Sanemi Animism

Sanemi Animism, also known as Sanemi Paganism or Sanemi Spiritualism (seSanemi: taMaxonga weBasanemi) is a religious system practiced in Sanemi, where it is the indigenous faith. The religion primarily focuses around the worship of various spirits that, according to the faith, exist everywhere; however, primary worship revolves around the worship of one’s ancestors, local deities, and “greater” spirits.

It is a rather decentralized religion without any central authorities beyond priests, and may frequently be syncretized with foreign religions if they are deemed compatible. Though hybridizable, the faith is in a sense henotheistic by virtue of acknowledging other deities. However, these other deities may be deemed to be foreign to Sanemi and are often rejected out of fear that Sanemi’s native spirits will be usurped or “replaced” by foreign gods.

Etymology
The term “Sanemi Animism/Paganism” comes from foreign sources describing the religion from the outside. The religion lacks a true indigenous name, as for millennia the maSanemi simply worshipped their own gods with little regard for distance outside faiths, and as such a distinct name for their own practice never arose. In recent centuries as contact with outsiders increased and the Sanemi national identity formed, the term Sanemi Animism/Paganism was back-translated into seSanemi to taMaxonga weBasanemi, literally meaning “Spirits-ism of baSanemi” but roughly translated back as Sanemi Spiritualism.

Cosmogony
The traditional creation epic of Sanemi, the Kulayenza weThuma, entails within it the story of the making of the world and the establishment of the Sanemi pantheon of maXongakhulu or “god-spirits”. The story holds that the world was created from the sun spirit Tayanga (or Baba Tayanga as he is referred to in the narrative) and the “all-mother”, Mama Nkena. The world itself was created from matter discarded by the stars (the siblings of Baba Tayanga) created to be a house for the children of Mama Nkena and Baba Tayanga.

The children of Mama Nkena and Baba Tayanga were the first seven maXongakhulu, the god-spirits called the maMonkena. These spirits rule over most or all of the world in their respective domain. Though born powerless, the god-spirits gained their power through the passing of Mama Nkena, as her own soul was divided among them.

The god-spirits themselves ruled over a Kylorne with mass, but little form. The god-spirits took it upon themselves to create the intricate details of the world- mountains, rivers, and other geographic features, as well as wildlife. From their artistic creation of the world’s details, smaller spirits inherent to each natural object known as velonga were created. The god-spirits themselves also married each other and with the greater velonga spirits.

The married spirits attempted to produce children among themselves, but they were often formless and hostile as they had no vessel. Instead, they took the form of maleficent beings known as the ma’ogwe, translated as “demons” or “monsters”. The ma’ogwe roamed the world preying on other spirits, destroying them out of spite for their corporeality, preying upon them, and refusing to acknowledge the will of their creators. Therefore, in order to combat the ma’ogwe, one of the animals of the world would be chosen by the god-spirits as the divine defenders of the order of the world. Each kind of animal was summoned by a council of the god-spirits, and after presenting an argument, the humans were selected as the fighters of the ma’ogwe.

It is from thence on that the humans were given the divine talent of creation, in order to create weapons to fight umogwe and build houses to defend themselves; this culminated in civilization. The ma’ogwe in retaliation took it upon themselves to either take corporeal form and fight the humans directly to remove their souls from their bodies, or to possess a human to make it sabotage their side. The “war” between humans and ma’ogwe is portrayed as a constant war, and when it is finally won, it is said that there will be no more hunger, death, or suffering in an eternal paradise.

maXongakhulu
There are roughly eleven accepted maXongakhulu, translated as god-spirits or great spirits, accepted in the overall Sanemi religious canon. They are heterogenous in origin, but all given relatively equal status and power. There are the Eternal god-spirits (maseketchwe, or universers”), the mamonkena, and the ascended humans (maguthakiwuphu or “they who went up”).

