Section C: 1.2 Influence of primal religions

The term primal religion refers to the practices of pre-historic, pre-literate groups, whose rituals and beliefs have been preserved through an oral tradition. These groups are disparate and can be identified in several different parts of the world, including; the Yoruba tribe in west Africa, the Maya in central America, the New Zealand Maori and the Australian aborigines. Though there was no connection between these groups there are striking similarities in their major beliefs and the expression of their religious faith.

Primal religion was practiced by agricultural societies, who lived close to nature and sensed its power. They believed in a spiritual world of beings stronger than mankind. These groups shared similar traits, namely; recognition of the all-encompassing power of religion, with no boundaries between sacred and secular, the use of oral rather than written sources, rituals depicting myths or narratives centred on the human-divine relationship.

The main characteristics of primal religions are the concepts of mana, tabu, totem and shaman. Each of these concepts plays a key role in shaping the religious practice and day to day lifestyle of believers in these faiths. They form the foundations of several major world religions and are evident in the practices of groups as diverse as Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.

Past Exam Question

Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism: Discuss the influence of primal religion on one of the above world religions

In examining the importance of primal religious traditions it’s necessary to explore the influence of these systems of belief on major living traditions like Christianity and Judaism. All major world religions have their roots in the primal traditions of people dating back tens of thousands of years ago. The main characteristics of primal religion (mana, tabu, totem, shaman) are clearly evident in contemporary faiths.

Firstly, mana refers to the impersonal force or quality that resides in all people, animals and natural objects – believers in this concept believed it was a spiritual essence, the ‘stuff souls are made of’. It has it parallels in the Jewish belief in that all life should be exalted and sanctified because it is a gift from God. It can also be seen the Buddhist idea that all life is a flow of existences, subject to the karmic stream. It is, however, probably most clearly seen in the Christian belief in the Holy Spirit – the embodiment of holiness which Christians receive through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. Similar to the belief that everything contains a varying level of mana, Christians believe that the Holy Spirit lives in all of us.

Rules of tabu were essential in preserving the purity of mana. To avoid potentially harmful spiritual imbalances the rules of tabu applied – essentially restricting the spiritually impoverished from entering the realm of the sacred. To be considered tabu was to be set aside for a specific, spiritual purpose. So an object belonging to a tribal elder, or a sacred location was ‘off limits’ to certain individuals. This concept of strictly enforced rules is clearly evident in the traditions of Judaism (laws of Moses, Ten Commandments) and Islam (Sharia Law). It is also seen in the teachings of Christianity on issues of morality – the individual is seen as sacred but also prone to sin. Therefore clear moral instructions exist to preserve each person’s holiness. As in primal traditions, if wrongdoing occurs, rituals of cleansing (ablution) apply. These were, perhaps, more severe in ancient times when human sacrifice was readily practiced. In Christianity the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) is sufficient to cleanse the soul.

Totems are essentially mana-filled objects – they are embedded with a sacred power or spiritual significance. These are the objects that are protected by the rules of tabu. A totem could also be an animal, which is seen as embodying the spirit of the tribe. In these cases there are prescriptions on killing, eating or touching the animal. More often though, the totem is a physical object made from a natural material – an example is the Native American totem pole. These sculptures were carved from trees, they were marked with stories and details from the tribes’ history or representations of ancestors and they stood guard as protectors of the society. In contemporary religions examples of ‘spiritually charged’ objects are in abundance – sacred texts like the Bible and the Qur’an are treated with reverence and respect, objects touched by saints, known as relics, are venerated in Christianity. Maybe the best example of a modern day totem is the treatment of the Torah scroll in Judaism during Sabbath ceremonies.

Finally all primal religions have shamanic figures and these are also evident in modern world religions. The role of the shaman is that of a mediator between the human and the divine, much like a modern day priest in Christianity. Shamans go on journeys into the spirit world. They use their gifts of prophecy and healing to help their communities and they perform rituals of intercession. In Christianity ordained ministers serve similar functions, especially in Catholicism where priests, bishops and cardinals administer sacraments that allow the human encounter the divine.