non-script

The highest, divine Myths of Creation

Australian Aboriginal beliefs

It was long thought that Aborigines had no religion. “Justmagick.” Superstitious beliefs.But (1) there are organized beliefs.But (2) if you view religion as the organization of socio-culturalactivity, in relation to something transcendent, then most ofwhat Aborigines do is religious.But (3) if religion is to believe that the world is of transcendentorigin, then the Australian Aboriginal worldview is religious.(Dreaming.)


Australian Aboriginal beliefsThree Central Themes

The relation between…Man — man.Man — nature.Man — the transcendent.



FertilityThe three themes diverge around fertility.

Of man.Of nature.

Procreation and food.



These themes are explored through religious rites. Among the moreimportant are life-crisis rites.

Life-cycle ritualsBirth.Puberty (social rebirth).Death.


Australian High-GodsEliade, nos. 1

The time before thisBunjil lived among the Kulin, in the time before this.Benign.Looked like an old man.


Australian High-GodsDreaming (“The time before this”)

“Dream | Blooming 1” by Gavin Bobo (cc-by-sa)http://flickr.com/photos/2493/525108189/

http://flickr.com/photos/2493/525108189/


Australian High-GodsDreaming

Not to be confused with nightly dreams.The eternal dream-time. The spiritual reality.Something fundamental; that which is truly real. (Cf. Gill!)

Incarnate from dreaming (through mother). [Eliade, nos. 78]With the initiation rite access is regained. [Eliade, nos. 78]Returns through the funeral rites. [Eliade, nos. 78]


Australian High-GodsDreaming

Incarnate from dreaming (through mother). [Eliade, nos. 78]With the initiation rite access is regained. [Eliade, nos. 78]Returns through the funeral rites. [Eliade, nos. 78]

A totem is a link to dreaming.Holy is, more or less, that which relates to dreaming.



Bunjil taught them how the world works; how one shouldbehave.

Proper behaviourAmong other things: how to form families.

From different tribes.Ceremonies brings groups of tribes together.Yuin Kuringal being an example.



Yuin KuringalInitiation rite of boys to men. (Separate rites for women.)Karangal gathers several tribes; from Manero, Shoalhaven,Braidwood.Together they form a group from which a partner is found.Similar enough. (Culturally.)Different enough. (Genetically.)


Australian High-Gods

From Howitt, A.W. (1904). The Native Tribes of South-East Australia.New York, MacMillan and Co. Page 202.



“You Yangs Bunjil geoglyph” (2007) by TheOriginal BicMac (cc-by-sa-2.5)http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:You_Yangs_Bunjil_geoglyph.JPG

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:You_Yangs_Bunjil_geoglyph.JPG



Bunjil, “Our Father”“Eagle-Hawk”. (Previous slide.)His “real name” is seldom used.More common with Mami-ngata,our father. (Wurunjery)Mungan-ngaua. (Kurnai)Daramulin. (Kuringal-cluster oftribes)Or Baiame, the maker. (Kamilaroi)



Bunjil (cont.), “Our Father”Antropomorphic. (Old man.)Benign.Incarnates; has taken human form.Begets children.Will return.Takes care of the dead.Looks at man from above.Is everywhere — and in heaven.(Omnipresent paradox.)

“Ku-ring-gai Chase - petroglyph” by Peter Woodard (public domain)http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ku-ring-gai_Chase_-_petroglyph.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ku-ring-gai_Chase_-_petroglyph.jpg



“Biamie’s Cave”[sic] av Tammin Wright (cc-by-sa-3.0)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Biamie%27s_Cave.jpg


African religionCommon Misconceptions

Ancestral worship Yes. But African religion can’t be reduced tothis.

Superstition Neither more or less than other religions.Animism Yes. But just a part of a larger whole. As with ancestral

worship.Magick Yes. But not central. See above.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Biamie%27s_Cave.jpg


African ReligionGeneral

CosmogonyUniverse is created by the divine.No common view as to how (or by exactly whom).As the world is created by god, it’s essentially religious.God is still creating.


African ReligionGeneral

CosmologyTwo-part world: the visible (earth) and invisible (heaven).

…or…Three-part world. Heaven; earth; underworld.

In both cases, the parts are not that separated.Heaven is on earth.Levels of existence, not substantially different.

In both cases, the world is ordered, not chaotic.


African ReligionGeneral: ordered universe

Natural laws, the world is not random. It works in a certain way.(As the divine intended.)

Moral laws, as stipulated by the divine. For the good of mankind.So that we shall live happily and harmoniously.

Mystical force, inhabiting the universe.It’s origin is the divine.Accessible by some. (Visions, telepathy, clairvoyance,healing, rainmaking…)


African High-GodsCommon traits

Eliade, nos. 2–7A maker.Benign.Omnipotent.Omniscient.A bit ‘higher up’; more distanced.


