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| Because the term primitive holds connotations of backwardness and simplicity, most scholars now use the term Basic, rather than primitive, when describing prehistoric or ________________ religions |
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| Basic religions refers to the beliefs of _____________ people and people of less developed areas of the world today. |
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| The most famous artifacts associated with prehistoric religions are the cave paintings of __________ times, found throughout France and Spain. They were made, it is believed, before hunts in hopes of predicting success. |
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| In addition to cave paintings, other artifacts indicative of Cro-Magnon religion include the famous _______ figurines depicting a human female form. |
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| In most Native American religions, the primary purpose of ritual is to communicate and maintain good relationships with the inhabitants of the ____________. |
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| A common Native American belief is that there is an _______ spirit world that shares the world with humans. |
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| Among Native American cultures, a number of taboos exist relating to women who are ____________. It is believed that these women have been set apart by the spirit world as ones who can participate in child birth |
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| A menstruating woman is thought to have special powers. Some believed her gaze could destroy the magic of hunting weapons and that her mere presence in a forest could drive _____ away permanently |
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| ________ is a practice among certain basic religions around the world. It recognizes a relationship between a certain kind of animal and a group of people. The animal becomes sacred to that group and can only be killed under specific ritual conditions. |
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| The best known examples of totemism can be found among the _________________ cultures of the Pacific Northwest. |
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| Native Americans will often undertake a ____________ in order to put themselves in contact with the spirit world. Such an undertaking usually involves a journey into the wilderness and several days of fasting |
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| In several cultures, a young Native American on a vision quest is sent away from the family and required to live ______ until a vision is received. |
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| The _________ was practiced by the Native American tribes of the plains. This ceremony would take place in the summer in a specially built lodge around a ceremonial pole. Often, participants had their flesh pierced with thongs and were then hung from the center pole |
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| Participants in the Sun Dance sought a _______ and an identification with the divine. |
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| The Native American Churchs use of Peyote has been controversial throughout the twentieth century. The Church used the buttons of this plant for its powerful ______________ effects |
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| The various U.S. courts have had a running battle with the Native American Church over its use of peyote. In 1990, the US Supreme Court _______ state laws that banned the use of peyote in Native American Church rituals. |
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| Though the influence of ____________ has had a powerful effect on Native American religion, traditional practices and beliefs from both cultures now are often being practiced side-by-side. |
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| Christianity has resulted in most of todays Native Americans considering themselves Christians. Native American Christianity, however, is as ________ and variable as the cultures where it is found. |
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| Although most African religions are ____________ and worship a number of gods, there is nonetheless a belief in many religions that there is one High God who created the universe and the lesser deities. |
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| In such polytheistic religions, a common belief is that this High God withdrew to a distant place after creating the universe and that he allows the lesser spirits and gods to oversee ___________ activity. |
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| In African religions, the most commonly recognized spiritual forces are _________. Thus, respect and concern for the dead is usually much more important than their fear of the gods. |
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| Only in China and Japan can one find such apparent regard for ancestors. In Africa, ancestors are _________ spirits with the ability to either hurt or help the living. |
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| Ritual Circumcision is often performed on boys and, in some cultures, girls as puberty rites. Increasingly, however, health concerns are lowering the frequency of this practice, particularly among _______. |
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| Ritual circumcision in males is often regarded as a sign of courage, since it is performed without the use of anesthetic. Female circumcision seems to serve no clear purpose, although it is sometimesargued that it helps control _______ desire. |
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| Divination is a method of predicting the future and communicating with spirits through magical means. In African religions, this practice is performed by a variety of means, including casting ____ or reading the pattern of a pattern of nuts. |
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| Divination, in some African communities, is primarily for investigating the causes of trouble. In others, it is used mostly for ___________. |
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| The Australian __________ religion is based on the belief that in the time before living memory, called the Dreamtime, the spirit ancestors traveled throughout the land giving it shape and creating all living creatures. |
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| This is known as the Dreamtime or Dreaming. They believed that after they died, their spirits would return to be with their __________. |
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| Built sometime around 1400BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in ancient ______. |
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| The shrine was built over a crack in the Earth from which mind altering vapors emanated. The _______ would inhale the vapors and prophesy. |
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| In ancient Greece, the gods granted a special communication of counsel through individuals known as _______. |
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| These communications, it was believed, were made by Zeusand especially by Apollo, who was the god of prophecy, theRevealer. The most renowned of the oracles were that ofZeus at Dodona, in Epirus, and that of Apollo at _______, inPhocis. |
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