THE ORIGINAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS: ORIGINS AND TYPOLOGY

Abstract

The article focuses on the research in the field of religious studies and the history of religion, specifically, the original religious cults and beliefs. The original beliefs are the basis of any modern religion. It is important to understand the history of formation of the ideas from the original communities’ times to the first states and up to current times. They allow us to better understand the religious beliefs and practices of our ancestors, as well as to find out how they influenced the formation of culture and society. Important aspects of the original religious beliefs, such as animism, totemism, fetishism, magic, and shamanism, which caused the formation of complex religious systems, are analyzed in the article. The original sources of well-known anthropologists, historians of religion of the 19th-21st centuries, which were not translated into Ukrainian, were analyzed, translated and introduced into scientific circulation. In the modern world, studying the original religious beliefs is important not only from a scientific point of view, but also from cultural and ethical points of view, as it allows to enhance our understanding and respect for the diversity of religions and cultures. The original religious beliefs have many unique features that distinguish them from more developed religious traditions. The original beliefs went beyond pure metaphysical explanations and included a variety of social and ethical aspects that were important for the formation of cultures and communities. Religious practices such as totemism and taboos played an important role in the lives of original communities and are key components of their religious traditions. In addition, original religious beliefs reflect many of the complex relationships between humans and nature, as well as our feelings and thoughts about life and death. These concepts reflect complex beliefs and practices that arose within original people groups and became key components of their religious traditions.