The existential security hypothesis predicts that in the absence of more successful secular institutions, people will be attracted to religion when they are materially insecure. Most assessments, however, employ data sampled at a state-level with focus on world religions. Using individual-level collected societies varied community sizes diverse religious traditions including animism, shamanism,...

The Hittites worshiped some secondary deities bearing the ending in -šepa, whose features are far from being thoroughly investigated. discussion will cover both linguistic and contextual analysis of every god, takingtheminto consideration as single entities a group

The “Sun-goddess of the earth” and less clearly defined category “chthonic solar deities” Hittite religion have been objects various studies in recent years. This paper aims to examine significance these categories deities within festival texts. Although Sun-goddess earth achieves some prominence local cult contexts, such as at Zippalanda Nerik, she otherwise remains a marginal deity. contrasts...

The basic ritual act of the Xangô, a cult of African origin found in Northeastern Brazil, is the offering of animal sacrifice to its deities. But by far most of the meat that results from this practice is redirected to the faithful and thus the Xangô appears as good to eat. It is also good to employ, since priests and their assistants function as providers of some specialized services, rewarded...

Most ethnic minorities in Vietnam such as the Vietnamese-Thai, Tay, Nung, Hmong, Muong and Dao have a special relationship with the land, elements and other living creatures. This relationship goes beyond mere economic interests to cultural and spiritual connections to the places they have inhabited for generations. These connections have been transmitted and nurtured from generation to generat...

The ancient Maya, like many other early cultures, developed a body of beliefs and myths on which they based their explanations for the origin and order of the cosmos. Everything that exists and happens was understood as the action of invisible and impalpable divine energies, beings or deities, who found representation through art and whose exploits were told in the sacred books. Some gods dealt...