Religion and Beliefs

While a common creation myth exists for Middle Earth and Arda or Eä in general, the different people inhabiting this world have long since developed their own understanding of it, as well as their own legends, superstitions, beliefs and rituals. Not all of them center on or are dedicated to the common pantheon. A few of the wider spread ones are the following.

Haradrim
The Haradrim are convinced that they owe much, if not everything that they have to the fact that their leaders have secured for them the favor of higher powers. Mighty ghostly creatures, once ancient kings and great sorcerers, immortalized by Sauron through a great gift he had found them worthy of, who will appear only to the kings and queens of Harad to give them instructions and make demands.

To impress those envoys of the great lord of Mordor the Haradrim have built opulent palaces for them alone and in his honor. These are adorned with glittering stones and pure gold, filled with riches from all over Haradwaith, masterfully crafted statues and fine fabrics, jewellery, rare flowers, delicate lamps and expensive scents. Naturally, they are guarded heavily and entering them is forbidden under penalty of death to anyone other than the rightful king or queen. Even they can only set foot into those palaces when they are called to do so and after having undergone a number of rituals meant to cleanse and prepare them for their high ranking visitor. It is rumored that at least one of those palaces might house a Seeing-Stone.

Sometimes nobles and common people might leave gifts or small scrolls as close to those palaces as they can get without risking their lives. What is written on those small scrolls may express their adoration and gratitude, but might also express wishes and hopes, ask for a blessing or curses against enemies.

Easterlings
While the Easterlings of Rhûn do share a common philosophy based on their understanding of the Song and each and everyone’s place in it, they tend to neither worship nor organize their beliefs in a shared religious system. Instead they individually practice many small rituals, symbolic gestures and acts of thanksgiving and care towards others and nature in general.

After each harvest they will, for example, leave a certain part of it on the fields for birds and other animals. During dry periods they will leave food and water out for the creatures of the wild and water all plants, not just those of their own gardens. During the rainy season, as well as during nesting season they build shelters for birds, insects and smaller animals, and whenever a wild creature wanders into their homes, they will greet it like they would greet a friend or an honored guest. Though, quite carefully and from a respectful distance if it happens to be a poisonous snake or a great striped cat.

They give gifts to animals in exchange for their products or labor, and many will never take a fruit from a tree that has not fallen by itself or is paid for in water or fertilizer or a service, like removing fungi or parasites or spreading pollen and seeds, of some kind.

Whenever an animals is killed it is done with great reverence and gratitude toward the creature. Oftentimes they will feed it its favorite food or caress it one last time and slit its throat when it is the happiest. Afterwards they may tie a ribbon in memory to one of their trees or burn and bury the unusable parts in honor, like they would the corpse of a human.

The Umbari
Given their Black Númenórean heritage the Umbari do not have much sympathy for the Valar after the Fall of Númenor. They might, however, try to anger the higher powers that are known to have sunken the island of their far removed ancestors, in hopes that they might do so again and in their rage sink ships or destroy the ports and devastate the coastal regions of their enemies. Some do not mind the thought that their own ships, homes or even lives could be affected by this as well. An Umbari curse is the greatest form of rage that they know. It is meant to bring doom upon all the world.

Meanwhile the Corsairs on their ships might try to lure the mighty creatures of the deep to the surface for a similar purpose, and appease or distract them by throwing gifts into the water.