Church of Saradomin
The Church of Saradomin is a religious organisation dedicated to the worship of the deity Saradomin. It represents the largest religion in the world and allegedly has connections to every major human kingdom.[1] The Church's influence was great enough to impel a prior King of Asgarnia into limiting the Guthixian Void Knights to the area aroundTaverley.[2] And in Misthalin, the Church is reponsible for installing Aeonisig Raispher as permanent Saradominist religious advisor for King Roald.[3]
The Church places some amount of authority in the isle of Entrana, which Saradominists believe is where Saradomin first arrived on Gielinor. The island is considered holy and hosts a church and an order of Monks headed by the High Priest of Entrana.[4]The island collects wealth from Saradominists across Gielinor, and its High Priests have far-reaching authority. They have set calendars, dictated proper procedures for marriage ceremonies, and put down other laws that govern the lives of many Saradominists.[5]
Beliefs and Practices[edit | edit source]
Many Saradominists only accept the existence of three deities: Saradomin, Zamorak, and Guthix.[6] The Church is also sceptical of the druids' claim that Guthix shaped Gielinor and banished the gods at the end of the God Wars.[7] The Saradominist version of events holds that Saradomin would have won the God Wars, but in an act of mercy allowed Zamorak to escape and agreed with the other gods not to intervene, so that they would not destroy the world through their combat.[8] Some members of the Church choose to interpret this symbolically, as representing the battle between good and evil within oneself, rather than as literal events.[9] Abbess Benita of the Abbey of St. Elspeth wrote a book on the subject of the God Wars as a spiritual allegory.[10]
Knowledge of demons is supressed by the Church. Performing rituals and reading tomes related to demons is forbidden and the punishments for doing so may be severe. Ellemar was charged with blasphemy and sentenced to execution for studying demonology and summoning Agrith Naar.[11] The Church also disapproves of golems, believing them to be unnatural, which has discouraged people from pursuing the art of golem construction.[12]
The Church recognises at least two Saints: Saint Elspeth and Saint Zilyana.[13] It is not known how and by whom saints are recognised. Saints may be depicted with a star of Saradomin above their heads, similar to a halo. Saint Elspeth's ghost has a literal, smaller such star floating above her head.
Branches[edit | edit source]
The Church of Saradomin has churches in:
- Varrock
- The Edgeville Monastery - west of Edgeville
- Lumbridge
- Ashdale
- Duel Arena - there is a chapel/hospital just north of the Arena for fighters
- Port Sarim
- Seers' Village
- Witchaven
- Ardougne - there is a church in both East and West Ardougne, and a monastery south of East Ardougne
- Paterdomus - this Temple is on the River Salve, and protects Misthalin from the evil of Morytania. In Year 169 of the Fifth Age, it was seized by Zamorakian Monks, who were routed shortly thereafter.
- The Captured Temple west of Goblin Village was once used for the worship of Saradomin as it has his symbols decorating the carpet. However, it is now used by Zamorakian Monks.
- Entrana - there is a church and the island is controlled completely by Saradominist monks. The island is where Saradomin is claimed to have first set foot on Gielinor.
- Falador - Controlled by the White Knights, who are devout followers of Saradomin, the Temple Knights who are Saradomin's most elite peacekeepers, has a chapel of Saradomin in the castle, and Saradomin will move players who have joined the Temple Knights to Falador, as opposed to Lumbridge, at their death.
- Abbey of St. Elspeth Citharede - located on the site of the remains of Saint Elspeth, the abbey is occupied by religious sisters who dedicate their lives to holy music as their namesake Saint Elspeth once did.
- Hyu-Ji - a church is established there by Tomlin, despite opposition from Zamorakians and Purists.
- Rei Ti - a recently built church in The Hook region.[14]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Curator Haig Halen of the Varrock Museum wrote an unreadable book on the history of the Church, found by searching the bookcases in the Abbey of St. Elspeth.
- The Church of Saradomin is most likely based on the Catholic Church, for the following reasons:
- His followers are called priests and sisters, in addition to the fact that their temples are called churches, chapels and monasteries. Additionally, many of his priests appear to either shave or tonsure their hair, a common practice among Catholic monks.
- Both churches had military orders, formed by several cavalries, among them an Knights Templar, which in the game are represented by the Temple Knights.
- In 164, as shown in Legacy of Blood, the Inquisition of Saradomin was established, which lasted a single night. This parallels the real life Inquisition, which Pope Gregory IX established in 1232 for the suppression of heresy.