Religions of Teppala

The religious beliefs of the people of Teppala are fairly similar from place to place, despite civilizations at endpoints of the planet being separated by more than 50000 years. Most people on Teppala belong to one of the Gold religions, which were created from a fusion of the native Repilian beliefs with those of immigrants from the islands of Laba. These two religious complexes were themselves very similar despite having diverged nearly 30000 years ago.

Believers in the Ridiamic religions (also called Ridia) are positive polytheists. They believe in the same gods, and that those gods cooperate with each other. Thus, wars are not fought in the name of a deity, even when two human cultures have chosen to devote themselves to two different gods, because each acknowledges that the other's main deity is real.

Overview

Lack of sin

Ridian religions could be said to have a childlike moral outlook with no concept of sin. All that brings happiness is good. Since the gods are omnipotent and invincible, no human deeds will ever bring harm or benefit to the gods, and humans' only responsibility is to each other, whereby they are free to make their own laws.

Instead of a list of sins to avoid, Ridians learn a list of ways to protect themselves and their family members from evil spirits and the dangers of the natural world, while maximizing the attention paid to them by the gods.

Afterlife

All Ridian religions believe in an eternal afterlife, with either eternal absolute bliss or eternal absolute punishment for all humans and animals. As above, though, the path to salvation is not to avoid sin or even to do good deeds but to maintain spiritual purity, and win the favor of the caretaker god, #Mappamensam. Therefore, even people prevented by physical handicaps from doing good deeds can obtain salvation.

Salvation

With salvation, one is granted eternal happiness. All who are saved are equal; everyone is at the top, in the state of maximum possible bliss.

Damnation

The Ridian equivalent of Hell is served out on earth in a state of hereditary slavery. Disowned by #Malamen, these people and their children are only allowed to worship #Yuni and #Kwatena, who may at times provide temporary relief from their torment but will not free them from slavery.

Cultural taboos

Though there are no sins, there are cultural taboos shared by religions who consider them as sins.

Sacrifice

Because favor from the gods cannot be bought, there is no culturally acceptable use of sacrifice. Anyone committing a sacrifice of any kind will be treated as if they had destroyed property belonging to someone else.

Blasphemy

Though the gods cannot be harmed by mere words, those who commit blasphemy are believed to be the enemies of the gods, whose destiny is damnation to be served out immediately on earth. Therefore anyone committing blasphemy is enslaved. An example of blasphemy is mispronouncing a word during prayer.

Malice

Crimes of property damage, where a human being is harmed without benefiting the perpetrator, are sometimes said to be committed in the name of #Kolagas, and therefore equated with or likened to blasphemy. This varies from priest to priest.

Common pantheon

In this list, most names are exonyms. Note that even within a language, it is common for one deity to have many names. Languages can spread across many religions, and in some cases, practitioners of one religion will prefer a different name for the same deity than other religions speaking the same language.

Mappamensam

Malamen

Mappamensam is the goddess of pregnancy and childbirth, and is worshipped in all Ridiamic religions. Some religions, such as that of Thaoa, have become monotheistic with Mappa as the supreme being.

Translingual	Tapilula	Gold	Khulls	Proto-Moonshine	Bābākiam	Poswa	Pabappa	Thaoa	Proto-Subumpamese	Old Andanese	Late Andanese	Notes
Mappamensam		Ṃătʷamaʕin	Màlamen	Màlamain	Matuamabim	Maptavem	Maptadem
Saaha	Fàga-Hà	Sàga	Sàġa	Sàga	Saa	Saba	Saba			Fahà	Haha
Pofa			Gʷōha	Wə̄ha		Pofa
Palli	Bàayi	Dāyi	Lēyi	Lāyi	Tāyi	Table	Tabli	Caži

The names Saaha and Palli are much older than the others, and can be traced back to the Mumba language, where they appeared as Mabasan and Pyahalyi respectively. Thus, the much later Khulls/Moonshine name Pālyi is a reborrowing by scholars who had studied early history. The name Mabasan is not cognate to Mappamensam and its relatives, despite its superficial resemblance; even the m- is not cognate.

Note that the names Sàga and Fahà, and their descendants, are reflexes of the full name Fàga-Hà with syncope of the medial vowel.

