With the Warcraft movie now out (and ohmydearsweetgoodness it was SO good. I loved it, as an avid WoW player. My two godfathers, neither of whom play Warcraft, also adored it. The story was well written, the CGI was gorgeous, and all of the characters had a depth to them which made them compelling. I'd definitely recommend checking it out.), I'm continuing my look at the religions of the two major cultures within the film. Last Monday I talked about the humans and the Light; this week I'm taking a look at the orcs and their shamanistic beliefs.
Orc culture is heavily focused on
respecting one's elders and ancestors. A common farewell by an orc
is to say “Ancestors watch over you,” or “Spirits guide you.”
Phrases in our world such as “By
Odin's beard!” might be familiar to you. The orcish equivalent is
exclamations along the lines of “By Hellscream's axe!”,
referencing famous orcs as declarations of surprise.
Orcs follow a shamanic religion,
focusing upon the earth and the elements. It is very animistic in
nature – meaning that the orcs believe all things (including
animals, plants, and the sun) have a spirit. Orc religion does not
focus upon worshiping these spirits, as, say, the druids do.
Instead, orcs honor and respect the spirits, striving to live in
harmony with the natural world.
Some orcs are even able to tap into
some of the powers of the spirits, becoming shaman. The most famous
orc shaman is Thrall, who led the Horde as its Warchief for some
time. Thrall ultimately resigned from his powerful position after
the devastation known as the Cataclysm rocked Azeroth. He returned
to his shamanistic roots and sought to restore the world.
(These particular totems are the pattern used by draenei shaman.)
Now, lets talk a little bit about the elements the shaman can call upon. An official blurb from WoW says that they “...have the power of nature in their fists, and earth, wind, and fire come to their call.” Water is also able to be harnessed by shaman. They can use the elements to heal themselves and allies, to shock and stun their enemies, to harden their skin with earth in defense, or to burn them with shooting flames. Wind can trap enemies in swirling cyclones, or knock them back. Water can cleanse poison. The way the game designers in WoW have used the elements in such a wide variety of ways really impresses me.
Sometimes, shaman interact directly with powerful spirits of the elements – called elementals. Each world has its own unique elementals. The orcs, like the draenei, lived on a planet called Draenor before traveling to Azeroth. Four of Draenor's most powerful elementals can be found in the area called the Throne of the Elements. They are Gordawg, Incineratus, Kalandrios, and Aborius.
These mighty elementals and their lesser kin can be quite wild and untamable at times. To try and keep the elements – and therefore the world – in balance, a group of shaman known as the Earthen Ring keep in communication with the greater of the elementals.
Matters are a little more complicated on the world of Azeroth. There are a large number of mighty elementals there, at times varying based on the locale. For instance, the Wandering Isle (a giant turtle roaming the sea with an entire colony of pandaren living on its back) has four elementals unlike those seen in other parts of the world: Dafeng, Wugou, Huo, and Shu. These elementals are a little mischievous, but work alongside the pandaren peacefully.
Other elementals in Azeroth are considerably more hostile towards fleshy beings. The four strongest, who have walked the earth since almost its very beginning, are Ragnaros, Neptulon, Al'Akir, and Therazane. Together, they are known as the Elemental Lords. Each of these Lords is an incredibly powerful force. Unfortunately for the denizens of Azeroth, only Neptulon and Therazane are willing to have non-violent dealings with mortals. Both Ragnaros and Al'Akir are boss monsters in WoW that were some of the more challenging enemies to defeat when they were released.
The reason for the wrath of Ragnaros and Al'Akir lies in their loyalties. All of the Elemental Lords originally served the Old Gods – Lovecraftian-esque beings of terror who seek the corruption or destruction of all living things. The Old Gods are servants of the Void, the immortal enemy of the Light. Long ago they allied with the Elemental Lords in an attempt to wipe out all other living things. The Elemental Lords were eventually defeated and imprisoned by the forces of the Light, but have since escaped. It's possible that Neptulon and Therazane are both still servants of the Old Gods, and have only worked with living creatures out of a sense of self-preservation.
(Neptulon always reminds me of the Nautolan race from Star Wars.)
I find the names of the Elemental Lords fascinating. Neptulon, whose element is water, is likely named after Neptune, the Roman god of the ocean. Ragnaros, the Fire Lord, sounds very similar to the Norse apocalypse called Ragnarok – an event that is said to end the world in fire. It makes me wonder where the names Therazane and Al'Akir come from.
If you'd like to learn more about the Elemental Lords, including their origins and loyalties, I'd highly suggest this article.
These mighty elementals are some of the beings whose power shaman tap into, and who the orcs revere. Respect of the elements in absolutely necessary...because if you anger them, you won't be able to stop their wrath. It's a hard, brutal religion, but it's what the orcs have. (I'd imagine the transition from the elementals of Draenor to the wrathful ones of Azeroth was interesting for the orcs!)
What do you guys think?
I'll be back next week with a look at one of my favorite races in WoW. They're fuzzy, bouncy, and deeply spiritual. They also just so happen to be giant pandas. See you then!
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