Paleolithic Religion Essay Sample
The constructs of animism and numinous is a contrast between spiritualty and human experience. The constructs are comparative to the construct of spiritualty with no unequivocal differentiation between sacred and secular in the Paleolithic civilization. The difference between animism and numinous is that animism is the religious belief that there is a psyche in everything. Numinous belief is more of a feeling through experience. The two footings are used independently to assist explicate the artefacts and myths in the Paleolithic civilization.
Paleolithic shows no differentiation between spiritual and non spiritual beliefs. There are rites in topographic point in which everything is identified with a religious act. In comparing to modern worlds. the artefacts and myths play an of import function explicating human history against modern civilization. In the myth of Heracles. he was commanded to execute labours to derive immortality. One of these labours was to kill a sacred cervid. A cervid with aureate horns that was sacred was destined to be killed non for nutrient but for fulfilment of a pursuit. Herculess did non kill the cervid but exhausted him because in Paleolithic civilization one did non kill for athletics but merely for hungriness or self-defence. Heracles shows humanity through this act of following his cultural beliefs and non killing the cervid because it is sacred. The cervid symbolized life. and in Paleolithic civilization life is considered sacred. The aureate horns of the cervid in this myth award show sacredness. and it is this myth that explains humanity portrayed in Paleolithic civilization.
The myth of Adonis is another Paleolithic myth in which the goddess Venus fell in love with a adult male named Adonis. Adonis was warned non to harm the animate beings. but alternatively attacked a Sus scrofa that resulted in taking his life. The animate beings in this narrative besides show importance because they are non to be hunted if they do non do any danger. They are once more seen as sacred in this myth and non to be harmed. After the passing of Adonis. Venus made a memorial for her lover in which his blood was turned into a flower that symbolized the bereavement of his decease. In modern civilization this artefact can be compared to the passing of worlds and flowers being left on Gravess or during the funeral. a symbol of life and decease.
Last is the myth of Sedna. in which a adult female is married off by her male parent. Sedna is married to a sea bird that lies about his wealth and uses Sedna to be his slave. When her male parent came to take her place. sea birds surrounded the boat they were on and Sedna was cast overboard by her male parent as a symbol of forfeit for his ain life. Her male parent went every bit far as dismembering her custodies to guarantee she would non last. As a consequence she became queen of Adlivum “land of the dead” . Shamans were to see her in order to alleviate her of hurting and wretchedness in return for her sending animate beings to be hunted for nutrient. In this Paleolithic myth Sedna symbolized life and decease. for without her felicity. there would be no nutrient for the huntsmans and without nutrient they would decease.
The artefact and myths play a large function in demoing how life and decease is practiced in Paleolithic civilization in comparing to modern society. Burials are considered symbolic by nature and show similarities through Gravess and flowers. Although it has changed over the old ages. life and decease are considered sacred in human being.
