Cziela
Siela (Cziela [ʂiˈelɐ]) is the name given to the religion practiced by the Meó.
Five Deities (Acyau)
A core tenet is the worship of five deities considered central to Meó identity. Five is also an incredibly sacred number to the Meó. The Siela religion is deeply embedded within Meó culture to the point that the line between Siela and Meó culture is often incredibly blurred. The five deities are as follows;
Categories | Amako | Akya | Akhe | Amiru | Aahko |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Deity of | Mako | The Wheel | Haki | Miru River | Ahko Tree |
Form of life | Terrestrial | Aerial | Mystical/Haki | Aquatic | Sapient |
Realm | Ground | Sky | Haki | Void | Stars |
Element | Wood | Metal | Air/Life (Sie) | Water | Fire |
(Note that Áhko's element is not wood as the Ahko Tree is not in fact a true tree, and is much more like a grass, and does not produce wood.)
At birth every child is assigned one of the five deities. People are addressed by varying forms of honorifics based on their deity. Although all deities have an associated tribe, this does not necessarily mean that an individual of a tribe must have their associated deity, quite the opposite in fact, with every tribe having a decent portion of each of the deities. Some Meó may choose to contact an advisor when assigning a deity, although this is coming increasingly less common in the modern Meó society.
In relation to immigrants or assimilated people, it is common practice to be assigned one of the five deities by a spiritual leader.