So in the EU4 section AAR I worldbuilt the reformed version of the Bidaic faith I’d made in CK3. I figure it’s about time I reworked it, partially based on CK3 localization as well as a bit of speculation and the actual dates in which certain events happened in the initial CK3 run.
So the faith says that God is female instead of male, and that her enforcer, the Satan, is equivalent to Bida and is fully a female snake. The creation story of Adam and Eve is still there… but slightly altered. God gave birth to Eve on Earth, and she was then impregnated by God and gave birth to her husband, Adam. God sent Bida to tell Eve to eat the fruit from a tree which would give her knowledge and allow her to rule over and guide Adam. Despite this, Adam had one as well. They both realized they were naked, and thus they clothed themselves in leaves. Bida then ordered Adam to take off those clothes and serve his wife. Thus explains the matriarchal nature of the faith.
Of course, societies would grow to be dominated by men, against the wishes of God. God would choose Israel as his first chosen, and Ghana as his second, but neither of them fulfilled their roles.
Enter Adja Strongarm. As ruler of the empire of her mother Daurama, she would preach what this faith sees as the truth.
So what is the ideal societal structure of this faith? Women control society, as they carry children to birth and had originally been chosen. They take men as concubines and can, if they choose, take a favorite as their husband. Men shed their clothing and are sold upon adulthood and, once sold to a woman who can care for them, serve that woman. Women can marry on equal grounds, and men under the same woman can marry each other for emotional purposes. Marriage is monogamous despite the faith’s acceptance of free love and multiple male consorts per woman.
There are two kinds of human sacrifices - one for men, and one for women. Men are the lesser offering, presented bare to Bida or another lesser goddess on the altar. Women are the greater offering, presented to Allah on the altar, equally bare.
Transgender people are accepted by the faith. Trans women are expected to fully present as women but may still live as women once blessed by a priestess. Trans men may live as men once blessed by a priestess even if they do not transition or look the part. Nonbinaries may fall in either the social role of men or women, depending on which they feel they are closer to.
A woman may live as a man regardless of their assigned gender at birth if they are sentenced to such a fate as punishment for sin (by any priestess) or crime (by a judge-priestess). This can include excessive greed, wrath, arrogance, or vengefulness. However, as free speech is protected, nonbelievers are allowed to practice their faiths.
Twins and other multiple births are considered holy due to the triplet birth of three goddesses. Two boys born as twins will likely be favored by women in adulthood. Two girls born as twins will have an easier shot at becoming priestesses in adulthood. If a pair of twins includes a boy and a girl, it is assumed that the girl has a right to the boy in adulthood. Multiple births beyond twins essentially function similarly - if there’s multiple girls with at least one boy, the boys are cycled between the girls in adulthood depending on who was born first (for example, with 2 girls and 1 boy born, the older one is given her brother in adulthood).
The faith is polytheistic, interpreting many divine figures from Abrahamic sources through a less Abrahamic-influenced lens. God, referred to as Allah since the faith was reformed by a Hausa dynasty, is the supreme goddess and gave birth to both Eve (the first woman) and the other goddesses (except Ba'al and Fatoumata), who are triplets. Bida the Satan is God’s enforcer and prosecutor, taking the form of a snake rather than a human. Azrael is the name used for the death goddess, who takes souls to the afterlife. Raziel essentially functions as the goddess behind witchcraft. And finally, though it was her mother Adja Strongarm who introduced the faith, Fatoumata the Divine has been deified.
Ba'al is the most powerful goddess in the faith aside from God herself, having been the primary force of evil throughout history. It was her who led men to give into desire for power and overthrow the order that the faith says God meant for. In addition, it is said that she was the one to drag Christianity away from its roots. Thus, the historical sacrifice of the last pope and the usurpation of the Roman Empire are seen as defeats of Ba'al.
As for the afterlife:
- The dead are buried in emotional celebrations.
- Socially recognized women (including those of other faiths) live with the gods (excluding Ba'al, who resides on the earth) and are given leaves to wear as when they were first on Earth.
- Socially recognized men are taken to live with the gods as well but are not given any coverings and remain under the women.
- Those who have been wicked at the time of death are first sent to hell, where they are not given clothing regardless of gender and are tormented until redemption.
- It is said that the world will finally reach a state of utopia when Ba'al is finally fully defeated, made a man spiritually, and made the property of God.
There are a number of holidays notable in the faith, celebrated by the Hebrew calendar due to the heavy Jewish influence on the faith. They are specified with the time of day of the original event (either early morning before sunrise, day, or night after sunset) and the equivalent date in the Hebrew calendar:
- Night of 5/31/879 (3 Sivan) - Adja Strongarm is born. This is celebrated as a birthday party, but by everyone, and with a lesser sacrifice to Bida.
- Night of 8/13/909 (19 Av) - Fatoumata the Divine is born. This is celebrated as a birthday party, but by everyone, and with a lesser sacrifice to Fatoumata.
- Day of 2/17/926 (26 Sh'vat) - Kukiya is conquered by Adja Strongarm, initiating the development of the reformed faith. This is celebrated as a party, with a lesser sacrifice to Raziel.
- Day of 10/21/932 (14 Cheshvan) - Kukiya is visited by Adja Strongarm, and the new faith is announced. This is celebrated as the most brilliant party of all, with a greater sacrifice to God.
- Day of 10/31/940 (23 Cheshvan) - Adja Strongarm dies. It is said that in her old age she asked to be sacrificed to Azrael but died before it could happen due to the intervention of Ba'al. This is celebrated as a day of mourning, with a lesser sacrifice to Azrael.
- Day of 1/19/961 (23 Tevet) - The Empire of Mali is declared by Fatoumata the Divine, earning her her godhood. This is celebrated as a party, with a lesser sacrifice to Fatoumata.
- Early morning of 1/6/988 (9 Sh'vat) - Fatoumata the Divine dies and ascends to godhood. It is said that she was taken not by Azrael but by God herself, body and all, before sacrificing her mother so that she could... well, return to the afterlife she was sacrificed in. This is celebrated as a day of mourning, with a lesser sacrifice to Fatoumata.
- Night of 4/2/1292 (8 Nisan) - The final pope, Pope Callistus the Frail, is sacrificed to Bida by Adaeze the Shield of Niani, ending the Catholic papacy. This is celebrated as a party, with a lesser sacrifice to Bida.
- Early morning of 7/31/1310 (25 Av) - The Crown of Justinian, most important crown of the Romans, is seized by Basillike I with the Lock. This is celebrated as a party, with a lesser sacrifice to Bida.
- Night of 6/28/1325 (9 Tamuz) - The Spear of Destiny is captured and the Roman Empire declared by Chika the Glorious, usurping Christian hold over both the imperial title and one of the most important Christian artifacts. This is celebrated as a party, with a lesser sacrifice to Bida.
And of course priestesses double as academics.
Thus is the worldbuilding for my bizarre pagan-Abrahamic fusion - but updated!