African High-GodsNzambi Mpungu of the Bakongo

Invisible, omnipotent maker.Lives ‘above’.Looks upon man, and punishes her.Doesn’t need worship. Is ‘unreachable’.Has given rules, which are to be obeyed.‘Takes away man’ at the hour of death.


African High-GodsCghene of the Isoko

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African High-GodsCghene of the Isoko

Invisible, omnipotent maker.Is ‘beyond human comprehension’. (Mysterious are his ways…)Lives ‘above’.Sends rain, sun and thunder.Is called ‘Our Father’, but is sexless.

Sexlessness is actually quite common. But (a) difficult tofathom from our, cultural point of view; (b) hard even toexpress in our language.

Punishes evil; rewards goodness.No temples; no priests; no worship; no rituals. —But an oyise,a 2.5m high pole used as an intermediary when communicatingwith Cghene. Only used in great need.


African High-GodsNgai of the Kikuyu

One god; the maker.Invisible.Lives ‘above’ and on a mountain. (Omnipresent paradox)Thunder and lightning are signs of/from him.Punishes evil; rewards goodness.Invoked in crisis and life-cycle rites.Isn’t worshipped in good times. (If all is well, then Ngai mustbe happy.)His name should not be used unnecessarily. (Not used in vain.)


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African High-GodsNdjambi of the Herero

Lives in heaven — but is everywhere. (Omnipresent paradox)Benign. Only worshipped in crisis or when giving thanks.Has both a name that is most holy (Ndjambi); and one thatmay be used (Karunga). (Cf. [Jehova/Yahve]/Adonai.1)

1When reading the Hebrew scripture, and God’s name was written, what wasread aloud was Adonai (“Our Lord”) instead of the actual name, Jehova/Yahve.God’s real name is too holy to use. In fact, Adonai, too, is by some consideredtoo holy to use when talking about God outside of ritual purposes, and so theyinstead refer to God as HaShem (“The Name”).

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Namibie_herero_0702a.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Namibie_herero_0702a.jpg


Africa and ChristianityGifford

Three stagesMissionary churches.Independent African churches (AIC).Peaked around 1960.Charismatic churches.Will be focused on here. Increasing rapidly.


Africa and ChristianityCharismatic Churches

Five ThemesWorldly success.Material wealth.The holy, the supernatural, is everywhere.Liberation theology.

Demonic influences hinder the success that would naturally bethere.By removing said influences, success and wealth is achieved.



Fits well with the worldview of traditional, African religion.Control and success — harvest and animals; children etc.The spiritual is everywhere. The sacred and the profane aretwo sides of a coin, not substantially different.Religion should explain, predict, and be a tool for controllingfuture events.

“Normally” one of Christianity’s weak spots.“Corrected” through the third wave of charismatic churches.



The charismatic churches receives converts primarily from otherChristian denominations.Not a unified group; very varied.


Africa and ChristianityKenya, statistics

39 million (2009).22% Kikuyu.

Religious Adherence83% Christian11.2% Muslim2.5% non-religious1.7% Ethnic religion50 000 HinduBaha’i.

Christian Denominations47.7% Protestant23.5% Catholic621 000 Orthodox133 000 Quakers


Africa (1033M): religionA statistical overview

488 Million Christian (47%)421 Million Muslim (41%)109 Million ethnic religious (11%)6 Million agnostic (0.006%)3 Million Hindu (0.003%)2 Million Baha’i (0.002%)


Native AmericanGeneral

Omnipresent life-force, one name used (Dakota) is Wakan.Everything has Wakan. Living as well as inanimate objects.Even phenomena like wind and such.

Belief in spirits.…in visions.Medicinmen/shamans.The three life-crisis: birth; puberty; death.

Much variety between the tribes — of which there are a greatnumber.


Native AmericanGeneral

Religion, is to live.To live with the divine is to live in creation — as everythinghas got Wakan.To perform rites is to endeepen your relation with creation.Theological discussion is less interessting — but to breath is topray.

Adherents don’t necessarily claim religious adherence — theculture as a whole, and ways of living, are seen as spiritual.Cf. Sami religiosity.

Today, most forms of indigenous belief is influenced by Christianity.


North-American High-GodsWakan Tanka of the Dakota Sioux

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North-American High-GodsWakan Tanka of the Dakota Sioux

Every object — animate as well as inanimate — has wakan;spirit.Wakan is not born; nor does it die.You can communicate with wakan.The sum of all wakan, is Wakan Tanka.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:En-chief-sitting-bull.jpg


North-American High-GodsGicelĕmû ’kaong of the Lenape/Delaware

“ Lapowinsa, Chief of the Lenape, 1737”, source: Library of Congress, Washington (public domain)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lapowinsa01.jpg


North-American High-GodsGicelĕmû ’kaong of the Lenape/Delaware

Gicelĕmû ’kaong created the earth through his agents, calledmani ’towuk.Gave the Creation to the Lenape.Gicelĕmû ’kaong isn’t worshipped directly.

