Oceania Primitive Religions
Totemism, Maori, Ancestors

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Totemism:

 In Australia, there were 270 languages when the europeans arrived; their religion is said to be totemic. "Totemism" involves a relationship between a person or group and a natural object specially united with the gods. For example, a "mountain" is where the gods dwell, and that "mountain" is the totem of a group; a "monkey" is united with a god, and a person or group honors that monkey to honor an influence that god.

Some their totemic groups are kangaroo, honey- ant, sun. rain...

In South Australia, talk about a "male" Supreme Being, who now lives in the sky, but once walked upon the Earth. In the North, instead of this All- Father, we find Earth as Mother of all

The Rainbow Snake is widely represented in the mythology, sometimes as male, sometimes as female... it is their totem.

The sacred rites are practiced by the older men and medicine men... they established the "circumcision" for boys and girls, also practiced in Africa, and among the Jews.

In their rituals, with many dances, a potent ingredient is human blood obtained from the veins of a man, or its substitute, red ochre.

For the natives, the permanent reality is the "spirit"... the person's spirit exists before birth and survives after death, but there is no heaven or hell. Typical ritual objects are: secret and sacred carved boards; symbolic designs drawn on the ground or painted in walls; thread crosses...

Dreams and Visions, give the Age of Dream... they look back with them, they do not look to the after-death.

Missionaries forbade cannibalism and skull hunters.

In New Zealand, a current revival of Maoritanga (Maori culture) includes an emphasis of Maori Christian leaders on retaining traditional ways and concepts within Christian faith and practice.

"Maori" is the vital force present in each one, and also in talismans to protect vitality, fertility, the forests and mountains. This spiritual power comes from a god, and it is also related to the rank and authority... all men at death return to the Mother Earth (Papatuanuku).

"Tapu", is a system of prohibitions to protect the individuals and the groups from the spiritual forces. If Tapu is violated, the great danger only can be removed by purification rite... "Noa", is the freedom that Tapu gives.

http://www.maori.org.nz/search.asp   http://www.maaori.com/

In New Guinea, and Melanesia, between Asia and Australia, the Ancestor-Spirits give them access to supernatural powers to get good or ill. Gods, demons, land-spirits also intervene in human affairs... they practice sorcery, divination, healing, with the spirits making their presence known through sacred masks, dances, dreams, prophecies.