Modern and primitive religions are the belief of mankind that some higher powers control not only people, but also various processes in the Universe. This is especially true of ancient cults, since at that time the development of science was weak. Man could not explain this or that phenomenon in any other way, except for divine intervention. Often, this approach to understanding the world led to tragic consequences (the Inquisition, the burning of scientists at the stake, and so on).
There was also a period of compulsion. If the belief was not accepted by a person, then he was tortured and tortured until he changed his point of view. Today, the choice of religion is free, people have the right to choose their own worldview.
Which religion is the most ancient?
The emergence of primitive religions dates back to a long period, about 40-30 thousand years ago. But which belief came first? Scientists have different points of view on this. Some believe that this happened when people began to perceive the souls of each other, others - with the appearance of witchcraft, others took as a basisworship of animals or objects. But the very emergence of religion itself is a large complex of beliefs. It is difficult to give priority to any of them, since there is no necessary data. The information that archaeologists, researchers and historians receive is not enough.
It is impossible not to take into account the distribution of the first beliefs throughout the planet, which leads to the conclusion that attempts to search for an ancient religion are illegal. Each tribe that existed then had its own object of worship.
Definitely, we can only say that the first and subsequent foundation of every religion is belief in the supernatural. However, it is expressed differently everywhere. Christians, for example, worship their God, who has no flesh but is omnipresent. It's supernatural. African tribes, in turn, plan their gods out of wood. If they do not like something, then they can cut or pierce their patron with a needle. This is also supernatural. Therefore, every modern religion has its oldest "ancestor".
When did the first religion appear?
Initially primitive religions and myths are closely intertwined. In modern times, it is impossible to find an interpretation of some events. The fact is that their primitive people tried to tell their descendants with the help of mythology, embellishing and / or expressing themselves too figuratively.
However, the question of when beliefs arise is still relevant today. Archaeologists claim that the first religionsappeared after homo sapiens. The excavations, the burials of which date back to 80 thousand years ago, definitely indicate that the ancient man did not think about other worlds at all. People were just buried and that's it. There is no evidence that this process was accompanied by rituals.
Later graves contain weapons, food and some household items (burials made 30-10 thousand years ago). This means that people began to think of death as a long sleep. When a person wakes up, and this must happen, it is necessary that the essentials are next to him. People buried or burned took on an invisible ghostly form. They became kind of guardians of the family.
There was also a period without religions, but very little is known about it by modern scholars.
The reasons for the emergence of the first and subsequent religions
Primitive religions and their characteristics are very similar to modern beliefs. Various religious cults for thousands of years acted in their own and state interests, exerting a psychological impact on the flock.
There are 4 main reasons for the appearance of ancient beliefs, and they are no different from modern ones:
- Intellect. A person needs an explanation for any event that occurs in his life. And if he cannot get it thanks to his knowledge, then he will certainly receive the justification of the observed through supernatural intervention.
- Psychology. Earthly life is finite, and there is no way to resist death,at least for now. Therefore, a person needs to be freed from the fear of dying. Thanks to religion, this can be done quite successfully.
- Moral. There is no society that would exist without rules and prohibitions. It is difficult to punish anyone who violates them. It is much easier to scare and prevent these actions. If a person is afraid to do something bad, due to the fact that supernatural forces will punish him, then the number of violators will decrease significantly.
- Politics. To maintain the stability of any state, ideological support is required. And only this or that belief is capable of providing it.
Thus, the appearance of religions can be taken for granted, since there are more than enough reasons for this.
Totemism
Types of religions of primitive man and their description should begin with totemism. Ancient people lived in groups. Most often these were families or their association. Alone, a person could not provide himself with everything necessary. This is how the cult of animal worship appeared. Societies hunted animals for food without which they could not live. And the appearance of totemism is quite logical. This is how humanity paid tribute to livelihoods.
So, totemism is the belief that one family is related by blood to some particular animal or natural phenomenon. In them, people saw patrons who helped, punished if necessary, resolved conflicts, and so on.
There are two features of totemism. In-first, each member of the tribe had a desire to outwardly resemble his animal. For example, some inhabitants of Africa, in order to look like a zebra or antelope, knocked out their lower teeth. Secondly, the totem animal could not be eaten unless the ritual was followed.
The modern descendant of totemism is Hinduism. Here, some animals, most often the cow, are sacred.
Fetishism
It is impossible to consider primitive religions, if you do not take into account fetishism. It was the belief that some things have supernatural properties. Various objects were worshiped, passed from parents to children, always kept at hand, and so on.
Fetishism is often compared to magic. However, if it is present, it is in a more complex form. Magic helped to have an additional effect on some phenomenon, but did not affect its occurrence in any way.
Another feature of fetishism is that objects were not worshipped. They were revered, treated with respect.
Descendants of fetishism can be considered any modern religion, since everywhere there are certain objects that help to establish a connection with God. These are icons, crosses, crescents, holy relics, amulets and so on.
Magic and Religion
Primitive religions were not without the participation of magic. It is a set of ceremonies and rituals, after which, it was believed, it became possible to control some events, to influence them in every possible way. many huntersperformed various ritual dances that made the process of finding and killing the beast more successful.
Despite the seeming impossibility of magic, it was she who formed the basis of most modern religions as a common element. For example, there is a belief that a rite or ritual (the sacrament of baptism, a funeral service, and so on) has supernatural power. But it is also considered in a separate form, different from all beliefs. People read cards, invoke spirits, or do anything to see their dead ancestors.
Animism
Primitive religions were not without the participation of the human soul. Ancient people thought about such concepts as death, sleep, experience, and so on. As a result of such reflections, the belief that everyone has a soul appeared. Later it was supplemented by the fact that only bodies die. The soul passes into another shell or exists independently in a separate other world. This is how animism comes about, which is the belief in spirits, whether they refer to a person, an animal or a plant.
The peculiarity of this religion was that the soul could live indefinitely. After the body died, she broke out and quietly continued to exist, only in a different form.
Animism is also the ancestor of most modern religions. Ideas about immortal souls, gods and demons - all this is its basis. But animism also exists separately, in spiritualism, belief incasts, entities, and so on.
Shamanism
You can't look at primitive religions without singling out the clergy. This is most acutely seen in shamanism. As an independent religion, it appears much later than those discussed above, and represents the belief that an intermediary (shaman) can communicate with spirits. Sometimes these spirits were evil, but more often they were kind, giving advice. Shamans often became leaders of tribes or communities, because people understood that they were associated with supernatural forces. Therefore, if something happens, they will be able to protect them better than some king or khan, who can only do natural movements (weapons, troops, and so on).
Elements of shamanism are present in virtually all modern religions. Believers especially treat priests, mullahs or other worshipers, believing that they are under the direct influence of higher powers.
Unpopular primitive religious beliefs
Types of primitive religions need to be supplemented with some beliefs that are not as popular as totemism or, for example, magic. Among them is the agricultural cult. The primitive people who led agriculture worshiped the gods of various cultures, as well as the earth itself. There were, for example, patrons of corn, beans, and so on.
The agricultural cult is well represented in today's Christianity. Here the Mother of God is represented as the patroness of bread, George - agriculture, the prophet Elijah - rain andthunder and so on.
Thus, the primitive forms of religion cannot be considered briefly. Every ancient belief exists to this day, even though it has actually lost its face. Rites and sacraments, rituals and amulets - all these are parts of the faith of primitive man. And it is impossible in modern times to find a religion that would not have a strong direct connection with the most ancient cults.
