Animism and Shintoism



Animism and Shintoism

Global History and Geography I Name: ____________________

E. Napp Date: ____________________

Animism is considered to be the original human religion, being defined simply as the belief in the existence of spirits. It dates back to the earliest humans and is still practiced today, making it the oldest form of religious belief on Earth. Animists believe that everything has a spirit. The concepts that humans possess spirits and that these spirits have life apart from human bodies before and after death are central to animism, along with the ideas that animals, plants, and celestial bodies have spirits.

Animistic gods often explain the creation of fire, wind, water, man, animals, and other natural earthly things. Although specific beliefs of animism vary widely, similarities between the characteristics of gods and goddesses and rituals practiced by animistic societies exist. The presence of holy men or women, visions, trances, dancing, sacred items, and sacred spaces for worship, and the connection felt to the spirits of ancestors are characteristic of animistic societies.

Questions:

1- What is animism? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2- What do animists believe? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3- Do all animists share the same beliefs? ________________________________________________________

4- What beliefs do all animists share? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shinto is the native religion of Japan with roots stretching back to 500 B.C. It is a polytheistic religion, venerating almost any natural objects ranging from mountains, rivers, water, rocks, and trees. In other words, it is based on animism. Among the natural phenomena, the sun is most appealing to the Japanese and the Sun Goddess is regarded as the principal deity of Shinto, particularly by the Imperial Family. “Nippon” is the Japanese word for Japan. It literally means “the Origin of the Sun”. The Japanese national flag is simple, one red disk in the center, and it symbolizes the sun.

The word Shinto means “the way of the gods”. The Japanese people worship thousands of gods and spirits. Kami is the Japanese word for the spirits. Shinto has no holy book but Shinto followers love nature and worship the kami or spirits of nature. They believe that these kami control the forces of nature. The royal family of Japan traces its ancestors back to the sun goddess. Until the end of World War II, the Japanese thought that their emperor was a god. After World War II, the emperor stated that he was not a god. However, Shintoism is still popularly practiced in Japan today.

Questions:

1- What is Shinto? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2- How is Shintoism similar to animism? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3- Why is the Sun Goddess the most significant deity in Shintoism? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4- What is the meaning of “Nippon”? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5- Define kami. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6- What happened to Shintoism after World War II? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7- What do practitioners of Shintoism love? Why? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A person who practices the Shinto faith would be most likely to

1. visit a shrine placed on the shore of a lake

2. pray five times a day

3. bathe in the Ganges River

4. make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem

In Japan, the martial arts, the tea ceremony, and flower arranging best reflect the influences of

1. imperialism and militarism

2. Buddhism and Shintoism

3. capitalism

4. mercantilism

Taoism and Shintoism are similar in that both religions stress

1. adhering to the five Confucian relationships

2. following the Eightfold Path

3. developing harmony between humans and nature

4. believing in one God

Traditional animistic beliefs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are based on

1. a desire for wealth

2. a written tradition

3. an appreciation for the forces of nature

4. a willingness to accept Christianity

“From as early as I can remember, the Emperor was an important presence even in our remote home. He was a descendant of the gods from thousands of years before, never to be looked at or listened to by mere mortals, a presence to be revered and protected and obeyed…Finally…, my family and neighbors gathered around the radio and listened in stunned silence to the voice that had never before been heard, saying he was only human after all. Everyone was crying. I was sad and confused…”

The attitudes toward the Emperor expressed in this passage were based in the traditions of

1. Shintoism

2. Christianity

3. Islam

4. Judaism

A belief of animism is that

1. after death the soul is reborn in another human form

2. holy wars must be fought to gain entry into heaven

3. meditation leads followers to nirvana

4. spirits of nature inhabit all living and nonliving objects

Shinto Today

People seek support from Shinto by praying at a home altar or by visiting shrines. A whole range of talismans or charms is available at shrines for traffic safety, good health, business success, safe deliveries, good exam performance and more.

A large number of wedding ceremonies are held in Shinto style. Death, however, is considered a source of impurity or contamination, and is left to Buddhism to deal with. Consequently, there are virtually no Shinto cemeteries, and most funerals are held in Buddhist style.

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The gate to a Shinto shrine, the Torii designates holy ground. As Shinto is a religion of worship of nature spirits, or Kami, most Shinto shrines are located outdoors. The Gate marks the gateway between the physical and spiritual worlds.

The Torii is traditionally made in three pieces, three being a sacred number of the Kami. When entering a shrine, a visitor will clap their hands three times, and bow three times to summon the spirits

Additional yet Interesting Facts about Shintoism:

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