Animism in Indian Tribes

Document Type : index

Author

Faculty member of the Department of Anthropology, Yazd University

10.29252/kavosh.2003.2262

Abstract

Primitive people had no idea of how and why certain things came about in human life, or nature. Happenings specially death and the life after it remained inexplicable secrets to the ancient man. The secrets are relevant even nowadays, preoccupying the modern man’s mind and challenging every school of philosophy.
To the narrow - minded primitive man, death made no sense, hence incredible and impossible to happen. It brought them to believe in cognates, shadows, or spirits slipping out of the body at death and returning to it at some other time. Cave carvings of animals with arrows through their bodies suggest the man's attempt to master their spirits.
The carvings also suggest the prevalent mentality of the time as well as the kind of art with which to depict the strongly held superstitions and exotic creatures such as devils and giants. These along with evil spirits and mysterious magic forces were thought to be responsible for many, diseases. Patients could get rid of the curse only by body jerks, and magic verses read out in religious ceremonies.
One of the places where such beliefs and practices still hold is India. Indian tribes worship spirits in various manners. They divide them into protective, benevolent, malevolent, and parental spirits and consider them as an integral part of the economic and social life.

Keywords

Journal of Kavoshnameh in Persian Language and Literature
Volume 3, 5 & 6 - Serial Number 6
August 2021
Pages 85-103

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