"The Science and Religion of Atlantis"

As any religion, the religion of Atlantis has gone through many changes, shifting like the very waters around it. It is one of the oldest religions of any sort, withstanding, in various forms, the trials of time.

The following is a theory about how the Mother Crystal works and ideas about what Atlantean religion might have been like.

The First, Second, and Third Ages of Atlantis

The coming of the Crystal, as a part of a comet, was the stone in the Atlantic Ocean. Its powers would someday radiate like ripples throughout the world. It changed the nomadic Atlanteans on their small continent into the more sophisticated farmers. With its healing ability, it allowed the hunters to prosper enough to try the concept of farming, until they finally switched over entirely. As time passed, they came to revere it as a deity.

As the time for the Great Flood neared, the people's reverence for the Crystal diminished, and people took advantage of its power without worry of consequences. Their arrogance took them from a golden age to a dark one.

The Nature of the Crystal: Who Says Science and Religion Don't Mix?

Before going on, since the Crystal is the center of Atlantean religion, it needs to be addressed. The Crystal is a very complex organism. It continuously takes in material from its environment, usually the air. The crystal itself "hangs" in the air, using magnetic waves to keep itself stable in relation to whatever it deems as "ground."

They were later used by the Atlanteans themselves for the vehicles. Crystalline circuitry is controlled by the user to move it in the "magnetic sea." The panels themselves respond to the user's thoughts, not by magic, but by science. The human body works on electrical impulses in the nerves. The panels detect various combinations of electrical impulses and can interpret them. It is wired to recognize only impulses that are related to thinking about it, as in that vehicle specifically, as opposed to other vehicles. This is why when Milo wondered how fast the ketak went, it went top speed.

The Crystal "sheds" shards from time to time, which, in turn, grow much like normal crystals would. The unification of these shards, or the eventual growth of a large enough colony would eventually result in another "Mother Crystal." The Crystal's life cycle is extremely long, and has not yet come close to completing here on earth. However, the coming together of many crystals does create a powerful energy surge, since each crystal, like the organism from whence it came, also has magnetic wave ability, thus is why they "float" when the main crystal is taking a host. Until a new adult crystal forms, the lesser crystals help the adult, in a way like youths taking care of the elderly.

The Crystal does, indeed, thrive on human emotion. Crystals pick up bits of hormones and can use that as catalysts and basic components for creating energy. This energy is, in effect, relayed to the Crystal.

The power of life is the most important part of Crystal theory. As has been speculated by Malkavien, the Crystal uses a complex form of gene therapy. Using virus-like particles emitted by the smaller crystals, the particles penetrate the cells of a person and inject DNA.

First, one must understand a bit of biology, put here in very simple terms. When cells split (like human skin cells, which divide very often to give us a new protective layer of skin throughout our lives) they make a copy of DNA, one for each new cell. However, when they split, bits of the chromosomes, the coiled-up portions of DNA, are literally cut off on the ends. These parts are called telomeres. For each cell division, from conception, a person begins to loose DNA. This is basically fine, since DNA has repeated sequences. In other words, DNA instructions are repeated in the code. DNA is also the same in very cell in the body. A heart cell has the same DNA as a liver cell. Only certain parts of the DNA are "activated" in that cell.

It is believed this snipping is the cause of human mortality, for the most part. DNA that codes for more important is finally cut into. This theory on the telomeres is supported by Dolly. As a clone, there was concern her DNA was "aging" too fast. Her DNA was not from a sheep's egg (which would not have had all the information to create a clone, since those gametes would have only half the chromosome number of the animal) but instead from a normal cell, which, of course, would be undergoing telomere reduction. Dolly died from a disease that normally affects sheep twice her age. The thought could be that the DNA taken had already been cut, and so the disease came prematurely as a result of the loss of some important DNA coding.

It would seem telomeres are regenerated for the gametes used to create a new organism, or else DNA would become shorter in each generation. In just a few generations, there might not be enough genetic information to reproduce at all if there was no regeneration.

