Basic or Primal religions

Basic or primal religions assert that the world is both spiritual and material. The rites, and rituals of Native American religions and African religions demonstrate the unity of the spiritual and material world.

The Native American practices, rites, and rituals are “a means of renewing the partnership between humans and the spirit world” and “they are performed through dancing, singing, fasting, ordeals, and bathing.” (Hopfe 2007, p.35)

Young persons before puberty start a period of fasting and meditating in order to have a vision. They are separated from the tribe and the main goal is to seek a vision. The vision can be a person or an animal and it will guide them for their whole life. If the vision is an animal, it is called totemism. The Sun Dance is a renewal celebration. This dance is used to communicate with the divine. They fast and dance in a lodge.

Another important ritual is the hunting ceremony. Native American will perform a dance before hunting. The tribes will act out a hunt in a hope that the real hunt will be successful in reality.

Native American religions will use tobacco and the sacred pipe to perform some religious ceremonies. Tobacco is the incense which will help them reach the spirit world. This tobacco called Peyote is a strong drug which causes hallucinations and visions.

African religions have animistic faiths. They believe in nature spirits and they worship ancestors. They make sacrifices and offerings to the dead because the ancestors are the link with the spiritual world and they can help their descendants to gain prosperity, health, and fecundity.

Sacrifices are a way to “establish a communion between the living and the spirits.” (Hopfe 2007, p.57) African people offer prayers and sacrifices through ceremonies to the spirit of the sky, the earth, and the waters.

The human cycle of birth, growing up, marriage and death is marked with religious practices. When the baby is born, the naming ceremony is followed by the exposure of the child to the moon (Hopfe 2007, p.58). The passage from childhood to adulthood is accompanied with many rituals. They have to go through physical ordeals, fasting, and circumcision.

The traditional healers heal the bodies and they cast out demons. The spiritual curer will use his or her spiritual powers to fight the evil spirits. Ceremonies which include songs and sacrifices will help the curer to drive away the evil spirit.

Basic religions have “an animistic understanding of life." They use amulets, charms, magic, and superstitions to chase the evil spirits and to protect themselves from enemies. Through rituals, ceremonies, and practices the African religions and Native American religions want to restore and maintain the natural balance of the world.