The oldest forms of religion include fetishism, totemism, ancestor cult, magic. All these forms were based on a special type of worldview, which is considered the essence of any religion. This type of worldview is called animistic, and its essence is the belief in the existence of spirits capable of helping or hindering a person in his affairs (animism). The term " animism" introduced into scientific circulation by the English scientist E. Tylor.

Animism arose on the basis of ideas about the animation of all nature ( animatism). Wind, thunder, trees, water, stones, and, of course, people were endowed with special powers associated with their spiritual essence. Later, spirits began to be perceived as independent entities, which was the basis for the emergence of animism proper.

Within the framework of animistic ideas, such a form of belief has developed as totemism- belief in the mystical connection of a group of people with an animal or plant that is the patron or ancestor of the tribe. Totemism was a way for society to realize its unity.

It formed very early in humanity ancestor cult - worshiping the spirits of dead people. Such ancestor worship becomes possible only if there is faith in the immortality of the soul and the afterlife. Death was considered by primitive man as a transition to another state (separation of the soul from the body) and movement to another place (forest, sea, underground or heavenly world). Dead ancestors became spirits. After some time, they returned to the world, inhabiting newborn children, animals or plants (often totemic). Thanks to the deification of their ancestors, people began to have a reverent attitude towards the cultural norms developed by their ancestors. Thus, a mechanism for inheriting sociocultural values ​​was created. The ancestor also became a “brace”, uniting people into a social community, creating in the tribe a sense of blood unity, which is described by the polar categories “us” - “stranger”. With the collapse of the clan community, the cult of ancestors is replaced by other forms of religion.
Magic is the oldest form of religion, which is a system of symbolic actions (rituals and rites), with the help of which a person can supernaturally influence nature, people and spirits. Magic is associated with the idea of ​​the presence in the world of a certain mystical force that is capable of influencing any object. Special actions and spells wielded by especially dedicated people - magicians are based on knowledge of this magical power. Using such knowledge, magicians are able to communicate between the ordinary and sacral (sacred) worlds and even influence special supernatural forces.

Magic rituals were familiar to people already in the Upper Paleolithic era. Evidence of this is the found figurines of women and animals, cave drawings, which undoubtedly have a magical purpose. Magic permeated all spheres of life of primitive man. There was meteorological magic (making rain), fishing magic (rituals before hunting, going to sea, agricultural rites), military, love magic (“bewitchment” and “warding off”), healing, protective (amulets) and harmful (“damage”, causing harm enemies). Magical actions could be individual or collective.

A separate type is magic of words- spells and spells. Initially, the word apparently was merged with a magical effect. But later it turns into an independent magical force.

The main thing you should pay attention to is that magic, being one of the first types of religious beliefs, simultaneously demonstrated a person’s desire and ability to have an active, creative attitude towards the world around him. The magical ritual modeled creative activity, created new forms of communication, and exercised human control over nature in an idealized form.

To summarize, it can be noted that the development of primitive beliefs went from people feeling
its kinship with nature and its humanization to the identification of special entities, different from the ordinary world of man, whose communication with which could bring a positive result. At the stage of decomposition of primitive society, primitive religion was also characterized by the simultaneous coexistence of various cults and beliefs.

Knowledge of nature developed the observation skills of ancient man. This allowed him to make many wonderful discoveries. People gradually learned to understand the plant world around them. They learned to distinguish useful plants from those that could cause harm. They began to eat many plants and learned medicinal properties some of them. From medicinal plants They made infusions, ointments, and decoctions. Poisons were used to put fish to sleep, but they were mainly used to coat arrowheads.
Already in such a distant past, people were able to identify certain diseases and apply appropriate treatment methods. If necessary, they stopped the bleeding and even performed surgical operations, such as opening an abscess or removing a diseased tooth. In exceptional cases, diseased limbs could be amputated.
Hunting allowed me to learn a lot about the life of wild animals. People were well versed in the habits of animals; by their tracks they could determine their routes of movement. While hunting or gathering, people navigated the terrain. He learned this by observing the position of the Sun and stars in the sky.
The man knew how to measure distances. Long distances were measured in days of travel. In this case, a day was considered the period from sunrise to sunset. Smaller distances were measured by the flight of an arrow or spear. Very small - using various parts of the human body: foot, elbow, finger, nail.
Ideas about the world around us
Ancient man felt himself to be a part of nature. He was convinced of the existence of his connection with the animal and plant world. Therefore, worship arose certain species animals and plants. The animal, which was considered the patron of the clan, was forbidden to kill and eat, and it could not be harmed in any way. The image of the patron of the clan was applied to weapons, household items, and the home was decorated with it.
Thunderstorms, the change of day and night, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, and other natural phenomena were considered by primitive people as the activity of spirits. In their minds, spirits often had a humanoid appearance.
f Remember folk tales in which things, tools, plants are endowed with human qualities.

