Religion: Maz – God of Manure
According to the Church of High Gods, Maz is one of the Middle Gods. He (although sometimes she, or it) is said to wander the Overworld in the form of a pig, or a mighty boar, or even a ravenous worm. There are many legends where pig farmers found him in their pens, impregnating their sows, or hunters stalking a massive boar only to realise too late that it was the Middle God itself. Such encounters never ended well for the hunter. She is a complex character, and is said to look fondly upon those in an unexpected dilemma.
Origins of Maz
Originally a minor nature deity, Maz is a very old god tracing its roots all the way back to the late Third Age. He was initially called Mas (mɑs), and his deification precedes the Davan tribes fleeing their homes in the South-East and invading Westáhal.
One of the her earliest stories tells of her being the mother of the land who spent her days tending to the plants and animals. She is said to have procreated with the sky and gave birth to the moon, which she named Tilurr.
Legends of Maz
In the Davan Kingdoms, Maz gained status becoming one of the many fertility gods and goddesses worshipped during that time. Her legends tell of her role as a Husker, separating the body of the dead from its soul and using the body to fertilise the land while the soul was sent forth to the Underworld.
Another legend tells that during a time of great famine, Maz appeared. It implored the starving people to cut strips from its body and cook and eat the bacon. It appeared each night, all through the famine, and in this way the people were saved.
Maz was not always benevolent, however. Another story tells of a couple that had sex in a toilet (or close to one – the stories differ), and Maz cursed them, turning both into rabbits.
After the Religious Consolidation introduced by the Kza-Lan Empire’s invasion, Maz was initially left out of the pantheon, replaced by Fírleitári, as the Goddess of Love and Nature. However, after several incidents involving the repeated overflowing of the latrines of the Kza-Lan soldiers, it was determined that Maz was displeased, and the Kza-Lan’s promptly returned him to the pantheon as the God of Manure.