Now, we will go back to the virus-like particles (VLPs). Viral DNA not uncommonly can actually insert itself into the host cells DNA. This DNA would code for several things. Like a virus, it would code for viral proteins to create copies of itself. However, unlike viruses, after perhaps one generation, a "self-destruct" code would activate, disabling the VLPs from doing more than injecting the more important code, as far as human well-being is concerned. This "self-destruct" is basically that a part in the original VLP's DNA codes for "make copies, but do not insert the 'make copies' portion of DNA into the new VPLs." This helps keep things from becoming an epidemic, or tat Atlanteans would be so contagious that crystals would no longer be needed.

The other code, which remains in the human DNA for a while, codes for "regenerate telomeres." It also codes for, depending on the cell, a signal to divide. Some cells, like brain cells, do not split after birth. Yet we lose brain cells every day, just due to cells wearing out. If they did not spilt occasionally in Atlanteans, Kida would be appearing in one of the "Dumb and Dumber" movies, instead.

These codes, however, are also placed on the ends of the telomeres. They do get snipped out in time, if not without being renewed by the crystals.

The virus-like particles are also sophisticated in another way. The DNA inserted would have to be inserted into a specific area or else the code would be disrupted, as is the case with many viruses. The viral DNA and its associated proteins recognize various sets of nucleotides, and the viral proteins insert the viral DNA bits into the host. Additionally, the 'make copies' portion of DNA from the VLP would be inserted on the extreme tip of the telomere, and quickly snipped back, also checking viral population. As a result of the nucleotide recognition, the VPL could also check if the DNA has already been inserted by another VLP. If it has, the proteins and DNA become dormant, and are eventually stripped by the cell itself to use as resources in its normal function, or else removed as waste.

However, this system is not perfect. Cells still divide faster than the VLPs can penetrate them when the cell loses the new codes. Thus, an Atlantean still ages, but much slower.

Unfortunately, there is always the possibility that the life-forms the crystal chose would prove harmful to it, whether because their hormones hinder its metabolic processes instead of enabling them, or if they literally were out to use the organism for purposes it did not care for. Thus, the Crystal would use a self-defense system. Recombining the VLP DNA sequences, the Crystal could actually lessen life span, using life-shortening instructions instead of life-promoting ones, even down to cells literally being recoded to commit "suicide." Whether or not this applies to a species as a whole or not is unknown.

The crystals also, like the more complex vehicles, understand some nerve impulses, and require concentration of the user. They can also sense dead or dying cells (simply from the decay of proteins) and compare it to living cells nearby. The first, but also the second if combined with the first, signals the crystal to release a slightly different VLP, and in a larger quantity. The VLP is accompanied by proteins, that, together, induce rapid cell division. The code for this cell division is close to the tip of the telomere, plus due to extracellular cues (like how many cells are around a cell in question) it keeps tumors from forming.

The Crystal, as well as healing, can also combat disease. It can learn to recognize harmful bacteria and create and release bacteriophages, which are viruses that only attack certain types of bacteria. Viral infection, however, is much harder to combat. A person must become sick first, and then a crystal would be applied to various parts of the body to re-energize and/or heal key parts of the immune system, giving the person a faster recovery than without. In other words, they crystals might not fight the disease, but, with a human doctor, support the side you want to win, as it were. Basically, it all boils down to the fact that not even Atlanteans have a cure for the common cold.

The Crystal is essentially immobile in its average state. Being a life form with radial symmetry, if even that, it does not possess the same ability bilateral life forms have with "which way is front?" It knows up from down, and away and toward (rather than right and left) but its directional sense is not as sophisticated overall. Also note, all land creatures are bilaterally symmetrical (or at least to the best of my knowledge). To move, it thus requires a bilateral life form, or perhaps simply the brain structures used for balance and motion, something that has not developed in the Crystal itself, thus its need for a host. It retains some aspects from hosts "lost to it," in both memory and knowledge, which is why Kida returned with the bracelet and not, say, her mother's toenail.

The Crystal can sense intention through both traces of hormones and electrical impulses. Thus is why Rourke sent it "groping" for a host. Beyond that, the crystal has no senses rather than a very basic directional sense.

The Crystal can "shed" through contact as well. The inside of the pod was crystallized by it. This secondary crystal matter is not as powerful, which is why Milo could touch the glass. The outermost layer of skin is protection enough. However, this could be compared to food allergies. Someone allergic to something might be able to handle the food, but if put into the system, it makes him or her sick. If this enters the bloodstream, the combination of a large dose of viral particles and additional, "shedding" cause ill effects upon the body.

