Where do we find some information about religions before they were recorded in writing. There are many religions in North America that were not written down until the Europeans arrived and started documenting what they found.
The natives in America migrated across the Bering Straight approximately 16500-13000 years ago (Settlement of the Americas, Wikipedia). They brought the religious practices from Asia with them. By looking at these religions, only recently documented, we realize that because of these practices were passed on orally by shamans, they not only changed nearly every generation but also changed from tribe to tribe. Until religious rituals and practices were written down they vary greatly but some ideas do echo faintly throughout the religions of the world and some similarities can be recognized.
Many Native myths have versions of the origin of the moon, the sun and the stars indicating that just like the other religions, including the ones described in the Bible, astrology (ancient astronomy) played an important role in all ancient religions. Moon and the Sun were thought to be persons (Religion of Aboriginal People, Wikipedia). It’s apparent that these religions had a common basis that goes far back in time and probably as far as the beginning of human kind. Myths and folktales, developed over time, differ greatly but they all have ethical (moral) dimensions. They also have a common belief in some life after death, the concept of soul (spirit) and the existence of supernatural powers. Many groups tell of a world flood, probably reflecting a disaster that happened in a very early time before dispersion throughout the world.
By studying the native religions we can envision how older myths influenced the ancient writers when they started recording them. So it is very likely that ancient historic- and religious books, reflect much older stories passed on by oral traditions. Oral traditions could adapt them selves to changing circumstances and discoveries. Since the event of recording these myths, often including the morals, rules of behavior making it possible to live together in the tribe, greatly eliminated personal conflicts, in writing, they are written in stone and much harder to adapt to new knowledge and circumstances.
The natives in America migrated across the Bering Straight approximately 16500-13000 years ago (Settlement of the Americas, Wikipedia). They brought the religious practices from Asia with them. By looking at these religions, only recently documented, we realize that because of these practices were passed on orally by shamans, they not only changed nearly every generation but also changed from tribe to tribe. Until religious rituals and practices were written down they vary greatly but some ideas do echo faintly throughout the religions of the world and some similarities can be recognized.
Many Native myths have versions of the origin of the moon, the sun and the stars indicating that just like the other religions, including the ones described in the Bible, astrology (ancient astronomy) played an important role in all ancient religions. Moon and the Sun were thought to be persons (Religion of Aboriginal People, Wikipedia). It’s apparent that these religions had a common basis that goes far back in time and probably as far as the beginning of human kind. Myths and folktales, developed over time, differ greatly but they all have ethical (moral) dimensions. They also have a common belief in some life after death, the concept of soul (spirit) and the existence of supernatural powers. Many groups tell of a world flood, probably reflecting a disaster that happened in a very early time before dispersion throughout the world.
By studying the native religions we can envision how older myths influenced the ancient writers when they started recording them. So it is very likely that ancient historic- and religious books, reflect much older stories passed on by oral traditions. Oral traditions could adapt them selves to changing circumstances and discoveries. Since the event of recording these myths, often including the morals, rules of behavior making it possible to live together in the tribe, greatly eliminated personal conflicts, in writing, they are written in stone and much harder to adapt to new knowledge and circumstances.
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