Circassian Paganism

Circassian paganism, also called Khabzeism or Khabzism, is the ethnic religion of the Circassians, an indigenous ethnic group and nation native to the historical country-region of Circassia in the North Caucasus. As a consequence of the Circassian genocide perpetrated by the Russian Empire in the 19th century during the Russo-Circassian War, most Circassians were exiled from their homeland in Circassia to modern-day Turkey and the rest of the Middle East. Circassian paganism is based on worshipping the supreme god Theshkhue and other minor deities under his rule. The religion is also focused on the perfection of the soul. Prominent concepts include honor (nape), manifestation of compassion (guschlegu), gratuitous help (psape), which along with the valor and bravery of a warrior enable a human soul to join the souls of their ancestors with a clear conscience (nape huzhkle). Like the deities, the souls of ancestors also require commemoration since they are able to observe and evaluate the affairs of their descendants.  There are no indications that arcane sects nor a power wielding priestly class guarding hidden mysteries, as was the case in various ancient societies, ever existed. The oldest partaker, who passed on knowledge to his lay disciples, probably performed religious rites. In these rites, supplicants encircled a venerated object (like a holy tree, or a spot stricken by lightning) to invoke the resident spirits and unlock their latent powers. Religious rites were sometimes accompanied by chanting. Songs were intoned during feasts in honour of thunder, during sacrifices, and other traditional festivals. Rites of supplication were connected with the prevention of disease. A primitive form of inoculation existed to prevent smallpox. Inoculation would be followed by placing a person in a swing and rocking to the accompaniment of a special chant named Your Lordship (Ziywis-hen) which invoked the mercy of the deity of the disease. The faith is monistic, with utmost prominence given to the supreme creator god Theshkhue (colloquially shortened to The). Theshkhue is omnipresent in his creation. The material world is in constant flux, but its foundation remains stable. This concept is compared to a rotating wheel. Although the wheel is constantly rotating (changing position), the central hub about which it rotates remains in place. Secondary deities include Hantseguash (goddess of water and rain), Hedrixe (god and protector of the dead), Heneguash (goddess of the sea), Hyateguash (goddess of beauty and gardens), Kodes (the god of mountains), Mezguash (goddess of all fauna), Mezytha (god of forests, hunting, and beasts), Psetha (the god of life and souls), Sataney (the goddess of femininity and fertility and mother of the Narts), Schyble (god of lightning), Sozresh (god of fertility, family, wellbeing, and illness), Thageledj (god of flora and crops), Tlepsh (god of fire, blacksmiths, steel, and weapons), Theshu (god and protector of horsemen), Theqwafeshu (the herald of supreme god Theshkhue), Tetertup (god of war and bloodshed), Uashkhue (god of the skies), Merise (goddess and protectress of bees), and The Narts, demigods whose mother is Sataney). Circassia was one of the few places in Europe that retained its native religious traditions until its Islamization in the 17th century.