The mani ’towuk are more easily approached.The Great Spirit lives in the twelfth heaven — but iseverywhere. (Omnipresent paradox)Only spoken to during important ceremonies.Twelve shouts to reach. “—Count to ten before you…”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lapowinsa01.jpg


High-Gods of the Pacific OceanIo of the Maori

“Maorigodsymbols” from J. White, The Ancient History of the Maori(Government Printer, Wellington: 1887-1891). (public domain)

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maorigodsymbols.jpg


High-Gods of the Pacific OceanIo of the Maori

Io is a holy name. —The missionaries completely missed him.Eternal; omniscient; the maker.No images is made of Io; no sacrifices.

Esoteric? Maybe. Or: the believers didn’t want to inform themissionaries of their most holy of holies.

Male-dominated? Maybe. Or: was it the missionaries pre-conceivednotions that gave them this idea? In many ways, the Maoriare more gender-neutral than we are. For instance,women-priests is not uncommon.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maorigodsymbols.jpg


Myths of Creation

Virtually all collections of myths contain an account of how theworld came into being.They fall, more or less, under one of the following motifs:Ex NihiloEarth DiverDivision of the primordial . . . .unityDivision of the primordial . . . .Being


CosmogoniesEx Nihilo

“From nothing.”

Winnebago-tribe (Nebraska)Our father’s thoughts ⇒ water ⇒ light ⇒ earth ⇒ man’s body ⇒tongue ⇒ soul ⇒ breath of life.



“From nothing.”

Omaha (Nebraska/Iowa)All was in the mind of Wakonda.

Wakonda, the Maker.All beings, including man, wandered about as spirits.They came to earth, which was covered with water.Suddenly, the ground came to being.



“From nothing.”

Uitoto (Colombia)In the beginning, all there was, was an illusion.

Illusion came to be through our father’s, Nainema’s, dream.Nainema, who is only an apparition.Nainema took hold of the illusion; explored; thought about it’sbeing. It was a nothing-ness. Something which did not exist.N. draws the apparition down and stomps on it. Then he couldrest on the earth this turned into.He now owned this apparition-earth. He spat so that the forestcould take hold; he lied on the earth and put the skies above.



“From nothing.”

Abrahamic“Let there be light.”


CosmogoniesEarth Diver

The primordial water, from which earth is brought.

Maidu (Northern California)Everything is covered by water.The turtle A’nōshma surfaces from a six-year long dive, to theraft.There’s some soil under his nails.This soil grows into the world. The raft drifts ashore.Light is created; trees, and so on.


CosmogoniesEarth Diver

The primordial water, from which earth is brought.

Yauelmani Yokut (California)Water everywhere.

A thin tree grows. On it, a nest.Different animals, eagle being the most prominent.The first duck fails, diving for earth.The second fails, but has soil under it’s nails when it floats tothe surface.The soil is recovered, mixed with seeds.Eventually, the earth has grown into being. The thin tree nowgrows from the earth.


CosmogoniesDivision of the primordial unity

Division of the primordial unityDivision of heaven and earth.Division of a formless mass; of chaos.Division of an cosmic egg.



PolynesiaTa’aroa, the maker and unmade; his own parent.

Sat in a shell.There was no heaven, no earth; no water, no stars.Only darkness.Ta’aroa breaks the shell, which becomes heaven.He lies in a new shell, which becomes earth when he walks outof it.



Shinto (Japan)In the beginning, heaven and earth were not separated.

In and Yo were one.They composed an chaotic mass.The clearer, purer substance became the sky.The heavier, more gross substance sank down, became theearth.


CosmogoniesDivision of the primordial being

A being is, one way or another, divided into pieces.These pieces will become the world.The sacrifice can be made with consent (Ymr, Purush…).Or against the will of the being (Tiamat, for instance).



Mesopotamia (1)There was nothing, but Apsu and Tiamat.

Both water-deities. Apsu over freshwater; Tiamat overseawater.They are mixed, and the first generation of gods are born.Lahmu and Lahamu. Anshar and Kishar, who begot Anu, whobegot Ea.Ea was mightier than all his siblings, greatest among the gods.



Mesopotamia (1)Apsu finds the gods annoying, wants to kill them.Apsu is murdered by Ea.Tiamat gets angry, but is killed in battle by Marduk, the son ofEa.Marduk cuts Tiamat in half; this creates heaven and earth.Kingu is said to have misled Tiamat into battle. man is madeof his blood.

(Marduk:) “I will establish a savage, ‘man’ shall be his name. […] [Thegods] imposed on [Kingu] his guilt and severed his blood (vessels). Out ofhis blood they fashioned mankind.”


Cosmogonies

Different ways of framing creation — different worldviews.Man made in different ways — is seen having different roles.Compare with Gill (handout).

What kind of world do we live in, according to theMesopotamian myth? What kind of creature is man?What kind of world do we live in, according to the Christianmyth? What kind of creature is man?

non-script

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