Baa (a.k.a. The Creator)
"Baa who creates..."
— Beginning of common prayer
Background
Baa is the primary deity in the
Baa Yalu religion, the most commonly worshipped religion in
Minaka Vale.
The religion focuses on seven tenets that focus on looking out for danger, being part of a community and the individual's responsibilities within it. Members of the religion call themselves the flock. They are known to be distrustful of strangers but extremely supportive of those in their community and have a high level of cleanliness.
The Creator
The myth of Baa and the sky serpent is inarguably the most well-known myth with followers of Baa Yalu. There are others which feature Baa and the other deities which also come from the Kurothic Carvings, but it is this one which gives Baa his status as higher and more important than
Hoo,
Skat and
Kaw.
The myth was translated from the Kurothic Carvings. At the time this translation was done, there were those who queried whether they had correctly understood the part about the sky serpent. The arguments were heightened, and many refused to believe that Baa would enter into any kind of affair with a sky serpent.
The Myth
The story goes that Baa, the great sheep, was grazing amongst the stars when he met a sky serpent. Their affair was brief but passionate, and as a result, Baa birthed an egg through his mouth. The egg cracked open, and from this cracked egg came the world.
Everything which exists now came from within this simple, magnificent egg, birthed by Baa, the creator.
They stated that the great Baa would not debase himself by lying with such a creature. Others argued that there were some loves too powerful to be denied and Baa, out of everyone, had the right to whatever happiness he chose to find, wherever he chose to find it.
Surprisingly, no one has ever questioned a male sheep birthing an egg from his mouth. Some things are too strange not to be true.
Impact
Baa is the primary deity within Baa Yalu, and as a result has a large impact on the culture of the Baa Yalu flock.
Greetings
In greeting, followers hold their fist out towards the person, palm up, and snap their fingers twice, which replicates the sound of a sheep's hooves on stone. It marks an arrival and is most commonly followed by "Baa creates". The person greeted responds in kind.
Guidance
Baa is seen to guide the flock with infinite wisdom and protection. He is the primary god which all followers pray to as part of
Morning Solace. Baa's guidance and the wisdom of sheep is at the heart of the seven tenets of Baa Yalu, encouraging community, alertness and survival.
Cleanliness
Cleanliness and order are considered extremely important among followers of Baa Yalu, as is true with all sheep. They like things to be neat and tidy, and they do their best to make sure that at the beginning and end of each day they look their best.
Ovine Respect
All sheep are sacred to Baa and treated with utmost respect. Sheep are never penned, farmed, or eaten; they roam free and are formally greeted. Their wool is collected only where it naturally falls and used for the highest quality items.
In addition to this, members of the flock are likely to wear nose rings, in recognition of the servitude some sheep are forced to suffer at the hands of those in less enlightened parts of the world.
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