Sja Fram [Inheritance Cycle | Eragon Fanfiction]

Chapter XXI: Religion

Chapter XXI: Religion

Half asleep, I rolled over as I found a rock digging into my side. Pain lanced up my side and I yelped and scrambled into a sitting position. I groaned, as my body decided now was an ample time to tell me how sore it was.

Deciding that I might as well do something, I got up. Getting up, I stretched and changed into a fresh pair of clothes compared to my grotty ones from the past few days. I grabbed some food out of one of my saddlebags and started munching on the fruit. I looked up to check what time it was, and saw that the sun was almost halfway across the sky.

I grabbed the book that Brom had given me last night and sat down. "Well with nothing else to do, I might as well read." I said to myself quietly.

I opened the first page, unlike last time the word Skulblaka and dragon weren't written at the top. Instead, the words Magic and Religion were written. I looked around the clearing, void of life besides Eragon, the horses and myself. I leaned against the tree behind me and started reading, certain that Istal would notify me if anything happened.

Religions are plent in Alagaësia. Many cultures have a different religion that it follows. Religion refers to the belief in and worship of supernatural controlling power, especially a personal god or gods. A particular system of faith and worship and the way of life committed to by monks and nuns.

Although few cultures have more than one form of religion, it isn't that rare. Humans have many different religions, although the majority of these cults have died out. Despite this, many humans are still superstitious (superstitious meaning the belief in supernatural causality – that one even causes another without any natural process linking the two events). Wherever you go within human cities, villages and towns, there are variations for human death ceremonies known as funerals. It has been noted that in the north-west end of Alagaësia that the funeral rites are considerably similar. When this was first noticed, it soon became apparent to me that this is the same wherever you go in Alagaësia. Humans living near each other normally have similar behaviour.

I have tried to figure this out for a long time and have thought up a theory that makes sense. My theory is that when humans settled they all had one main village in each area of Alagaësia. When these villages grew overpopulated, and the human species started spreading out, each beginning with the same superstitious behaviour. Nevertheless, as time past, the people in the villages started adding their own bits. I think that actions and knowledge were lost in the past leading to a number of the changes.

However, as I was saying, in the north-west of Alagaësia the funeral rites are quite similar. Carvahall and Therinsford, both villages residing in Palancar Valley near the Spine, normally placed a spring of hemlock on someone's chest when they died, a silver amulet was placed around their necks, and black pebbles were placed over their eyes. In Therinsford, where the terrain is not as mountainous and black pebbles not as common, smooth river stones of different shades of grey were placed on people's eyes and leather necklaces with an amulet consisting of a stone with a hole in the middle placed around their neck. Therinsford people also place springs of hemlock on people's chests, which was how I first linked it to Carvahall.

During my travels, I noted that Kuasta was one of the cities with the most superstitions and strange customs. One, that is quite well known, is that the people always knock three time times on a doorframe before entering or leaving a room.

Knocking on wood is another superstitious custom that is quite widespread, this time spread over many cities, towns, and villages near the sea or lakes and rivers that can be sailed in. Knocking on wood refers to literally touching, tapping, or knocking on wood, or stating 'knock on wood' or 'touch wood' to imply that you would if there's no wood nearby. This is done to avoid 'tempting fate' after making a favourable, observation, a boast, or declaration concerning one's own death or other unfavourable situation beyond one's control. After speaking to many people, I believe this originated due to the elves and their forest, Du Weldenvarden, and the magic they used. The quick rate that the forest grew at, due to the planting spells the elves used, caused the humans to believe that magic beings resided in the trees, and they protected the forest. Therefore, humans thought that knocking on wood or stating that they would, could invoke the magic beings that resided in the wood to protect them from fate and allow them to grow and flourish.