Animism

Animism is the belief that everything around us has a special spirit. This means that animals, plants, rocks, rivers, and even weather systems have their own will and spirit, just like living things.

The word "animism" comes from a Latin word meaning "breath, spirit, life". It was first used by a scholar named Edward Tylor to describe how many ancient cultures see the world. In these cultures, there is no clear difference between the physical world and the spiritual world. They believe spirits live in many places, such as trees, mountains, and rivers.

Some examples of animistic beliefs include water sprites, vegetation deities, and tree spirits. Even today, many people around the world feel a connection to animism, seeing the world as full of spirit and life.

Etymology

English anthropologist Sir Edward Tylor wanted to describe a special way of thinking about the world. He used a word called animism from a German scientist named Georg Ernst Stahl. Stahl made up this word in 1708.

The word animism comes from a Latin word, anima, meaning life or soul. People began using this word in English around 1819.

"Old animism" definitions

Earlier ideas about animism tried to explain what makes something alive. These ideas were later called "old animism." Some critics said these ideas were unfair and showed a biased view of different cultures.

The idea of animism was first described by the anthropologist Sir Edward Tylor in his 1871 book Primitive culture. Tylor said animism is the belief that many things in nature, not just people, have spirits. He thought animism was an early form of religion that people would move beyond as they learned more about science.

Some people debated how early societies lived and what they believed. Over time, these debates helped create the study of anthropology. Tylor believed that as societies became more advanced, fewer people would believe in animism. However, he thought any remaining beliefs in spirits were leftovers from early human ideas.

"New animism" definitions

Many experts stopped using the word animism because it was tied to old ideas. But some groups, like Indigenous peoples and nature lovers, started using it again to describe their beliefs. Scholars then began using the term in new ways, focusing on how to treat other living things, even those that aren’t human.

The idea of new animism grew from the work of anthropologist Irving Hallowell, who studied the Ojibwe people in Canada. The Ojibwe believe that being a person doesn’t mean looking human. They think rocks, bears, and other things can also be persons with their own will. By treating these beings with respect, people learn how to act like a true person.

Other experts, like Nurit Bird-David and Tim Ingold, also support this new way of thinking. They say that animism isn’t just old ideas, but a way of seeing the world where everything is connected.

David Abram suggests that our senses naturally help us see the world as full of life. He believes that when we pay attention to what we sense, we treat the world with more respect. This way of thinking helps us understand our place in nature better.

Religion

There is debate about whether animism is one religion or a way of thinking found in many cultures. Some think that seeing nature as full of spirit helps people care more for the environment.

In a book from 1992, historian Jack D. Forbes described animism in native and folk religions as "life-ism," meaning respect for all living things.

Concepts

Distinction from pantheism

Animism is different from pantheism. Animists believe everything has a spirit, but not the same spirit. Each soul is unique.

Fetishism / totemism

In many animistic beliefs, humans are seen as equal to animals, plants, and natural forces.

African indigenous religions

Traditional African religions often include animism. They believe in many gods, use shamanistic practices, and honor ancestors.

In West Africa, the Serer believe in honoring ancestors through the Pangool, spirits that connect the living with the Divine, Roog.

In East Africa, the Kerma culture had animistic traits. They valued animals and may have treated Jebel Barkal as a sacred place.

In North Africa, the traditional Berber religion includes beliefs that are polytheistic, animist, and sometimes shamanistic.

Asian origin religions

In religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, animistic ideas about nature are important.

The Matsya Purana, a Hindu text, teaches respect for nature. It says a tree is as valuable as ten sons. These religions honor trees, rivers, and mountains.

In Hinduism, the banyan tree is sacred. In North India, married women tie threads around banyan trees to pray for their husbands. The tree is also important in Buddhism.

Mun, or Munism, is the traditional religion of the Lepcha people, and Sanamahism is the ethnic religion of the Meitei people in Northeast India.

Chinese religions

Shendao is a term from Chinese folk religions for the divine order of nature.

The Shang dynasty's religion, from 1600 BCE to 1046 BCE, was based on spiritualizing nature.

Japan and Shinto

Shinto, Japan's traditional religion, has many animist ideas. The kami, supernatural beings, are central to Shinto. Everything, including nature and famous places, is believed to have kami. These kami are honored at home and public shrines.

The Ryukyuan religion of the Ryukyu Islands is different from Shinto but shares similar ideas.

Kalash people

The Kalash people of Northern Pakistan follow an ancient animistic religion. They are a small ethnoreligious group and have kept many of their traditions.

Korea

Muism, Korea's native belief, has animist ideas. The deities, called kwisin, can affect humans and need to be honored.

Philippines indigenous religions

In the indigenous Philippine folk religions, animism is important. They believe in Anito, Diwata, and Bathala, and respect sacred places. Everything, from rocks to animals, has a spirit.

Paganism

Animism has shaped many ancient and modern pagan religions. It is the belief that natural things have spirit.

In ancient cultures like the Celts, Norse, Greeks, Romans, and Slavs, nature was often seen as sacred. Deities were linked to places in nature.

Even after monotheistic religions spread, animistic ideas lived on in folk customs. Practices like honoring spirits and celebrating seasons kept these ideas alive.

Today, modern Pagan traditions like Wicca, Druidry, and Heathenry often include animistic ideas. They see humans as part of a larger network of life and respect nature.

Shamanism

A shaman is a person who connects with spirits to help heal and solve problems. Shamans enter trance states during rituals to practice healing and divination.

Shamans are messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds. They help heal by restoring balance to the soul. In animistic cultures, shamans help balance relationships with nature, which helps heal people.

Animist life

Animism is the belief that everything — animals, plants, stones, weather, and even places — has a spirit or soul. In these beliefs, animals are treated with respect, especially when they are used for food. Some communities welcome special visitors, like birds, during important events and see these visits as signs of approval.

Plants and fungi are also seen as having spirits. When people collect them for food, they often perform rituals to show respect. Some traditions talk to plants or give them small gifts to thank them. In animism, stones, weather, and places can also be seen as having spirits. Certain stones or storms might be thought of as special beings with their own messages.

Other usage

Psychology

From his studies of how children grow and learn, Jean Piaget thought that children naturally see everything around them as alive, like giving life to objects. Only later do they learn this isn’t true. Margaret Mead believed the opposite — that children don’t start with this idea but learn it from the world around them as they grow.

Attempts to reconcile with science

In the early 1900s, William McDougall supported a version of the idea that everything has a spirit in his book.

Physicist Nick Herbert talked about “quantum animism,” suggesting that consciousness is part of everything, from the tiniest parts of the world to the biggest. This means that everything might have some kind of inner experience, even though we can’t see it.

Socio-political impact

Some believe that animism challenges common modern ideas by saying that animals, plants, and even things like rivers have their own intelligence, thoughts, and feelings. This idea also questions the belief that humans are special or unique.

Art and literature

Animist beliefs show up in art and stories too. For example, the Māori people of New Zealand treat wood and stone with great respect when they carve them into art, because they believe these materials have a spirit. They return any leftover pieces to the land and treat the finished artwork with care.

Many writers and artists share animist ideas, including the works of Alan Garner, Leslie Silko, Barbara Kingsolver, Alice Walker, Daniel Quinn, Linda Hogan, David Abram, Patricia Grace, Chinua Achebe, Ursula Le Guin, Louise Erdrich, Marge Piercy, and in the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki.