~BBW, ~BHM, ~~WG, FFA, ~~FA, Both
author's note: I fantasized about a religion based on feederism or feedism and this is the result, a back-story interwoven with historical events. It is my intent to expand on this with much more erotic material in the future using the events and circumstances described as a back-drop.
Epicurus watched and scoweled. This festival did not sit well with him. He thought the women too fat, the wine too sweet and the food far too tempting. He suspected hed have to be carted out of the place if he stayed much longer.
Stop your scowling old friend, this is a joyous festival that only comes once a year, scolded Jason who was a priest in the cult of Adephagia, You remind me of the stern Romans who fancy themselves to be like the Spartans of old. Even the old Rabbi who lectured us against the dangers of gluttony was more fun than you!
So what if this festival comes once a year? exclaimed Epicurus. You live like this year round! The noble families think me a hedonist and the hedonists think me a meddler but even the hedonists would cringe at this display. Enjoy life, enjoy food, enjoy everything this world has to offer, but dont do it to extremes, that is what I teach. Extremes lead to unhappiness.
Jason retorted Do we look unhappy to you? Your vaunted philosophy may work well for most but people are as varied all the sunsets of the year, no two are the same. Your philosophy is wise, but its not for us. We are just being true to ourselves old friend, life is too precious to spend it being someone else.
They paused to watch as this years festival queen was carried past on a litter. Eight fully grown well muscled men carried the litter but they struggled with their burden. Their burden was just one woman, a basket of dates and a carafe of sweet wine. Megara reclined in luxury atop the litter popping dates into her mouth. The canopy protected her delicate skin from the sun but her ample form was visible from the sides.
Jason smiled broadly, he remembered when Megara was just a waif of a girl. Over the years shed blossomed into a massive example of gluttonous beauty. Megara loved her body, she loved to eat and grow. She loved that her admirers shared in this love and helped her along the way. She was in érōs (sensual passionate erotic love)with herself, her admirers and the feasting. She was in agápē (a deeper more reverent unconditional love) with one man in particular, the followers as a whole and the goddess Adephagia herself. She was living the blessing of Adephagia. She was a fitting representation of the goddess Adephagia on earth.
Epicurus interrupted his revery, Maybe you are square pegs that will not fit in the round hole that is my philosophy. I warn against overindulgence because it leads to pain, but pain also comes from denying who you are. But the world will intrude. You glorify gluttony! You link eating and growing fat with sexual pleasure. And you do it in the name of a goddess! There is no place for this in the civilized world. This will not be allowed to stand forever you must realize. Sicily is far too tempting a prize. We are far from Greece and as we speak this island is coveted by Rome to the north and Carthage to the south.
Jason replied wistfully, In Greece it is acceptable for men to bed those barely out of boyhood, in the east this is considered a crime against nature. Are you so different from the easterners who condemn men bedding one another? We live in the here and now the way we want to, come what may today we celebrate who we are. This cult may be destroyed and ground into the earth tomorrow but Adephagias blessing will never fade!
*****************************
The Punic wars came and went, Carthage was destroyed and her lands were salted so that nothing would grow. Sicily became part of the Republic of Rome but despite Epicurus prophecy the cult of Adephagia remained.
Tiberius and Penelope were young lovers on the outskirts of Selinunte. Tiberius was very fat for his age, Penelope delighted in cooking for him and massaging his growing form. She was crying, Tiberius, my parents dont want me to see you anymore. My mother says its unfitting for a follower of Selene to be with one such as you. My father threatens to have you sold into slavery! He is a legate, it would be nothing for him to have you dragged off. They are blind to our love, they say its forbidden!
Tiberius tried to calm Penelope down, Ive heard of a place on the far side of Mount Etna, there is a cult there that loves like we do. We should go there and leave this place far behind us.