Primitive man believed that there were evil and good spirits in the world. The patronage of good spirits helps to cope with a serious illness and promotes successful hunting. Evil spirits can cause terrible disasters - fire, death and other misfortunes. You can summon the help of good spirits and avoid evil ones with the help of a gift, that is, making a sacrifice in their honor. The victim could be a killed animal, and sometimes even a person.

Buffalo. Bone carving. 13th millennium Stonehenge. England BC e. La Madeleine. France
Ancient people had their own explanation for death. In the Cro-Magnon burials found by archaeologists, the dead were laid in the position of a sleeping person. Their heads rested on a stone “pillow” or a bed of grass. Nearby were clothes, food, and jewelry. If the deceased was a hunter during his lifetime, hunting tools were located nearby. Excavations of burials indicate that the Cro-Magnons believed in an afterlife.
Primitive people believed in the powerful power of magic. It was believed that certain actions and words had magical powers, and the magical effect could be enhanced with the help of an amulet. An amulet, or amulet, is an object that protects a person from harm. For the hunt to be successful, a magical ritual was performed. At the same time, in their spells they turned to good spirits for help.
Only the shamans or sorcerers of the tribe knew mysterious, magical techniques. These were, as a rule, elderly people. They had more life experience than their relatives. They knew how to observe nature, knew signs, and used the medicinal properties of plants. Sorcerers performing magical actions, given to hunters practical advice, could provide assistance in case of illness. In the clan community and tribe, sorcerers were treated with great respect. Kindred thought that sorcerers were endowed with a special gift that allowed them to communicate with and influence spirits. Shamans were trusted to educate young people.
Primitive people did not have writing, so their understanding surrounding nature passed down from generation to generation in the form of oral stories. This is how myths appeared - tales about heroes, gods, natural phenomena. For example, one of them said that the sun is a person who has two houses: on earth and in heaven. He makes a daily journey from one house to another.
Another myth spoke of a huge bird with giant wings. When it flies across the sky, terrible thunder is heard from the flapping of its wings, and when it blinks, lightning flashes. Through fantastic explanations of natural phenomena, primitive man sought to comprehend the world around him and understand his place in it.

More on the topic Knowledge of primitive people:

1. VI. Private logical perfection of knowledge A. Logical perfection of knowledge in quantity.- quantity.- Axnection and intensive value.- Lash and thoroughness or importance and fruitfulness of knowledge.- Definition of the horizon of our knowledge

The Origin of Primitive Religions

Simplest forms religious beliefs existed already 40 thousand years ago. It was at this time that the appearance of the modern type of man dates back to homo sapiens), which differed significantly from its supposed predecessors in physical structure, physiological and psychological characteristics. But his most important difference was that he was a reasonable person, capable of abstract thinking.

The existence of religious beliefs in this remote period of human history is evidenced by the burial practices of primitive people. Archaeologists have established that they were buried in specially prepared places. At the same time, certain rituals were previously carried out to prepare the dead for the afterlife. Their bodies were covered with a layer of ocher, weapons, household items, jewelry, etc. were placed next to them. Obviously, at that time religious and magical ideas were already taking shape that the deceased continues to live, that Along with the real world there is another world where the dead live.

Religious beliefs of primitive man reflected in the works rock and cave paintings, which were discovered in the 19th-20th centuries. in Southern France and Northern Italy. Most ancient rock paintings are scenes of hunting, images of people and animals. Analysis of the drawings allowed scientists to conclude that primitive man believed in a special kind of connection between people and animals, as well as in the ability to influence the behavior of animals using some magical techniques.

Finally, it was found that among primitive people there was widespread veneration of various objects that were supposed to bring good luck and ward off danger.

Nature Worship

Religious beliefs and cults of primitive people developed gradually. The primary form of religion was the worship of nature. The primitive peoples did not know the concept of “nature”; the object of their worship was the impersonal natural force, designated by the concept of “mana”.

Totemism

Totemism should be considered an early form of religious views.

Totemism- belief in a fantastic, supernatural relationship between a tribe or clan and a totem (plant, animal, object).

Totemism is the belief in the existence of a family connection between a group of people (tribe, clan) and a certain species of animals or plants. Totemism was the first form of awareness of the unity of the human collective and its connection with the outside world. The life of the clan was closely connected with certain types of animals that its members hunted.

Subsequently, within the framework of totemism, a whole system of prohibitions arose, which were called taboo. They represented an important mechanism for regulating social relations. Thus, the gender and age taboo excluded sexual relations between close relatives. Food taboos strictly regulated the nature of the food that was supposed to go to the leader, warriors, women, old people and children. A number of other taboos were intended to guarantee the inviolability of the home or hearth, regulate the rules of burial, and fix positions in the group, the rights and responsibilities of members of the primitive collective.

