Traditional Religious Beliefs, Practices and Impacts of Christianity Among the Nyishis

Abstract

Belief in the existence of supernatural powers and day-to-day unexplainable experiences has led the Nyishis into believing in other than the material visible world i.e. in the invisible spiritual world or supernatural power. Generally, the people are found to establish a close relationship with the spiritual world either by controlling or overpowering the spirit by enchanting or practicing some techniques and canalising the power or by offering ritual or worship to propitiate the supernatural power for acquisition of the thing or object desired. However, nowadays, there are clear indications that the Christian religious ideas have penetrated into the traditional religion of the people in the Nyishi villages. However, there are still many who retain their traditional religious beliefs and ritual practices which are altogether free from Christian influence. The Nyishis believes in the existence of a number of uyub, the spirits that there are in the jungles, on the lofty hills, on the top of huge or giant trees call Sangrik Sangney (Banyan tree), in rivers, and inside and outside the houses and these spirits often hurt human beings. Most of the Uyub are malevolent in character and cause harm to the human beings.