Unerstandin Animism

In short, Animism is not the worship of animals. It is actually the belief that everything in the created world contains within it a spirit. This spirit is energy in the form of consciousness which can affect things around it. This is considered by many to be a very superstitious way of looking at the world, however for many this is simply the way things work. This idea can also be somewhat supported by scientific theory however. The idea that energy is never destroyed and only changes its form relates directly to the idea of Animism. Believers think that when one thing passes on into death, that its spirit simply changes form and moves on to another location; it is never destroyed it only changes its form. This spirit may move on to occupy another person, plant, or animal; such as in reincarnation, or, as in Animism, the theory can be taken one step further to include the idea that these spirits, or animas, may move into other objects as well; such as a river, a rock, or even a location.

Spirits as Being Useful:

Many of these spirits were considered to be useful. Therefore, when one speaks of the spirit of the forest, or the spirit of the river, they are speaking in literal terms. For example, the belief could be such that perhaps the spirit in question was a former shaman's spirit who had stayed here in the material world, in the form of a forest spirit, to continue in its aid of the village. Perhaps this spirit even stayed behind to protect them from other, evil spirits, or from invaders. These spirits could also be believed to be helpful to the tribe in other ways such as attracting animals to the hunt, or making sure the next harvest was bountiful. In this way, these spirits were respected because they may indeed be very useful and beneficial to the tribe. Furthermore, it was also generally thought that theses spirits could also have been a relative, ancestor, or even something more ancient and powerful.

Animism and "Primitive" Religions:

Animism would then be the basis for, what many would call primitive religion. The idea of holding a festival to the Sun to make sure it comes back next year, or praying for rain, or holding a spirit dance to make sure the hunt goes well, is all based in the idea of Animism. In doing so, these believers are making an attempt to appeal to these spirits so that they may intervene and help them in their endeavors. The belief is that if the spirits see that the people are pure, and truly in need, that they will use their powers to affect their situation in a positive manner. This was also the idea behind such things as fetishes. The items contained within the fetish still held some of the original owner's power, and was believed to aid the wearer by infusing these powers and attributes into them, therefore adding to their own abilities.

Evil Spirits:

This idea is further expressed in the idea of the angry spirits. It is believed that if these spirits are dissatisfied with the peoples, or feel as though they have been dishonored or disrespected, that they will affect them in a negative manner. These spirits may cause the rain to stop falling, or for a hunt to be unsuccessful or they may even bring a plague to bear. The idea is that if the people are not living in a right way that the spirits may punish them, much as a parent will punish a child, in order to remind them that they need to live properly. Some of these spirits, however, were thought to be purely evil in nature, causing mayhem, and discord, simply because they enjoyed seeing people suffer, or perhaps out of a need for revenge. Some were also thought to gain power from the suffering of others or from causing them to commit evil acts on others. Many were also the sentinel spirits of rival clans, which would make them evil by association.

Promotion to God:

It is believed by many that with time the spirits of this type of belief system can, and many times do, evolve into gods, thus elevating the belief system into more of a polytheistic religion. The spirit of the sky later becomes the sky God, he spirit of the mountain becomes the volcano God and so on. Each local spirit, after perhaps generations, becomes ingrained into the psyche of the tribe, and therefore gains power, thus elevating it to an even higher power, perhaps a demigod, or even a god. This promotion can also be amplified by the increasing amount of evidence that builds up over time. As time goes on, the amount of anecdotal evidence related to the spirits power increases and inflates the awe with which the tribes-people regard said spirit. For example, the more lightning strikes, and subsequently causes fires witnessed by the tribe, the more powerful this "lightning god" becomes in the mind of the observers. In this way the spirit becomes even more personified and even more real to its beholders, thus promoting it to a God or Goddess.

Superstition and Religious Intolerance:

The reason that many of the new comers to America were in fear of this type of religious belief system are many. However, one must remember that although these people were of monotheistic belief systems, they were very superstitious. As much as they professed not to believe in such things, they did believe in the Devil and his demons. And any spirit that was not their God, or his emissary, must be of an evil origin. Therefore, the spirits that were relied upon by native peoples became the demons of the newcomers. This can also be seen to happen within communities, causing its own discord, and even resulting in murder. The Salem witch trials are a perfect example of this. Many people who practiced different forms of religion, other than the Puritan norm, were persecuted and even put to death. This wasn't because the accused were evil, per say, but because they, along with their religious practices, were perceived by the majority as being evil. The accusers were simply making assumptions of evil based on their own ignorance and superstitious beliefs and acted accordingly. This was also the case with both the Crusades, and the Inquisition.

Conclusion:

Although many see Animism as a primitive and superstitious belief system, one should remember that most religions probably started out in much the same manner. The spirit becomes more ingrained into a society until eventually it becomes a God, Goddess, or many Gods. Polytheistic religions are based on the original Animistic beliefs that were held by their ancestors. After time, experience, and perhaps the evolution of the tribe's way of thinking, these spirits become promoted in the mind of the masses until the eventual formal religion is created and recognized.