Senit

Senit (Kayig: ԹՆՇ, Şenit ) is a dualistic panentheist religion originating in what is now Kadaria and historically practiced by much of Rahelia, revolving around the recognition of Kretes, the creator of the universe and all of human existence, the worship of Mei, the personification of order, justice, truth, balance, and harmony, and the shunning of Asefya, the personification of disorder, injustice, chaos, violence, and evil. Followers of Senit, known as Senites, believe humanity must uphold the values laid out by Mei in order to prevent the perceived entropic destruction of the material universe by Asefya. In modern times, Kadaria remains the only Senite-majority nation in the world, although Senitene minorities exist across the world. The Hierophatic School estimates that there are around 100 million Senites worldwide of which 90% reside in Kadaria, who claims all of its 90 million citizens as being Senites.

Senit is one of the world's oldest religions with its history spanning an estimated 2,900 years back to the 9th century BCE, with possible roots all the way back to the 17th century BCE. Upon the reunification of Kadaria by the 15th dynasty in the 600s BCE, the religion was quickly adopted by the ruling pharaohs and subsequently became the state religion of the New Kingdom. Senit remained geographically constrained while under the patronage of the 15th and 16th dynasties. It was not until the 3rd century BCE that religious conquests to spread Senit emerged under the Seeress Merima of Çudemat, who'd later be hailed as an Avatar. These conquests rapidly expanded both the Kadarian state and the Senitene world, and modern historiographers sometimes refer to Merima's conquests as the Senitene Empire. While the Senitene Empire fractured following the death of [person], its cultural legacy remained through the rapid conversation and eradication of polytheistic faiths native to Rahelia. While under Imperial tutelage, many of the rituals and practices of Senit were codified and centralized.

The religion remained dominant in Rahelia until the Irfanic conquests in the 7th and 8th centuries. As a result of the conquests, Senit was driven out of mainstream society as its institutions and states collapsed or were demolished, within the territory controlled by the Second Heavenly Dominion. The conquests led to a split in Senit, transforming the religion from being heavily centralized into being composed of theoretically equal Schools that acknowledge the Hierophatic School in Kadaria as the primus inter pares. This "Post-Irfan" period was short-lived, as following the Tagamic conquest of Kadaria saw the spontaneous conversion of Tagamic Khan Anushtegin, and reaffirmed the Hierophatic School's primacy in the Senitene world. Modern Senit is accepted to have arisen out of the Tagamic conquest, as Tagamic patronage saw a resurgence in Senitene literature and theological works, in what would later be termed as Senitene Revivalism. It was also during this time period where the three modern sects of Senit would emerge in response to the apparent destruction of the Senitene world. The 19th and 20th centuries saw an increase in both puritanical and radical theological schools as a result of Euclean colonization of Rahelia. The Mehr Revolution in Kadaria led to serious division and tension within the Senitic world, as the revolutionaries imposed a puritanical theology on White Light Senit through the Hierophatic School.

In the modern age, Senit is practiced by an estimated 100 million people; 90 million of which are located within Kadaria, the only Senite majority country in the world. Senite minorities exist in neighboring Ihram, Nise, and Tsabara. The Hierophatic School, led by the "First Servant of the Lady of the Day," has historically been considered the ultimate authority on Senit, however its current status is a contested topic within the Senitene world. Aside from White Light, two other mainline sects are exist within Senit: Dengeken, which focuses on seeking a balance between order and chaos, and Black Light, which worships Asefya over Mei due to the nature of free will. White Light is the largest of the three sects with over 90 million practitioners, followed by Dengeken, and lastly Black Light.

Etymology

The name "Senit" is a direct borrowing of the religion's name in Kayig, Şenit (ԹՆՇ). The Kayig name is itself an adaptation of the Cushitic ⲉⲁⲓϭⲛϩⲏⲧ (eaicnhaat). In a religious context, cnhaat is interpreted as meaning Knowledge, an esoteric term used within the context of Senit to describe a spiritual understanding of oneself and the universe at large. Thus, the religion's name can be translated as "obtaining Knowledge" or "to obtain Knowledge." This is reflected in the Middle Cushitic nj snht, where snht can mean knowledge, wisdom, or understanding depending on the context of its use.

A follower of Senit is referred to as a "Senite" (ՇՏԹՆՇ - Şenitdaş), and the adjective form for the religion is "Senitene" (ՆԹՆՇ - Şenitane)

Beliefs

Creation

Modern Senitene beliefs revolving around creation involve a singular creator deity known as Kretes (ՍԹՐԳ; Cushitic: Kⲣⲏⲧⲏⲥ, Kraataas), also referred to as the "Divine Judge" in some Illuminations, who is responsible for the creation of the material cosmos know as Kitis, Haybeş, and spiritual cosmos known as Pa.allreatures and spirits that inhabit them. The act of creation itself, known simply as The Creation in Senitene theology, was the first action undertaken by Kretes. Formal Senitene theology, as propagated by the Hierophatic School, holds that The Creation cannot be comprehended and the scientific concepts of time and space simply cannot be applied to it (rather The Creation itself exists in a state outside of time and space). Despite this, Folk Senit treat The Creation as a singularity for time and space, and thus have a linear narrative of the event as an ultimate origin for human existence, prior which none had existed.