Badi: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
(One intermediate revision by the same user not shown)
Line 13: Line 13:


==Beliefs==
==Beliefs==
===Creation myth and planes of existence===
In Badi, the world is thought to have begun with an undifferentiated mass comprising all existence. This mass slowly precipitated, with ''badimua'', semi-sapient beings with unique characteristics separating out. Over aeons, the identities and powers of the ''badimua'' stabilised. As a result of this process, while the ''badimua'' exist primarily in the most fundamental, primordial and powerful dimension, lower planes precipitated out. Often metaphorised as echoes or effluent of the realm of the ''badimua'', these planes are below the sustained or close attention of the ''badimua'', who in turn may be incapable of being fully comprehended by lower beings. The material world is one of these lesser dimensions; while in it, the existence of ''badimua'' can be gleaned, they are less distinct and less animate in this place. There are generally thought to be other dimensions, of more and less distance to the ''badimua'' than the material world, and with varying levels of permeability between them.
The beliefs in the way that creation took place on a scale far beyond the human one and that the material world is veiled or distant to other planes help explain Badi's focus on presence in the material world. The creation of humans, nothing more than an unusually complex combination of theological elements, is a relatively minor, recent and unclear point in Badist lore, and in fact, the theory of evolution is widely (though not universally) accepted as a part of religious thought. Interestingly, the manner in which ''badimua'' are said to have come into existence resembles the way in which they became part of Badi thought, as religious science and philosophy posited new ideas, and these gained acceptance through demonstration and propagation, or fell out of currency.
===Elemental theory===
===Elemental theory===
Badi holds that everything in the material world is composed of theological elements, which are indivisible component parts. This was historically a literally held belief, but has shifted to a more conceptual, metaphorical ideal with the advent of modern chemistry.  
Badi holds that everything in the material world is composed of theological elements, which are indivisible component parts, each the manifest of a ''badimua'' in this dimension. Historically, this was a literally held belief, but its interpretation as metaphor is more common since the Crisis of Faith and the advent of modern science such as chemistry and atomic theory. Humans are often conceived of as the most complex combination of elements in the material world.  


These basic elements are thought to be divine in nature, their physical forms the essence of a higher entity which tends to be conceived of as sentient but not human-like; all existence is thought of as a manifestation of these beings, with one embodying each element. To a limited extent it is possible to interact with, perhaps even influence or contact the elemental beings. Their characters tend to be based on the understanding of the associated earthly element; for example, the heat elemental being is conceived of as energetic and reductive.  
Theological elements' characteristics are representative of the ''badimua'' they are related to; for example, the ''badimua'' of heat is thought to be energetic and reductive or transformative in its activity.  


The conceptualisation of the basic elements developed over time, and varied in different areas which had different exposures to certain schools of thought. Generally speaking, over time, more elements were discovered. Experimentation and research, of a kind, were conducted by religious practitioners to solve or understand the elemental nature of the world, though changes in the widely held doctrine tended to be slow and rare. In the modern day, the Association of Badi Churches has standardised the elements, though some disagree with its prescription.  
The conceptualisation of the elements developed over time, and varied in different regions which had different exposures to different schools of thought, technologies, environments, culture, and so on. Generally speaking, over time, more elements were discovered. Theological experimentation and research were conducted by religious practitioners to elucidate the elemental nature of the world, though changes in the widely held doctrine tended to be slow and rare. Today, most agree on the set of elements that had been arrived at as consensus by the early modern period; the identity of the theological elements is one of the few doctrines the Association of Badist Churches holds.  


The Association of Badi Churches standardised elements are:
Conventionally, the elements are given in {{wp|English language|Estmerish}} as:  
*Water
*Water
*Heat (sometimes fire)
*Heat  
*Air (oxygen, breathable air)
*Air  
*Gas (non-oxygen gases, non-breathable air)
*Gas  
*Earth (silicon, sand, stone or rock; non-metallic, non-soluble minerals generally)
*Earth  
*Metal
*Metal
*Oil
*Oil
*Time
*Time
*Movement
*Movement
*Plant (sometimes referred to as wood; vegetation)
*Plant  
*Animal (sometimes meat)
*Animal  
*Electricity (sometimes lightning)
*Electricity  
*Light (sometimes radiation)
*Light  
*Sound
*Sound
*Salt (soluble minerals generally)
*Salt  
 
Human beings are more or less conceived of as being a particularly remarkable, diverse, refined combination and configuration of the elements; lifeforms in general are conceived of in much the same way, to a lesser extent.
 
