Alurian Spirituality - Álurhsá Táshnensës


To describe the ethos, atmosphere, and/or feeling of the Alurians, and, as we would say, "shthón sigô delzyű Álurh" (what it-means to-be Alur), is definitely an interesting task. Basically, being an Alur means having the weight of 3 million years of your people behind you. We are a proud race, and an old one. Alurians are like Klingons in that honor is very important to us, honor, equality, fairness. An Alurian could have written both Vermont and New Hampshire's state mottos: Freedom and Unity, and Live Free or Die.

Our way of life is much different than the American norm. Alurians may have careers, but only in the sense that it's something they're interested in and good at. Aluria has what could probably be called True Communism, in the sense that there are no unemployed, no homeless, except those who have literally chosen to be wanderers and don't want it any other way. There are always tasks to be done that can earn you food and shelter, anything from sweeping the streets all the way to highly technical repairs on the automated factories or the Subshuttle system. Many people actually don't have careers per se, but rather do what happens to be needed at any given point in time.

Alurians have a strong sense of love of Culture, love of Environment, and the tight bonding of both the immediate family (bóleyá) and the Tribe (bóleyává). Alurians tend to raise their children as only-children, since it isn't at all uncommon to find 30 to 50 year gaps between children. We don't often marry until we're at least 150 years old.

Overall, Alurians might make you think of the Old Ways, or Andre Norton's Old Race from the Witch World novels. Alurians are *not* by and large practitioners of magic, and don't claim any special supernatural powers, but we have the same pride and ancient roots.

Technology on Aluria is at a very high level, but well hidden. We aren't ruled by it, or addicted to it, as other races are. We keep it at the tool stage, using it to make our lives more pleasant and not to take over our lives. Alurians are very nature oriented. We would never imagine using all the preservatives and chemicals in our food and other products that Americans do. Nor would we imagine such abominations as clear-cutting, strip-mining, etc. We manage our environment carefully, understanding the relationship of stewards. I suspect it also helps to know that for ten thousand generations our people have held this world as part of our heritage, and that if we want ten thousand more generations to have it, we had better take care of it.

Aluria has a recorded history of over 2 million years.  Many would assume that in that amount of time a race would progress so far that we would have either gone beyond the need for physical bodies or some other magnificent evolution. The Alur, instead, have progressed by returning to our roots, becoming more connected with nature and their world. We have also automated the drudge work and progressed civilization to the point that there is no money, people work at what they are interested in, there is no polution, no unsightly factories (they are below ground) and travel from place to place is accomplished via a massive interconnected network of underground transport called the Kashthálázen or Subshuttles. It is possible to travel from Váláqentá to Ásketáná, a distance of about 2500 miles, in slightly over 3 terran hours. While this sounds similar to terran aircraft, the subshuttle makes no above-ground noise, is non-poluting, safe, personal (you can call one up whenever you want it and they seat about 10 total), and above all, free. Not to mention that you don't need to dedicate astonishing amounts of land to paved runways, the subshuttle is entirely underground and the station entry is a simple small building or entryway through an existing structure.

Alurians enjoy getting together for village festivals, family gatherings, ceremonies, and other such events. By and large you do *not* see the same competitive spirit among us that humans are fond of, rather, competition is channeled away from the boasting, bragging, macho displays into more formalized and ritualized behaviour. We have not forgotten our past, and weapons play is part of any Alurian's education, male or female.

What might sum up our character would be one of the things often quoted to children, especially at moments where they might need their self-estime picked up a bit: "Gámás vekláyv ólyën delzyű álurh" (Never forget you are Alur).

There are some major variations from region to region, but the above information holds true for any Alurian from any region at any time over the last million years.

The Táshne and Krenf are connected by a link (or maybe better "bridge), called the Dlóve (which corresponds roughly to "soul"). The ělár (emotions) are felt within the dlóve, but felt by the táshne.

Alurians do believe in a Higher Power a single God-entity who is the originator/creator/maintainer of the Universe. This entity is referred to either by name, Áxván, or by an interesting term, Gátálórh. The word Gátálórh is used only in reference to God, and means "the one beyond/above/more-than a best-friend or soul-mate". It is the full understanding of what this term means, and entering into that relationship with God, that is seen by Alurians as the ultimate goal of the spiritual experience.

Áxván is a proper name not a classifier. The word "Jěne" which means "god" is an invented one to handle alien explanations of supreme beings, and is a contraction of "Jevne" (Sir) and "ěne" (holy). It is interesting to note that any of these nouns, as well as nouns for spirit, soul, etc., are of the "táshnesá" (spiritual) class/gender as the Alur do not believe gender can apply to the supreme being.

Alurians believe that intelligent beings consist of two basic parts, the Táshne or Spirit, which dwells in a reality known as Kálr˙ísz, which translates roughly to Heaven although not necessarily in the sense meant by the English word. The other part is the Krenf, or Body, which dwells in Gálsvárrenvë, which translates roughly to the physical universe. These two are joined by the Dlóve, which is functionally a link, or bridge, but is often translated into English as the Soul.

The Táshne is considered to be the Real You, where your thoughts, emotions, personality, etc. reside and happen. These are then passed through the Dlóve to affect the Krenf. This pathway is the origin of the Alurian term "Wide-Souled" (ánçáme dlóvesá) in reference to someone who is very spiritual or enlightened. The Táshne is considered to be immortal, but not necessarily eternal.


This page last updated on 10/16/04  - Úmázhë Ólevá Ányexelényű: 16 Lhányel˙ '56