REL S 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Wakan Tanka, Docetism, Beringia
Document Summary
Synchronism: when a religion merges with other traditions. Migration across bering land bridge: probably 13,000 bce, perhaps earlier by sea from asia? by 9500 bce reached southernmost part of south america. Hunter/gatherer societies: evolve into agricultural societies. The world: not finished; still progressing, continual change, cyclical not linear history. Humans: emerged from below the earth, humans and animals share kinship. Trickster figure=disorder; in christianity, satan would be the trickster, in greek religion, hermes: example: coyote is the trickster in native american religion; coyote is the figure not to behave like. Customs and regulations: community and ethics. Rites of passage (ex. confirmation, quinceneara, circumcision, baptism, drinking age, drivers license) Placenta and umbilical cord; dried up and kept in pouches for healing, buried in ground and grows tree=your health grows and prospers, men took them for bad magic. Monotheistic: ha-wen-ne-yu - great spirit who lives far away, made everything: unknowable- atiose.