The Crystal takes a host by lifting them through magnetic waves, though the system here is very complex. Initially, before being lifted, the host goes through various changes. The host's crystal lifts, and releases an invisible gas, containing a sedative as well as microscopic shards of crystal, which the host breathes in (the main reason why the crystal rises. The crystal itself loses a lot of weight due to the expulsion of this gas. The crystal shards are distributed quickly through the body, navigating into the bloodstream. Meanwhile, the gas contains proteins and VLPs that make contact with the eyes. There, the VLPs code for the mass-production of phosphorescent proteins, causing the eyes to glow. Speculation as to why this is done is to surprise or scare off an enemy so the transformation can go on undisturbed. Now that crystals are in the tissue of a host, the Crystal literally moves him or her. The one side effect of this occurs in the vocal chords, altering the voice. Any gas remaining in the host's lungs expelled when talking changes the effect even more. As a last touch, any crystal fragments still in the air are still being manipulated by the Crystal, and will reverberate in such a way as to seem echo-like. Crystal shards in the brain from a complex network, reading chemical and electrical impulses in the brain and acting as relay stations between the host and the Crystal.

The actual transformation is still a mystery, but as far as can be figured, it involved luminous Crystal cells literally mingling with the host's and his or her clothing, though how this is done without killing him or her is puzzling, to say the least, not to mention how it is the crystal still functions normally despite being rearranged. However, it is clear the Crystal can still communicate to the host in this state on a mental level.

It is hypothesized the Crystal only takes those of royal blood because it is their DNA it is most familiar with. Binding of the Blood rituals were probably set in place not just to make one "royal blooded," but so the crystal could even better recognize a potentially new host, and adapt accordingly, preparing for how future offspring's DNA sequences could be combined.

The Post-Cataclysmic Age

In order to keep the Crystal a secret from his people, King Kashekim Nedakh hid it below the city I a great chamber once used as an escape route and shelter. The last time anyone would see it would be the artisans that decorated the suddenly holy site. The king forbade reading and writing so the people would not relearn of it and would be unable to abuse it in the future. All literature was destroyed, though some was saved by a secretive group of Librarians who preserved them throughout the centuries. Over time, the people slowly forgot how to read. (This would take a very long time, since people read automatically and the skill would have been ingrained into their brains. The "forgetting curve" would help prevent them from forgetting, but even common things become forgotten if not used.) Literature on buildings, statues, etcetera, were demolished or covered until the covering finally rotted away.

An entire generation of Atlanteans grew without the blessing of knowing the written word.

Meanwhile, religious texts were hidden for centuries. When they were again revealed and after the people lost the ability to read, the people were forced to take in the mystical texts in a new way, one that is still sometimes practiced on rare occasions. Like the ancient Egyptians, they "drank" their words. Crystal-preserved scrolls and books were undamaged by water, mold or mildew, much like the Shepherd's Journal, so running water over them would not destroy the texts. Water would be poured over the writing and caught in a bowl below. Sometimes stone slabs, called steles, with religious scenes and writing were used as well. The water was then stirred with a crystal rod. The water would be drunk by temple-goers, who believed it refreshed, healed, and educated the spirit.

To keep outsiders from taking the Crystal, and to keep his people from possibly relearning their language, warriors were ordered to kill strangers once they saw the city. This is a remnant of when, in their final days on the surface, Atlanteans grew more and more distrustful of travelers, believing them to be hostile spies. Had they sunk any later, any outsider would not have been allowed to enter except the ports, and precautions were already being taken to prevent such espionage, even at the costs of their own people.

All the while, the king taught them a new history, one that subtly changed from year to year, to create a "historical evolution," in which his view became supreme. No one dared question changes, if noticed, nor could they prove otherwise. With it came a "mythological history," in which myth and history became intertwined. From the Crystal the Atlanteans came to believe in gods.

It is unknown if the ancestor spirit worship practiced still today came about in this age or in the first three. We know it exists because when Kida enters the Crystal Chamber, she falls to her knees, deferentially (and desperately) praying to the "NEE-shen[-toap] AHD-luhn-tih-suhg," or, in English, the "Spirits of Atlantis." She begs them to forgive her for defiling their chambers and bringing outsiders into the land. One can assume, then, that the spirits were considered powerful. This is because they would deny guidance for the person in both life and death, and, after death, they would not become guides, the ultimate form of disgrace. The spirits of the kings, thought to live in the King Stones to protect the Crystal, are the supreme guides, the rulers of all spirits.

