History Main / AncestorVeneration

* ''Fanfic/AllForLuz'': Tyler Wittebane holds his witch hunter ancestors in the highest regard and wants to try and bring back their lifestyle only substituting witches for Quirk users instead. [[spoiler:This makes it all the more ironic that he hates having to work with Emperor Belos due to believing him to be a witch and wants to kill him personally just for that, not knowing he’s not only their ancient ancestor that started, alongside his older brother, the Wittebanes' whole witch hunting profession but arguably hates witches and demons even more than his descendant.]]

* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'': Birac, former Prelate of the Fire Monks, is treated as something of a saint and an exemplar of the Monks' unique brand of crazy. Concerned by how lax his fellows were becoming in their guardianship of the Giant's Flame, he cut off his own head and had it and its helmet fused to a candlestand to serve as a lesson to the other monks. He is now worshiped through the Cranial Vessel Candlestand.

* In Roman Catholicism, in order to go to heaven (or reduce their time in purgatory) and join the angels, the soul of the deceased needed to be prayed for. This led to the modern idea of the funeral, particularly how the modern Western funeral is such a huge deal, as well as other ideas. This is still part of the Catholic beliefs, but you only pray for the soul in Purgatory as man has no role in deciding the salvation of souls.

* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'': Ami Fey, founder of the Kurain Channeling Technique who died many years before the first game had her cremated body stored in the Sacred Urn, which is held in a shrine by the Fey clan -- they believe that females from their bloodline will retain their skills as spirit media only if they preserve her ashes. [[AshesToCrashes Of course, this leads to some... interesting (and plot-relevant) shenanigans.]] [[RuleOfThree Three times.]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'': The [[HordesFromTheEast Mongol-esque]] elves of Valenar worship the spirits of ancient heroes, and have spells that can channel them into their bodies, weapons, or steeds. Their [[CoolHorse uniquely powerful warhorses]] also tie into this, as legend says that they're descended from elven druids who became {{Mode Lock}}ed in the form of horses. This is in contrast to the elves of Aerenal, who transform their elders into {{Energy Being}}s called "deathless" which make up the [[CelestialBureaucracy Undying Court]].

* In the ''Literature/TheLostFleet'', ancestor veneration is the dominant religion in [[TheFederation Alliance]] space. It's mixed with a spiritual take on the role played by stars in creating the materials of life, with ancestors believed to be residing in "the living stars" until some future rebirth. The protagonist frequently visits the shrines in the most protected part of his flagship to seek guidance -- and he believes he gets it, although the books themselves stay in MaybeMagicMaybeMundane territory. He is discomforted to learn that some people see him as halfway to being a venerable ancestor himself -- he spent a hundred years in a stasis life pod while everyone thought he was dead, and now some religiously-inclined people believe that he was personally among the ancestors and has been "sent back" to save everyone. (He does note a positive side, however -- hardliners in his fleet can't easily accuse him of disrespecting the ways of their ancestors if he's an "ancestor" himself.) Ancestor veneration is also part of why Earth is not considered an InsignificantLittleBluePlanet despite its lack of political and economic power -- it's where most ancestors lived their lives and is therefore holy.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': The Gerudo show hints of this, with their reverence of Lady Urbosa being a bit different from how other tribes revere their fallen Champion, and one Gerudo outright stating that they don't worship Hylia. Prior to the assault on Vah Naboris, Riju calls to the "Ancestors of the Gerudo" as the activates the Thunder Helm.

->The knowledge and power of departed ancestors benefits the bloodlines of Dunmeri Houses. The bond between the living family members and immortal ancestors is partly blood, partly ritual, partly volitional.
-->-- "The Ancestors and the Dunmer", ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind''

Also has [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veneration_of_the_dead an article]] on Website/TheOtherWiki.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''. The people of Karakura Town venerate their ancestors, praying for them and remembering them on a regular basis. There turns out to be a good reason for this. Not all people go to the Soul Society after they die -- some wander the world of the living. If the veneration of them ceases, these lost souls are vulnerable to falling into despair, being turned into hollows (evil ghosts), and returning to plague the living. This is what happened to Orihime Inoue's brother Sora when she stops praying for him: he becomes the hollow Acidwire.

A common aspect of many religions is the veneration, exaltation, and/or outright worship of one's deceased familial ancestors. This generally happens for one of two reasons (and sometimes both): First, it is believed that the ancestors can in some way influence the fortunes of the living, watching over or assisting them, and the veneration of these ancestors makes them more willing to act and/or grants them greater power with which to act. Second, the veneration from the living makes the ancestor more comfortable in the afterlife.

In fiction, these effects tend to be more direct and powerful. A particularly exalted ancestor may, for example, be able to return as a SpiritAdvisor to his or her descendants. In settings where [[PhysicalReligion prayer and worship]] have [[ReligionIsMagic observable, tangible powers]], worshiped ancestors [[GodNeedsPrayerBadly may be able]] to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence or even [[DeityOfHumanOrigin become gods]] themselves.

->''"The number one rule in our family: Honor. Your. Parents."''
-->-- '''Mei Lee''', ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed''

->The knowledge and power of departed ancestors benefits the bloodlines of Dunmeri Houses. The bond between the living family members and immortal ancestors is partly blood, partly ritual, partly volitional.
-->-- "The Ancestors and the Dunmer", ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind''

** Dwarfs traditionally practice a form of ancestor worship as a result of their reverence for wisdom, old age, and the past. Consequently, their departed ancestors are considered to be the ultimate founts of experience and are prayed to for wisdom and insight, in addition to being accorded the deference and respect that all dwarfs are expected to show their elders. This reaches a particularly strong form in the Ancestor Gods, the semi-mythical progenitors of all dwarfs, who are worshipped throughout dwarfish civilization.

Also has [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veneration_of_the_dead an article]] on Wiki/TheOtherWiki.