Animistic Art of Island Asia Book

Animism derives its name from the Latin anima, "soul" and is considered to be the world's earliest religion. Although loosely defined and applied, the principal belief includes the concept that there exists a "life force" within all things, be they living, dead or inanimate.

On the islands of the Far East- Indonesia, Borneo, the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan- animism flourished for thousands of years, preserving a shared special character that, owing to their semi-isolated status, survived, indeed thrived, in spite of later waves of outside cultural influence that more transformed the Mainland. Over the centuries the arrival of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity correspond with patterns of trade involving Indians, Chinese, Arabs and Europeans. Whether we speak of the rituals associated with the headhunters to the south or the more formally organized Shinto beliefs of Japan, we observe a deep respect for the power of nature and a belief in ancestral worship.

146846

ASIN B00398RY5E