They did go and join with Adephagias followers and they were accepted for who they were. The Legates men searched for them but by the time they questioned Adephagias followers Tiberius had grown a thick beard, Penelope had lightened her hair and both had grown in girth so much that they just blended in and were not recognized. They lived full and happy lives.
**************************
Arsinoe pleaded with Marc Antony in the temple of Artemis at Ethesus. Please send me to Sicily, you can tell my sister that Ive been killed. My lover waits for me at the temple of Adephagia, we will live in her blessing. Youll never hear from me again!
Marc Antony looked at the plump Arsinoe and took pity, Indeed you have been living in Adephagias blessing, youve nearly doubled in size these past few years. I can believe your ambitions to take your sister Cleopatras throne are no more.
A handmaiden who bore an uncanny resemblance to Arsinoe was near deaths door with an intestinal blockage. Marc Antonys centurions held her up on the steps of temple of Demeter as Marc Antony himself ordered her executed. He made a show of proclaiming Arsinoe dead and buried the handmaiden in a tomb bearing Arsinoes name in Ephesus.
Arsinoe herself lived the rest of her days as one of Adephagias followers, she grew huge and content and enjoyed her lovers attentions immensely.
*********************************
The Roman Empire demanded that her emperor be worshipped as a god. Adephagias followers had no issue with this, they in fact invited the emperor to their festival every year. Sicily was deforested as the Romans demanded more and more grain. Farms covered Sicily and food was never in short supply. Adephagias followers continued in their ways, trying never to run afoul of Caesar.
**************************
The emperor Caligula threw a great feast in Adephagias honor at his palace in Rome. He lavished Adephagias followers with gifts. The food was the best that could be had at the time and it seemed endless. The wine was endless too. Caligula proclaimed to his guests Adephagia and Dionysus hold sway here this night! Eat, drink and be merry! Adephagias followers as well as Caligulas regular guests let out a cheer.
One of Caligulas regular guests stumbled over to a vomitorium to purge himself only to notice that it was covered with a steel plate. My Ceasar! I must purge myself! He exclaimed as he vomited on the steel plate. Fool! Caligula bellowed, Tonight Adephagia holds sway! You are supposed to eat and grow fat! The man was dragged away in chains.
***************************
Christian missionaries attended the feast of Adephagia at her temple in Sicily. They proclaimed to everyone that listened that there was good news! Christ had saved us all! He died for our sins and everyone had a place in heaven! Like a majority of early Christian sects they were universalists, they believed everyone was saved. They had a very Buddhist philosophy and preached peace and harmony. They had a positive message of peace and love. The followers liked these Christians and thought it was a shame so many were being persecuted by the Romans. The scripture they carried around bears little resemblance to the bibles the major Christian denominations have today.
********************************
Christ had come to displace the Greek pantheon in the empire. This brand of Christianity was much less benign than the one the followers encountered a century earlier. Adephagias followers had to meet in secret under Emperor Constantine, their temple was left unattended and fell into disrepair. Under Gratius the temples stone was taken for road building, nothing of it remained. The followers became scattered but would still make the effort to meet for the annual festival. Many of the followers pretended to convert to Christianity to avoid persecution but still made the annual trek for the festival and still lived under Adephagias blessing. Under Pope Gregory a church was built where Adephagias temple used to be. Followers would leave mass to feast in secret and to tell stories of the old ways.
**********************************
When the Arabs conquered Sicily the followers dwindled. The church was demolished and a mosque took its place. The followers tried to keep a low profile, but the festival became a shadow of its former self, the followers were taxed for being Christian, to admit pagan worship could be disastrous in these times. A few Arabs obviously lived in Adephagias blessing and were carefully and quietly brought into the fold. They brought what they learned to Mauritania where the teachings of the followers were many years later sadly twisted beyond recognition into forced feeding of prospective brides.
**********************************
The followers enjoyed a resurgence under Norman rule. The Norse had no issue with their ways and the festival was openly celebrated and enjoyed by many. Halls of feasting with wooden figures of the goddess popped up near the old site of the temple. Life was good for a time. But as the years rolled on the Catholic church tightened her grip on the island and tolerance for paganism again became non-existent. The followers though again numerous, were again forced into secrecy. Theyd hold their banquets and festivals under other pretenses, though they were still in fact still celebrations of gluttony and its goddess.
******************************
In France, Marie was preparing for her journey to Sicily for the annual festival of Adephagia, she hadnt been able to go in years and was really looking forward to it. Her rotund form was busy packing this and that and making the necessary arrangements when her old friend Paula stopped by. Paula began to implore Marie not to go, she claimed that Marie was wasting her life!
Marie! Paula lectured, Adephagia is just the bitch offspring of Rex Mundi! You must shed your fascination with the flesh and the material! True enlightenment is spiritual.
Paula, Marie retorted, I dont tell you how to live, dont tell me how to live. If being a follower of Adephagia makes me a follower of your so-called Rex Mundi then so be it. Go back to your Cathar friends and feel superior and holy!
The Cathars were later annihilated after many years of persecution. At one point in an effort to convert Cathars the Catholic Church created the Dominican order, which in many ways tried to out-Cathar the Cathars with the rebuking of physical desires, vows of poverty and the rejection of the material. In their effort to destroy the Cathars the church actually succeeded in becoming more like them on the whole.
************************************
And so it went under Italian rule, under French rule and under Spanish rule for Sicily. The followers were scattered across Europe but would continue to return for the annual festival of the goddess Adephagia.
1492 was a tumultuous year for Sicily. The Spanish inquisition was in full swing and the kings men were busy expelling all Jews from the island in the name of the Catholic church. Intolerance for religious difference was at an all time high. Catholic agents questioned everything, looking for anything untoward, anything that could be deemed witchcraft or pagan. The followers thought they had learned to play the game so well, to pretend to be what the world wanted them to be. They couldnt know theyd been infiltrated by an agent of the church who reported everything back to Rome.
Archbishop Castiglione could scarcely believe the reports he was reading. A cult worshiping an ancient Greek goddess still thrived? They worshiped a goddess of gluttony no less! He thought it an insipid perversion and an affront to decency. They spread their poison all over Europe! he seethed. Conniving and pretending to be virtuous! This cannot stand! Castiglione read the followers history as laid out by his spy. If confronted they recant only to continue to practice their pagan rites in secret. Theyve done it over and over. They are guilty of blasphemy and heresy, apostates in all but name. There can be no reconciliation, they must be relaxed!
The churchs position was that it didnt kill anyone, but when they recommend relaxing Monarchies at the time did only one thing, burned the offenders at the stake.
A temporary and secret tribunal of inquisition was established in Sicily. When the festival was at its peak the followers of Adephagia were all captured and detained. The inquisition was a farce, the verdict was predetermined. Recanting by this group had been effectively disallowed by the Archbishop and they were all burned alive on stakes by the Spanish constabulary.
Followers who hadnt made it to the festival were hunted down all over Europe, northern Africa and Asia Minor.
The church ordered all records of the events sealed. The very idea of Adephagia worship must be erased. No one can be allowed to think living like this is acceptable! Castiglione mused. Every document, scroll or tablet mentioning Adephagia or her cult was sought after to be either destroyed or sealed away. Her name was part of the Greek lexicon and could not be completely erased. They successfully got every reference to her as a goddess destroyed or sealed away except for one obscure document. It came to light in the 1960s and it only mentioned in passing the existence of a temple to Adephagia in Sicily.
And so it seemed that the cult of Adephagia had come to a decisive and sad end. Still, dear reader, all those years ago Adephagias priest Jason had said that even when the cult was destroyed that Adephagias blessing would never fade.