The gods were a mighty, pure race, (with the exception of one). It is said as Atlantis grew, they admired its increasing beauty. In time, Atlanteans grew arrogant, too proud of their achievements, and claimed their work rivaled the gods, if not surpassed them. This struck jealousy into the hearts of the gods, for, indeed, their work equaled them. As punishment, the gods sent the "MEH-behl-moak," or Great Flood, and banished them below the surface of the earth so they could no longer pollute the world with their boasting.

There are six gods and six goddesses for a total of twelve, not unlike the pantheon of Greek and Roman gods. However, though some of their gods are similar, Atlantean gods have many differences, and also were not nearly so fallible. Also, they were often in non-human forms, more like other cultures, though all could take human form. Below is a list.

Kritim - The goddess of life and the life-giving light, prosperity and plenty, she was the remnant of the Mother Crystal worship, and usually appeared as a glowing blue disk. She inspires one to do good and what benefits all, being the goddess of altruism. She was as endless as the earth, burned like fire, was as soothing and comforting as water, and was held aloft by the wind.

Honto - The god of death, he taught spirits their new duties, preserved their wisdom, and made them guides for the living. As the empowerer of spirits, he was associated with darkness and sleep. He often takes the form of a bat, like those that lived in the caves around Atlantis.

Maltar - The god or wrongdoing, he was the only evil god. He would trick or tempt people into sin. It was believed that the inability to resist him was a weakness of the spirit, a sign it would not survive past death, if at all. Maltar is usually depicted as a gorlock, hairless, gorilla-like creatures known for their intelligence and savagery.

Gitash - She was the goddess of the earth and wealth. Afterall, riches, whether they be mineral or a product such as crops, come from the earth. It was in her domain Atlantis was banished to. She is usually depicted as rock formations.

Twegos - The god of fire, battle, rage, destruction, and all that burns, he is also the god of ceremonial dance, his flames not uncommonly inspiring dances. He was indiscriminant in who or what he affects, and was laid-back in his decisions. Usually he would come in the form of a small flame, something that could easily turn into a nighmare.

Panta - The water goddess, she was one of tranquility, sadness, and constant change. The goddess of the ocean, she was seen only in the waves she kicks up as she swam around the city. Not uncommonly she was associated with Thatag.

Atmak - As the god of the winds, he was one with spirits and the supplier of breath. Depicted as a whirlwind, he provided the rushing gust of ideas and enthusiasm.

Betoka -- She was the goddess of inspiration, a poet, a singer, and the recorder of myths. Betoka was usually seen as a tuyeb, known for its graceful movements in the water and its creative form of locomotion, twisting its tentacles like a propeller while pushing itself off the bottom with its claws.

Daga -- The goddess of healing and the crystals, she took the form of the noble bahodmok, always the blue, yellow-striped breed. She was associated with Kritim and was the soother of wounds, spiritual, emotional, or physical.

Dimeda - She was the goddess of agriculture. She was associated with a good harvest and a successful hunt. Dimeda worked closely with Gitash and Panta. The goddess was usually in the form of the powerful charokh, ensuring there would always be more of the species to eat and survive on.

Thatag -- He was the god of discovery, science, exploration, and learning. As a nourisher of the mind, he appeared as the crafty yeragos, a creature not unknown for finding ways to outwit fishermen and snag an easy meal.

Kiloki - As the god of humor, illusion and trickery, his pranks were basically harmless. Only when the trickster's antics were combined with Maltar's influence were the deeds spawned harmful. Oftentimes he was called, "the Wemot." Wemots, though usually graceful, have long, spindly legs, that, as clumsy chicks, easily get entangled in things.

The Modern/Golden Age

The gods of Atlantis are no-longer believed in today. Milo's inadvertent revealing that they do not exist, since they are not mentioned in writings or Pre-Cataclysm art, caused a short-lived, but rather traumatic spiritual realization for many Atlanteans. They turned to the Mother Crystal and to the spirits for guidance, and found comfort in them. A religious revival ensued.

