Editing Stone Shamanism

{{culture

|related=[[Shinovar]]

|world=Roshar

|universe=[[Cosmere]]

|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]

}}

'''Stone Shamanism''' is a [[Shin]] religion on [[Roshar]] during the [[Era of Solitude]] and the [[True Desolation]].{{book ref|sa1|i|6}}{{book ref|sa3|16}}

== Organization ==

Stone Shamanism is the only known religion practiced in Shinovar. It is led by a group of Stone Shamans, also known as the Shamanate.{{book ref|sa1|i|6}}{{book ref|sa2|i|10}} The shamans are thought to be able to communicate with the spirits of stones.{{book ref|sa2|i|10}} [[Taravangian]] considers the Shamanate to be the leaders of Shinovar{{book ref|sa2|88}} and their word is law.{{book ref|sa2|i|10}} They are able to name people [[Truthless]] and banish them.{{book ref|sa2|88}}{{book ref|sa4|i|7}}

The gods of Stone Shamanism are the spirits of stones, along with the spirits of other aspects of the natural world such as the sun and stars.{{book ref|sa2|88}} The sun is referred to as the "god of gods".{{book ref|sa1|71}} Fields and farm villages in Shinovar are also considered holy. Foreigners are not allowed near them, and farmers have an elevated level of respect in their culture.{{book ref|sa2|88}} According to [[Nale]], the Shin actually revere the [[spren]] related to natural objects like stones, rather than the stones themselves.{{book ref|sa2|88}} The Shin believe that their gods directly watch over them, except during the darkest period of night called the "hateful hour",{{book ref|sa1|i|6}} and may try to physically hide their faces from the gods if they are ashamed of something.{{book ref|sa1|71}} The religion includes the concepts of sin and forgiveness, and killing someone is considered the greatest sin.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}}

The followers of Stone Shamanism believe that stone is holy and it is profane to set foot on it.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} This is possible in Shinovar because the ground is covered in soil rather than rock, unlike most of the Rosharan continent.{{book ref|sa1|i|4}}{{book ref|sa1|i|6}} The only exception to this rule is [[Urithiru]], where the stones are not cursed because the entire site is considered holy.{{book ref|sa2|i|10}} These restrictions result in the Shin people rarely leaving their lands;{{book ref|sa2|41}} outsiders are referred to as "stonewalkers".{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} Mining is considered a sacrilege, and they only use [[Soulcast]] metal. Merchants such as [[Vstim]] are therefore able to make very profitable trades with the Shin using small amounts of Soulcast metal, although the trader must prove that the metal is not sullied by rock.{{book ref|sa1|i|4}}

The Shin also consider [[Stormlight]] and associated magic, such as [[Honorblade]]s and [[Shardblade]]s, to be holy.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}}{{book ref|sa3|92}} [[Szeth]] mentions that [[Vorin]] people lack adequate reverence for Stormlight and the spirits of living things around them; he seems to find the use of Stormlight for illumination and decoration vulgar.{{book ref|sa1|i|6}} Shin people are also uninterested in using [[fabrial]]s.{{book ref|sa1|i|4}}

===Truthless===

{{for|Truthless}}

Stone Shamanism appears to be related to the centuries-old Shin concept of the Truthless.{{book ref|sa4|i|7}} Telling the truth seems to be paramount in Shin society, as the end of truth would signify the 'End of All Things'.{{book ref|sa2|i|10}} The Shamanate has the power to deem someone Truthless and banish them from Shinovar. However, the shamans are fallible and have made mistakes in the past.{{book ref|sa2|88}}{{book ref|sa4|i|7}}

=== Death and Afterlife ===

When people who follow Stone Shamanism die, they believe that their souls continue to exist and are 'given to the stones'. This includes those who are Truthless, although their sins are not absolved and their souls are subjected to eternal punishment.{{book ref|sa1|71}}

== History ==

[[Szeth]] and his father [[Neturo]] believed in Stone Shamanism.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}}{{book ref|sa4|111}} After Szeth became Truthless and left Shinovar, he began to question many of his beliefs.{{book ref|sa1|i|6}}{{book ref|sa1|i|9}} He eventually concluded that the Shamanate was wrong and he had never actually been Truthless.{{book ref|sa4|16}}

Stone Shamanism was known in other parts of Roshar, although some followers of [[Vorinism]] dismissed it as pagan superstition.{{book ref|sa3|16}}

===Honorblades===

The Shin took responsibility for nine of the [[Honorblade]]s after the [[Last Desolation]].{{book ref|sa3|38}}{{book ref|sa4|17}} They trained and experimented with the powers of the Blades and assigned individual people to carry them.{{book ref|sa3|98}}{{book ref|sa4|17}} The bearers of the Blades may have been conscripted rather than asked,{{book ref|sa4|i|7}} and this assignment could persist even if they became Truthless.{{book ref|sa1|prologue}} The Stone Shamans played a role in the stewardship of the Blades, and were responsible for recovering them from other parts of Roshar if they were lost.{{book ref|sa1|i|6}} Their methods kept the Honorblades safe for millenia,{{book ref|sa2|88}} and they were even used in attempted invasions of other nations.{{wob ref|12700}}

However, the Shamanate eventually lost control of at least three of the Honorblades; two [[Herald]]s ([[Nale]] and [[Ishar]]) reclaimed their Blades{{book ref|sa3|106}}{{book ref|sa4|i|7}} while [[Jezrien]]'s Blade was won by [[Kaladin]] and ended up with [[Vyre]].{{book ref|sa2|87}}{{book ref|sa3|122}} Szeth claimed that the Shin would not have given the Heralds back their Honorblades willingly,{{book ref|sa4|111}} but the Shamanate is not known to have made any attempts at recovering the lost Blades. Ishar told Szeth that he took back his Honorblade while saving the Shin after they tried to accept the [[Unmade]] as their gods.{{book ref|sa4|111}} However, Ishar is known to be insane and the veracity of his claim is unclear. The remaining six Honorblades are thought to remain under the protection of the Stone Shamans, but even well-informed people such as [[Mraize]] have had difficulty tracking them during the True Desolation.{{book ref|sa4|78}}

{{complete|[[User:Big Smooth|Big Smooth]] ([[User talk:Big Smooth|talk]]) 21:37, 9 March 2022 (UTC)}}

[[category: religion]]