North American Religion
Even though there were many different
groups of people living in North America, and they had different
languages and different kinds of houses
and clothes, they did all have some
religious ideas in common. Pretty much everyone in North America had a creation
story about how the earth was made and how their people got to be on
the earth. Most people also thought that there was an all-powerful god that
you should worship, as well as less powerful gods and a bad god (or devil)
who brought sicknesses and suffering and death. And most people thought
that after you died your soul went to a better place where you would be
happy, like the Christian heaven.
Most groups thought that you could get things you wanted
by praying for them or by sacrificing food, tobacco, furs, or other valuable things.
Sometimes people prayed or sacrificed on their own, and sometimes they got the
help of a priest or priestess. Priests and priestesses were especially important
for predicting the future and bringing good weather (rain when you needed it for
the corn, and sunny weather otherwise). Priests also helped you to interpret your
dreams, and they could find witches who were putting curses on you.
Like people in Africa or in India, and like the ancient Greeks
and Romans, most people in North
America thought that all plants, animals, and objects like rocks or fishing nets or spears had spirits living in them or controlling them. So it was important to stay on good terms with your tools and the trees and streams around you.
America thought that all plants, animals, and objects like rocks or fishing nets or spears had spirits living in them or controlling them. So it was important to stay on good terms with your tools and the trees and streams around you.
To find out more about North American religion before 1500, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
North American
religion after 1500 AD
Chinese religion
Islam
Christianity
Hinduism
Main North America page
Main South America page
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