Shaman: Spirit healers. First called jugglers by the French because they were seen as fakers and they used slight of hand magic. A Shaman in Siberia is a healer who invites spirits into hi body. A native doctor in Siberia is called Summa. A Shaman is mainly a healer but the term also denotes a priest. Certain personality types of people start to have vision when they are young. They go to the Shaman seeking help and are sent on a vision quest to see if they are to be chosen to become Shaman/Medicine Man. When God speaks to man, he has to be posessed by a spirit. The power of the Shaman is amoral. Meaning, it is not always good. The Shaman, unlike the Priest, is more emotional.
Religion: The belief in whatever is the ultimate to a social group.
Major Theme of Indian Mythology: Who we are and how did we get here.
Priest: A ritual spiritualist. Marries you and burries you. and prays for your crops. When man speaks to God, he just performs a ritual. Not too emotional when performing rituals.
Hunter-Gatherers: Dominated by Shaman.
Farmers: Dominated by Priests.
Myth: Sacred narrative/tale believed to be true. All religions have mythology.
Origin Mythology: How did we come to be and, where did I come from?
Earth Diver Mythology: (Blackfoot Mythology - Hunter Gatherers) In the beginning the Earth was covered with water. There was an old man and an old woman in a canoe (Ying/Yang principle) who create crayfish, otters, and others creatures. The old man decides to create man, then the woman complains so the old man creates woman. These new creatures have two eyes and two ears. This story is similar to the story of Noah in Christianity.
Emergence Mythology: (Farmers) Humans grew out of the ground like plants.
Trickster Mythology: Kind of like the Road Runner and Coyote. One day, old man coyote was moving along (typical trickster story beginning). The trickster is an abomination, but he also saves the light. Tricksters are entertainment for children. The trickster coyote helps tell tales and explains why things are the way they are. The trickster is very important to kids and mythology. Tricksters are very small but very smart.
Rituals: Behavior that is marked by reppitition. Most ritual behavior is connected with the military and religion. Festivals and Ceremonies.
1. Rite of Passage: The changing of one status to another.
2. Rite of Reversal: For a period of time, everything is turned around. The enemy attacks, I attack. The
contradictory tribe. All societies will have roles that switch or reverse from time to time.
3. Rite of Intensification: