Q1. Present the main features of hunter-gatherer religions, the worldview that lies behind
them, and how that worldview is reflected in their culture and religion.
The culture and religion of the hunter-gatherer religions differ from that of today's religion.
These religions believed in Animism, which is the belief that life is present in everything and
it should be respected. This ever-present life force is known as Mana. These religions
worshiped mostly cosmological deities. They had Shamans who were spiritual leaders who
were considered to be high in mana and were able to connect with the spirits of nature and
ancestors, also the afterlife. Their society operated very different to ours. Every member of
the tribes served a purpose and in everything, they attempted to show their respect for the
nature around them. These people were pre-literate, meaning they could not read or write.
They had no use for such things.
A. How would you describe the meaning of the word spirituality in terms of your own
reflections upon human life and your own personal history?
To me, spirituality is more a way of life versus an organized and structured religion. To be
spiritual one must have respect for their body, the environment, and their fellow man. As a
spiritual person, materialistc items should hold no real value in your heart. A spiritual person
understands every day is not guaranteed and to make the most of every single one. They
don't necessarily believe in one god, but they do believe in a higher power of sorts. A
spiritual person looks at nature and life and sees raw, unedited beauty in everything.
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Q2. Present the main features of hunter-gatherer religions, the worldview that lies behind
them, and how that worldview is reflected in their culture and religion.
Hunter-Gatherer religions are cosmological, this means that their religion is cantered on
nature. Indigenous hunters believe in a divine master of animals who controls the forest or a
significant species of animal who is able to ‘close’ or ‘open’ the forest making game easy or
impossible to find. The relationship between the hunter and the game is more than just being
able to kill, it represents interplay with spiritual forces. For these hunters, it is crucial to
prepare spiritually for the hunt, ceremonies and rites such as drawing a picture of the animal
is used to attract the game. When the hunters leave a sacred silence is often used. When they
are hunting, taboos of diet are followed, hunters remain continent and speak with a special
vocabulary. When trying to capture an animal they capture the animal’s attention using a
ritualized dance and then ambush it. When the animal killed and eaten, the bones are
treated with respect as the animal’s soul may return to see how its remains were treated. An
example of such Indigenous hunters is the Ainu who live on Hokkaido in Japan, they
sacrificed bears. In one traditional ritual, the Ainu take a small bear cub and raise it in their
village and treat it with great affection. When the bear nearly reaches adulthood, it is killed
and sent back into the spirit world. Before being killed it is told it that it was sent into the
world to be hunted and to remember how much care and love was imposed upon it. They
then tell the bear to tell its parents how well the Ainu treated it and beg the bear to come
back into the world to be sacrificed again.
Indigenous gatherers are also similar to the hunters, the relationship between gatherer and
land reveals a spiritual life. The main diet of gatherers is large game, but mostly plant foods
and small animals. The gatherers have special knowledge of the Earth spirit who provides
these ‘gifts’ of food.
C. What characteristics would you expect to discover if you encountered a person of
profound spirituality? Are you aware of any person who represents these characteristics
either personally or other awareness.
I think spirituality is having a deep connection and relationship with God, it’s about
developing human spirit and soul. If encountered a person of profound spirituality I think
he/she will have a character trait of being humble. This person would be down to earth and
not be very materialistic because happiness doesn’t come from material possession but from
things which are immaterial such as friendships, love, something supernatural which as
humans is impossible to control. A person with profound spirituality is wise, this person
knows the ways of the world, the injustices and the joy the natural world brings. This person
has a sense of purpose in life and is not concerned with his/her own insecurities, in fact such
a person knows their own flaws and strengths and tries to balance them out. I think this
person would have little care about the pleasures of the world and is only concerned with
building this relationship with God. I think a person that resembles these traits of a spiritual
person is my uncle because of the way he lives and the fact that he is always trying to
become more spiritual as there are no levels of spirituality but it is always possible to build
upon the foundations of spirituality.
Q2. Present the main features of hunter-gatherer religions, the worldview that lies behind
them, and how that worldview is reflected in their culture and religion ?
Indigenous hunter-gathers lived an entirely different life as we do today. Hunter-gathers
would have a difficult time believing there to be a society that works like ours today, yet in
the same way, we have trouble imagining the daily routine and structure of their lives.
When studying indigenous people, it is evidently necessary to analyze the people as a whole
through their observable features, learned views, and shaped culture.
Similar to us today, hunter-gathers surrounded themselves with religious ideologies.
Observing the indigenous hunters and indigenous gathers supports the idea that humanity
has always attempted connecting with spiritual forces. Regarding the indigenous hunters, the
animal represented the source of their lives and the presence of the Divine. “Going into the
field, tracking, and taking the animal is an act of interplay with spiritual forces and in this
respect is comparable to going to church or temple” (Ellwood 38). Hunters knew animal
encounters to be sacred, as indigenous gatherers knew the land to be. “Archeological and
anthropological evidence indicates that from prehistoric times, the man diet of indigenous
gatherers has consisted not of large game (an occasional and special food) but of plant foods
and small animals gathered, for the most part, by women” (Ellwood 39). One can see how
dependable these indigenous groups were on plants and animals, so there is no question as to
why they viewed them as superior and spiritually related.
In regards to the hunting and gathering cultures, the foundation of their lives were
shaped around plants and animals. To prepare for a great hunt, ceremonies were organized,
rites were artistically created, and sacred silences were observed (Ellwood 38). Respect was
constantly paid to the animals of the forest. Gatherers were understood to possess special
knowledge of the Earth spirit(s) who provide these “gifts” out of his/her bounty (Ellwood
39). Because of this, women held a crucial role as gatherers. There even “appears to be an
egalitarian bent exhibited by a great degree of complementarity in the roles of men and
women” (Ellwood 39). Generally, women of indigenous gathering tribes were known to
provide food for survival.
Nothing compares to the “master of animals” or “Earth spirit” for the indigenous huntergather societies. Their worldview is directly connected to nature and they would honor it
until death. As an indigenous people, nature means their whole life’s work, stability, and
meaning.
C. What characteristics would you expect to discover if you encountered a person of
profound spirituality? Are you aware of any person who represents these characteristics
either personally or other awareness.
If I were to encounter a person of profound spirituality I would immediately discover respect
within myself, along with several other characteristics about him or her. Respect would be
my first, instinctual feeling because if someone were to reach a profound level at anything in
this world, it would be a great achievement. In this case, though, a profoundly spiritual
person, I think, must exhibit an appreciation for life and everything that comes with it. He or
she should have egalitarian views, accepting all people from various cultures and
philosophies. He/She should see people for themselves, not what they appear to be. He/She
should not prefer to engage with one society over another, but try to reach people through
love and kindness. I don’t believe this someone to view people through any kind of social
hierarchy. I think this person should be connected to an ultimate power like God, and could
communicate with Him freely. There should be a strong sense of community within this
person, so that fellowship is his lifestyle. Lastly, I believe this person would be involved in
rituals, so that he may grow in his spirituality. I am aware of someone that represents these
characteristics.
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