Okonkwas

Okonkwas is a Primordial of the Siclian Pantheon who governs death, judgment, the afterlife, and reincarnation.

Okonkwas in the Pantheon
While the others govern the cycle of life, Okonkwas alone governs death. According to tradition, the spirits of those who die become lost in the Mirrorworld, where they wander until the start of Okonkwas' reign on the first day of winter. At this time, he listens to the stories of the family and friends of the deceased, as well as those of the other gods, then judges the fate of each soul.

To ensure that a relative or friend is judged favorably by Okonkwas, many cultures have strong traditions surrounding honoring the dead by singing songs or telling stories of their lives to ensure that the god of death hears only the most favorable tales. Also, among communities in which Okonkwas is revered, speaking ill of the dead is considered to be a grievous crime, punishable by ostracism, imprisonment or even death.

Important Rituals

 * Binding the Dead: Stemming from the belief that a soul cannot depart from a ritually bound corpse, this practice involves tying or otherwise immobilizing the dead ceremonially, often combined with a series of incantations, runes or other ritual preparations. Bound corpses are stored in a mausoleum or other safely guarded location until the Festival of Naming when priests release all bindings, releasing the souls to Okonkwas.


 * Festival of Naming: Honoring the belief that speaking the name of the dead can bring them forth, communities hold this ritual feast at the start of each winter. During the ceremony, bodies of all who have died in the past year are brought forth. One by one, each family speaks the name of their loved one into the night - and the crowd then chants it repeatedly. Believers in this practice say that at the moment of release, the corpse of the dead take a single, final breath - and the exhalation is the soul being taken by Okonkwas.


 * Rite of the Dying Breath: Some traditions believe that the exhalation of a mortal's final breath releases their soul. To prevent torment in the Mirrorworld, therefore, specially trained priests known as "Soul Keepers" may be employed to inhale the soul as it departs, keeping it safe within their body until Okonkwas comes. On the first night of winter, the priests then congregate, speaking kindnesses about the souls they have safeguarded; then breathe them out into the night air for Okonkwas to receive. Among these priests, madness, schizophrenias, and multiple personality disorders are prevalent, leading many to wonder whether being "kept" is simply a different torture.