===Creation myth===
The world is thought to have begun in Badi with an undifferentiated mass comprising all existence. This mass slowly precipitated, with elementals gaining their distinctiveness and subdividing further. Over time, as the variety and identity of the elementals stabilised, they dispersed and their essences interacted; the material world is considered to have been created by their slow, collective combination. This is not thought of as a conscious or intentional action, but merely the natural result of their existence being established; they, in turn, have little care for the material world, but look upon it and interact with it from time to time.
 
Incidentally, the manner in which the elementals came into the world resembles the way in which they were discovered; the process of religious science may have influenced the telling of the myth, but it is not suggested that their discovery and establishment in theology occurred at a timescale anything close to the actual development of the elementals, who are thought to be ancient beyond comprehension. There is, however, a small but fiercely contested body of theology which deals with the seniority of the elementals and the order in which they came into existence.
 
The story of how humans came to be tends to be separated from the creation myth of the world; while people may have existed near the start of the world, sapient humans with society and civilisation were the consequence of a natural accident, a curious divine intervention by a few elementals, or some incident heretofore yet obscure.


===Afterlife===
===Afterlife===
Line 55: Line 51:


==History==
==History==
The origins of Badi lie in the traditions and customs of the Dhebinhejo Culture, which formed city-states and petty kingdoms in central Dezevau in the first millennium BCE. It is believed that beliefs, similar to {{wp|fetishism}}, acquired cultural and political significance as groups inside the societies of the time used them to make or justify practical power arrangements, and linked them to civil duties and responsibilities which took on religious flavour. Badi was the formalisation of a way of relating to others socially as well to nature. As the early Dezevauni city-states became prominent, as the most urbanised grouping
The origins of Badi lie in the traditions and customs of the Dhebinhejo Culture, which formed city-states and petty kingdoms in central Dezevau in the first millennium BCE. It is believed that beliefs, similar to {{wp|fetishism}}, acquired cultural and political significance as groups inside the societies of the time used them to make or justify practical power arrangements, and linked them to civil duties and responsibilities which took on religious flavour. Badi was the formalisation of a way of relating to others socially as well to nature. As the early Dezevauni city-states grew prominent as the most urbanised, populated and wealthiest polities in the region, Badi spread through their influence and contacts. Temples, organised on the lines of typical activities with which they retained relevance to the community, became the primary unit of organisation. While decentralisation between groups associated with different theological elements largely prevented any centralised forms of religious governance at state-level, politically powerful hierarchies, with priests and followings, within and between polities, emerged.  
 
As an organised religion, Badi originated around the middle of the first millennium BCE in the city-states of central Dezevau. Fetishist and other materialistic, mysticist religious practices dominated the region as well as most of neighbouring [[Bahia]] at this time; however, unlike in Bahia, large, agricultural city-states had appeared in Dezevau. Some had been founded in religiously significant locations, while in others the priesthoods gained influence through other means. In any case, superstitious practices and generally accepted ideas about the world began to be codified and organised, with a priest class developing to oversee and understand these things.
 
The city-states of the time tended to have relatively egalitarian cultures; this fostered a more widespread participation in religious practices, and doctrines tended to reflect common understandings about the world. Beliefs tended not to be dogmatic, but changed as technology developed and conditions changed; for example, it is likely that the greater presence of oils in the economy caused by development enabled oil to become an element, rather than being considered part of water.  
 
Over time, cities found themselves with one or a few temples which would collect from the populace or government to conduct rites and activities. The nature of the religion generally precluded them from having wider political influence, but rather these institutions had a stabilising, acculturating effect. Over time, they came to specialise, with, dependent on culture and history, certain temples being dedicated more to certain elements. This process was likely spurred by the economic interconnection of the region, enabling specialisation of a sort, and pilgrimage.  