*******************************************
A young priest, Father Aidan ODonnell, was ordered by the new pope to go through the sealed records to find anything of value to digitize. He stumbled on a chest that contained numerous important documents. They only seemed to have one thing in common, references to a Greek Goddess Adephagia and her cult. He found an actual account of a festival of Adephagia written by Epicurus himself! He found Roman documents talking about the flight of Arsinoe to Sicily? That didnt sound right. He found an unknown play by Terence, in here simply because it mentioned a priestess of Adephagia. A diary written by a Cathar woman? An unknown work by Dante? This was insane, this was a cover-up of epic proportions! The church had gone through enormous trouble to erase this cult from history. He wondered why it would be considered so dangerous. He wondered if maybe they were still around despite the churchs efforts? He had to know. He could find the location of the temple with these documents, if any followers were alive theyd go there for their festival right?
********************************
Jane and Jill were enjoying their vacation in Sicily. They were touring on their own in the countryside when they found a good spot to pull over and enjoy their enormous packed picnic lunch. They had an excellent view of Mount Etna and its snowy peak. They spread out a blanket next to some crumbly rocks when Jill looked at her map and said Hey Jane, thats an old Mosque that was built after the Moorish invasion. Thats interesting, said Jane, Pass the fried chicken! The two chowed down cheerfully and leaned back satisfied with their big lunch. They dozed off and dreamed.
Jane looked around at the tents and campfires with spits roasting pork and clay ovens cooking treats and her mouth watered. She was conscious of moving and realized she was being carried elevated on a comfortable couch. She yelled at the guys with the poles on their shoulders hefting her along Hey guys, whats going on?
One looked up and said with a wink, Why dont you try some of those dates in the basket? If you get thirsty theres some sweet wine next to you too. Jane found the dates and had to admit they were very tasty. She had several and then took a swig of the sweet berry wine. It was refreshing, yum! Then she spotted Jill being carried the same way she was a little ways off.
Jill whats going on? yelled Jane.
I dont know Jane, but its kind of fun! answered Jill.
They noticed the very same mountain they were looking at before and realized they were in the same place they had the picnic. A large white temple with Greek columns was where the crumbly rocks used to be. Up the steps into the temple they went. Smiling people greeted them on every step.
They were carried through a group of happy people who were cheering and reaching to shake their hands. They noticed lots of big girls like them, though they were the biggest.
There was singing, dancing, music and laughter all around. The atmosphere was one of fun and celebration. They were finally lowered onto a large dais and tables of food were carried out in front of them. They were waited on hand and foot being fed the most delectable goodies. The crowd seemed to hang on their every word. Oh thats so good! would elicit cheers from the crowd. The wrappings they saw everyone wearing looked so comfortable and then they realized they were wearing them too.
Course after course was brought before them and they struggled to eat it all. Roast pheasant, wild boar, tuna steaks, succulent sweet rolls, dates, honeyed ham, refreshing berry wine, wonderful jellied cakes and more passed their lips.
Finally a man introduced himself as Jason. He said Followers of Adephagia are always welcome here. It means so much to me that people are still living in the blessing.
Blessing? This does seem like a blessing but follower of who? asked Jill.
You have sensual love of food and your own abundant growing bodies, and you have people who love and admire you for it. Thats all the blessing is. Jason smiled.
Jill! I just had the coolest dream! shouted Jane.
Did it have cute guys carrying us around and then feeding us awesome goodies? asked Jill as she reluctantly woke up.
How did you know that? Weird. Its already fading from my memory though, oh no, I want to keep remembering this dream damn it! Adephagia? Didnt that creepy guy Demian mention that once? said a puzzled Jane.
Father ODonnell was watching through binoculars in the distance. In his mobile command center he was able to establish the two rather large womens identities by backtracking the license plate on their rental car. He found out about admirers, weight gain, eroticizing food and bashes. They were definitely living in the blessing of Adephagia as the cult defined it. Now what should he do about it? Aidan thought about it for a minute and ripped off his collar. Count me in! Blessings of Adephagia upon thee!
author's note: I fantasized about a religion based on feederism or feedism and this is the result, a back-story interwoven with historical events. It is my intent to expand on this with much more erotic material in the future using the events and circumstances described as a back-drop.