Tayanga
Tayanga is the spirit of the sun. The oldest living great spirit, it is said that Tayanga is one of innumerable siblings, with said siblings being the stars. Tayanga is worshipped as the bringer of warmth and light. It is taboo to refer to Tayanga with the word ilanga, the “secular” word for the sun itself in seSanemi. Tayanga is the spirit of the sun, but not the sun directly.

Mama Nkena
The “All-mother”, Mama Nkena was the wife of all the stars in the universe. She helped Tayanga gather the ashes of the stars (as they are said to be made of fire), and built the world before her death. When she died of an unknown cause, her soul fragmented into pieces to become the mamonkena.

iziYuwe
It is thought that all the other stars (iziYuwe) beyond the sun are their own maSeketchwe, but they are too distant to affect the maSanemi. As such, they do not accept the spirits of the stars in the pantheon, effectively reducing them to velonga due to distance alone.

maMonkena
The maMonkena, the spirits “of [Mama] Nkena”, are derived from the six elements of air, fire, minerals, water, life, and magic. However, the element of life is overseen by two god-spirits. The god-spirits have an element and are manifested in the sum total of the amount of that element in the world. They also have two patron realms of society, and control a select emotional realm.

Ishongo
Ishongo is the god-spirit of the world’s sky and the element of air. His domain includes all weather, including lightning. Ishongo is said to work in tandem with Isheshe to bring forth the water cycle, and is the patron of sailing and communication (as Ishongo is the intermediary between Tayanga and the world). Ishongo controls the emotional realm of fear.

Hoya
Hoya is the god-spirit of all the world’s fire and lava, and the element of fire. His domain consists of the collection of all fire in the world, natural and artificial, as well as lava and magma within the earth’s crust. Being in control of fire, Hoya’s human domains are that of cooking and smithing, as they require his fire. Due to his proximity to humans, he is considered “closer” to people than many other spirits, and simultaneously predictable and unpredictable. His emotional realm is anger.

Tokondo
Tokondo is the god-spirit of all the solid stone and sediment in the world- the element of minerals. He works in tandem with Kala to make plants grow, and with Hoya to melt rock into lava. His patron domains are mining, as all valuable metals and gems are within Tokondo; his realm also includes warfare. His emotional attribute is the emotion of tsumba, often translated as “strength” but also “stoic”.

Isheshe
Isheshe is the spirit of the world’s water and ice. All bodies of water in all states belong to Isheshe; while weather is the responsibility of Ishongo, Isheshe regains domain over rain and snow when they fall. Isheshe’s emotional domain is sadness. While not a specific emotion, Isheshe also claims rule over the realm of change and fluidity, as they are considered to be in a constant flux or fluidity of all personal attributes (appearance, gender, personality) that, like flowing water, is constantly changing. Their human domain includes growth, aging, and thought- as they all involve change over time.

Lilifalo
Lilifalo is the goddess of the element of magic, and all magic energy present in the world. She is the matron of the practice of magic and academia, and her emotional domain is happiness. She is commonly invoked in rituals of magic, and said to grant the most powerful magical abilities to her most dedicated worshippers. Students may also attempt to invoke her in order to pass tests and exams in schools.

Kibo
Kibo is the first of the two Life Sisters. She is the goddess-spirit of all the world’s animals, and is said to “herd the wild beasts as we do livestock”. Her emotional domain is of desire or lust, and she is the matron of herdsmen, hunters, and fishers. She may be invoked by hunters for large and bountiful game or fish, or for the fertility of livestock herds; however, her emotional realm also includes carnal desire between humans. She is invoked in the production of aphrodisiacs, and in situations involving intercourse or the desire for it.

Kala
Kala, the second of the Life Sisters, is the other goddess-spirit of the element of life. Her domain is specifically the realm of vegetative life- plants, fungi, and algae. She is said to “grow the wild plants as we do crops”, and is the matron of farmers, foragers, lumberjacks, and diplomats. Her emotional domain is peace. She can be communed with through meditation, the burning and inhalation of particular herbs, and may be invoked to resolve crises, debates, and arguments.

maGuthakiwuphu
The maGuthakiwuphu or “uplifted” are humans who are said to have ascended to godhood through their actions. There are a number of these legendary figures present in Sanemi mythology and history.

