Tagamaŋttumi-nu Ubuuŋami

Tagamaŋttumi-nu Ubuuŋami (the Great Faith of Celestial Balance) is a civic religion officially headquartered in the Dama capital of Yàn. It is centered around the Dama monarchy, with the nation's King as the official head of the faith. Adherents engage in practices such as prayer, veneration of ancestors, and taking part in large public ceremonies.

Tagamaŋttumi-nu Ubuuŋami largely revolves around the reverence of nmandi, ancestor spirits believed to inhabit the heavenly world and who observe the mortal one. Nmandi are worshiped at household shrines as well as public ones. The latter are staffed by priests who oversee offerings of food and drink to the ancestral spirits who inhabit that area. This is done to cultivate favor and goodwill between living humans and the nmandi and to solicit the blessings of the latter. Other common rituals include dances, rites of passage, and seasonal festivals. Public shrines facilitate forms of divination and supply religious items such as amulets to its adherents. Tagamaŋttumi-nu Ubuuŋami places a major emphasis on purity, largely through practices such as ritual washing, bathing, and burning of incense. Emphasis is also placed on the importance of living a morally upright life, so that individuals are accepted by their ancestors on death and are permitted to join the nmandi.

Historians debate at what point it is suitable to refer to Tagamaŋttumi-nu Ubuuŋami as a distinct religion. Veneration of ancestors can be traced back to the shamanistic practices recorded in Asidama going back to the first millennium BCE. The earliest written tradition regarding the nmandi was recorded in the 8th century BCE. In ensuing centuries, the practice was adopted by the nobility and altered, claiming that their descent from divine figures. With Asidama's unification in the 9th century CE, the royal family placed itself at the head of the developing faith, with its King as its high priest. During the reign of King Myamunu the Great, the faith was officially organized and standardized across the nation, which some regard as the origin of the faith as a distinct religion. Shrines came under growing state influence, and citizens were encouraged to regard the King as a living ancestor. Tagamaŋttumi-nu Ubuuŋami is primarily found in Asidama, where there are over 100,000 public shrines big and small. Numerically, it is Asidama's largest religion. Most of the country takes part in the religion's rites, especially festivals, reflecting a common view in Dama culture that its beliefs and practices are those of the Dama nation.

Beliefs
In Asidama, ancestral spirits known as nmandi have been revered since the dawn of recorded history, and likely began even earlier. Nmandi are formless and invisible, but exercise influence on the mortal plane through the veil of the spirit world. Physical objects which once belonged to family members who have passed on are often kept and stored in household or community shrines. These objects are believed to be imbued with a kind of spiritual power which can amplify individuals' connections with the ancestors in question. Objects commonly chosen for this purpose include smaller, portable objects, such as jewelry, hand mirrors, pens, wallets, and like objects. These items are typically concealed from the view of visitors and are hidden inside boxes, only accessible to priests. Nmandi are believed to be capable of both benevolent and destructive deeds; if ancestors are displeased by an individual or group's actions, they can bring bad fortune down on their descendants. Likewise, if a familiar keeps proper filial piety, ancestors are helpful in guiding their decisions and providing good fortune. Offerings are sometimes given to the nmandi to gain their blessings, and to dissuade them from engaging in destructive actions.

Although they are typically referred to as a collective body of ancestors, it is believed that exceptional ancestors warrant recognition. Accordingly, there are varying ranks of divine spirits. Saints are individuals whose souls are reborn from the ancestral plane into the world of mortals. It is believed that saints are sent to help their descendants/mortals at large, and are born with the wisdom of the ancestors in order to do so. Above saints are immortals. Immortals are souls sent from the ancestral plane which do not return after their mortal body perishes. Traditionally, members of the royal family have been recognized as immortals. Commonly, statutes and medallions depicting historically popular saints and immortals can be found across Asidama.

Family-centered worship
With its focus on demonstrating respect and of reverence toward ancestors, the natural center of the faith is in the family home. The oldest male relative acts as a primary celebrant, officiating rituals concerning ancestors. Household gods, and those relatives living within and without the home. Daily offerings of incense are made and prayers are given aloud, in which each family member is described for the benefit of the nmandi being addressed. The oldest male relative is also responsible for the cleaning and upkeep of the household altar.

Hierarchy of ancestors
The Ultimate Ancestors, those from when time began, are known as Kandu-nu-nmandi (exalted departed spirit of the era of the gods). They are held in the highest regard as the originators of all things and are also worshiped in common in community shrines. Ancestors living in the distant past, but not the time of creation (typically those more than twenty-five generations ago but not at the beginning of time) are said to be Furudu-nu-ŋmaŋdi (Exalted departed spirit of the older era). These ancestors are worshiped as collective spirits whose worship is generally focused in communal shrines, but also occasionally in the home. Other, more immediate ancestors who lived between the present day and the twenty fifth generation are called Bagadu-nu-ŋmaŋdi (Exalted departed spirit of the younger era). It is these ancestors who are enshrined most often in the family's household shrine, and it is these ancestors who visit on special occasions in the home and at the family tomb.

Household gods
Household gods, most commonly ones for the hearth, are represented by small statues or painted stones located throughout the home. These figures are the remnants of various polytheistic traditions from Asidama's regions and history, and thus tend to vary between families and communities. Hearth gods are the most ubiquitous; originally a fire god, it now typically exists more as a guardian of the "family fire." Worship of these gods is led by the household patriarch. Although the household gods inhabit the home, they do not call it their own home as ancestral nmandi might. Instead, they leave and return to their own homes to celebrate certain holidays, such as the new year.

Family tombs
Although most prayers and rituals occur in the home, periodic gatherings of the extended family also traditionally occur at the family tomb. These tombs are built to resemble houses, complete with courtyards, family name markers, and "porches" upon which offerings are arranged. These tombs are most commonly built in a semicircle shape, meant to resemble a womb. Another is the gable tomb, built to resemble a small house. Inside the tomb is stored the cremated remains of several generations of family members. Especially important is the thirty-first year after a relative's death; at this point, the deceased individual is believed to have taken their place with all of their ancestors. During a typical extended family gathering at the tomb, incense, food, offering, and prayers are offered to ancestors, and then a picnic is enjoyed by those in attendance. Although responsibilities vary on a case by case basis, generally is the patriarch of a family whose financial responsibility is upkeep of existing tombs and establishment of new tombs if anything should happen to the old, including becoming too full.

Various taboos exist relating to tombs in Dama culture. It is considered rude to gesture directly at a tomb, to speak loudly concerning the dead around a tomb, or to take pictures of a tomb without the expressed permission of the living relatives. It is considered to be dangerous to desecrate tombs, as it invites the wrath of others' ancestors as well as their own. Also considered dangerous may be to approach a tomb without proper authority (in relation to the family) or to visit a tomb alone at night.