The Myth of the God Incarnate

The House of the Foot
Copyright (c) Simon Brooke 1992-1995
describing the pilgrim cult of the great place
Worships the God as Traveler. The cult of the Foot emphasises pilgrimage and trade. In this sense it is similar to the Seekers, but cult members are generally cheerful and hopeful rather than puritanical. The House takes responsibility for maintaining roads and navigable waterways, travelers hostels, and for the inspection and licensing of merchant shipping. The House has never been very ambitious or very influential, but is rich, primarily because its worshippers are among the merchant classes, who are rich. The House of the Foot works closely with the House of the Hand. It has wide contacts, and consequently is a source of information from beyond the rim.
Practice
Essentially the belief of this House is that each person must find God in their own way, and (perhaps) in an unexpected place. Consequently there is no real orthodoxy to the religious beliefs of the Foot, and devotees of the Foot are free to take part in the worship of other cults.

The religious practice in the foot is in pilgrimage. Devotees, who may be of either gender, travel between traditional centres during the Season of the Foot. During these pilgrimages, the devotees may not do anything but sleep or travel. They drink water, and may eat a traditional plain bread, although it is considered especially proper to fast. Pilgrims may not speak, but often travel together in large groups. They wear plain, simple gowns of grey cloth. However, the pilgrimage is not as austere a practice as this may lead you to believe. The pilgrims usually wear bells or clappers fastened to their shoes, and proceed by means of an elaborate, capering step dance. Each devotee is expected to do the 'great pilgrimage', circling the entire Place, once in their lifetime, and this pilgrimage often takes several seasons.

Aonan encounters a party of pilgirms.

Between pilgrimages, devotees of the Foot lead an active and merry life, but hold regular meetings at which the step-dance is practiced.

Death and Funerary Rites
Bodies of devotees of the Foot may be turned loose on the River in unmanned funerary boats, but are more commonly turned over to the House of the Cunt like most other people.

Taynuic visits the House of the Foot.

Copyright (c) Simon Brooke 1992-1995

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