I wanted to share a concept that just came to me: Ritualistic sun blinding.

Examples-

  • A sun worship cult that maintains an order of blind prophets. Whose ordination involves self-blinding using the sun. burning away the false eyes

  • Sun blinding as a form of martial punishment used on deserters or captured enemy soldiers.

Ngl, this came to me when I remembered how Trump stared at the sun during the solar eclipse.

:Trump

  • dom [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    To add to the blessing vs punishment distinction-

    Being blinded the right way (in observance of the proper rites) grants the blindee a new vision. While the blinded-as-punishment folks are just visionless.

    One of the rites could be viewing a relic, before blinding, which is hidden from everyone except the would-be prophets.

    • Des [she/her, they/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      going along the same line maybe those being punished en masse both do not receive the viewing of the relics and are cut off from the purity of the sun itself. maybe they use a lens or shaped crystal to quickly burn the eyes of the prisoners as well.