Religion
Religious Beliefs
Omniscient (the Great Spirit) is the centre of the Iroquois religion, who they believe is also their and plants and animals creator. They believe in anthropomorphism (animated nature and seasons) and strongly supported it. They believed that the Great Spirit guided their lives. Other important spirits were the thunderer, and the three sisters. Opposing the good spirit were the evil spirit and the spirit of disease and misfortune. They believed that ordinary humans can indirectly communicate with the great spirit by burning tobacco which carried their spirits to the spirits of good. They gave great importance to dreams and they were considered supernatural signs and were given serious attention. They believed that the dreams were the desire of the soul and were mandatory for the individual to complete.
Religious Practicers
There were no full time religious practicers but past time practicers were available. They did all the religious ceremonies and were chosen by the elders according to prestige.
Religious Ceremonies
Ceremonies were the tribal affairs concerned mainly with farming, curing illness and thanksgiving. Some major ceremonies were the maple planting, harvest and New Year’s festival. Some of them involved group ceremonies which involved speech by the keeper of the faith, tobacco offerings and prayer. The New Year's festival was usually held in early February, marked by the offering of a white dog to purge the people of evil.
Omniscient (the Great Spirit) is the centre of the Iroquois religion, who they believe is also their and plants and animals creator. They believe in anthropomorphism (animated nature and seasons) and strongly supported it. They believed that the Great Spirit guided their lives. Other important spirits were the thunderer, and the three sisters. Opposing the good spirit were the evil spirit and the spirit of disease and misfortune. They believed that ordinary humans can indirectly communicate with the great spirit by burning tobacco which carried their spirits to the spirits of good. They gave great importance to dreams and they were considered supernatural signs and were given serious attention. They believed that the dreams were the desire of the soul and were mandatory for the individual to complete.
Religious Practicers
There were no full time religious practicers but past time practicers were available. They did all the religious ceremonies and were chosen by the elders according to prestige.
Religious Ceremonies
Ceremonies were the tribal affairs concerned mainly with farming, curing illness and thanksgiving. Some major ceremonies were the maple planting, harvest and New Year’s festival. Some of them involved group ceremonies which involved speech by the keeper of the faith, tobacco offerings and prayer. The New Year's festival was usually held in early February, marked by the offering of a white dog to purge the people of evil.
Made by Sarthak Garg
Block D
2013
Block D
2013