HON 1517 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Northeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Horse Gait
Document Summary
Oral before invention of writing, beliefs and rituals passed on by word of mouth for thousands of years. Still followers in north america, south america, sub-saharan africa, 200-300 million still live in tribes and practices. Religions/cults likely changed throughout history as religion was used by one group to exert power over another. Must be appeased through prayer and offering: often a high/creator god that is unnamed, spirits shape lives and destinies part of ceremonies marking key stages of life, shamans/elders are the spiritual savants. Directly perceive spiritual reality, rather than perceiving through symbols as most people do, make journeys to the spirit world: myths, encounter spirits in dreams, through visions, ecstatic states of consciousness. Geniuses for having molded and thereby modeled life"s essential conditions and activities. They enter the mold of their archetype so completely that each becomes the first hunter; no distinction remains.
