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Covenant religion: Difference between revisions
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[[File:H3 Truth rings.jpg|thumb|370px|The [[High Prophet of Truth]] activates the Halo Rings from [[Installation 00|the Ark]].]] | [[File:H3 Truth rings.jpg|thumb|370px|The [[High Prophet of Truth]] activates the Halo Rings from [[Installation 00|the Ark]].]] | ||
{{Quote|Every member of the Covenant shall walk the Path. None will be left behind when our Great Journey begins! That is the Prophets' age-old promise, and it shall be fulfilled!|The [[High Prophet of Regret]]<ref name="h2reg">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Regret (Halo 2 level)|Regret]]''</ref>}} | {{Quote|Every member of the Covenant shall walk the Path. None will be left behind when our Great Journey begins! That is the Prophets' age-old promise, and it shall be fulfilled!|The [[High Prophet of Regret]]<ref name="h2reg">'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Regret (Halo 2 level)|Regret]]''</ref>}} | ||
The [[Covenant]] was founded on and united by a single '''religion''', based upon the worship of the ancient race of beings known as the [[Forerunner]]s. The Covenant commonly referred to the religion and its teachings as '''the Path'''. | The [[Covenant]] was founded on and united by a single '''religion''', based upon the worship of the ancient race of beings known as the [[Forerunner]]s. The Covenant commonly referred to the religion and its teachings as '''the Path'''.{{Ref/Reuse|h2reg}}<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''page 304''</ref> | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
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Following the Great Schism and the death of the Prophet of Truth, the Covenant—and the organisation of their religion—effectively dissolved. For more than six years, many members of the former Covenant were involved in brutal civil wars and power struggles. Immediately following Truth's death, the San'Shyuum sought to save themselves from the rage of the Sangheili, and so provided the Jiralhanae with new weapons, ships and other tools to aid in their protection. During this period the Prophets, who already had been few in number, largely disappeared, leading to rumors that they had actually finally achieved the Great Journey.<ref name="return500s">'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', "[[The Return]]", ''pages 506-507''</ref> | Following the Great Schism and the death of the Prophet of Truth, the Covenant—and the organisation of their religion—effectively dissolved. For more than six years, many members of the former Covenant were involved in brutal civil wars and power struggles. Immediately following Truth's death, the San'Shyuum sought to save themselves from the rage of the Sangheili, and so provided the Jiralhanae with new weapons, ships and other tools to aid in their protection. During this period the Prophets, who already had been few in number, largely disappeared, leading to rumors that they had actually finally achieved the Great Journey.<ref name="return500s">'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', "[[The Return]]", ''pages 506-507''</ref> | ||
Even amongst the [[Covenant remnants]] their belief in the Forerunners as gods was not completely abandoned, but rather the Schism marked a return to more ancient systems of belief. As one [[Unidentified Sangheili Shipmaster (The Return)|Sangheili Shipmaster]] believed, "he knew his gods were out there, but he had no idea what they wanted." | Even amongst the [[Covenant remnants]] their belief in the Forerunners as gods was not completely abandoned, but rather the Schism marked a return to more ancient systems of belief. As one [[Unidentified Sangheili Shipmaster (The Return)|Sangheili Shipmaster]] believed, "he knew his gods were out there, but he had no idea what they wanted."{{Ref/Reuse|return500s}} Members of the Covenant had relied on the Prophets to lead them in spiritual matters. The devout Sangheili, in particular, had not had any need for their own religious leaders for centuries, and now found that few among them had the knowledge or the ability to comprehend the will of the gods. For a people whose sole purpose had been enforcing their gods' will, this was a terrifying prospect. | ||
While the Covenant religion itself was more or less defunct as an institution, worship of the Forerunners persisted into the post-war era in various forms. The [[Servants of the Abiding Truth]], a group of Sangheili fundamentalists, continued to uphold their species' pre-Covenant religious beliefs and took aggressive action against the secular regime spearheaded by Thel 'Vadam. Meanwhile, the [[Keepers of the One Freedom]] are a [[Jiralhanae]]-led militant cult that continue to seek transcendence through the Great Journey. The Keepers are notable in accepting [[human]] converts to their religion, many of whom had already joined the faction by mid-[[2553]].<ref>''Halo: Last Light''</ref> Another group, one of many to be self-entitled as [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant faction|"the Covenant"]], led by former Covenant shipmaster [[Jul 'Mdama]], also continued to revere the Forerunners as gods, and sought out the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] on the Shield World [[Requiem]] in order to ask for his aid in destroying humanity. His efforts were successful, and the Didact awoke with the goal of [[Composer|composing]] humanity. John-117 and the [[UNSC Infinity|UNSC ''Infinity'']] had both arrived at Requiem, however, and managed to stop him. 'Mdama's Covenant was finally defeated on [[Sanghelios]] in [[2558]]. | While the Covenant religion itself was more or less defunct as an institution, worship of the Forerunners persisted into the post-war era in various forms. The [[Servants of the Abiding Truth]], a group of Sangheili fundamentalists, continued to uphold their species' pre-Covenant religious beliefs and took aggressive action against the secular regime spearheaded by Thel 'Vadam. Meanwhile, the [[Keepers of the One Freedom]] are a [[Jiralhanae]]-led militant cult that continue to seek transcendence through the Great Journey. The Keepers are notable in accepting [[human]] converts to their religion, many of whom had already joined the faction by mid-[[2553]].<ref>''Halo: Last Light''</ref> Another group, one of many to be self-entitled as [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant faction|"the Covenant"]], led by former Covenant shipmaster [[Jul 'Mdama]], also continued to revere the Forerunners as gods, and sought out the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] on the Shield World [[Requiem]] in order to ask for his aid in destroying humanity. His efforts were successful, and the Didact awoke with the goal of [[Composer|composing]] humanity. John-117 and the [[UNSC Infinity|UNSC ''Infinity'']] had both arrived at Requiem, however, and managed to stop him. 'Mdama's Covenant was finally defeated on [[Sanghelios]] in [[2558]]. | ||