Adephagia Rising
Epicurus watched and scoweled. This festival did not sit well with him. He thought the women too fat, the wine too sweet and the food far too tempting. He suspected hed have to be carted out of the place if he stayed much longer.
Stop your scowling old friend, this is a joyous festival that only comes once a year, scolded Jason who was a priest in the cult of Adephagia, You remind me of the stern Romans who fancy themselves to be like the Spartans of old. Even the old Rabbi who lectured us against the dangers of gluttony was more fun than you!
So what if this festival comes once a year? exclaimed Epicurus. You live like this year round! The noble families think me a hedonist and the hedonists think me a meddler but even the hedonists would cringe at this display. Enjoy life, enjoy food, enjoy everything this world has to offer, but dont do it to extremes, that is what I teach. Extremes lead to unhappiness.
Jason retorted Do we look unhappy to you? Your vaunted philosophy may work well for most but people are as varied all the sunsets of the year, no two are the same. Your philosophy is wise, but its not for us. We are just being true to ourselves old friend, life is too precious to spend it being someone else.
They paused to watch as this years festival queen was carried past on a litter. Eight fully grown well muscled men carried the litter but they struggled with their burden. Their burden was just one woman, a basket of dates and a carafe of sweet wine. Megara reclined in luxury atop the litter popping dates into her mouth. The canopy protected her delicate skin from the sun but her ample form was visible from the sides.
Jason smiled broadly, he remembered when Megara was just a waif of a girl. Over the years shed blossomed into a massive example of gluttonous beauty. Megara loved her body, she loved to eat and grow. She loved that her admirers shared in this love and helped her along the way. She was in érōs (sensual passionate erotic love)with herself, her admirers and the feasting. She was in agápē (a deeper more reverent unconditional love) with one man in particular, the followers as a whole and the goddess Adephagia herself. She was living the blessing of Adephagia. She was a fitting representation of the goddess Adephagia on earth.
Epicurus interrupted his revery, Maybe you are square pegs that will not fit in the round hole that is my philosophy. I warn against overindulgence because it leads to pain, but pain also comes from denying who you are. But the world will intrude. You glorify gluttony! You link eating and growing fat with sexual pleasure. And you do it in the name of a goddess! There is no place for this in the civilized world. This will not be allowed to stand forever you must realize. Sicily is far too tempting a prize. We are far from Greece and as we speak this island is coveted by Rome to the north and Carthage to the south.
Jason replied wistfully, In Greece it is acceptable for men to bed those barely out of boyhood, in the east this is considered a crime against nature. Are you so different from the easterners who condemn men bedding one another? We live in the here and now the way we want to, come what may today we celebrate who we are. This cult may be destroyed and ground into the earth tomorrow but Adephagias blessing will never fade!
*****************************
The Punic wars came and went, Carthage was destroyed and her lands were salted so that nothing would grow. Sicily became part of the Republic of Rome but despite Epicurus prophecy the cult of Adephagia remained.
Tiberius and Penelope were young lovers on the outskirts of Selinunte. Tiberius was very fat for his age, Penelope delighted in cooking for him and massaging his growing form. She was crying, Tiberius, my parents dont want me to see you anymore. My mother says its unfitting for a follower of Selene to be with one such as you. My father threatens to have you sold into slavery! He is a legate, it would be nothing for him to have you dragged off. They are blind to our love, they say its forbidden!
Tiberius tried to calm Penelope down, Ive heard of a place on the far side of Mount Etna, there is a cult there that loves like we do. We should go there and leave this place far behind us.
