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[00:12] 7a: Facts from Fejos
[00:15] While I was roaming around the Sicho Coast, I visited the Temple of Odapa. It’s a little inland, in the Satne Valley, a beautiful landscape full of life and colour. The temple is a solid, stone building, and from the outside it looks like any other building, really. Nice enough, but nothing too spectacular. Once you get inside, though…
[00:37] Temples consecrated to the goddess Odapa, particularly those built between ten and twelve centuries ago, like this one, have a distinct acoustic feature; an incredible sound deadening effect. Wherever you stand or sit in the temple, it’s impossible to hear anyone more than about a foot away from you – and that’s really not far at all! So why do these temples have such a feature? It’s all to do with the way Odapa is worshipped. While many religious observances revolve around the teachings of a religious leader, or listening to lessons the way an audience might listen to a performer or a class to a lecturer, the Word of Odapa states that worship is between the worshipper and the goddess alone, as if the worshipper is speaking to a close friend. The clever architectural quirk that deadens sound inside the temple allows each worshipper to speak to Odapa without fear of outside distractions or interference, and without being overheard – so you’re free to spill your deepest secrets without fear that anyone but the goddess will hear you!
[01:36] Some early worshippers of Odapa took this one step further and blindfolded themselves to pray, but that practice went out of fashion quite quickly as it became apparent that having absolutely no way to alert someone to danger – or anything else you might need to alert someone to – was not the best idea. There is an order of Odapan devotees in a closed temple somewhere in the north of Escha – the precise location is a closely-guarded secret – who still practice blindfolded prayer, but use different scents of incense to convey important messages to those praying. For example, they might burn Crinne leaf to tell worshippers that dinner is being served, or sandalwood to warn of strangers approaching the temple. It’s ingenious! I can’t imagine the sort of dedication and trust it would require to put your faith in others like that. But then I suppose faith is sort of the point.
[02:25] You may be wondering why people bother to come to the temple at all, if they’re talking to the goddess Odapa individually, but coming here serves several functions. For one thing, it removes worshippers from the distractions and temptations of their everyday lives, helping them to remain focused on the goddess while they’re here. For another, it’s a chance to socialise – not inside the temple, of course, but outside. Some people come just to visit and take photographs, some come to get out of the rain, and some believe the goddess is more present here than anywhere else. Some parents from the nearest villages come to drop their children at the playgroup for a few hours while they enjoy the peace here. The temple kitchens also feed anyone who asks, regardless of belief, so that’s a definite perk of visiting. And don’t worry – the kitchens and other outbuildings don’t have sound-deadening architecture. The cooks can hear each other, and you!
[03:20] Next time, exclusively for patrons, I’ll be talking about the stained glass the Sicho coast is famous for. Until then, safe travels!
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[03:31] This is a tangent that didn’t quite belong in the main episode, but I thought you might like it. I send home these little facts quite often, and you can get access to all of them by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/wanderingpodcast. In fact, Patrons got this clip a week ago, and there’s a new one waiting for them now – so it’s a great time to sign up. Thanks!
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Wandering Mind 