With the presence of influential scientist-priests from time to time, Badi took on an institutionalised shape. Conflicts arose over the validity of certain elements, as well as their powers and significances. Cities often adopted elements to invoke its qualities, either temporarily (say, during a famine or war) or permanently, which might be because of the city's location or cultural practices. This variation within a more widely accepted framework tended to promote smaller conflicts between the Dezevauni city-states, but were robust enough to resist foreign practices which began to appear on the scene, notably Satyism earlier on, and Irfan later on.  
The practical, cultural and pervasive nature of Badi has been linked with its role in social and economic life, as well as with the relatively egalitarian culture that prevailed in the Dezevauni city-states. Formalisation tended to be based on power structures, cultural and economic activities, and lore kept as mystery, rather than dogma or law. Some commentators in fact suggest that this characteristic inhibited the development of the rule of law in Badist societies, while others consider this to be a view overly predicated on Euclean positivism. Often, local rulers allowed or encouraged Badist activities because they seemed to tend to have a stabilising and productive effect, though conflicts between sects over boundaries and superiority were not uncommon. Religious specialisation went hand in hand with economic specialisation, in many cases. The religion spread from Dezevau to [[Terangau]], and to the [[Great Steppe]], where its practitioners formed [[civil societies of the Great Steppe|local civil societies]].  


In later antiquity, the religion spread with the cultural and economic influence of the Dezevauni city-states. Its nature allowed for syncretism, and it was also promoted where Dezevaunis settled; it, in a sense, replaced the traditional agricultural smallholder fabric of state where it spread. Significantly, Cavunia became majority Badi, but the religion's pragmatic practices saw it spread and seem compatible in a much wider sphere, particularly across the [[Great Steppe]] (in the Badi Reaction), but also to [[Terangau]].  
Incursions by [[Irfan|Irfanic]] Ndjarendie from the north in the medieval era hemmed the religion's spread in. Later, Gaullica aggressively attempted to convert colonial Dezevau to the [[Sotirian Catholic Church]]. However, it remained a dominant religion, losing ground especially during the centralised [[Bureau for Southeast Coius]] rule until it became a symbol of anti-imperialist resistance.  


Incursions by Ndjarendie from the north in the medieval era as well as the continued spread of Satyism hemmed the religion's spread in. Later, colonial Gaullica would aggressively attempt to convert Dezevau to Sotirian Catholicism. However, it remained a dominant religion, losing ground during centralised Bureau for Southeast Coius rule until it became a symbol of Dezevauni nationalism.  
During the 20th century, around the time of Dezevauni independence and afterwards, Badi went through the Crisis of Faith. The introduction of modern science and ideologies, ranging from socialism to the periodic table, and their permeation throughout the masses, destabilised the social fabric and delegitimised the material realities Badi based its existence on. Some saw this as the doom of the religion, though this was by no means a widespread opinion. However, there was a reorientation towards community and non-literal approaches to old beliefs. The establishment of the Association of Badi Churches saw a greater level of institutional control and organisation, and helped coordinate these communitarian, practical changes. Some argue that the reformation of Badi in the aftermath of the Crisis of Faith was essentially on a postmodernist basis.  


During he 20th century, however, around the time of Dezevauni independence and afterwards, it went through somewhat of a collapse in its exposure to modern science. The rapid expansion of the periodic table and the introduction of secular ideologies from much more developed societies saw the followers of Badi plunge in number, some saying it would be extinct in a generation. However, the establishment of the Association of Badi Churches saw a greater level of institutional control and organisation, and the reorientation of the faith towards community gathering and engagement rather than its older doctrines. The government of Dezevau also to some extent, generally only implicitly, approved of the religion; while earlier on, the communist policy was that religion was essentially cultural foible and incompatible with scientific socialism, later postcolonial thought considered it a distinctively local type of culture, and preferable to imperialistic religions such as Catholicism. In [[Narozalica]], it was associated with the socialist Zalyk independence movement, with such figures as [[Tagai Chulgetei]] who led in the [[Sostava War]] being Badist.  
Though Badi saw a decline in many areas in the modern period, it recovered from the Crisis of Faith and is today a world religion, though focused in [[Southeast Coius]]. The government of Dezevau greatly loosened anti-religious restrictions in the latter half of the 20th century, which helped. Internationally, the [[gowsa]] diaspora is in large part Badist, and in the Eastern world, there are some converts to Badi of those who seek new religious approaches. In [[Narozalica]], it was associated with the socialist Zalyk independence movement, with such figures as [[Tagai Chulgetei]] who led in the [[Sostava War]] being Badist. There are around 100 million Badists worldwide.


