Spiritual beliefs in the World of Avatar

Spiritual Beliefs in the World of Avatar are defined mostly through respecting various spirits affiliated with nature, with the exception of the Air Nomads. Individual nations have regional variations.

Air Nomads
The spiritual beliefs of the Air Nomads seem to be modeled after Tibetan Buddhism. To the Air Nomad Monks; all life was sacred, therefore, they consciously refrained from harming the earth or any living being. A vegetarian, Aang made the conscious choice to exclude animals from his diet, since he believed it was wrong to murder for consumption. He showed visible concern when Sokka began tearing the dense vegetation of the Foggy Swamp with his machete, believing his actions to be a disrespect to nature. The Air Nomads had a philosophy of peace and, as a result, did not have a formal military. This lack of a formal military in conjunction with the power lent to Sozin's armies by the comet were probably contributing factors in the near extinction of the Air Nomads. Although not proven, the Air Nomads might have revered the Avatar, considering the Southern Air Temple contained statues of all the Avatars. This contrasts the other nations who typically have only one or two effegies.

Water Tribes


Due to separation between the tribes, the spiritual beliefs of the Water Tribes are difficult to assess, although certain spiritual aspects are known. There is clear reverence of the Moon and Ocean spirits: The origins of Waterbending, according to legend, come from the Moon. Noticing how the moon pushed and pulled the tides of the ocean, the people of the Water Tribes learned to do it themselves and became the first human Waterbenders. In the Northern Water Tribe lies the Spirit Oasis, a secluded cove located behind the chief's palace. There is a pond in the middle of the oasis, in which two Koi Fish, Tui and La, swim around each other in a circular pattern. The oasis is the most spiritual place in the entire North Pole; although it is surrounded by a frozen land, the oasis has unusually warm surroundings with trees and a waterfall. This may be due to the two spirits residing here. It is unknown if the Southern Water Tribe has or had any thing like this, though it is unlikely now due to its current near-extinct state.

Earth Kingdom
Due to its immense size, practices in the Earth Kingdom are likely very diverse; however, almost all share a common cultural thread. Small shrines, temples and monasteries dot the landscape, some being dedicated to previous Avatars like Kyoshi, who has a shrine on Kyoshi Island. The Earth King, because of his divine connection, has several ceremonial temples on his palace grounds, one of which, the Royal Shrine, is forbidden to anyone else.

In the past, farmers in the region of the Great Divide used to offer sacrifices to resident Earth Spirits. It is, in fact, a legend that the Divide was carved by these same spirits who became angered at not receiving proper tribute. In the Si Wong Desert, Sandbenders have slightly different views of the world, shaped by their forbidding home. Much of their mythology concerns the desert and its formation. For example, they believe the Si Wong Rock was dropped from heaven by the gods as a display of strength when the people stopped obeying their priests.

Fire Nation


Despite being the only nation with an established clergy, little is known about the spiritual beliefs of the Fire Nation. It is possible that since the beginning of the Fire Nation's rampant industrialization, spiritual practices have been purposefully eradicated by the government to make its citizens more obedient to the state, as in the case of Sozin's subjection of the Fire Sages, or his idea of hunting dragons, animals once held sacred in the Fire Nation. Today, most upper-class citizens and government and military officials show little care for the Spirit World, as evidenced through Zhao's murder of the Moon Spirit or General Mung's willingness to drive away the Painted Lady by establishing a metal factory. However, many Fire Nation peasants still carry strong faith in local patron spirits, like the Painted Lady, and often look to them for guidance and intervention in problems; by the same card, many also willingly attribute problems to evil spirits or witches. Reverence for the Avatar is a sticky issue in the Fire Nation; though Roku is still revered, the near universal belief in Fire Nation cultural/physical superiority and the animosity towards the current Avatar have left it, for the most part, "extinct".

Spirit World
The Spirit World is a lush and vast world that runs parallel with the World of Avatar. Here reside the spirits, immortal supernatural entities which often embody different aspects of life and nature. It is also the final resting place of all the past lives of the Avatar. Spirits may enter the physical world, but they become mortal and can be killed if they do so.

Known Spirits

 * Ocean Spirit
 * Moon Spirit (former)
 * Moon Spirit (current)
 * Painted Lady
 * Hei Bai
 * Koh
 * Wan Shi Tong
 * Past Avatars
 * Odd Monkey Spirit
 * Fang