Canon, or canonical information, is information about the gods, spirits, and religious structure of the Otherfaith that is considered true and/or accurate. This is contrasted with Divergence and is different from headcanon.
Canon is used in other religions to refer to books or texts considered authoritative (such as biblical canon). Though the Other People do not currently have books, the information found on Otherfaith blogs and this wiki may be considered canonical. The Otherfaith has an open canon, meaning it can be added to, subtracted from, or otherwise changed and challenged. This is part of continuous revelation. The longer information is established as canon may make it more difficult to challenge or change, however.
Ideally, all conflicts in canon are resolved so that an authoritative canon is found. If resolution is not found, one canon may become a Divergence.
Types of Canon
Religious Structure
Canon information regarding the structure of the Otherfaith involves issues such as who can worship our gods, prayers, ritual structure, holy days, dedications and initiations, etc. Anything falling under the actual practice of the Otherfaith is structural canon. The theoretical division of the Other People into the three groups of laity, clergy, and mystics is structural canon.
Spiritual Structure
This canon deals with gods, spirits, the otherworld, and souls. It encompasses the names and epithets of gods, as well as their related spirits, teachings, and values. Information about spirits, such as their roles in our lives, ways to contact them, their associations, etc. are part of this canon. The layout of the otherworld and the People's understanding of it are part of this as well. The soul body and the manipulation of energy falls under this canon.
Pre-Established Canon
Canon regarding the first six gods of the Otherfaith - such as their names and associations - was established by Aine Llewellyn early in the Otherfaith without much input from other individuals. It is considered pre-established canon, having not gone through any communal process. It was presented as canonical information from the beginning of the Otherfaith. The communal nature of the Otherfaith and its polytheist theology are also pre-established canon.
Pre-established canon is able to be challenged just like new and established canon.
Headcanon and Personal Canon
- Main Article: Headcanon
Other People may develop their own personal canon regarding gods and spirits. This is called 'headcanon' in the Otherfaith. Headcanons may be presented to the Other People to be made into canon (this process is described in the establishing canon section). If an Other Person's personal canon falls into conflict with established canon in certain ways it may be considered a Divergence.
An Other Person who works with spirits may encounter personal spirits, such as guides or companions, that they consider part of the Otherfaith. These spirits may not necessarily be worshiped or interacted with by other members of the religion, though an individual may believe their spirits are connected to a variety of other spirits in the Otherfaith.
Establishing Canon
Information is established by canon through its acceptance by the Other People. This may involve active declarations by the People that something is canon, or it may involve implicit acceptance of information. Implicit acceptance involves repeating the information or sharing it as accurate, and silence in itself is not taken as acceptance of information as canonical.
When possible canon is offered to the People it becomes available for critique and challenge. If the People accept the information they can begin utilizing it in various ways. An example of this is the use of silent prayer in the Otherfaith; it was originally canon that prayers must be said aloud to be heard by the gods and spirits. This was challenged and, through practice, the previous was tossed out and silent prayer is now used in the Otherfaith along with spoken prayer.
In the case of the possible addition of the Darren to Otherfaith canon, the god will be established as canonical after a period of time and if those participating in the Otherfaith receive him well. As reception has been positive, he is considered 'possible canon'. Specifics regarding the Darren still need to be discussed.
Challenges to Canon
Because the Otherfaith uses the concept of continuous revelation, canon may always be challenged. Challenges may involve questions of the accuracy of information, direct contradictions to information, or expressed desires for information to be repealed or tossed out.
Challenges to information may come when it is established as canon or when it is under consideration for canonical inclusion. Challenges must always be phrased as challenges to information rather than the individual presenting it. While in the consideration stage, dissent may be as simple as stating an uncomfortable feeling with the information, though it is preferred if dissent is based on conflicting information or more in-depth reasoning. Established canon, as part of being established, needs to be met with more in-depth dissent - such as conflicting revelation, experience of the canon being inaccurate (such as a god not responding to an epithet, named spirits not responding to prayer or offering, or ritual structure not functioning effectively), or a more nuanced understanding of the information.
When canon is challenged, the canon and challenge should be presented to the People. It should be discussed by those participating in the faith. The goal should be to find the most accurate information that represents the gods' and the People's realities and interests. (For example, a challenge to the anti-abuse stance of the People would not be considered legitimate.) Canon may be changed if a majority of the People find the challenge to be more accurate, and those who still hold to the old canon are considered to be holding a Divergence. Similarly, if a challenge is not accepted by the majority but a few members do find it more useful or relevant to them, the challenge is established as a Divergence. However, the goal is to establish one canon rather than many different Divergences, so such situations should be limited.
Challenges to fundamental underpinnings of the Otherfaith - such as our polytheist theology, incorporation of modernity and technology, and intertwined understanding of the Four Gods - are necessarily more difficult to bring. Challenges that alter one part of canon but would have ripple effects through the rest of the Otherfaith (for example, a challenge of the Laetha being a multi-faced and multi-selved deity) are also more difficult to enact. Compare this to challenges to information about currently vague ritual structure, specific spirits, and our calendar of holy days - these would be more easily brought and discussed and changed.