==Practices==
==Practices==

Revision as of 03:27, 2 July 2020


Badi is a religion originating in ancient Dezevau, which holds that the material world is the result of the interplay of theological elements, which are each the manifestation of a semi-sapient deity known as a badimua. Followers of the religion believe in the sanctity of the elements, and understanding and interacting with them. Badi is characterised by a high level of doctrinal and practical heterogeneity, to the extent that it has been considered a group of religions rather than a religion itself at times; however, internal collegiality and cooperation link the many varieties. It is also characterised by a focus on interactions between humans and both other humans and nature. The Association of Badi Churches estimates there are around 100 million Badists worldwide, concentrated in and around Southeast Coius, but also found all around the world.

The elemental theory of Badi is broadly agreed upon by Badists today (as there are fifteen theological elements), as is the general nature of sacraments which are based on the idea of communion with the material manifestations of the badimua: religious activities include experimentation, craft, sensory experience, reflection, education, documentation and artistry. The actual practice in Badi of these is, however, extremely varied; devotion to different theological elements takes very different forms, and people are frequently involved with multiple sects, which may perform different roles in the community. There tends to be intimate interaction between the activities of daily life and religious tenets, though there are also hierarchies and relatively abstract doctrinal texts. These features characterise Badi, leading it to be described variously as pluralist, decentralised, informal, materialist and/or syncretic in analyses.

Badi originated in the first millennium BCE, amongst the early Dezevauni city-states, from formalised consensus of cultural knowledge and civil customs. It spread from there via various means including trade, cultural contact and emigration, though maintaining a degree of continuity because of its flexibility. Accompanied by the influence of the rich, urbanised and densely populated Dezevauni civilisation, it had a substantial impact on the places it reached, though often finding itself in competition with Irfan. In the 20th century, Badi went through changes called the Crisis of Faith, which challenged its validity as a body of thought and belief; this resulted in a decline in its societal importance in some places, and saw realignment often in favour of mysticism, reinterpretation of its traditions as symbolic, and a focus on community.

Today, Badi is followed by over a hundred million people, and it is the most practiced religion in Dezevau and Terangau, and a notable minority religion across the Great Steppe and Satria, where it had historical significance; smaller numbers of Badists exist around the world, such as in the gowsa diaspora. The Association of Badist Churches is a body with very loose authority, but generally taken to represent the religion's practitioners, including for the authority of these figures. It is difficult to measure the sects of Badi, because of their frequent overlap, variety and informality, but some of the most notable include Pure Water Badi, the Cult of the Sun and Time.

Etymology

In Ziba, badi means "element", or "essence"; the term is typically translated to Estmerish as "theological element" for clarity. Metonymically, this has become the common name for the religion in most Euclean languages, as the elements are arguably the clearest and most basic doctrinal point. In Ziba, other terms are common, but badi and badiba ("badis") are not uncommon for referring to the religion; the latter usage has also found some usage outside Ziba.

Beliefs

Creation myth and planes of existence

In Badi, the world is thought to have begun with an undifferentiated mass comprising all existence. This mass slowly precipitated, with badimua, semi-sapient beings with unique characteristics separating out. Over aeons, the identities and powers of the badimua stabilised. As a result of this process, while the badimua exist primarily in the most fundamental, primordial and powerful dimension, lower planes precipitated out. Often metaphorised as echoes or effluent of the realm of the badimua, these planes are below the sustained or close attention of the badimua, who in turn may be incapable of being fully comprehended by lower beings. The material world is one of these lesser dimensions; while in it, the existence of badimua can be gleaned, they are less distinct and less animate in this place. There are generally thought to be other dimensions, of more and less distance to the badimua than the material world, and with varying levels of permeability between them.

