File 10101C - Akaanati'kar'oya The Role of Arasuum
By Teeana Getz TaVolarian
Akaanati'kar'oya The Role of Arasuum
The War of LIfe and Death was the creation myth of the Manadalorians. Basically it was a story about an eternal conflict between Arasuum and Kad Ha'rangir. One God represented the embodiment, and the tempter of sloth, idle consumption, and stagnation. Mandalorians believe that Arasuum embodies all that Mandalorians stand against. The other was a Destroyer God, who represented, growth, change and the future. At first the Akaanati'kar'oya was a creation myth explaining the how theGalaxy worked. But over the years the myth grew and changed. It promoted wars as the Mandalorians tried to prove themselves honorable enough to pay homage to Kad Ha'rangir. But it eventually became a story, a parable from which many lessons about Mandalorian philosophy could be taken.
Arasuum was the personification of stagnation who tempted clans to engage in idleness and consumption. Arasuum was important because he represented what could happen to a people who did not grow and adapt and change. So by pitting him against Kad Ha'rangir the Akaanati'kar'oya at first gave Mandalorians a target to rally against. It was believed that Arasuum was embodied in the forms of any given enemy and the more that a warrior killed his enemy the more he defeated Arasuum the greater his worship to Kad Ha'rangir was. The greater his worship to Kad was the more likely that the warrior would one day join an army in the afterlife; there they would define their wives and children, who lived on in an enduring, peaceful homestead.
Over time Mandalorians became disillusioned with the devastating wars of conquest. And their viewpoints began to change. Arasuum changed with them, he became the idea of stagnation: life ceasing to develop, progress or advance. Being a warrior based society stagnation represented a weakness that could be exploited by ones enemies. Plus idleness and consumption were viewed as contrary to the development of the warrior and thus the protection of the clan. Arasumm personified was viewed as the slothful masses who were more like herds of beasts rather than living warriors in charge of their own fate.
Later still Arasuum would become the opposite of the Manda, a lack of soul. For more modern Mandalorians the concept of the Manda is far more important than any belief in a religious deity. The Manda can best be described as an oversoul, a collective state of being for all Mandalorian souls after death. To attain Manda a warrior was required to live out the ideals of the Resol'nare. Arasuum came to represent the opposite of this. He represented the warrior who did not live by the Resol'nare or dar'manda. Arasuum represents the soulless warrior who is ignorant of his heritage. It is considered a state that is worse than death.
File 20202C - Akaanati'kar'oya The Role of Kad Ha'rangir
By Jaered Martano TaVolarian
Akaanati'kar'oya The Role of Kad Ha'rangir
Much like many other cultures the Mandalorians had their creation myths. The Akaanati'kar'oya - the "War of Life and Death" - was viewed literally at first. The myth evolved to explain how through destruction came change and growth. First there was Kad Ha'ringir, a God of destruction who was in a constant battle with Arasuum, the stagnant sloth God. Their constant battle eventually led to the deification of war itself. This deification evolved into philosophical parables from which Mandalorians could learn about their Manda, or oversoul.
Kad Ha'ringir the destroyer God represented change through destruction. He was viewed as the ultimate warrior. His call led many Mandalorians to crusade in his name in order to gain his favor and assure themselves of a place in an army in the afterlife that would allow them to defend their wives and children who lived on in an enduring, peaceful homestead.
Over time the Mandalorian viewpoint changed, and with it the idea of Kad Ha'rangir changed. Kad became the idea of evolution or change through destruction. Where their is death their is life. By destroying the stagnant, the old, Kad led the way for innovation, evolution, for change. And thus the Mandalorians themselves evolved.
This idea evolved even further into the idea of the Manda, or over soul. It can be described as a combination of the collective state of being, the essence of being Mandalorian, and an oversoul. Manda could only be achieved by learning, knowing, understanding and living the Resol'nare, the six tenets of being a Mandalorian. If a warrior does not do these things, it is believed, then he becomes dar'manda, soulless with no place in the afterlife.
{ooc Tee and Jaerad are NPC's, children of Jaydon's that are "writing" these as part of their verd'goten and also in hopes of becoming scholars/students of the guild. I've tried to write from a younger perspective than Jaydons}
Subject: Akaanati'kar'oya The roles of Kad Ha'rangir and Arasuum in Mandalorian Religion 
Sun Sep 07, 2014 8:42 pm
