Help with mythology/religion

[RedMorningSky]

In my WIP I'm working on an important myth in the region's religion called De'Ajor. The idea is that Ajorak is the god of the sun and initially taught one worthy man, Aenor how to use fire and other "elements" that relate to the sun such as shadow and light, ect. Man could not create fire before this incident.

Now, my problem is that in this myth, Ajorak decides to help Aenor when he is climbing this very tall mountain and will die from freezing if he cannot have fire. I need a good reason why Aenor would be climbing this mountain in the first place. I want it to be because of his worthiness and bravery. I could easily make it that he was told to do it, but that's not the type of values I want the religion to have. I was thinking that some people from the mountain maybe kidnapped his wife or something like that and he went to saver her. Does anyone have any good ideas why he could have went into the mountain?

 

[Zophos]

To get to the top, of course.


That or because he was seeking his god.

 

[RedMorningSky]

To get to the top, of course.


That or because he was seeking his god.

My initial idea was that he could be seeking his god but the problem with that was he had never heard of Ajorak beforehand. This is basically where the religion started. I need him to go to the mountain for some brave, admirable reason that makes Ajorak decide to save him and teach him.

 

[JonSnow]

It could be some sort of trial... maybe a trial he needs to conquer before the god will deem him worthy of the gift of fire. Fire would make his climb easy... but he needs to use his mind to find different way. That might require a little bit of plot adjustment, but it would fit.

 

[Zophos]

My initial idea was that he could be seeking his god but the problem with that was he had never heard of Ajorak beforehand. This is basically where the religion started. I need him to go to the mountain for some brave, admirable reason that makes Ajorak decide to save him and teach him.

Oooh, that's even better! Nothing a god likes better than blind faith. He doesn't have to know what Ajorak's name is or even what God is, just that there's something up there and he needs to find it.

 

[PrincessaMiranda]

Perhaps he is a chieftain and must climb the mountain to find another place for his failing village to thrive? The God sees his plight and gives him the gift to save his people.

 

[RedMorningSky]

It seems like those two ideas could be combined maybe. So Aenor sees that his village is failing and has the feeling that he can find the answer over the mountain but then on his way up he almost dies, until Ajorak helps him by giving him fire.

 

[PrincessaMiranda]

Sounds good to me. THere is nothing more noble and brave than risking your own life for many.

Another idea, slightly unrelated... his village is at the bottom or near the mountain and the land is getting colder. He see's the sun set there everyday and reasons that heat would be where the sun disappears at night?:

 

[Saigonnus]

Could be a rite of passage by the tribe to fetch a flower or plant from as high as possible... like the Nazi SS did with the Edelweiss that grows in the alps above the treeline.

 

[Androxine Vortex]

Hmm so this is where the actual myth starts. I think it would be an interesting idea if Ajorak calls out Aenor and aenor does not know what this voice is but he wants to discover the truth. The voice is coming from the mountain (which could be sacred to Ajorak) and so he climbs it seeking the truth. Then when he is about to die, Ajorak reveals himself and give him fire. Since this will be the first time he has seen fire he will be mesmerized by it and think of it more as magic than just a part of nature. Also, the God Ajorak just revealed himself and saved Aenor with Fire, symbolically meaning that Man needs the Gods to survive.

 

[RedMorningSky]

Man, all these ideas are great. Thanks to everyone for helping me out. All of these are extremely plausible so I just need to figure out what works best but now I have much more to throw around in creating the actual myth.

 

[Androxine Vortex]

Man, all these ideas are great. Thanks to everyone for helping me out. All of these are extremely plausible so I just need to figure out what works best but now I have much more to throw around in creating the actual myth.

It also helps in myth creation to look at actual mythologies from around the world. One thing that always fascinated me about myths is how they explain things. When the Egyptians looked at the sun they didn't say, "Well would you look at that burning ball of gas millions of miles away from Earth!" No, they believed it to be a God. And to explain why the sun goes down they believed that Ra traveled the sky in a boat and at night his enemy Apep would try to sink the boat. But the both could never truly defeat the other so everyday that is why the sun rises and sets.

Just like a character in my novel says, "What man does not understand, he creates a god for."

 

[Arreth]

Another possibility you might want to play with is something like the vision quest of the American Indians. It might add a spiritual dimension to the quest. Perhaps the god wants to help 'his' people and chooses to lead Aenor up the mountain (which others might say is just nuts because of the whole freezing thing). But, with a bit of effort and a dollop of faith, fire is won. Sending young men out to prove themselves is, or rather was, a fairly established practice.

 

[mbartelsm]

He was looking redemption, he heard of an ancient temple in the top of the mountain where he though he could be forgiven for his sins, not realizing that the sole fact of looking for redemption to the point of almost dying for it was enough, and because of that the sun god decided to save his life, to give him a second chance to do things right.

At least that's the kind of approach I would take if I wanted a "good" religion/gods, and what can be more inspiring to do right than that?

 

[J.P. Reedman]

He is to sacrifice himself on the highest peak of the mountain to ensure that the sun and its warmth and light returns to his village? (And then the Sun-god cedes him the power and knowledge of flame which means the sacrifice need never be made by any again.)