If you want to make reincarnation a reality in this story, you could always have the person be a reincarnation of Jean d'Arc, so s/he kind of is that person without having to channel her.
Whether using ancestor channeling or reincarnation, it would be wise to remember that this isn't magic or mythology to some readers, but an important facet of their religion. Write what you will, but realize you might get a few angry readers if you make channeling ancestors into something gimicky rather than spiritual.
I'd start with a search on "ancestor worship" and check out real world religions that believe in it. It could be a good way to handle the subject with more sensitivity and give you some insight on what real cultures believe about ancestors and the wisdom/power they impart.
Yeah, I don't want to be hamhanded, which is why I'm asking before going out and researching the topic without a clue in the world about it.
I don't want to go the reincarnation route, I feel that the MC should be a character who is a lot like Joan of Arc, but also is a character in her own right.
I won't make it gimmicky; in fact, I'll have an opening spiel from the Supernatural Exposition/Mentor character about different cultures seeing this power in different ways.
I'll be sure to check out info on ancestor worship, though. I plan to have at least one (but not all) characters do that.
Is the POV character in command of their own body while 'ancestor channeling' or are they a spectator or do they remember nothing?
Sort of a mix of all of those; they are mostly in command of their own body, though being a Vessel (my book's term for the channelers) causes you to be influenced by your ancestor in various ways. For example, the MC would always have a vague animosity towards the English, because of her ancestor being Joan of Arc. But while channeling Joan, the MC is a lot more aggressive and suspicious of an Englishman. Memory-wise, I'm thinking that the Vessel distantly (though not always clearly) remembers the actions undertook while channeling.
Other than to look into specifics of some of the ancestor worshipping religions, I can't think of anything you could research here. Its more a case of your own world building metaphysics. I would sit down with a piece of paper and scribble down ideas and try to formulate a coherent set of rules for your 'power' by asking some questions:
- How many ancestors can he channel at once? [I assume only one but this does leave wiggle room for a desperate attempt to channel more than one if he needs more than one skill set in extremis]
- How long can he maintain it for?
- Are the ancestors sentient - i.e. can they refuse to help him if he does not pay the proper respect? Can they step in and help him without him asking? can he have conversations with them>
- How many times a day can he do this without being exhausted?
- Is there anything that can stop him from doing it (some form of kryptonite that blocks his connection to the ancestors and makes him powerless?)
A series of books I would suggest you look for are Brian Lumley's Necroscope series which has a similar concept. In that the MC is a psychic medium but one so powerful that he can adopt the skills of those he communicates with (and later he gets really powerful abilities like teleportation...).
Good questions; I won't answer them here, but I'll definitely answer them in the notes for my book. Thanks!
Also, the Necroscope series does sound interesting; I'll have to look into it.
Robert Jordan includes one feature of this in his Wheel of Time series. The main character channels an ancient ancestor, using his memories. One major problem he has is that the ancestor was mad and tries, on several occasions, to take over the MC's body.
Other than that, I agree with some of the others in that doing something like this requires effort. It might, depending on how ancient an ancestor and how deep the sharing goes (i.e. - powers, memories, etc.), be so difficult as to risk the character's life, or just risk losing himself in that ancestor.
Good points; I think the losing onesself aspect would be the most intriguing cost to this. The "more ancient= more powerful but harder to control" makes sense, I'll probably incorporate that into this.
One way to get around not offending those that believe in 'channeling' is to not use that term and make it done in a different way. Instead of 'channeling' you might want to use a method that does not resemble the way one channels.
Make up a new way of getting into contact with said 'past person'. Lots of stories have folks that talk to spirits without offending anyone. stretch your mind and come up with something new.
Use a mirror. You see the 'departed in a mirror and invite them 'in' after some dialog about what you want and they tell you what they can/will do for you.
A special object is held in your hand and becomes the portal for the departed and you.
If you use the spirit instead of the channeling idea you should not have any problems. IMHO
I'm not sure of a good word that isn't "channel". I do have a more non-offensive word for those who channel; is "Vessel" offensive to anyone?
I'm thinking that needing an item or substance that symbolizes/is reminiscent of the ancestor would work best. So a French Flag could let the MC channel Joan of Arc, while another character could channel Leonardo Da Vinci through a replica of the Mona Lisa or whatever, and a third character could change Winston Churchill through a simple cigar.
The thing I'm most unsure on is the means of communication between Vessel and ancestor. I'm leaning towards no verbal communication, just memories, feelings, and inclinations (so, Joan of Arc could transmit a feeling of guidance to the MC), but I haven't decided on that for a rule yet.
What you're talking about is the backbone of the Assassin's Creed video game franchise (done through advanced technology and a "bleeding effect" to the modern descendants), so what you're talking about has already been introduced to and accepted by the SF/F audience.
So that's not a problem.
If I was using this story device, I'd be focusing on what was the mondo coolest/butt-kicking fun method allowed by your worldbuilding to do this. AC has used a technological method (specifically the "Machine-enhanced exploration of your ancestor's memories and bleeding effect" method), but that's just one of many many ways science fiction or fantasy (whichever you're writing) can offer to do what you want.
My experience is that if you just sell it very well, those people who don't know will think you do and those people who do know will be inspired to figure out how to go from what they know to what you created. (I've seen it happen many times with other authors, FWIW.)
Good luck and have fun!
Thanks for the encouragement!
Truth be told though, I didn't think of Assassin's Creed once when brainstorming this idea. My idea is not technologically based, it's more of an inherited and supernatural gift.
Ancestor / hero worship and channeling of said might also bring in the ancestor's foibles. The MC might find out the hard way that Great Grandpappy was a Jack the Ripper in his spare time, something that the historians sort of missed. Many religions would call this, "possession."
True, and I could always throw in the concept of an ancestor who themselves could channel
their ancestor. That could be an interesting foible in itself.
You might want to look into the concept of genetic memory and its related theory of racial memory as proposed by Carl Jung. Depending on your story, it may - or may not - offer an aspect of presumptive plausibility for channeling one's ancestors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_memory_(psychology)
I'll have to check that out; it would help me fill out the gaps in my idea.
What are you trying to research? Real ancestors your characters can channel?
As far as I'm concerned, it's fiction, it's your story, Make it up.
I'm mostly trying to research real-life methods in which people claim they have "channeled" their ancestor, so as to more realistically such an event actually happening. Real ancestors I can easily think up; it's the method for
how they do it that I'm concerned about.