Sifiso sePedukura
Sifiso IV “The Liberator”. The founder of the modern Sanemi state, whose unification of the land ended centuries of strife, poverty, slavery, and general misery for thousands of people. After his death, he was venerated by those his rule helped the most, building a posthumous personality cult. As the Sanemi national identity formed, his spirit effectively became a deity.

As a god-spirit, Sifiso is the patron spirit of the nation of Sanemi and its peoples. He is invoked during national holidays to wish for good fortune to all the nation, and to ensure a free, just, and prosperous society. He represents justice, and is the patron of national leaders, his own descendants, judges, and the enslaved (though slavery has been illegal in the realm for centuries).

Telila s’Anzutsa
Telila “the Crafter”. She is a legendary figure, who in prehistoric times, was said to be the first human to make tools. Her legend involves her taking the simple unmodified stones and sticks used by the first peoples to do things, and crafting spears, axes, and eventually clothing, nets, and fire. For this, she is the matron goddess-spirit of the inventors and craftspeople, and represents the concept of creativity.

Smaller Spirits
There exists in Sanemi Animism a particular set of beliefs about souls and their nature; this is elaborated on significantly in the old Habewa Corpus written some 650 years ago. The maSanemi believe that wilderness spirits, velonga, are inherent to all living things in nature, as well as fire, stones, clouds, bodies of water, and others. Souls can be generated, but this is a rare occasion. Most souls are the reincarnations of older individuals or objects.

The maxonga or souls of ancestors are also worshipped by the maSanemi. They are said to watch over their progeny until all they once knew in life are themselves deceased, upon which they seek a new vessel and are reincarnated. Special ancestor xonga known as ombumu act as personal guiding spirits; most ombumu maxonga pick the child or children born close after their death to follow and guide as an ombumu.

The various ma'ogwe (singular: umogwe), or demons, are said to be present in many places, especially where it is cold or dark. They can be kept away with charms and spells, but if one is afflicted by an umogwe one must perform a cleansing ritual.

Cleansing Ritual
When someone is said to be under the influence of an umogwe, but still able to consciously consent to its removal, the common Cleansing Ritual is performed by a semlingo (magician) and a sanwabu (medicine man). The ritual involves bathing in enchanted water to cleanse the body, and smoking a particular psychedelic herb to cleanse the mind. The exact herb varies according to the sanwabu prescribing it.

Rebirth Festival
The Rebirth Festival (Madu weJuyutha Kulawache) is held for many transgender maSanemi as a kind of late coming-of-age ceremony, usually occurring in their late teenage or young adult years. From here, a transgender umSanemi will have their body ritually cleansed in a manner similar to the typical Cleansing Ritual and “reborn” as the gender of their soul, which may be male, female, or neither. The recipient will be showered in gifts of clothing and other keepsakes, and is from thence on expected to be treated accordingly gender-wise.

Superstitions and Legends
There are many notable stories around the spirits and entities that the maSanemi encounter, or encountered in the past. Many stories tell of excerpts of Sifiso's life, or of how Telila invented a particular tool. Still others are cautionary tales involving typical humans and animals.

There are a number of taboos present in the faith of the maSanemi. For example, referring to the spirit of the sun as ilanga (the word for the sun itself) instead of Tayanga is considered very rude, and it is said to anger Tayanga and cause misfortune. It is forbidden to kill an elephant except in self-defense, or utilize its meat or products in any way. To consume the meat of an elephant or a human is to invite ma'ogwe into the body.

A story told in recent years is the story of the Sehika, or the "watcher". The Sehika is a kind of umogwe that manifests as a three-meter-tall hooded figure with a single glowing eye. It stalks its victims when they are alone and causes its victim to make many mistakes, in an attempt to slowly drive them mad. If it is spotted directly, it is very unlucky and the curse increases in intensity until the victim dies of a painful accident. The victim must perform a cleansing ritual to rid themselves of the Sehika's curse.