The Haider Church of Onye Amaghi

The Haider are a matriarchal tribal nation with no strict, ritualized faith like the humans or the Alarans. Their faith is simpler. Everywhere is sacred and can be used to worship. Anytime is sacred and can be used to worship. They feast and dance late into the night when they have something to celebrate. They hold solemn vigils when they have something to morn. They burn offerings when they have something to ask.

Worship

Night Feasts - the Haider have large bonfires and dance around the fires singing and telling stories. They paint their bodies with white clay that almost glows in the firelight. Their dark bodies disappear in the shadows and the clay patterns appear to be floating. They wear bone masks and braid bones into their hair. They do this to celebrate a good hunt, a prosperous harvest, a wedding, a birth, or any other good event. Offerings - to make a request or appease the Trickster, the Shaman will make burnt offerings of food Solemn Events - the death of a tribe member, a failed hunt, or any other sad or negative event is marked with a Solemn Ritual. The tribe comes together to mourn, often with specific chants and some "howling" or "moaning" to their god. This is a show of solidarity as well as an apology to Onye Amaghi for anything they may have done to offend him. Death is rarely seen as a punishment - instead they are asking Onye Amaghi to be kind and show the deceased person the shortest road to the afterlife.

Priesthood

The Haider have Shaman, holy men and women who are able to commune with the spirits and perform the sacrifices. The Haider elders all share a responsibility in sharing the stories at celebrations and passing the stories on to the younger generations.

Sects

Outside the Haider, most of the world's cultures have a Trickster spirit based on Onye Amaghi. They have different ideas about what he looks like and consider him a minor spirit.

Type

Religious, Other

Deities