrs, ensuring their names are remembered for all time. She is the mother of Atophys and Hedone.

Mahri, the Black Goddess

Mari is a chthonic goddess who, with Mitra, is the power of creation and destruction. When Mitra and Mahri gather in the high caves of the mountains, they create storms. Mahri is Mitra’s mate and is a variant on the Shemitish Ishtar, although she is less obviously sensual and more chaste. It is said that her movements create the weather. When it is raining, she is in the mountains; when it is dry, she is in the central plains. She is a goddess of wisdom and fate, the feminine aspect of the soul of Mitra. She is typically represented as crowned by stars. The Zingarans believe she, in a state of confusion after her creation, brought about the creation of Urci, who created the world and ruled it in its infancy. Mahri and Mitra then sent Epemitreus into the world to relieve it of the bonds of Urci and to worship the true god, Mitra.

Nous

Nous is the force of thought, the power of the mind. When one thinks, he does so with Nous’s essence, in his realm and through his will. Nous is the brother of Aletheia.

Semjâzâ

Semjâzâ is the archon of enchantment and herbalism. He is followed by seven saints, mortals who climbed into the heavens through their herbs to join Semjâzâ. These saints are Amaros, who has the power to overcome and end enchantments and curses; Baraqual, who understands the cosmos and is the teacher of astrology; Ezeqeel, who teaches the knowledge of the weather and the planting seasons, and can read the signs of the birds as they fly; Saniel, who knows the course of the moon and teaches lunar omens; Kokabel, who learned the constellations of the heavens and can read omens from them, for the gods write their intent upon the heavens; Araqiel, who knows the animals of the earth and can divine the will of Mitra from the movements of animals and their remains; and Shamsiel, who knows the glowing Sun and its motions, and can read signs and portents from that glowing sphere of light, the essence of Mitra. These demons are served in turn by sorcerers, witches and herbalists.

Sraosha, Messenger of Mitra

Sraosha is the voice of Mitra, the offspring of Nous and Aletheia. His word has power and can drive off evil at the command of Mitra, his grandfather. The cock is his holy animal; its crowing calls the pious to their religious duties. Sraosha is also identified with fire, and is said to be the source of divine inspiration, the bridge between man and Mitra. It is Sraosha’s voice that is within each person to guide him to right behaviour. Sraosha is the channel of communication between our physical mind and our spiritual selves. His is the voice of intuition.

Urci, The Creator of Earth

Urci is the name the Zingarans once gave the sky and its powers. He is now considered to be one of the celestial court and the actual creator of the world. He tried to rule the world with an iron fist until the coming of Epemitreus. This god has fallen into disuse in Zingara and is part of an ancient tradition. He was

born of Mahri when she desired to create something without the aid of Mitra. Ashamed of her deed, Mahri wrapped Urci within a cloud and gave him a throne. Alone, he thought he was One, the only thing in existence, he created the world out of loneliness and ruled it with an iron hand, proclaiming himself the Creator and One True God, for he did not know there were others more powerful than he and that he had been created. He created Abrazas to serve him.

Zurvan, Lord of Infinite Time and Space

Zurvan is infinity, an unthinkable, unknowable concept to man. He is the offspring of Nous and Aletheia. Zurvan is not his name; he is nameless. Zurvan is his title, coming from an ancient and now unused Zingg valley tradition of a ritual timekeeper called a zurvan. He is portrayed as a winged, lion-headed man wrapped in the coils of a constrictor from chest to feet. The snake represents the eternal motion of the sun. Zurvan is the father of Macaria, the happy spirit, and Ahriman, the angry spirit.

Epemitreus the Sage

Epemitreus was a powerful foe of Set and priest of Mitra, fifteen hundred years before the time of Conan. He now sleeps beneath the mountain of Golamira in Aquilonia, but can appear in dreams to grant resistance to Set and his followers. He rarely does so unless there is a dire threat to Mitradom, but when he does he can inscribe his symbol, the phoenix, upon a mortal weapon to render it greatly powerful against the demons of Set, Ahriman and Asura. He is said to have appeared in Zingara in the city of Salduva, where he stood upon a great pillar and spoke to the warrior Seo, who was later sainted.

Sacramental and Mystical

The Zingaran Mitraic cult is a mystery cult just as it is in Argos. It has Outer and Inner Mysteries. The Outer Mysteries are the myths and ritual everyone who worships Mitra knows and may participate in. However, only the Initiated may know the Inner Mysteries, wherein the ‘Truth’ of the religion is revealed. In Zingara, women are forbidden from learning the Inner Mysteries. Anyone who has not been initiated may not learn the Mysteries. It is forbidden to speak of the Mysteries to the uninitiated. Every active male worshipper is expected to go through the first four Mysteries while only specialised priests are expected to climb higher. Each mystery is to some extent manifestations of a single deep longing in the human spirit for a sense of contact with the ultimate mystery. The Mysteries of Zingaran Mitraism are identical to those practised by the Argosseans and are described in detail on pages 16-18.

Religious Taboos

The religious taboos of Zingaran Mitraism are the same as the Argossean taboos (page 19) except for the proscription against the wearing of leather. Zingaran leathermaking is considered an important industry and there is no taboo against it in Zingara.

Benefits of Worshipping Mitra

Each god or pantheon offers certain benefits to its worshippers, so long as they remain in good standing with the cult and Mitra is no exception. Worshipping Mitra gives the benefits of Atonement and Faith to those who are indoctrinated into his Inner Mysteries.

Atonement: A character who has broken the terms of his code of honour, or who has broken one of the rules of Mitra, may seek out an ordained priest of his deity and ask for atonement. Usually the priest will expect a donation to the temple of around 50 sp multiplied by the character level of the character who desires atonement and then send him off on a suitable holy quest for Mitra. Once the quest is completed, the character regains his code of honour or is returned to his standing as a worshipper of Mitra, as appropriate. The priest who assists with the atonement must be in good standing at the temple.

Faith: All worshippers of Mitra gain a +2 morale bonus to all Will saving throws against sorcery or Terror. This represents their faith in the religion, which can be a powerful source of spiritual strength when faced with evil sorcery or unnatural creatures.

Requirements of Worship: Pay a tithe worth 2 sp/level/ month to the local temple of Mitra. Live an honest and virtuous life. Do not practice sorcery or associate with sorcerers. Oppose those who carry out human sacrifice or traffic with demons. Benefits of Worship: Faith, Atonement. Requirements for Ordained Priesthood: May not know or learn any sorcery styles, or associate with sorcerers. Must lead the faithful in prayer. Must not tolerate any other religion. Must lead a still more honest and virtuous life than the faithful. Must arbitrate fairly in disputes whenever asked. Must not fall into superstitious ways. Benefits of Ordained Priesthood: Standard. Typical Punishments for Disloyal Priests: Usually excommunicated, but may be attacked by the virtuous worshippers of Mitra as a result.