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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.
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