Religions of the Ancient World - Literature review Example

Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : xxxxxxxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2011 Introduction Religion was a significant element is the daily living of ancient society. The Egyptian and Greek religions for instance, provided basis for religious beliefs systems of these societies. People during this particular period faced the perceptual challenge of explaining their origin and the world around them. As a result they come up with various religious ideologies that would assist them in giving explanation to their existence and the life around them. Ancient religion was therefore rooted on various characteristics that were derived from both the environment and human thinking. This particular paper seeks to evaluate whether geography or anxiety about the unknown played a significant role in determining the character of ancient Egyptian and Greek religions. According to Murnane (2009, Pp 20), geography had a significant role in determining the character of ancient Egyptian religion. In ancient Egypt, the Nile River as a geographical feature had a great influence on ancient Egyptians religion. The Nile River was an inevitable hub of major activities of the people of Egypt and was in this case viewed as the ultimate arbiter of life and death. The entire lives of most of the ancient Egyptian population depended mainly on the proper flooding of the River Nile. As expected, the Egyptians had therefore gods whom they believed controlled the flooding, as result they prayed and worshipped the gods for proper flooding. It was therefore the Nile River that gave life to the people of Egypt and remained for a long period of time the ultimate fact of life and religion. The ancient gods of Egypt grew out of the River Nile miracle. Murnane (2009, Pp 20), for instance, argues that during the early times when the southlands were still unfamiliar, people assumed that the Nile floods originated from the Aswan Cataract area in two caverns. The lord of this particular area, the ram god, Khnum, was highly thought of as the power that controlled the yearly floods of the River Nile. Egypt’s relationship with their divine beings was therefore positive as they believed that their gods protected them in addition to making their civilization prosperous (Murnane, 2009, Pp 20). It can therefore be argued that geography played a major role in determining the character of ancient Egyptian and Greek religions. Another factor that supports the notion that geography had indeed a significant role in determining the character of ancient Egyptian is evident in the fact that various natural forces were associated with a number of deities or gods in Egypt. The pantheons ranged from gods who had vital roles within the universe to insignificant deities who had very limited or localized functions within the universe. Amongst the various natural forces associated with the Egyptian deities were the sun and the moon and the sky. Ancient Egyptians, for instance, distinguished among the aspects of the sun, and had a multitude of gods associated with it: Kephri for the rising sun, Atum, evening sun, and Ra, daytime sun (Taylor,2003),Pp 25-28).Re, the ancient Egyptian sun god had, for instance, a significant as well as symbolic role as far as ancient Egyptians worship was concerned. According to one of the major creation myths by the Egyptian, Ra (the sun god) was believed to be the creator of the earth as well as the originator of all the life on earth. Osiris was on the other hand mythologically associated with the moon, though this was just a minor association (Wilkinson, 2003, Pp 119-121). As a result of this mythological association with the moon, it was at times represented by the lunar disk. Other deities such as Bat, Hathor and Horus were associated with the sky. According to (Shafer (1991) therefore, the phenomena of the earth were therefore so basic to the lives of the Egyptians that they were associated with many other gods as well. The association of natural forces such as the sun, the moon and the sky therefore evidently backs the notion that Geography had without a doubt a significant role in determining the character of ancient Egyptian and Greek religions. Geography also played a major role in determining the character of ancient Egyptians religion based on the fact that various geographical regions in ancient Egypt were associated with a divine being (deity) of either a local or a national repute. What is evident in ancient Egypt is that there was an amalgamation of many local areas, with each local geographical area having its own particular traditions and customs (Hart, Pp 17). The presence of local deities in ancient Egyptian religion from an early period and the tradition of strong local customs thus give the impression that smaller geographical regions had significant influence on the development of Egyptian deities who would sooner or later gain national importance. For instance, Ptah was the god of Memphis, an ancient political capital city of Egypt while Khnum was from the cataract region of the Nile (Hart, Pp 17). Each of the areas had associated gods and their own standards, often topped with a characterization of the given area. It is therefore evident that ancient Egyptians worshipped gods whose regions of influence were formerly limited to fairly smaller regions. It is also evident that ancient Egyptians may possibly have acknowledged gods whose powers transcended local limitations. It can therefore be argued that the presence of deities in various geographical regions had significant influence on the development of Egyptian deities, a fact that also confirms that Geography had certainly a major role in determining the character of ancient Egyptians religion (Hart, Pp 17). Geography also influenced or characterized ancient Egyptian places and way of worship. Reeves (2001, p141) highlights that that Archeological evidence reveals that inscriptions of worship hymns for gods were composed and preserved in tombs. For instance Reeves (2001, p141) presents a hymn preserved in tombs that was composed Aten the god of life, the hymn was composed of praises that were accorded to Aten. Some of the lines of the hymns included praises such as ‘’ For you are fair, great dazzling and high over every land. In addition, kneeling images of the tomb owners were also discovered on the tombs an indication that people used to go the tomb areas for the purpose of worship. The aspect of the fear of the unknown also did contribute to the characteristics of ancient Egyptian religion. As highlighted by Murnane (2009, Pp 20), ancient Egyptians thought that the occurrences of nature were being influenced by divine forces. As a result of the anxiety about the unknown, they therefore