The beliefs in the way that creation took place on a scale far beyond the human one and that the material world is veiled or distant to other planes help explain Badi's focus on presence in the material world. The creation of humans, nothing more than an unusually complex combination of theological elements, is a relatively minor, recent and unclear point in Badist lore, and in fact, the theory of evolution is widely (though not universally) accepted as a part of religious thought. Interestingly, the manner in which badimua are said to have come into existence resembles the way in which they became part of Badi thought, as religious science and philosophy posited new ideas, and these gained acceptance through demonstration and propagation, or fell out of currency.

Elemental theory

Badi holds that everything in the material world is composed of theological elements, which are indivisible component parts, each the manifest of a badimua in this dimension. Historically, this was a literally held belief, but its interpretation as metaphor is more common since the Crisis of Faith and the advent of modern science such as chemistry and atomic theory. Humans are often conceived of as the most complex combination of elements in the material world.

Theological elements' characteristics are representative of the badimua they are related to; for example, the badimua of heat is thought to be energetic and reductive or transformative in its activity.

The conceptualisation of the elements developed over time, and varied in different regions which had different exposures to different schools of thought, technologies, environments, culture, and so on. Generally speaking, over time, more elements were discovered. Theological experimentation and research were conducted by religious practitioners to elucidate the elemental nature of the world, though changes in the widely held doctrine tended to be slow and rare. Today, most agree on the set of elements that had been arrived at as consensus by the early modern period; the identity of the theological elements is one of the few doctrines the Association of Badist Churches holds.

Conventionally, the elements are given in Estmerish as:

  • Water
  • Heat
  • Air
  • Gas
  • Earth
  • Metal
  • Oil
  • Time
  • Movement
  • Plant
  • Animal
  • Electricity
  • Light
  • Sound
  • Salt

Afterlife

File:RothkoBlackGray.jpg
Black on Grey, an abstract painting by Duamabo Dogo widely interpreted as the Badist conception of the afterlife

The afterlife is not emphasised in Badi philosophy, but has been a point of theological contention with exposure to other religions which do emphasise it. Traditionally, it was regarded as either nonexistent, or obscure, dull and empty.

Mhuoganga Dibegaune, a social theorist, author and politician who was an agnostic, wrote the essay The Afterlife in Badi in 1927. However, despite their not being a follower of Badi, the description of Badist beliefs set out in their essay have been taken as a prescriptive scripture by many modern Badist laypeople and priests, though it has not been officially adopted by the Association of Badist Churches. The afterlife in the essay is said to be between the material and the elemental spirits' realms; it is largely featureless, without anything capable of significantly enlivening or stimulating the senses. All dead people go there after death, as their consciousness' complexity unravels from the simpler elemental composition of their earthly body. Perhaps the consciousnesses of the dead linger for a time as they unravel, and final farewells are made. After some indefinite period of time, being unravels entirely into basic elements, with the more material parts becoming reattached to the material plane and the spiritual essence which collects in people through life dissipating into the spiritual realm. It was also in this essay that it was said "existence is the scripture of Badi", in reference to its focus on the social and material world as opposed to metaphysical concerns such as the afterlife.

Some sects of Badi believe in reincarnation, with the usual explanation that one's essence of being is too complex to unravel entirely and too complex to create quickly; the essence goes into the world until it enters another body at birth. This belief, though it differs in that it believes reincarnation takes a long period of time, is largely as a result of syncretism with Satyism. Some varieties of Badi also believe in a Sotirian-style heaven, also as a result of syncretism, but these varieties are much rarer and more obscure.

History

The origins of Badi lie in the traditions and customs of the Dhebinhejo Culture, which formed city-states and petty kingdoms in central Dezevau in the first millennium BCE. It is believed that beliefs, similar to fetishism, acquired cultural and political significance as groups inside the societies of the time used them to make or justify practical power arrangements, and linked them to civil duties and responsibilities which took on religious flavour. Badi was the formalisation of a way of relating to others socially as well to nature. As the early Dezevauni city-states grew prominent as the most urbanised, populated and wealthiest polities in the region, Badi spread through their influence and contacts. Temples, organised on the lines of typical activities with which they retained relevance to the community, became the primary unit of organisation. While decentralisation between groups associated with different theological elements largely prevented any centralised forms of religious governance at state-level, politically powerful hierarchies, with priests and followings, within and between polities, emerged.

