Ancient spiritual belief further had it that a person who suffered misfortune or overly suffered
from the human instinctual passions of fear and aggression was ‘possessed’ by bad or evil spirits. Relief was sought by offering sacrifice
or avowing servitude to the mythical good spirits or Gods in return for favours, forgiveness, redemption and salvation, if not now then in an
imaginary life-after-death.
Each tribe has, over millennia, formalized its own particular religion based on these
ancient words, traditions, fears, superstitions and eccentric fairy tales.
Shamans, priests and God-men soon laid claim to be the earthly representatives of
these mythical ‘other- worldly’ spirits and Gods and, as such, their words and deeds were taken to be sacred and inviolate.
Thus the shamans, priests and God-men came to wield enormous power and influence, for
to dare to question them was to provoke the evil spirits, incur the wrath of the Gods and ultimately deny oneself the chance of salvation in an
imagined future life-after-death. |