[totem] is the vehicle that records the soul of God. It is the ancient primitive tribe superstitious belief in some natural or blood relatives, ancestors, protectors, etc., and used as the emblem or symbol of the clan. The low productivity of society and the ignorance of nature by primitive peoples are the basis for its arising. The use of interpretation of myths, classical records and folk customs is one of the earliest cultural phenomena in human history.

source

The word derives from the Indian word "totem", which means "its kin", "its mark". In the belief of primitive people, it is believed that the people of this clan are derived from a specific species, and in most cases, they are considered to be related to a certain animal, so the belief is related to ancestor worship, and in many myths, it is believed that their ancestors are derived from a certain animal or plant, or have been related to a certain animal or plant, so a certain animal or plant has become the oldest ancestor of this nation. Worship is not so much the worship of animals and plants, but the worship of ancestors, which is more accurate. Kinship with clans is often reflected through clan origin myths and titles.

symbol

The second meaning of "totem" is "sign". That is, it also has to play a certain symbolic role. The sign plays an important role in the barbarian society, and it is the earliest social organization sign and symbol. It has the functions of uniting groups, maintaining blood relations, maintaining social organization, and distinguishing from each other. At the same time, through the logo, the recognition is obtained, and the protection is received.

【Applications】

: A symbol of a group, mainly to distinguish one group from another. From one, one can deduce the myths, historical records, and customs of a race. In the Age of the Wilderness, it is believed that the portraits of certain natural objects or beings were related to their ethnic heritage. Therefore, an animal or plant is used as a sign or symbol of a certain ethnic group.

know

In the so-called wilderness era, people regarded certain animals, plants, or non-living things as their relatives, ancestors, or protectors. It is believed that they have a supernatural force that will protect themselves and that they can also gain their powers and skills. In the eyes of the savages, it is actually a personified object of worship.

As an object of worship, the main thing is not in his natural image itself, but in the kinship it embodies. The meaning of worship is also to confirm the unity of the clan members in blood. What is the relationship between human beings? There are three kinds of understanding:

1. It is their own blood relatives, they are called by the title of relatives such as father, grandparents, etc., and use the name as the name of the group

2. It is the ancestor of the group, and it is believed that the members of the group are all born from reproduction

3. It is the protector of the group. This is after the human mind has developed to a certain extent, and after humans understand that there is a big difference between humans and beasts, they no longer think that they can give birth to humans. But the idea of ancestors was deeply ingrained, and the idea of a protective god arose.

Origin

Brief introduction

Animals are in the majority

Why are animals in the majority of worship? This is due to the narrow vision of the early people at that time and the characteristics of the clan system. Primitive people did not understand the principle of male and female confinement and human reproduction, but believed that the ancestors of their clan were closely related to certain animals and plants, especially animals, and that the ancestors of the clan were the incarnation or reincarnation of animals and plants. In the barbaric early people's society, apart from animals and plants, where else could people look for materials to explain the origin of human beings? Animals and humans are similar to humans in many places, and there are many advantages that humans do not have, such as birds can fly in the air, fish can swim in water, reptiles can shed their skin, and they live underground...... All this is the reason why the first people put animals first.

Generating period

It is generally believed to have arisen during the matrilineal clan society. In the matriarchal society, productivity is low, people survive and reproduce in harsh natural environments, and their production methods are mainly gathering, fishing and hunting. People are not yet able to control the forces of nature independently, and are full of illusions and longings for the natural world. They also did not know the cause of human reproduction, believing that self-reproduction was the result of the action of animals and plants. By the time of the patrilineal clan, the productivity gradually increased, and people gradually formed a sense of independence, thus denying their kinship with animals and plants in their daily life. At this point, faith is nearing its end! But in history, faith has not completely disappeared, it still has an impact on culture, art, physiology, and so on.

The origins of the At present, the true meaning of the origin has not been revealed. Popular theories include: the nomenclature theory is the origin of the primitive people's rumors, the food theory is due to the difference of the main products in various places, the production theory is formed by hunting certain animals after the position of the group is fixed, and there are also the women's pregnancy theory, the illusion theory, the fear theory and the metamorphosis theory.

The Evolution

(3 phases)

1. The nascent stage, when the object is very similar to its natural form.

Second, the heyday stage. During this period, the productive forces developed, the imagination increased, and at the same time, the ancestral consciousness was strengthened, forming the "anthropomorphism of the beast". The first people gave the object some characteristics of humans, and the image began to reach the sacred object of half man and half beast.

3. The subject began to switch to ancestor worship.

The basic characteristics: (marked by ideas, he is a form of primitive religion, which in turn contains some of the institutions of the clan.) ）

1. Every clan has it.

2. It is believed that the ancestors of the clan are related to the clan by blood or have some special relationship.

3. Has some kind of mystical power.

4. There are some taboos in worship. Marriage with members of the clan is prohibited; These are two of the most important taboos.

5. The members of the same group are a whole.

connotation

1. It is believed that the clan or tribe, from which the ethnic group originates, is an object of ancestral nature, and therefore an object of faith, and is one of the origins of religion.

2. As an identification, it is related to the institution of marriage, that is, the system of exogamy is closely related, the same is not married, and the same surname is not married. But as early as I don't know how many years ago, there were families who violated common sense and married the same family.

3. It is the emblem and symbol of the clan or tribe.

4. Forming taboos, members have the responsibility to protect.