31 replies to this topic

[Libramoon]

I used to read alot about Native American history & religion. Something I thought was neat is that a few of the tribes believed that the earth was flooded and a bird was responsible for finding dry land.
Also, some of them say that there was a virgin who gave birth to a holy
child.
Maybe the Bible isn't too far off. Native Americans have had these beliefs long before the white man came. What are your thoughts on this?

[Vampchick21]

Being quite unfamilar with Native North American religious beliefs (beyond Raven that is...and even that's kinda muddled), could you point me in the right direction as to what specific tribes held these beliefs? Can't really comment any further until I look into it myself.

[Libramoon]

Vampchick21, it's been awhile and I don't remember which tribes believed
what. The Apache is the tribe that believes in the virgin. She is called The
White Lady, I believe.
As for the flood, it was either the Cheyenne or Lakota(Sioux) who had this
belief. To make it easier for you to search, I'm almost certain that it was the
Plains tribes I read about. They all have really interesting beliefs and history!

[aloha_spirit]

Someone once put together a list of Hawaiian beliefs that correspond to Chrstianity. Here are a few that I can remember off hand:

Lono is the only light-skinned god in the Hawaiian pantheon.
Lono is the god of peace.
Lono visited the first Hawaiians and promised to return.
Lono's celebration (Makahiki) is celebrated in the early spring.
The symbol of Lono is a cloth draped over a cross.

On his first voyage, Captain Cook arrived during the makahiki. His ship circled the Island in the proper direction (same as the kahuna carry the sign of Lono). The Hawaiians saw the cross shape of the mast and mistook Captain Cook for the deity.

On his second voyage, Cook arrived during the winter months - during the festival honoring Ku - the god of war. At that point, the Hawaiians knew he wasn't Lono - or any god for that matter, but that he still had a lot of mana, so they ate him and split his bones.

[SpookSeeker]

Well like I mentioned in another thread I believe that ultimately all religions are connected at one point or another. If God really is an infinate and omnipotent being as we believe he is it' rather arrogant to think he'd only present himself to one group of people. Maybe he presented himself to various people and eah interpreted him in their own way.

It's interesting when studying religions to look at the events and meaning rather then the names and faces. You'll find a lot of paraleles.

[petunia4998]

I sometimes wonder if these religious stories didn't get their starts in Atlantis or Lemuria. There is so much similarity from such diverse cultures and at different times too.

[SpookSeeker]

It's a very strong possibility, it's too bad we know so little about the lost civilizations.

[Vampchick21]

Libramoon, on Dec 30 2004, 11:58 AM, said:

Vampchick21, it's been awhile and I don't remember which tribes believed
what. The Apache is the tribe that believes in the virgin. She is called The
White Lady, I believe.
As for the flood, it was either the Cheyenne or Lakota(Sioux) who had this
belief. To make it easier for you to search, I'm almost certain that it was the
Plains tribes I read about. They all have really interesting beliefs and history!

Thanks luv! I'll take a look into it.

On another note, if I recall aright, many different cultures have tales of a flood at some point in their history. And if I recall my Biblical Archelology correctly, they did find evidence of a flood in the region of Palestine, although that one didn't span the world, just the world that the people of the region knew, ya know?

But as far as I know, everyone has a flood tale in their history. It's just a matter of how much onus they put on it.

[Vampchick21]

Eck...I don't buy Atlantis, Lemuria or any other 'lost' civilization, nor ideas that survivors of this supposed places founded cultures.

Probably because A) I read too much archeology
Early pundints of such theories were filled with their 'superior white race' BS
C) Plato was making a point.
D) Blavatsky was a questionable, but brilliant person
E) Since humans simply share basic qualities outside of civilizations and faith, is it so freaking hard to believe that they can equally think up building a pyramid for example?

But really, that's a discussion for another board.

[petunia4998]

I know what you mean about lost civilizations, spookseeker, and it drives me crazy that we'll never know about them. I am fascinated with Macchu Picchu in Peru, and nobody knows who built it, what it was used for or what happened to the people who used it. And in my own land, there's the Anasazi. They built magnificent pueblos and seem to have been astronomically advanced, but no one knows what happened to them. They just disappeared. It's so frustrating.

[Libramoon]

I know whacha mean. I remember seeing a t.v. show that said we may have evolved from the cro-magna and a visiting race from space. Some scientists
found engravings in some caves that show UFO type things on earth. They
also found a skull that they say supports that theory. They call the skull
Star Child. Basically aliens came here and used the cave man as some sort of
slave, but they weren't too smart, so the aliens began to breed themselves
with the cave man to make a better race, and that's why we are here now.
I don't buy it, but it was an interesting show.

[star_2_glitter_4_u]

I think the beliefs instilled in all mankind may have been tought by the same God or Divine Being..

The point wanted to be made , is for man to know that all who does good will flourish and live a fruitful life.

The promise of new life and a saviour to have hope in when all looks bleak will give all hope in the world.


I guess so we know to everything , there is a purpose...

[Vampchick21]

petunia4998, on Jan 2 2005, 09:57 PM, said:

I am fascinated with Macchu Picchu in Peru, and nobody knows who built it, what it was used for or what happened to the people who used it. 

Uhhh....

The Inca built it. Then small pox cut into the population. The Incas had a civil war. They left the site.

Then the Spanish came.


http://www.mnsu.edu/...chu_picchu.html

http://ce.eng.usf.ed...achupicchu.html


http://www.mnsu.edu/...tures/inca.html

http://www.incas.org/

http://www.nationalg...aphic.com/inca/

http://www.machupicchu.org/

http://www.peru-machu-picchu.com/

History is a wonderful thing. It means you actually LEARN something.

[fiannagirl]

im from the blackfoot tride and we worship animals and plants and well nature we treat animals as people

[Libramoon]

Just about all tribes do. I am part Cherokee & we have clans that are named after animals, such as the Wolf Clan. It is believed all life, even plants, have
spirits. And why not? They grow, need water & food, produce "babies" &
then they die.
I love to learn about different religions.