What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

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Sharad9
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What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

Post by Sharad9 »

What role should eunuchs play in a matriarchial-led religion?

Magic has been a fundamental part of humanity's development. It has existed since it's begining, and has been an essential part of its dominant religion which plays a role in the lives of millions around the world. Magic is seen as a gift from the gods, a way to secure humanity's future and a symbol of its dominance and mastery over the world. It is slow, complex, and ritualized, but has powerful effects.

Unfortunately, due to events in an ancient war thousands of years ago, men have lost their ability to perform magic. The reason for this has been forgotten by history, but the effects have been felt by all males currently. Whether it was given up as a noble sacrifice to stop a coming apocalypse, or taken from them as a punishment for some crime by god, or robbed by some curse against their will, continues to be debated by historians. Nevertheless, women have taken over the roles played by priests and church officials.

the idea that men cannot be trusted with magic has heavily weighed on the development of cultural traditions and normative gender roles in the world. even with some societies advancing and rejecting some of these notions, reversing the cultural momentum has been difficult. The religion teaches that men and women are equal in the eyes of god. However, Since the sins of the father are visited upon the son, all men share this debilitating factor with magic and are seen as "lesser" in the eyes of their diety.

There is one way around this no magic rule. In order to access the lost ability to access magic, men must go through a process that ultimately ends with them proving themselves worthy and being accepted into the church hierarchy. The process is long and grueling, and some do not survive to the end. The ones who do go through painful ritual scarring during the initiation ceremony, where they enter into a pact with the diety. This is meant to symbolize their purity and devotion to god's will. These "eunichs" are some of the most powerful males in the world. They are represented as a third sex, taking aspects from both men and women and becoming a distinct gender altogether.
What role should eunuchs play in this faith? How can I make them important to society and their positions valued?
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qwed117
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Re: What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

Post by qwed117 »

I don't eunuchs would really be common in this world. If it's a matriarchal world, I don't think women would see much in chopping the balls off a person. If power is spread through the female line, it doesn't matter if the fellow has balls are not.
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Re: What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

Post by Axiem »

I'm sorry for this sort of moderation-esque meta-discussion, but it feels to me like you create a lot of threads that basically come down to "this is how my world is set up, what ideas do people have for handling this set of things?". Which I'm not trying to knock at all. They're totally legitimate things to want to talk about.

However, if I may be so bold, might I recommend creating a single thread for your conworld, in which you can go a little more in-depth into the setup and such, and not have to repeat it for every questions—and instead, invite a fuller discussion in that context?
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Re: What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

Post by Omzinesý »

Google hijras and how they participate in religious rituals.
My meta-thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5760
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Re: What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

Post by elemtilas »

Axiem wrote:However, if I may be so bold, might I recommend creating a single thread for your conworld, in which you can go a little more in-depth into the setup and such, and not have to repeat it for every questions—and instead, invite a fuller discussion in that context?
Definitely [+1] for making a thread about your world, Sharad9!!!

As for the original question, that's about as broad a question as you can ask! It might be helpful to narrow it down somewhat. What kind of culture are you asking for? What kind of religion?

I can say that eunuchism is/was a thing in Christianity. We know that, early on, it was an important enough masculine status that eunuch catecheumens had concerns. We know that Jesus himself recommended the practice, and also that he understood the distinction between those born that way, those made that way by others and those who willingly do so for the sake of the Kingdom. Even as late as the 19th century, the practice of making boys into eunuchs (castrati) was still practiced in order to fill soprano and alto singing voices for choirs. Culturally speaking, we know that throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East of those days, the practice was common as well in a secular fashion.

In the World, I would note that this status is not unknown to be sure and the practice is common though not excessively pervasive. Secular eunuchs were not unknown in the archaic empires of the East (e.g., Ania and Anadyr and certainly in old Hoopelle, who passed the practice along to the Newcomers migrating in the West), and they generally filled offices of considerable height and trust but also where there might be cause for, ah, indiscretion to make itself known in a particular way after a few months. Dynastic indiscretion, you see.

In Kristianity, there are various paths one may take as a eunuch. Some do find their way into the secular administration of Church affairs: lawyers & judges of the ecclesial courts, administrators of properties & notaries. Some find calling to the presbytery, and it is often the case that a bishop will be eunuch. Several monastic houses take only eunuchs into their brotherhoods.

Among the Ieudeans, the practice is less common in the East. In the midlands of Eosphora, in the Indo-Hellado-Judean kingdoms of the silk highway, you'll find eunuchs holding various administrative and rabbinical offices.

Teyor find the practice most queer: it's one thing to be born that way or to suffer the humiliation. It's quite another to mutilate one's self. The few who might be aware of Jesus's recommendation would probably quietly chalk it up to a strange mystery of Men.

Daine know about boy>girls who are born that way and who have suffered the torture at the hands of others. They have no tradition of such automutilation, for any purpose. It is true though, that some boys who've been so abused and who have survived the abuse end up going down a more contemplative path. In the literature, there are exemplars of boys who have undertaken the torture either as sacrifice to save another or else in sacrificial solidarity with a brother or close friend who has so suffered. These actions are probably more common than is generally assumed; but the original instances are rare enough anymore (particularly in Westmarche) that the practice is become exceedingly rare.

There are scholia of Philosophy (that would be religious philosophy) and Dwimcraft that practice eunuchisation. Of the former, the Scholion of Aratwashallis, requires that sacrifice of all entrants. Of the latter, it's often only the loftier ranks who trade one potency for another.
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Re: What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

Post by lsd »

Religions love to rule sex affairs...
The eunuchs are a submission... or a revolt...
Sharad9
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Re: What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

Post by Sharad9 »

How would I go about setting up my own thread and attracting readers?
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Re: What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

Post by sangi39 »

Sharad9 wrote:How would I go about setting up my own thread and attracting readers?
This is just my opinion, but "attracting readers" should probably not be one of your major concerns. The main advantage of having everything in a single thread, is that you can more readily present your work in a single location, and should anyone find anything interesting, they don't have to search for disparate threads here and there to find out more.

It also makes linking to your work much easier when discussing it in other, broader threads, e.g. "what do your concultures think about sex" or "what conreligions have you created". In such threads, you can briefly discuss your work, and then link to the relevant post in your main thread should anyone want a deeper understanding of your answer.
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Re: What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

Post by Axiem »

sangi39 wrote: It also makes linking to your work much easier when discussing it in other, broader threads, e.g. "what do your concultures think about sex" or "what conreligions have you created". In such threads, you can briefly discuss your work, and then link to the relevant post in your main thread should anyone want a deeper understanding of your answer.
This is what I do; I have a link to my Mto thread in my signature for this very reason.

The advantage when asking questions is that the thread itself serves as the context, and so the people answering theoretically have a better understanding of the cultural structure you have built up, rather than just drive-by thoughts.
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Re: What role can eunuchs play in a world religion?

Post by lsd »

Sharad9 wrote:How would I go about setting up my own thread and attracting readers?
talk about viral subjects (like sex or religion)...
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