Unit 1: Key Words!

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  • Created by: Anonymous
  • Created on: 09-12-13 17:55
Animism
This is the belief that all people, animals, plants, mountains, spring, rivers and forests all have their own spirit. Those who believe in animism, see themselves as part of nature, not superior to it.
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Polytheism
This is a form of religion where worshippers believe in many gods. Often each god represents a different aspect of the society's understanding of the universe. This collection of gods may be known as a pantheon.
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Monotheism
This is the worship of a single paramount god rather than a pantheon of gods and goddesses.
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Cremation
This is a mortuary practice whereby the deceased is burnt on a pyre often along with grave goods that could be taken into the next life.
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Inhumation
This is a mortuary practice in which the deceased is buried. This may be in a coffin, tomb or vault. The location and orientation of inhumation practice is determined by a socieities religious beliefs.
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Excarnation
This is a mortuary practice which involves removing the flesh of the deceased. This could be practiced to allow the spirit, or soul, to re-enter nature or to allow the spirit to travel to the afterlife.
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Ancestor Worship
Worship of a person from a previous generation. This is done to show continuity between the generations. It can also be done to gain spiritual guidance in the present or to assist the ancestor in their afterlife.
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Magic
This is the belief that events can be influenced by rituals, spells and items such as amulets and wands.
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Grave Goods
Items placed in a burial or burnt with the deceased (if cremated). These items have three purposes: to be taken into the afterlife, help you reach the afterlife and to protect the deceased.
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Ritual
The activity and actions that past peoples carried out in line with what they believed. They were often performed by religious specialists.
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Sensory Experience
This is the manipulation of th senses to create a heightened sense of religious significance. This can be done within religious structures and during rituals/ceremonies.
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Rite of Intesification
This is a ritual or ceremony to overcome a crisis facing a group or society and perhaps appeal to their gods. This may be due to war, famine, drought and disease. Mass ceremonies were performed to lessen the danger, unite the people and overcome fear
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Sacrifice
This is the act of presenting a gift to a god. This may be an animal, human or an item of significance. This might be a religious tradition and may be seen as a contract between the god and the person who is offering it.
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Rite of Passage
This is a ceremony or ritual to mark a transition from one stage in life to another.
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Priest
A person who holds a religious duty, usually associated with a religious structure. They would normally have a cremonial intiation when entering the role as a priest. They would perform religious rituals/ceremonies/festivals.
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Purity and Cleansing
This is freedom from moral or physical pollution to acheive a sense of cleanliness for a religious purpose. This could be done before performing rituals, ceremonies or entering a religious structure.
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Votive Offering
These are items/objects which are offered to deities at their cult centres/shrines in order to gain their favour,
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Shrine/Temple/Ritual Structure
This is known as the location of a deity or home of a god. This is where worshippers may come to worship their god/deity.
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Worship
This is an act of showing devotion to a religious force, to idolise it and to regard it with adoration.
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Worldview
This is the philosophy of life itself and the understanding of how life came about,
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Focus of Attention
This is a building, statue or natural feature which grabs the attention of the worshipper and focuses it upon a place to where they should direct their gaze, prayers or offerings.
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Ritual Feasting
This is the eating of food and drinking in a religious context.
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Totemism
This is the practice where a natural object is adopted by a group or society as their emblem and as an object of worship.
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Symbolism
Signs/symbols associated with religion. They would be shared and recognised by people of that religion and may provoke feelings of reverence and awe.
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Art and Iconography
This is a form of art that might have a religious meaning. This could be images representing objects of worship.
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Myth
This usually contains a moral or a lesson. The content of it tends to be fictional to some extent but may have some elements of truth. The mixture of human and divine creatures may occur in this.
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Pilgrim
This is a person that takes part on a journey to a sacred place often as an act of reigious devotion or can be as a demonstration of cultural/historical reverence.
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Prayer/participation
This is the act of showing worship to a deity in a physical manner.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

This is a form of religion where worshippers believe in many gods. Often each god represents a different aspect of the society's understanding of the universe. This collection of gods may be known as a pantheon.

Back

Polytheism

Card 3

Front

This is the worship of a single paramount god rather than a pantheon of gods and goddesses.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

This is a mortuary practice whereby the deceased is burnt on a pyre often along with grave goods that could be taken into the next life.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

This is a mortuary practice in which the deceased is buried. This may be in a coffin, tomb or vault. The location and orientation of inhumation practice is determined by a socieities religious beliefs.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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