The practical, cultural and pervasive nature of Badi has been linked with its role in social and economic life, as well as with the relatively egalitarian culture that prevailed in the Dezevauni city-states. Formalisation tended to be based on power structures, cultural and economic activities, and lore kept as mystery, rather than dogma or law. Some commentators in fact suggest that this characteristic inhibited the development of the rule of law in Badist societies, while others consider this to be a view overly predicated on Euclean positivism. Often, local rulers allowed or encouraged Badist activities because they seemed to tend to have a stabilising and productive effect, though conflicts between sects over boundaries and superiority were not uncommon. Religious specialisation went hand in hand with economic specialisation, in many cases. The religion spread from Dezevau to Terangau, and to the Great Steppe, where its practitioners formed local civil societies.

Incursions by Irfanic Ndjarendie from the north in the medieval era hemmed the religion's spread in. Later, Gaullica aggressively attempted to convert colonial Dezevau to the Sotirian Catholic Church. However, it remained a dominant religion, losing ground especially during the centralised Bureau for Southeast Coius rule until it became a symbol of anti-imperialist resistance.

During the 20th century, around the time of Dezevauni independence and afterwards, Badi went through the Crisis of Faith. The introduction of modern science and ideologies, ranging from socialism to the periodic table, and their permeation throughout the masses, destabilised the social fabric and delegitimised the material realities Badi based its existence on. Some saw this as the doom of the religion, though this was by no means a widespread opinion. However, there was a reorientation towards community and non-literal approaches to old beliefs. The establishment of the Association of Badi Churches saw a greater level of institutional control and organisation, and helped coordinate these communitarian, practical changes. Some argue that the reformation of Badi in the aftermath of the Crisis of Faith was essentially on a postmodernist basis.

Though Badi saw a decline in many areas in the modern period, it recovered from the Crisis of Faith and is today a world religion, though focused in Southeast Coius. The government of Dezevau greatly loosened anti-religious restrictions in the latter half of the 20th century, which helped. Internationally, the gowsa diaspora is in large part Badist, and in the Eastern world, there are some converts to Badi of those who seek new religious approaches. In Narozalica, it was associated with the socialist Zalyk independence movement, with such figures as Tagai Chulgetei who led in the Sostava War being Badist. There are around 100 million Badists worldwide.

Practices

Badist churches in the modern day tend to have weekly gatherings; because the seven-day week was not native to the region where Badi originated, the traditional day of gathering varies geographically and by sect. These gatherings involve study of doctrine, socialisation with members of the community, doing good deeds in the community and other activities organised by priests. While historically they were more structured, they today tend to begin with a single service before rituals and activities are conducted in smaller, variable groups.

Some of the activities traditionally part of gatherings or outside of them include experimentation, the writing of texts, the reading of texts, discussion and doing work in the community. Experimentation was much more common before modern science, as it was seen to be familiarising adherents with the divine nature of the world; it was not conducted in the way familiar to the modern scientific method. The writing and reading of texts is seen in a similar light, but also often incorporates fiction or mystic texts, which are seen to relate to the unveiling of the unknown parts of the world; dreams are considered holy for this same reason. Discussion tends to be of texts or religiously relevant matters, such as dreams or experiences.

While not necessarily based in a secure or traditional theoretical doctrine, religious organisations and gatherings today tend to place emphasis on doing good in the world; in the past, this may have been more directly relevant to religious matters, such as preaching, helping other adherents or the church, or spreading education, today this has broadened to community service more generally, in accordance with the communitarian realignment of Badi after its crisis of modernity and collapse in the mid 20th century.

Temples and sects often have their own variant practices and keep esoteric lore and mysteries which are only revealed to those who undergo certain rituals or rise in the ranks. These tend to vary very widely.

Demographics

Badists comprise 32.2% of the Dezevauni population according to the 2020 census, or about 42 million making them the largest religious group in the country, behind a larger irreligious group. They also have significant minorities in Ajahadya and Zorasan.

Varieties

Badi has a strong and long history of cults, sects and variants; it has been at times considered a collection of religions rather than a coherent one itself by some. However, even members of the most extreme varieties of Badi generally still recognise the holiness and power of all the elementals.

Typically cults arise with regards to particular elemental spirits, or particular combinations or aspects or manifestations of them; examples include the Cult of the Sun, Pure Water Badi.

Society

See also