Temples are large, beautiful buildings that represent the glory of the Crystal, much in the same way magnificent churches have been built to the glory of God. The ceiling is high in the circular main chamber. There, in the center, is a large piece of crystal, considered as a relic. The Spear of Destiny, had it not been used to raise Atlantis, would have been considered as such. This crystal sits on a pedestal in the center of a large pool. This pool, as well as the crystal, is the light source for the room. The pool is lit from beneath by crystals, casting rippling lights in the chamber. There people pray, prostrate by the side of the pool. Entering it is looked down upon. Even the priests, instead of wading though it to attend the crystal, use a vehicle to keep their bodies out of the water. On the rare occasion the pool must be cleaned, they are careful to dip only their hands and arms in. This practice may have evolved for sanitation reasons, though it is a recent practice. In the Post-Cataclysmic Age, they believed this crystal to be a way to channel their prayers to the gods. Now, it still channels prayer, but it is now thought to channel to the Crystal itself. The chamber is always attended by at least one priest at a time, and usually more, to keep it clean, conduct rituals, and to see to the needs of temple-goers.

In the room religious choirs and orchestras usually play, conducting religious chants. Instruments include flutes, chimes, bells, drums, harps, string-instruments played similarly to violins, and deep-voiced woodwind instruments that sound more like horns than woodwinds. Feeling it promotes their religion, Atlanteans have no qualm with reproducing hymns, even outside of temples, or Atlantis, for that matter. The most important instrument is the voice. In olden times, it was seen as a tribute to Atmak, their breath being that of the wind. Also back then, but even more now, it is an expression of the spirit, their breaths allowing the spirit to taste the world beyond their bodies and see the Crystal spiritually. To be selected as part of the temple choir, even on a temporary basis, is a great honor.

Connected to the main chamber are smaller ones, still circular, and are devoted to times when a person or people need time for private worship. They are connected in such a way as to almost appear as flower petals stuck to the main chamber. Those in the rooms can hear what seems to be the sound of a gurgling stream. This is because a stream is channeled under each one. In the room's center is an small opening in the floor where the stream can be seen. Unlike the main chamber's pool, a worshipper may bathe in its renewing waters. The opening is large enough for one bather to fit very comfortably into. Two people can barely fit, and this in itself is rarely done for that reason. As the pool was, the stream is lit from beneath by crystals, making it glow. The crystals, however, are not there merely for the sake of making the water glow. From just above the water's surface to many feet above a would-be bather's head are tiny crystal shards, about the size of normal aquarium gravel. They slowly rotate as a whole, and have been compared by tourists to spinning star clusters. Apparently the positioning of the crystals in the steam bottom is the cause of this.

Only on holidays or the greatest celebrations, usually the Celebration of the Crystal, is the main pool decorated with hovering crystals like this.

In the back of the temple there is a larger room, used for storing religious writings and the vehicle used for tending the piece of crystal. Sometimes priests work in there, planning celebrations and ceremonies.

Every Atlantean, as is clear, wears a piece of crystal around their neck. They consider them holy, as the Crystal gave up a piece of itself for them. When asked by the interviewer's daughter what it was like wearing them, an Atlantean laughed, and he replied, "What is it like not wearing one?" It is something they almost take for granted, much as many in America tend to take a church for granted, yet to lose one would be terrible.

The average Atlantean has religious experiences based on the beauty of the temple and through the power and grace of the music and the Crystal. However, those of royal blood have the great honor of being chosen by the crystal as a host in times of danger. Though past hosts have, in writings, been honored to be chosen for the notion of being picked by their deity or for the power, from the time of Kida's sacrifice in 1914 the honor is looked on as both the former and the honor of serving the people. On every account the experience of being "called" is a religious one, both frightening and giving one a feeling of excitement. Kida, enthusiastic to share her religion, herself described herself as, "terrified, but I felt a duty to my people. I was offered a choice, but I believe there was none. To choose otherwise would have been a weakness in my spirit." Accounts vary as to how much is remembered by an individual, attributed to the Crystal's "choosing" of memories for the host. In time, some memories return to all.

So, through it all, the belief in the Crystal has persevered, even abstractly, though the ages, as it shall to the end of the days of the Lost Empire.