<text><span class="style10">he Primal Religions: Modern Times (2 of 3)</span><span class="style7"></span><span class="style10">Structures of religious life</span><span class="style7">The </span><span class="style25">sacrifice</span><span class="style7"> of an animal or plant is a communication and communion with the spirit world. The animal or object sacrificed acts as an intermediary between people and a being of the spirit world. For the NA of Sudan, for example, sacrifice is the most typical and expressive act of their religion. Most Nuer sacrifices consist of an offering of an ox to Kwoth (their supreme god).</span><span class="style25">Initiation ceremonies</span><span class="style7"> take place in all primal religions to mark the transition of a person from one religious and social status to another - from bachelor to married man, for example, or from dead person to ancestor. Initiation can also mark the entry into a religious profession. Novice shamans, for example, have to undergo special initiation ceremonies. At the heart of initiation is an encounter with the spirit world from which a person emerges spiritually transformed. The most common type of initiation marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. During these ceremonies adolescents learn behavior patterns, myths and sacred traditions of their people, the names of the gods, and above all the relationship between people and the spirit world as it was established at the beginning of time.There are a whole range of </span><span class="style25">religious specialists</span><span class="style7">, from the priests, prophets, diviners and sacred kings of Africa to the medicine men of North America and the shamans of Siberia and the Arctic. Their role is to mediate between people and the spirit world. A priest's role is to serve a divinity or divinities, and to carry out specific ritual and ceremonial duties. A prophet is someone chosen by a spirit to deliver a special message. This message often involves changes to the social and religious order. Diviners, with the help of spirits or by using various techniques, diagnose disease or solve problems for people.</span><span class="style25">Myths</span><span class="style7"> are sacred narratives about the beings of the spirit world. All primal peoples have their own set of stories that express their understanding of the world and their place in it. Myths are often creation stories relating the origin of the world, and of human beings and animals.</span></text>
</content>
<content>
<layer>background</layer>
<id>26</id>
<text><span class="style10"> witch doctor</span><span class="style7"> attending a death ceremony. In addition to their healing roles, some witch doctors often mediate between people and the spirits.</span></text>
</content>
<content>
<layer>background</layer>
<id>23</id>
<text>ΓÇó AGE ROLES AND RITES OF PASSAGEΓÇó AFRICA, AUSTRALASIA AND OCEANIA TO THE COLONIAL AGEΓÇó WHAT IS RELIGION?ΓÇó WORSHIP, PRAYER AND PILGRIMAGEΓÇó SACRED PLACES AND RITUALSΓÇó THE MAKING OF MYTHS</text>
