try explaining the term "paganism" to a bushman from the kalahari desert, or a stone-age tribeman from the rainforests of sumatra or borneo, or an abo on walkabout in the outback... "animism" is a term that the anthropologists use when the local shaman or tribal spirit-speaker tries to explain why the mask is donned before the sacred dance of the hunt... heh...
Oh. So that means instead of nature spirits, the spirits are in the animals and plants? Sorta like what the Indians believe?
orignaly pangaism meant "one who lived in the conutnry" well they were some of the last people to accept the christian belief. well then todays defeniton started to be created etc etc
What is Animism? Animism is the belief that individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and phenomena. These spiritual beings are separable or separate from bodies. An immaterial force animates the universe and is manifest in individual objects as a separate soul. Does Animism have a founder? The British anthropologist Sir Edward Burnett Tylor named this belief and stated that it was the most primitive type of religion found in the world. In his book Primitive Culture, 1871 he claimed that it derived from people's self-conscious experience of the intangible. The idea of a soul, according to Tylor, came from dreams about the dead. What does the word Animism mean? Animism comes fromthe Latin word animae, which means souls or spirits. How old is Animism? Animism can be considered to be the original human religion, if it is defined y as belief in the existence of spiritual beings. It dates back to the earliest humans making it the oldest form of religious belief on Earth. It is characteristic of aboriginal and native cultures. Who can be an Animist? Anyone who believes in spirituality and does not proscribe to any specific organized religion can call his or her self an Animist. What are some of the major beliefs of Animism? The basis for animism is acknowledgment that there is a spiritual realm which humans share with the universe. Humans possess souls and souls have life apart from human bodies before and after death. Animals, plants, and celestial bodies also these have spirits or souls endowed with reason, intellect, and violation. There is no difference between animate and inanimate objects; all belong to the universal One. Are there any gods in Animism? Animistic gods often explain the creation of fire, wind, water, man, animals, and other natural earthly things. Specific beliefs of animism vary widely, although similarities exist. What are some of the practices of Animism? Animism frequently has holy men or women, visions, trances, dancing, sacred items, and sacred spaces for worship. The worship or connection to the spirits of ancestors is also a characteristic of some animistic societies. These questions are offered as a simple introduction to the Animism. They are presented as an opportunity for further exploration and understanding. No claim is made as to their accuracy or validity. Comments or further questions may be directed to this moderator as a PM labeled Animism FAQ. Meagain View Public Profile Send a private message to Meagain Find More Posts by Meagain Add Meagain to Your Buddy List Add note about user View All of Meagain's Images « Previous Thread | Next Thread » Thread Tools Show Printable Version Email this Page Subscribe to this Thread Display Modes Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode Search this Thread Advanced Search Rate This Thread Excellent Good Average Bad Terrible Posting Rules You may post new threads You may post replies You may post attachments You may edit your posts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vB code is On Smilies are On code is On HTML code is Off
Animism, as a belief system, cant be defined like Wicca or Buddhism, etc. As a word, of course it has a definition. One major part of most animistic beliefs is ancestor worship. All religions had it at one time. Even modern Vietnamese Catholics still "worship" their anscestors like they did when their beliefs were purely animistic. They still have the superstitions about nature spirits, etc. Are they still animist? yes, even though they are catholic, are they pagan? no, they're catholic. so you really cant put animism in a specific category.
Animism is more of a world view than a religion, it's a way of seeing the world. Whereas Wicca, Buddhism, etc. are religions that have animism as their worldview. Hopefully this made sense..
this is why i prefer the term "indiginous traditions" because each indiginous culture has its own. there are many things we could not exist without. is one less sacred then another? did one thing create us or did all things create us? do we really need to know? i just think there is more then one thing we do not know, and many of them are good friends to have. and that whatever we call anything, is our own words for it anyway. =^^= .../\...