They did go and join with Adephagias followers and they were accepted for who they were. The Legates men searched for them but by the time they questioned Adephagias followers Tiberius had grown a thick beard, Penelope had lightened her hair and both had grown in girth so much that they just blended in and were not recognized. They lived full and happy lives.
**************************
Arsinoe pleaded with Marc Antony in the temple of Artemis at Ethesus. Please send me to Sicily, you can tell my sister that Ive been killed. My lover waits for me at the temple of Adephagia, we will live in her blessing. Youll never hear from me again!
Marc Antony looked at the plump Arsinoe and took pity, Indeed you have been living in Adephagias blessing, youve nearly doubled in size these past few years. I can believe your ambitions to take your sister Cleopatras throne are no more.
A handmaiden who bore an uncanny resemblance to Arsinoe was near deaths door with an intestinal blockage. Marc Antonys centurions held her up on the steps of temple of Demeter as Marc Antony himself ordered her executed. He made a show of proclaiming Arsinoe dead and buried the handmaiden in a tomb bearing Arsinoes name in Ephesus.
Arsinoe herself lived the rest of her days as one of Adephagias followers, she grew huge and content and enjoyed her lovers attentions immensely.
*********************************
The Roman Empire demanded that her emperor be worshipped as a god. Adephagias followers had no issue with this, they in fact invited the emperor to their festival every year. Sicily was deforested as the Romans demanded more and more grain. Farms covered Sicily and food was never in short supply. Adephagias followers continued in their ways, trying never to run afoul of Caesar.
**************************
The emperor Caligula threw a great feast in Adephagias honor at his palace in Rome. He lavished Adephagias followers with gifts. The food was the best that could be had at the time and it seemed endless. The wine was endless too. Caligula proclaimed to his guests Adephagia and Dionysus hold sway here this night! Eat, drink and be merry! Adephagias followers as well as Caligulas regular guests let out a cheer.
One of Caligulas regular guests stumbled over to a vomitorium to purge himself only to notice that it was covered with a steel plate. My Ceasar! I must purge myself! He exclaimed as he vomited on the steel plate. Fool! Caligula bellowed, Tonight Adephagia holds sway! You are supposed to eat and grow fat! The man was dragged away in chains.
***************************
Christian missionaries attended the feast of Adephagia at her temple in Sicily. They proclaimed to everyone that listened that there was good news! Christ had saved us all! He died for our sins and everyone had a place in heaven! Like a majority of early Christian sects they were universalists, they believed everyone was saved. They had a very Buddhist philosophy and preached peace and harmony. They had a positive message of peace and love. The followers liked these Christians and thought it was a shame so many were being persecuted by the Romans. The scripture they carried around bears little resemblance to the bibles the major Christian denominations have today.
********************************
Christ had come to displace the Greek pantheon in the empire. This brand of Christianity was much less benign than the one the followers encountered a century earlier. Adephagias followers had to meet in secret under Emperor Constantine, their temple was left unattended and fell into disrepair. Under Gratius the temples stone was taken for road building, nothing of it remained. The followers became scattered but would still make the effort to meet for the annual festival. Many of the followers pretended to convert to Christianity to avoid persecution but still made the annual trek for the festival and still lived under Adephagias blessing. Under Pope Gregory a church was built where Adephagias temple used to be. Followers would leave mass to feast in secret and to tell stories of the old ways.
**********************************
When the Arabs conquered Sicily the followers dwindled. The church was demolished and a mosque took its place. The followers tried to keep a low profile, but the festival became a shadow of its former self, the followers were taxed for being Christian, to admit pagan worship could be disastrous in these times. A few Arabs obviously lived in Adephagias blessing and were carefully and quietly brought into the fold. They brought what they learned to Mauritania where the teachings of the followers were many years later sadly twisted beyond recognition into forced feeding of prospective brides.