Kʷarĕna

Kwatena

Kʷarĕna is the goddess of abortion and death in childhood. She cooperates with Mappamensam rather than fighting against her; Mappamensam and Kʷarena choose which children will live and which will die.

Kʷarĕna is worshipped as the supreme deity by a cluster of religions which formed around the year 4200 but have few remaining followers. These people do not think of Kʷarĕna as evil, but simply as very difficult to please.

Translingual	Tapilula	Gold	Khulls	Proto-Moonshine	Bābākiam	Poswa	Pabappa	Thaoa	Proto-Sub.	Old Andanese	Late Andanese	Notes
Kwatena						Waptena	Waptulna
Mumpuva						Mumpuva	Mumpuni
Baeno						Baeno	Panar
Joja	Yòya									Yòya	Yuya
Enodab	Enŏda	Năda	Năra							Enŏda	Inuta

Yuni-Yipâwa

Yuni

Yuni is a goddess with the ability to control people's behavior and change her own form.

Yuni also punishes evildoers (?).

Translingual	Tapilula	Gold	Khulls	Proto-Moonshine	Bābākiam	Poswa	Pabappa	Thaoa	Proto-Subumpamese	Old Andanese	Late Andanese	Notes
Yuni			Yŭni	Yuni	Yəni	Lyne	Lun
Yipâwa	Yibĕwo	Yidăgʷa	Yirăgʷa		Īava	Ira	Irra
Rospa	Lĭpa	Lĭpa	Lĭpa	Lipa	Yipa	Ripa	Riba	Lipha		Lĭba	Lipa

Kolagas

A male god associated with pain and disease. In most religions, Kolagas is subordinate to Kwatena and thus is not worshipped even in situations when would-be worshippers believe his power is needed.

Translingual	Tapilula	Gold	Khulls	Proto-Moonshine	Bābākiam	Poswa	Pabappa	Thaoa	Proto-Subumpamese	Old Andanese	Late Andanese	Notes
Kolagas	Kùtwe Gàha	Kùtwagas	Kolagas		Kutuaas	Kupfas	Wupti
Zularn
Piplap

Moto

Moto is a goddess associated with peace and intimate relations. Some religions consider her a subordinate of Mappamensam, while others treat her as a supreme deity in her own right.

Nompo

Nompo is another goddess associated with peace and intimate relations, but is not subordinate to Kwatena or any other goddess.

Other supernatural beings

All Ridian religions share in common the belief in various classes of supernatural beings.

Angels

The term "angel" can be used for a supernatural being which has free will, and therefore is immune to temptation. They are capable of both good and evil, and those who do evil will never repent, because they committed it in free will.

Tree spirits

Far back in the past, some humans, mani, running away from a battle were turned into trees as they ran, with those who were fast enough to resist the change being the only survivors. Those who became trees remain as such today, their spirits bound into their new bodies. They are considered to be both powerless and undeserving of compassion.

Cleanliness and filth

Spiritual and material filth are recognized as distinct concepts, but are treated similarly. No believer is permitted to pray, worship, or congregate with other believers while in a state of filth. Therefore, when hungry, they must acquire and prepare their food independently.

Types of affliction

Spiritual filth

Spiritual filth is private and cannot pass from one believer to another. It may manifest itself as a non-contagious disease, mental illness, or a curse. Relief from the affliction can be granted if another believer prays on the sufferer's behalf to #Malamen. Therefore, those suffering from a spiritual affliction must remain close to their community in order to make their condition known to another believer who is willing to relieve their burden.

An invisible spiritual affliction may be a sign of aggression by #Yuni, but not by #Kolagas.

Material filth

Material filth generally presents as a contagious disease. One may be sound in spirit but defective in body. People suffering from material filth are permitted to pray, but must still remain segregated from the public at mealtimes.

Temporal aspect

Filth

Filth by itself is usually temporary. Someone afflicted must find another believer to pray for them to #Malamen in order to free them from their curse.

Disgrace

If no other member of the community will pray for an afflicted believer, that person falls into disgrace (kuma), a state of permanent filth from which there is no escape. These people thus become disowned by the community. Some are taken as slaves, since their curse cannot be transmitted to other believers. Those generally believed to be more dangerous are exiled into the wilderness, where survival is difficult. Most of these people are male; therefore, the communities of the damned cannot grow by natural means.