Totemism

Totemism is a spiritual system based on a relationship of kinship between a single or group of humans and a totem. A totem is an object, such as an animal, plant or natural phenomenon, which serves as an identity for the relationship. Totemism is the system of totem relationships in a social organisation.

Totemism is often used in connection with primitive cultures, especially where economies have an element of hunting or livestock farming (rather than predominantly horticultural economies). It is seen to have had common characteristics in the psychological, social and cultural development of groups where it has been manifest.

Totemistic forms are generally based on psychomental habits, a distinctive "thought style", which is characterized by an "anthropopsychic" apprehension of nature. Nature's entities are considered to have souls which interact with human souls (and others) on a spiritual level. This interaction at a spiritual level results in supernatural qualities, and in particular offers humans the more than human qualities of the natural object with which they share kinship.

The system of totemism is based on kinship between human and other natural entities. It has been mistakenly interpretted to be a hierarchical relationship, such as one of protection, but is more like the relationship of male and female siblings that may not marry, have similar roots, and complement one another. The term originally derives from "ototeman" meaning "his brother-sister kin" in the language of the Algonkian tribe of the Ojibwa from the area of the Great Lakes in eastern North America.

Totemism appears in group and individual forms. The general characteristics are:

The totem is a companion, relative, protector, progenitor, or helper. The totem offers superhuman abilities. It is offered respect and may become an object of awe or even fear. (There apears to be an overriding sense of mutual respect for/with nature in totemistic societies.);
Special names and emblems are used to refer to the totem;
Partial identification or symbolic assimilation with the totem;
Prohibition against killing, eating, or touching the totem, even avoiding it; and
Rituals revolving around the totems.

Totemism is often mixed with aspects of other beliefs and contains varying degrees of religious elements which make its interpretation difficult.

Original interpretation of totemism mistakenly confused some naturist religions for totemism. Subsequently it has been noted that totemism is not a religion per se. However, because it appears to have been a part of early human history in most cultures (independently conceived) it may be agreed that it was the basis for the evolution of religions.

Original totemisms evolved as systems "organically" connected with their societies, integrated with economics, technology, art and the society's world view. The genesis of totemism appears to have been influenced by two commons:

the recognition of the unity of humans within nature (human dependence on nature); and
the evolution of human behaviour immitating natural entities (initially animals) to improve the efficiency of their existence within nature.

(Both these concepts seem to be regaining credence in modern society as human institutional recognition of the destruction impacted upon nature by humans, especially in the last 50 years, has made clear the need to redress the imbalances if nature (the biosphere) is to survive! See Three Choices)

It has been proposed, most famously by Claude Lévi-Strauss, that totemism is a framework superimposed by society on nature rather than a system evolving from the natural environment. Lévi-Strauss analysed totemism using a framework of opposites between nature and culture along four dimensions:

a species identified with a group (e.g. Australians),
a species identified with an individual(e.g. North American Indians),
a particular animal or plant identified with an individual (e.g. Mota of Banks Islands, Melanesia), and
a particular animal or plant identified with a group (e.g certain Polynesian and African socities).

These are compared with the basic social systems, e.g. matrilineal versus patrilineal, to conclude that differences come from society not nature. Although it does not seem to be able to dispute the original nature of totemism, rather its form of representation in a society.

All forms of totemism represent relationships between humans and nature, and these relationships may provide a system of social classification. However, it remains difficult to agree whether certain aspects of totemism are actually totemistic or in fact religious or magical or social, i.e. not totemistic.

Spiritual Systems				Main Religions
Agnosticism	Atheism	Monotheism	Polytheism	Buddhism	Islam
Ancestor	Deism	Naturism	Theism	Christianity	Judaism
Atheism	Dualism	Pantheism	Totemism	Hinduism