Bori



BORI Receiver of the Dead “Gunderland’s ways were ruder and more primitively Hyborian than those of the Aquilonians and their main concession to the ways of their more civilized southern neighbors was the adoption of the god Mitra in place of the primitive Bori – a worship to which they returned, however, upon the fall of Aquilonia.” — Robert E. Howard. Notes on the Various People of the Hyborian Age.

Pantheon

 * Hyperborean
 * Gunderland

Regions of Worship

 * Hyperborea
 * Aquilonia (only some Gundermen)
 * Border Kingdom

Most Hyperboreans and some Gundermen still worship the old Hyborian god-hero Bori. Isolated, the Hyperboreans missed the religious revolution that converted Hyborian kingdoms to Mitra worship, and the few Gundermen worshippers simply resisted the revolution. Can only be worshipped in secret, in societies that heavily follow Mitra.

Divine Relationships

 * Ymir (enemy)

Representation
Bori was the ancient god of all the Hyborian tribes; he is thought to be a deified chieftain, a powerful war-leader who led the tribes to victory. He is depicted as a bearded warrior covered in blood of his enemies.

Gender Representation: Male

Symbolism

 * Head on a Spike
 * A Hanged Man

Spheres of Power

 * Strength
 * Wisdom
 * War

Bori is a god of wisdom and war, a bringer of victory and a receiver of the dead. He cast down Ymir and the frost giants to allow the Hyborians to move south. the worship of Bori is some form of ancestor worship.

Rituals & Beliefs
Every ninth year, in honor of the defeat of Ymir, human sacrifices are offered to Bori. Hundreds of prisoners or slaves are sacrificed and hung from trees. This mass human sacrifice is illegal in Gunderland but widely practiced in Hyperborea.

Other than the ninth year sacrifice, pigs and horses are the normal annual sacrifices for Bori. The penises of sacrificed stallions are given to women in order that they may perform a fertility rite with them. The meat from the pig and horse sacrifices are boiled and the blood is sprinkled on statues of Bori, on the walls of homes and on worshippers themselves.

Once the meat is cooked, the village gathers around to have a meal with Bori and the spirits. Ale is drunk in large quantities. The first round is dedicated to Bori. The second round is dedicated to the family dead. The Borians believe that they are filled with the power of the gods and spirits once they become drunk.

In years of famine, kings and chiefs are often sacrificed to Bori. Prisoners are sacrificed to Bori just as a matter of course and some consider every enemy slain in battle by the Borians as a sacrifice.

Major Borian Feasts
Jare Feast on the first day of spring, dedicated to the rebirth of life. Involves decorated eggs as an emblem of new life.

Kupala Feast on the first day of summer, a fire celebration particularly holy to blacksmiths and weaponsmiths. Burning fires light the night and youngsters traditionally couple up on this day.

Perun Feast on the first day of autumn, a harvest festival involving fortune-telling and animal sacrifice.

Korochun Feast on the first day of winter, a feast of the ancestors. Wooden logs are traditionally lit at crossroads.

The Priesthood
Male priests of Bori are warriors; they oversee and lead the mass sacrifices, act as counselors to chiefs and also can be excellent brewers or blacksmiths. They never use sorcery, but women may practice a form of shamanism called seid (similar to the Nordheimir volva). Such priestesses are called seidkona. They wear blue blue cloaks and a hood of black wool, carrying symbolic staffs of power. The practice of seid involves praying to spirits that inhabit the natural world.

Implementation IC & In-Game
Vanilla Ymir religion as placeholder.

More Information

 * Character created by Robert E. Howard in his essay "The Hyborian Age" (an unpublished fragment written in the 1930's).
 * Conan: Nameless Cults (Conan RPG Book)
 * Bori - Earth 616 (Marvel Comics Universe)
 * "The Twilight of the Grim Grey God!" (Conan the Barbarian #3; February, 1971)