Abstract
LONDON Anthropological Institute, November 8.—Prof. W. H. Flower, F.R.S., vice-president, in the chair.—The following new Members were announced:—Miss Becker, Mrs. R. Craw-shay, Mrs. Lloyd, Miss Mary Sheldon, Miss Eleanor E. Smith, Miss Wolfe, Prof. Acland, F.R.S., James Backhouse, William Bowman, F.R.S., Alfred T. Brett, M.D., Rev. H. Canham, John G. Garson, M.D., Hugh T. Hall, F.G.S., Capt. Hozier, W. J. Knowles, E. Llanfair Lewes, Alfred Lingard, M.B., G. D. Longstaff, M.D., William Parkin, H. Seebohm, F.L.S., Mark Stirrup, F.G.S., H. Slopes, F.G.S., Richard Thompson, Prof. E. Perceval Wright, F.L.S.; also Dr. Josef Majer_of Cracow as a Corresponding Member.—Dr. J. G. Garson exhibited some improved forms of antliropometric instruments.—Mr. Everard F. im Thurn read, a paper on: the animism of the Indians of British Guiana. After defining animism as belief in the existence of spirit in any form, the author stated that the animism of the Indians of Guiana, in common probably with that of many other American tribes, is not only of an exceedingly pure and rudimentary kind, but is much more primitive than has yet been recognised by students of religious evolution. The Indian belief is that each object and phenomenon of the visible world consists of body and spirit; and these countless dual beings differ from each other only in bodily form and in the degree of brute force or cunning which they possess, but. are none of them distinguished by the possession of any sort of divine character. There is no belief, of genuine Indian origin, in gods or a God, in heaven or hell, or in reward or punishment after death; nor is any form of worship practised. The author also indicated how in this belief may be found the germs from which all the features of the higher religions have arisen by modification.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Societies and Academies . Nature 25, 71–72 (1881). https://doi.org/10.1038/025071b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/025071b0