**********************************
The followers enjoyed a resurgence under Norman rule. The Norse had no issue with their ways and the festival was openly celebrated and enjoyed by many. Halls of feasting with wooden figures of the goddess popped up near the old site of the temple. Life was good for a time. But as the years rolled on the Catholic church tightened her grip on the island and tolerance for paganism again became non-existent. The followers though again numerous, were again forced into secrecy. Theyd hold their banquets and festivals under other pretenses, though they were still in fact still celebrations of gluttony and its goddess.
******************************
In France, Marie was preparing for her journey to Sicily for the annual festival of Adephagia, she hadnt been able to go in years and was really looking forward to it. Her rotund form was busy packing this and that and making the necessary arrangements when her old friend Paula stopped by. Paula began to implore Marie not to go, she claimed that Marie was wasting her life!
Marie! Paula lectured, Adephagia is just the bitch offspring of Rex Mundi! You must shed your fascination with the flesh and the material! True enlightenment is spiritual.
Paula, Marie retorted, I dont tell you how to live, dont tell me how to live. If being a follower of Adephagia makes me a follower of your so-called Rex Mundi then so be it. Go back to your Cathar friends and feel superior and holy!
The Cathars were later annihilated after many years of persecution. At one point in an effort to convert Cathars the Catholic Church created the Dominican order, which in many ways tried to out-Cathar the Cathars with the rebuking of physical desires, vows of poverty and the rejection of the material. In their effort to destroy the Cathars the church actually succeeded in becoming more like them on the whole.
************************************
And so it went under Italian rule, under French rule and under Spanish rule for Sicily. The followers were scattered across Europe but would continue to return for the annual festival of the goddess Adephagia.
1492 was a tumultuous year for Sicily. The Spanish inquisition was in full swing and the kings men were busy expelling all Jews from the island in the name of the Catholic church. Intolerance for religious difference was at an all time high. Catholic agents questioned everything, looking for anything untoward, anything that could be deemed witchcraft or pagan. The followers thought they had learned to play the game so well, to pretend to be what the world wanted them to be. They couldnt know theyd been infiltrated by an agent of the church who reported everything back to Rome.
Archbishop Castiglione could scarcely believe the reports he was reading. A cult worshiping an ancient Greek goddess still thrived? They worshiped a goddess of gluttony no less! He thought it an insipid perversion and an affront to decency. They spread their poison all over Europe! he seethed. Conniving and pretending to be virtuous! This cannot stand! Castiglione read the followers history as laid out by his spy. If confronted they recant only to continue to practice their pagan rites in secret. Theyve done it over and over. They are guilty of blasphemy and heresy, apostates in all but name. There can be no reconciliation, they must be relaxed!
The churchs position was that it didnt kill anyone, but when they recommend relaxing Monarchies at the time did only one thing, burned the offenders at the stake.
A temporary and secret tribunal of inquisition was established in Sicily. When the festival was at its peak the followers of Adephagia were all captured and detained. The inquisition was a farce, the verdict was predetermined. Recanting by this group had been effectively disallowed by the Archbishop and they were all burned alive on stakes by the Spanish constabulary.
Followers who hadnt made it to the festival were hunted down all over Europe, northern Africa and Asia Minor.
The church ordered all records of the events sealed. The very idea of Adephagia worship must be erased. No one can be allowed to think living like this is acceptable! Castiglione mused. Every document, scroll or tablet mentioning Adephagia or her cult was sought after to be either destroyed or sealed away. Her name was part of the Greek lexicon and could not be completely erased. They successfully got every reference to her as a goddess destroyed or sealed away except for one obscure document. It came to light in the 1960s and it only mentioned in passing the existence of a temple to Adephagia in Sicily.
And so it seemed that the cult of Adephagia had come to a decisive and sad end. Still, dear reader, all those years ago Adephagias priest Jason had said that even when the cult was destroyed that Adephagias blessing would never fade.
