This book, first published in 1935, collects together material on the 
origins of religion from two very different sources. South America, 
where the author spent six years studying the religious beliefs and 
customs of several Indian tribes representing different stages of 
culture; and the Finno-Ugrian area, where Finnish and Russian 
ethnologists had brought to light a new body of facts which formed an 
important addition to our knowledge of religious life at an early stage 
of cultural development. This book is a key work in the study of 
comparative religion, and is an essential reference source on the 
origins of religion. Key terms: 

American
Indians ancestors ancient animals appear ascribed associated assume become
believed bird blood body called cause ceremonies certain character civilized
closely common conception connected course cult culture customs dances
dangerous dead death demons departed developed disease divine effects
especially essentially evidently evil spirits exist explained fact Father
fetish frequently give gods Greeks hand head higher human ideas important
Indians influence instance interesting Jibaros kind later living looked lower
magical material means medicine-man mentioned mysterious natives natural
objects offerings origin particular performed person plants possess practices
prayer present priest primitive purely question reference regarded relation
religion religious rites river sacred sacrifices savage seems seen sense shaman
sickness similar sometimes sorcerer soul South America stage statements stone
supernatural supposed taboo taken theory things thought totemism tree tribes
whole women worship

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