But if we, declining all
question as to the origin of monotheism, limit ourselves definitely to
what is known of Shamanism alone, we shall still have before us an
immense field for investigation. Shamanism is the belief that
_all_ the events and accidents of life are caused or influenced by
spirits, and as fear of suffering is in all men, but particularly the
savage, the strongest moral emotion, the natural consequence is a
greater fear of _evil_ invisible beings. The result of it is a
faith that everything which is obscure or invisible is supposed to be
the work of mysterious agents, generally evil. Thus all disease
whatever, all suffering, pain, loss, or disaster, or bad weather, is at
once attributed either to a spirit or to some enemy who practices
witchcraft. The Shaman is the priest or doctor, who professes to be
able, by his counter-charms, to counteract or neutralize this devil's
work.
It will be long ere the scholar definitely determines whether Shamanism
as it now exists originated spontaneously in different countries where
the same causes were to be found, or whether it is _historical_;
that is, derived from a single source. I believe that while darkness,
hunger, fear, and similar causes could not fail to create a rude
religion anywhere, as Moncure Conway has shown, yet that the derivation
from one beginning, or at least later modifications from it, has been
very great indeed.
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