Bahian Fetishism

A Barobyi fetishist priest, 1872

Bahian Fetishism is an umbrella term used to describe the pre-Irfanic animistic belief systems of the peoples of Bahia. Despite a lack of central codified texts or a unified clergy, the similarities between the religious practices of the subcontinent allow for a general classification. Bahian fetishism has also been referred to as Bahian Badi in some academic circles, due to Bahia's geographic proximity to Dezevau and the similarities in several religious practices, however this theory has been mostly discredited in favour of a shared origin in west Coian paganism. As suggested by the name, the defining trait of pre-contact Bahian religion is fetishism, a belief that certain objects possess supernatural power. This is primarily power derided from gods or nature itself. A belief in nature spirits and, often, multiple gods, is widespread amongst belief systems classified as Bahian Fetishism.

Fetishism was the original religious system of Bahia and played a core role in the development of the Saretic System which defined Bahian society until the Bahian Consolidation. During the consolidation, Fetishism was supplanted by Irfan in most of northern and western Bahia. It remained the dominant religion in the area under the veRwizi Empire, but with the Toubacterie Fetishism was prosecuted by the Euclean colonisers. Fetishism played a key role in the Sougoulic uprisings in Masamongo, and in the aftermath the faith was all but wiped out. Nowadays, the Fetishist population in Bahia is minimal. Despite this, Fetishist practice has led to significant influences on the practice of Irfan and Sotirianism in Bahia and amongst the diaspora.

Cosmology

Rwizi

According to Rwizikuran cosmology, the universe, the gods, the plants, and the animals were created by Mwari ex nihilo. Mwari blessed the lands with rain, so that plants may grow to be consumed by the animals, and the animals were blessed so that they would be as fertile as the lands. As time progressed, despite the natural order, the amount of animals and plants proliferated to such a degree that the "lands and seas" were "infested" by animals and plants, even though old animals and plants died, which led to Mwari to create humanity.

From the first forty men, ten were sent to the north, ten to the west, ten to the south, and ten to the east, each with a task to reduce the numbers of animals and plants to a manageable size. However, as time progressed, it became clear that fourty people were not enough to control the proliferation of nature, requiring Mwari to create a group of forty women, sent to where the men were. This enabled human reproduction, and the beginning of population growth.

Within several generations, it became clear that humanity would contribute to the same problems that the plants and animals were: to deter this, Mwari made humans mortal. This led to older human beings becoming spirits, who were venerated by their descendants, and would intercede to Mwari on behalf of their descendants, in order to achieve a more favourable outcome, given Mwari is believed to control the destiny of everything, from fortune to journeys, to politics and religion. Occasionally, spirits will descend down to the world, where they will assume animal forms, usually snakes for commoners, and elephants for chiefs.