Dzuma religion
Dzuma religion comprises the traditional beliefs of the Dzuma people of southern Nkungu, mainly in Bomakwodor. Although the religion is widely practiced, it does not have a definite name, but is referred to by various names and descriptions. The most common name used is Ɔ̀dũ̀mĩ́lɛ́, referring to the saints (ɔ̀dũ̀mĩ́lɛ) that are revered within the religion, which is also the origin of the Nyamu exonym aku dùmile used to refer to the religion. Names also include Bɔyĩ́mì Ghã̀ ("way of [the] ancestors", appropriated by Bayin Kabo to refer to his variation of the religion), and lɛ̀ŋkpélɛ̀ŋí which simply means "tradition". Dzuma religion prioritizes the appeasing of various gods and veneration of ancestor spirits through ritual worship and animal (sometimes human) sacrifices. The religion not only bases its theology on traditional Dzuma epics and stories, but also on wisdom from things legendary leaders of the Dzuma people (who are now venerated as saints) are said to have said.
Deities and saints
Deities (Ɔ̀lɛ́)
| Deity name | Description |
|---|---|
| Orelemi / Ɔ̀rèlɛ̀mì | Creator god and sky deity |
| Ngenemiyor / Ŋɛ̀nɛ́mìyɔ̀ | Cocreator wife of Orelemi; ultimate source of wisdom, knowledge, and morality. Is often consulted for the treatment of various illnesses and deformities. Dzuma priests (bàkùmó) are direct servants of Ngenemiyor. |
| Ndekpor / Ndɛ̀kpɔ́ | Solar deity, credited for creating living creatures via pouring a potion onto the earth. Associated with fertility, power, and war. |
| Bereh / Bɛ̀rɛ̀ | Lunar deity, associated with love and creativity. The patron god of traditional poets and musicians. |
Saints (Ɔ̀dũ̀mĩ́lɛ́)
Saints in the Dzuma religion are the spirits of the deceased which have been blessed by a bàkùmó (or a council of them) to be in right standing with Orelemi and worthy of veneration. There is a hierarchy of saints based on how important their veneration is and the celestial "tier" they have been placed in in the afterlife. The highest within the entire hierarchy is Jaa Ngombanereman alone, as he is believed to be the first man to be created, and appointed by Ndekpor as king of all saints in the afterlife (hence his royal title "Jaa"). Below Ngombanereman are the Jáàdũ̀mĩ́ saints, which consist of previous exclusively Dzuma rulers. This tier of the hierarchy is especially controversial due to certain bàkùmó refusing to recognize certain rulers as Jáàdũ̀mĩ́, being forced to do so, or certain followers choosing to venerate non-Dzuma rulers as Jáàdũ̀mĩ́. Below Jáàdũ̀mĩ́ are Ɔ̀dũ̀mĩ́lɛ́-Gbèní which consist of nobility and people of great reputation. Below Ɔ̀dũ̀mĩ́lɛ́-Gbèní are simply ordinary Ɔ̀dũ̀mĩ́lɛ́ saints, being any deceased person who has been posthumously blessed by a bàkùmó.
Although lists of venerable saints and their deeds have been established via oral tradition, certain Dzuma intellectuals and bàkùmó have also decided to record these lists via writing. Though none of them are to be used definitively, these written lists make up the core literature of the religion along with written epics. Today, with majority of followers being under the rule of Bayin Kabo and his Boyinmi-Ghan sect, the Boyinmi-Ghan list of saints commissioned by Bayin Kabo has become quasi-official.
Priesthood
The priests of the Dzuma religion, known as bàkùmó, act as intermediates between the gods, spirits, and humanity. Local bàkùmó are not only responsible for overseeing religious rituals and festivities at their temples, but also for spiritual healing and consultation, predictions of the future, exorcisms, recounting of Dzuma history, and tending to the eternal fire inside the temple. Bàkùmó often live ascetic and abstinent lifestyles, taking residence inside the temples in which they operate. The title of bàkùmó is also hereditary, hence they are often married and have children, as to pass on the title after their death.
Boyinmi-Ghan (Bɔyĩ́mì Ghã̀)
Boyinmi-Ghan is a religious movement founded by Bayin Kabo, incorporating the ethnocentric, nationalist views espoused by the Gongor Eke with the spiritual beliefs of the Dzuma religion. Unlike the traditional religion, the beliefs and moral views of Boyinmi-Ghan are explicitly established through a volume of books written by Bayin Kabo himself, which constitute the central religious text of the religion. One distinguishing characteristic of Boyinmi-Ghan is the patronization of Ndekpor as the god of the Dzuma people, believing that Ndekpor created the Dzuma population seperately from other peoples. Though Boyinmi-Ghan was declared the national religion of Bomakwodor in 4606 CY under Bayin Kabo's authority, the population of true Boyinmi-Ghan adherents are a minority within the country.