Primal Religions

Unit 3

Overview
Why called Primal?
Around for far longer than organized religion
Small groups who supported themselves by their
own efforts so another name might be Tribal.
What is noteworthy;
Primal religions are non-literate; only Oral Traditions

General Characteristics
Animism= Belief that everything has should Ritualsrites of passage very important
Taboos- something forbidden, place or action
Sacrifice- through rituals or personal asceticism
Creation myths- story of existence(very important)
Totem- symbols that serve as emblems of a clan, may
be animal or plant
Tricksters- gods or demons, a prankster who stirs
thinks up
Shaman- central figure medicine man

Lakota
Ojibwa called them Sioux translated to
mean treacherous snakes
EtymologyLakota= an alliance of friends
First contact wachistu (white man) by Jesuits
in 1640s
No word for religion in Lakota language

A. Sacred Place/Sacred Time

1. Black Hills- site of creation of world
a) Battle of Little Big Horndefeat of Gen Custer
1875
b) Wounded knee Massacre 1891

2. Way of livening Walk in beauty

B. Sacred Stories
1. Creation Story

Flood destroyed immoral humans

Four animals assist the Great Spirit in re-creating world
Turtle plays key role
What were the different races of people created from?
When land was created, Wakantanka cried with
compassion for the people and bodies of water were
formed
A warning was sent out to men and women about their
morality
The Sacred pipe is involved in creation

C. Beliefs and Practices

1. Divine
Omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient,
Supreme Being, Wakantanka: Great Mystery
(spirit)
Pantheism/ Sacred animals
To-Tanka, Manitu-tanka

Sacred number is 4four winds/directions

Circles are considered sacred

2. The Medicine Wheel

(Sacred cycle of all things: animals, life, day,
emotions)
True purpose not know
Calendar
Meditative

3. Life-Death Cycle
The person's essence/spirit (nagi) consists of 4
component parts
At death, one essence, ni (the personality) travels along
the Spirit Path or Milky Way to stand before an old
women
It is judgedif it is pure it continues to join its
ancestors > If it is impure it returns to earth as a ghost
Wokape (Wisdom)
Woohitika (Selflessness
Wowacitanka (Fortitude)
Wacamtognaka (Generosity)

5. Seven Sacred Rites

Inipi- (Rite of purification)
Hanbleceyapi- (Vision quest)
Isna Ta Awi Ca Lowan- (Preparing a girl for
womanhood)
Wiwanyag Wacipi- (Sun dance)
Hunkapi-(Making of relatives)
Tapa Wanka Yap- (Throwing the ball)
Nagi Gluhapi- (Keeping of the soul)
2 figures in these rituals are the chanunpa wakan
and wicasa wakan

InipiRite of Purification
A sweat lodge is built by the wicasa wakan and
participate
Psychosomatic properties of sweating
All rites begin with this
Return to the womb

HanbleceyapiCrying for a vision

The Vision Quest
Traditionally used before a hunt

The Sundance Ritual

Period of fasting
Hallucinations?
Spiritual direction

Wiwanyag WacipiThe Sundance

Fasting and dancing for four days, participants
endured suffering. The suffering can be
symbolic, spiritual, or very real.
Vicarious Suffering
Celebration of the Great Spirit the sun
June or July
Centered around a tree and volunteers offered
their bodies as a sacrifice

Lakota Women
Women were understood as equal to men
Respected because of their connection to White
Buffalo Calf Maiden who gave tribe scared pipe
Women were in charge of house. They were the
owners of the tipis and the belongings inside
Food gatherers
Were considered to have powers beyond men;
Gave birth
Dreams of clarity given by Great Spirit

 Women had ability to dream and considered

to have power to heal
This allowed women to play role in religious
ceremonies
A woman's greatest gift to the tribe:
Birth of Children
Children were raised according to the 4 virtues