Ta Oi People - Religious Beliefs

Religious Beliefs

Only a small number of cultural anthropologists possess any understanding about this ethnic group's belief systems. Fundamental to the Ta Oi's spiritual life is animism, the belief that natural objects are animated by spirits. This belief can take diverse forms. Things in nature may all have within them different spirits—each rock, tree, and cloud may have its own unique spirit. In contrast, all things in nature may be thought of as having the same spirit. A Initially, animatism and animism may seem to be the same thing. In fact both beliefs are often found in the same culture. The difference, however, is that the "power" of animatism does not have a personality—it is an impersonal "it" rather than a "he" or "she" with human-like characteristics. Spirits are individual supernatural beings with their own recognizable traits.