Ancestor Worship
Ancestor worship is a practice common to all religions without involvement of the gods. Abandoned its original form in many places, this type of worship exists in Madagascar , in China , to Vietnam in South Korea , in Mexico or in Europe through a syncretism with Christianity. Eastern religions have built since the original ancestor worship. Islam, he does not recognize it.
Summary |
The cult of ancestors in the world
In Asia
In China
Ancestor worship has, since the earliest times, a role in thought and practice religious of Chinese civilization. Popular religion has always persisted even cohabiting with clergy Taoist, Buddhist, Islamic, Catholic or Marxist. Due to its proximity with the thought Confucianism which emphasizes the piety of their fathers to son, ancestor worship is an age-old practice in China. This cult is supposed to maintain communication links between the living and the dead. The ancestor was offered sacrifices of food during the holidays (as the festival of the dead) sometimes the anniversary of the deceased or the legendary ancestor of a family (often in the aristocracy) and provide appetizers before meals.
Tablet ancestor's burial is traditionally in a room provided for this purpose inside the house, while the ancestral shrine is located south east side of the court. It is customary to burn incense and paper money. Visits to the tomb are also part of ancestral worship, particularly for cleaning at the time of Qingming.
According to tradition, only the king could sacrifice to his ancestors up to the 7th generation, the princes until the 5th, the great officers of 3rd and ordinary people had a single ancestor. Quant' the Emperor, calling themselves the Sons of Heaven, he had to sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, his "parents" (until Empress calls to sacrifice to the Earth).
Austronesian
Ancestor worship is also prevalent among peoples speaking Austronesian (Oceania, Madagascar). And the Polynesian oral literature speaks of deified ancestors which was worshiped (see marae ). The Moai of Easter Island have been interpreted by archaeologists in this direction.
In Africa
The "ancestor worship" in the African religion , is certainly an important component, but is not essential to the practice, contrary to what is generally found. For many, the term "ancestor worship" is inappropriate in the case of African spirituality. The ancestors are sanctified, having complied with the divine precepts, are honored with prayers and offerings of homage, to qualify for their benevolence. These are seen as possibly intercede between God and men. Benevolence, for the ancestors sanctified, is accepted as necessary for self-benefit from good impact in life. Due devotion to ancestors, is therefore, in a desire for harmony between the afterlife and the physical world of men. If this harmony is not respected, it creates an imbalance, which can be harmful to both humans and the rest of creation. In this same concern, that totemism of African spiritual tradition exists, but here between humans and other elements of creation, animal, plant, most often.
Europe
- Ancient Rome : The Romans revered the dead ancestors ( manes ).
- Basque : the worship of ancestors called Asaben Gurtz.
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