Fishfolk Gods and Religion
This article focuses on the gods and religion of the Fishfolk of the northern hemisphere.
List of Pytharnian Fishfolk Divinities and Heroes
Gods and Religion of the Fishfolk
Entities
Hersp
Hersp is the son of Xhalb’ithût. He is a great Fishfolk warrior whom the priest rulers of the Fishfolk claim as their forebear and through them, all the the Fishfolk . He is father by many dalliances of the ancient common Fishfolk according to their legends as well. Hersp resides in a great palace in the watery outer realm of Xhimpxhi which is thought to ‘orbit’ the Realm of Chaos. In his palace, the two great Fishfolk ‘fries,’ Sh’nulpxhak and Pashpachwaxhak serve him. In common usage, the Fishfolk call him ‘Prince Hersp’ who is the claimed progenitor of their high priest rulers.
Shalb
Shalb is also a son of Xhalb’ithût and half-sibling to Hersp. He is a demonic entity that is widely worshiped by some humanlikes of the deepearth, especially the Sibbarines. He appears as a great, pasty-white humanoid with slight features, glowing reddish-yellow eyes, long, tapering ears, bull-like horns, clawed hands and feet, white, bat-like wings, and a long tail with a sharp, bony scale at its end. He is usually depicted naked with
Shalb among the Fishfolk
Shalb is not generally propitiated or honored by the Fishfolk as he is seen as the patron god of the Sibbarines. Shalb is sometimes honored with small shrines in order to prevent his wrath, but this is seen as disloyalty to Hersp by the most extreme of the priestly class. The name Shalb is pronounced ‘Xhalp’ in the Fishfolk language.
Sh’nulpxhak and Pashpachwaxhak
Sh’nulpxhak and Pashpachwaxhak are great Fishfolk tadpoles or “fries” that are giant-sized compared to the mortal young of the Fishfolk . They dwell in Hersp’s Palace where they serve him. The god Hersp sends them forth as messengers and enforcers of his will, especially among the Fishfolk . They sometimes accompany the demi-god Xhaltsek, especially when he is on errands for his father, Hersp.
Xhalb’ithût
Xhalb’ithût is the name of a great demonic goddess that is the parent of several humanlike races. The name Xhalb’ithût means either mother of Shalb or womb of Shalb, depending on who interprets it and the context. The Fishfolk only rarely employ the name Xhalb’ithût, preferring to avoid offending her by calling her ‘the Goddess,’ or ‘the Great Goddess,’ and typically in reverent tones. She is most commonly called the ‘Mother of Hersp.’
Appearance of Xhalb’ithût
Fishfolk wisdom-keepers teach that Xhalb’ithût is a gargantuan entity with hundreds of pseudopods reaching out from and thus obscuring her core body. At the end of each pseudopod is either a pair of crab-like pincers or an eye-ball. The Fishfolk only depict her in the frescoes and reliefs of their temples.
Her Dwelling-Place
She dwells in the Realm of Chaos and is known to be polycosmic, inhabiting multiple dimensions of that realm and surely others. Her presence causes temporary madness and sometimes permanent madness in mortals. She is equally honored and feared by the Fishfolk . Common IthrFishfolk bbi generally avoid mentioning her as they find her too terrifying, preferring to give sacrifices and prayers to Prince Hersp, her son.
Xhaltsek
Xhaltsek is the hereditary son of Hersp and honored as a demi-god hero. He is especially revered by the aristocratic priests as the first High Priest of Hersp. He is sometimes accompanied by Sh’nulpxhak and Pashpachwaxhak who are his half-siblings. The ruling class among the Fishfolk often claim Xhaltselk as a very distant forebear.
Places
Realm of Chaos
The vast, thought to be infinitely vast, Realm of Chaos is surely not unique to Fishfolk mythology. It is a place of supernatural energies which writhe and metamorphosize continually. Its importance for the Fishfolk is as the abode of Xhalb’ithût who is the mother of their ethnic god, Hersp.
Xhimpxhi
The other-realm where Hersp resides in his immense seashell palace is called Xhimpxhi. It is said to ‘orbit’ the Realm of Chaos. Whether it does so in a manner similar to a moon orbiting a planet or in an esoteric sense remains a matter of study. Xhimpxhi is a subaquatic realm of water extending in all directions. Within this world float rocky ‘islands’ within which are sometimes airy environments. Some believe Xhimpxhi has a spherical shape with increasingly more numerous and larger pockets of air as one approaches the spherical delimitation. Xhimpxhi is inhabited by vast floating reefs, seaweed forests, and myriads of creatures both familiar to the oceans of Asdar and truly alien.
See Also
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