01_The San_Beliefs and Religion Flashcards
(13 cards)
What did the San believe about the creation of the world?
Animals and people were indistinguishable at first
The San believed that only after the second creation were they separated from animals and educated in a separate social code.
What is the significance of /Kaggen in San beliefs?
/Kaggen is the powerful god, a trickster-deity, who created many things
/Kaggen is associated with the praying mantis and can take various animal forms.
What does the San belief system say about the relationship between humans and animals?
Humans are not more important than animals or birds
All living things have the right to exist, and resources taken from the environment must have a purpose.
What role do shamans play in San religion?
Shamans are religious leaders who access the spirit world and communicate with /Kaggen
They can protect and heal their group.
What practices do the San use to enter a trance-like state?
Singing and dancing
This allows them to enter the spirit world and communicate with /Kaggen.
What is the most spiritual animal for the San?
The eland
The eland appears in much of their rock art and is respected in many traditions.
What happens to the soul of a San person upon death?
The soul goes back to the great god’s house in the sky
Dead people can still influence the living.
How do San beliefs differ from Christian beliefs regarding communication with God?
Christians believe in direct access to God through Jesus
The San rely on shamans for communication with the spirit world.
Fill in the blank: The San believed that everything taken from the environment must have a _______.
purpose
True or False: The San worship only one god without any lesser gods.
False
The San believed in one powerful god, /Kaggen, as well as lesser gods and spirits.
What types of dances could the entire San group participate in?
Healing dance and rain dance
These dances allowed group participation in rituals.
What do Christians believe about God that contrasts with the San’s view of /Kaggen?
God is not a trickster who changes as He pleases
Christians view God as constant and all-powerful.
Fill in the blank: The San believed that when /Kaggen wasn’t in an animal form, he lived as an ordinary _______.
San man
