Or you can look at the case of “Cargo cults” where some island peoples imitated the practices of colonial Europeans/Americans. They would see their weird temples that were just barren land with a tower (airstrips), men wearing ridiculous headdresses (radio headsets), and bizarre sound boxes (radios), then they tried to craft their own using coconuts and whatever else they had lying around in an effort to appease the gods and receive the same gifts that the foreigners got. It’s kind of interesting, they saw the real world benefits of technology, but then attributed it to the workings of the gods.
An example of a Cargo Cult ritual observed circa 2022:
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On a tropical island in the South West Pacific, a few dozen men gather in the rainforest. They are wearing long trousers but no shoes or shirts, and red paint marks the initials U.S.A. on their bare chests. Carrying thick bamboo poles painted with red stripes, the men greet each other cordially and muck around for a while.
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Suddenly, the toll of a bell abruptly changes the mood. Everyone stands upright, looking solemn and purposeful. A frail-looking older man in a worn-out military jacket several sizes too large shouts something in Bislama, a pidgin language common in Vanuatu, and the men get in formation. They place their bamboo poles on their shoulders like rifles, and at the next command begin marching in lockstep through the jungle.
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Their destination is a clearing in the forest that looks like a landing strip. But the only airplane present is a full-size wooden replica of a light aircraft. On one side of the strip lies a control tower made of bamboo. On the other sits a satellite dish built of mud and straw. Undeterred by the apparent lack of any actual aviation technology, some of the men light torches and place them alongside the runway. Others use flags to wave landing signals. Everyone raises their gaze to the sky in anticipation.
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They wait. But the planes never come.
They wait. But the planes never come.
This is such a strong finishing line.
The biggest one used to be the John Frum cult, but they must have gotten tired of waiting, because there’s only about 500 of them left.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Frum
And then there are the ones who worship Prince Phillip, Queen Elizabeth II’s late husband.
I can’t read the words “cargo cult” without thinking of the Prince Philip Movement.
One of my favorite things about it is this exchange:
[John] Champion suggested that Prince Philip send them a portrait of himself. He agreed and sent a signed official photograph. The villagers responded by sending him a traditional pig-killing club
Just the tool that every Prince Consort/Vampire-Zombie needs!
Why can’t it be both?
Right? Two species are worshiping an ancient monolith, and the cows think our methods of worship are weird too.
The cows (sacred to Shiva) are pointing out a natural lingam (sacred to Shiva).
Nothing odd about this in the slightest, honestly.
You don’t think that animals which were domesticated slowly by humans over centuries from wild aurochs being sacred is odd? Because I sure do.
My impression after reading up on it is that cows are so economically important in a pre-industrial society. They can plow the fields, they give us dairy, and many societies brought their animals indoors with them to stay warm in the winter.
The sacred status of cows seems to have to do with the prohibition of eating meat. If you kill a cow you can’t milk it anymore, it can’t work your fields, and it ceases to become a productive member of society. In this sense, it seems that cattle were recognized as being a vulnerable member of society. It makes sense then that people would want them treated equitably and not be slaughtered. Most people would probably have a similar aversion to eating a steak made out of the family dog.
Fair enough, but most of us don’t worship dogs.
Cows do more, though. Dogs are wonderful, but the fact a cow can work a field and give milk means pretty much ALL the food in your village is cow-dependent in your stone-to-iron age culture. It’s very symbolic that it feeds everyone without needing to die, I think. All that while being usually gentle. I don’t worship anything but I can understand how they would be seen as sacred.
It almost reminds me of the guy who picked “bears” for the higher power he believed in for AA.
Cats though…
Yes, but there’s a reason for that. If you don’t worship them, they’ll eat your face when you’re asleep.
you’re new on the internet aren’t you
I was married to a Hindu woman for 20 years, this kind of thing is par for the course for about a billion people.
That doesn’t make it not odd if you just think about it.
Not odd, really. Like the other commenter said it basically boils down to how important cows were to ancient societies. Hathor, Apis etc in ancient Egypt for example. Hinduism was concocted around the same time so it makes sense. Hinduism survived, ancient Egyptian religions did not. Another example is Sun as God in both ancient Egypt and Hinduism.
What’s odd is how cows managed to build it