believed that the sanctified forces were elements in the form of animal characteristics or abstract forces. They therefore had faith in a many gods believed to be involved in many aspects of nature as well as human society. Also the fear of the unknown influenced Egyptian religion through imaginary perceptions. According to Shafer (1991, Pp10), archaeological evidence gathered before the discovery of writing points to the existence of imaginary perceptions of divine. This is confirmed by ancient Egyptian population adoration of animals, possession of cult objects, the carrying out of sacred burials as well as having specific places devoted to carrying out rituals. According to Shafer (1991, Pp10) what is evident in all the practices of ancient Egyptians was the existence of a complicated set of beliefs that implied the presence of holy being or beings. This gives the impression that ancient Egyptians, out of the anxiety about the unknown, considered the godly as originally amorphous and it’s only after a long period of time that they envisioned the godly in relation to the natural phenomena. Shafer (1991, Pp10) argues that ancient Egyptians would engage themselves in such thinking process only when they found themselves in difficult situations in which they had no control over. In this case, they would deliberate on such issues and formulate concepts involved with long-term survival. Their practices could therefore be argued as instigated by efforts to sustain as well as appease the natural occurrences and turn them to their own human advantage. When evaluating the ancient Greek society, geography also played a significant role in contributing to the characteristics of ancient Greek religion. Greeks geographical features were covered with much of stony regions and mountainous areas however there were regions that were suitable for agricultural practices. Johnston, (2007, p 215) highlights that judged by the prayers and dedications that were offered by the ancient Greeks, they used to seek their gods for purposes of the fertility of their animals and crops. This therefore implied that they derived their divine gods from the need to gain agricultural prosperity. The Greeks therefore believed in various gods within the agricultural deity in order to increase their agricultural prosperity. Some of the gods within the agricultural deity include Demeter the goddess of agriculture, fertility, harvest and grain, Carme, the god who watched over the harvest and Aphaea the goddess of fertility and agriculture. The mountain regions were also believed by ancient Greeks to be the home of the gods. Amos and Lang (, p31) reveals that mount Olympus the highest mountain in Greece was believed to be the home of the gods. The Olympian gods were believed to be the strongest gods in Greece and were consulted during intolerable and terrible times. Amos and Lang (p31) highlights that Olympian gods such as Olympian Zeus the god of lighting were appraised using sweet words in order to calm him down against striking them with lightening. The Olympian gods lived just like human beings although they were believed to be divine and could never die. Furthermore the gods had human like bodies and emotions, passions and weakness such as those human beings. For instance Zeus the god of lightening would get involved in quarrel with his wife Hera (Amos & Lang, p31). Ancient Greek religion was also characterized by the worship of gods in specially designed geographical locations. Hinnells (2007, p270) highlights that on Island areas of ancient Greek society there were sanctuaries that were developed for the purpose of the worship of gods. The sanctuaries were located on mountain peaks and in natural caves. In these particular areas, the Minoan people practiced animal sacrifice as a form of worship. Rituals were also performed in the mountain and cave sanctuaries in order to act as a form of librations for evil occurrences. Worship was also conducted through the giving of offerings whereby people brought their agricultural products as offerings to the gods. On the Greek mainland areas, sanctuaries for worship in caves and mountains did not exist. Hinnells (2007, p271) highlights that the Mycenaean people who brought about the Greek language to the mainland practiced their rituals on the residence of local leaders. The leader’s resident was a territory that was enclosed with heavy fortified walls where animal sacrifice was conducted. To some extent the aspect of the fear of the unknown acted as a fundamental aspect in the shaping of the characteristics of ancient Greek religion. People in ancient Greek societies also had a fear of the unknown which made them believe in the various deity gods. Amos and Lang, (p31) highlight that the Greek people believed that Olympian Zeus the god of lightening can blast their seats with lightening out of his range. As a result out of the fear of the unknown, the Greek people used to go before Olympian Zeus with sweet words and calmly in order to prevent upsetting him. Conclusion From the analysis above, what is evident is that both geography and anxiety about the unknown had indeed played a major role in determining the character of ancient Egyptian and Greek religions. However from the analysis and the facts presented, geography was much more outstanding in the sense that most of the gods and religious practices of both religions were derived from geographical features such as mountains, rivers, physical geography such as the sun and the moon. Although fear of the unknown was also a contributory factor in the characteristic of both religions what is evident is that the two societies mainly derived their religious characteristics form features that were more visible(geography ) as opposed in depending a belief system of fearing what they have seen. In conclusion what is evident is that the religious world of ancient Egyptians and Greeks was actually fascinating and remains unique as far as the history of human religion is concerned. References Amos , H, D and Lang , A, G, These were the Greeks , Hulton Educational publication , p26-36. Hinnells, J, 2007, a Handbook of ancient religion, New York: Cambridge University press, p 266-317. Hart , G, Egyptian myths, London :Trustees of the British Museum by British ,p9-28. Johnston, S, 2007, Ancient religions, London: Cambridge, Mass; Belknap. Murnane, W.J, 1983, The Penguin Guide to Ancient Egypt Shafer, B.E, 1991, Religion in Ancient Egypt: gods, Myths and Personal Practice, Cornell University Press. Reeves, C, 2001, Akhenaten Egypt’s False prophet, Religion and Art, New York; Thames & Hudson. Taylor, J.H, 2001, Death and the afterlife in Ancient Egypt, British Museum Press Wilkinson, R.H, 2003, The Complete gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson, London Read More