*******************************************
A young priest, Father Aidan ODonnell, was ordered by the new pope to go through the sealed records to find anything of value to digitize. He stumbled on a chest that contained numerous important documents. They only seemed to have one thing in common, references to a Greek Goddess Adephagia and her cult. He found an actual account of a festival of Adephagia written by Epicurus himself! He found Roman documents talking about the flight of Arsinoe to Sicily? That didnt sound right. He found an unknown play by Terence, in here simply because it mentioned a priestess of Adephagia. A diary written by a Cathar woman? An unknown work by Dante? This was insane, this was a cover-up of epic proportions! The church had gone through enormous trouble to erase this cult from history. He wondered why it would be considered so dangerous. He wondered if maybe they were still around despite the churchs efforts? He had to know. He could find the location of the temple with these documents, if any followers were alive theyd go there for their festival right?
********************************
Jane and Jill were enjoying their vacation in Sicily. They were touring on their own in the countryside when they found a good spot to pull over and enjoy their enormous packed picnic lunch. They had an excellent view of Mount Etna and its snowy peak. They spread out a blanket next to some crumbly rocks when Jill looked at her map and said Hey Jane, thats an old Mosque that was built after the Moorish invasion. Thats interesting, said Jane, Pass the fried chicken! The two chowed down cheerfully and leaned back satisfied with their big lunch. They dozed off and dreamed.
Jane looked around at the tents and campfires with spits roasting pork and clay ovens cooking treats and her mouth watered. She was conscious of moving and realized she was being carried elevated on a comfortable couch. She yelled at the guys with the poles on their shoulders hefting her along Hey guys, whats going on?
One looked up and said with a wink, Why dont you try some of those dates in the basket? If you get thirsty theres some sweet wine next to you too. Jane found the dates and had to admit they were very tasty. She had several and then took a swig of the sweet berry wine. It was refreshing, yum! Then she spotted Jill being carried the same way she was a little ways off.
Jill whats going on? yelled Jane.
I dont know Jane, but its kind of fun! answered Jill.
They noticed the very same mountain they were looking at before and realized they were in the same place they had the picnic. A large white temple with Greek columns was where the crumbly rocks used to be. Up the steps into the temple they went. Smiling people greeted them on every step.
They were carried through a group of happy people who were cheering and reaching to shake their hands. They noticed lots of big girls like them, though they were the biggest.
There was singing, dancing, music and laughter all around. The atmosphere was one of fun and celebration. They were finally lowered onto a large dais and tables of food were carried out in front of them. They were waited on hand and foot being fed the most delectable goodies. The crowd seemed to hang on their every word. Oh thats so good! would elicit cheers from the crowd. The wrappings they saw everyone wearing looked so comfortable and then they realized they were wearing them too.
Course after course was brought before them and they struggled to eat it all. Roast pheasant, wild boar, tuna steaks, succulent sweet rolls, dates, honeyed ham, refreshing berry wine, wonderful jellied cakes and more passed their lips.
Finally a man introduced himself as Jason. He said Followers of Adephagia are always welcome here. It means so much to me that people are still living in the blessing.
Blessing? This does seem like a blessing but follower of who? asked Jill.
You have sensual love of food and your own abundant growing bodies, and you have people who love and admire you for it. Thats all the blessing is. Jason smiled.
Jill! I just had the coolest dream! shouted Jane.
Did it have cute guys carrying us around and then feeding us awesome goodies? asked Jill as she reluctantly woke up.
How did you know that? Weird. Its already fading from my memory though, oh no, I want to keep remembering this dream damn it! Adephagia? Didnt that creepy guy Demian mention that once? said a puzzled Jane.
Father ODonnell was watching through binoculars in the distance. In his mobile command center he was able to establish the two rather large womens identities by backtracking the license plate on their rental car. He found out about admirers, weight gain, eroticizing food and bashes. They were definitely living in the blessing of Adephagia as the cult defined it. Now what should he do about it? Aidan thought about it for a minute and ripped off his collar. Count me in! Blessings of Adephagia upon thee!