Magic is one of the earliest forms of religion.

Magic- the belief that a person has supernatural power, which is manifested in magical rituals.

Magic is a belief that arose among primitive people in the ability to influence any natural phenomena through certain symbolic actions (incantations, spells, etc.).

Having originated in ancient times, magic was preserved and continued to develop over many millennia. If initially magical ideas and rituals were of a general nature, then their differentiation gradually occurred. Modern experts classify magic according to the methods and purposes of influence.

Types of magic

Types of magic by methods of influence:

contact (direct contact of the bearer of magical power with the object at which the action is directed), initial (magical act directed at an object that is inaccessible to the subject of magical activity);

partial (indirect influence through cut hair, legs, leftover food, which in one way or another reaches the owner of the mating power);

imitative (impact on some semblance of a specific subject).

Types of magic socially oriented and impact goals:

harmful (causing damage);

military (a system of rituals aimed at ensuring victory over the enemy);

love (aimed at invoking or destroying sexual desire: lapel, love spell);

medicinal;

commercial (aimed at achieving success in the process of hunting or fishing);

meteorological (weather changes in the desired direction);

Magic is sometimes called primitive science or pre-science because it contained elementary knowledge about the surrounding world and natural phenomena.

Fetishism

Among primitive people, the veneration of various objects that were supposed to bring good luck and ward off danger was of particular importance. This form of religious belief is called "fetishism".

Fetishism- the belief that a certain object has supernatural powers.

Any object that captured a person’s imagination could become a fetish: a stone of an unusual shape, a piece of wood, an animal skull, a metal or clay product. This object was attributed properties that were not inherent to it (the ability to heal, protect from danger, help in hunting, etc.).

Most often, the object that became a fetish was chosen by trial and error. If after this choice a person managed to achieve success in practical activities, he believed that the fetish helped him in this, and kept it for himself. If a person suffered any misfortune, then the fetish was thrown out, destroyed or replaced by another. This treatment of fetishes suggests that primitive people did not always treat the object they chose with due respect.

Speaking about early forms of religion, one cannot fail to mention Obanimism.

Animism- belief in the existence of souls and spirits.

Being at a fairly low level of development, primitive people tried to find protection from various diseases and natural disasters, endowing nature and surrounding objects on which existence depended with supernatural powers and worshiping them, personifying them as the spirits of these objects.

It was believed that all natural phenomena, objects and people have a soul. Souls could be evil and benevolent. Sacrifice was practiced in favor of these spirits. Belief in spirits and the existence of the soul continues in all modern religions.

Animistic beliefs are a very significant part of almost all religions of the world. Belief in spirits, evil spirits, an immortal soul - all these are modifications of the animistic ideas of the primitive era. The same can be said of other early forms of religious belief. Some of them were assimilated by the religions that replaced them, others were pushed into the sphere of everyday superstitions and prejudices.

Shamanism

Shamanism- the belief that an individual (shaman) has supernatural abilities.

Shamanism arises at a later stage of development, when people with a special social status appear. Shamans were the keepers of information that had great value for a given clan or tribe. The shaman performed a ritual called ritual (a ritual with dances and songs, during which the shaman communicated with spirits). During the ritual, the shaman allegedly received instructions from the spirits about ways to solve a problem or treat the sick.

Elements of shamanism are present in modern religions. For example, priests are credited with a special power that allows them to turn to God.

In the early stages of the development of society, primitive forms of religious beliefs did not exist in their pure form. They intertwined with each other in the most bizarre way. Therefore, it is hardly possible to raise the question of which form arose earlier and which later.

The considered forms of religious beliefs can be found among all peoples at the primitive stage of development. As social life becomes more complex, forms of cult become more diverse and require closer study.

The most simple shapes religious beliefs date back more than 40 thousand years, and it was in those distant times that the modern type of man appeared, who differed significantly from his predecessors, in other words, from his supposed predecessors, primarily in his physical structure, psychological and physiological characteristics.

But the most important difference between that man was that he was intelligent and capable of abstract thinking.

Primitive religions - totemism, magic, fetishism, animism, shamanism

The existence of an ancient and primitive religion has been known for a long time, as well as about a variety of religious movements and beliefs of that distant period of human history. This is evidenced at least by the burial practice of primitive people.

Archaeologists around the world have found evidence that people were buried in those distant times in specially prepared places. Let us even note that at the same time, the existing rituals and procedures for preparing the deceased for the afterlife were previously carried out.

The bodies of these people were covered with a certain layer, usually ocher, and weapons, household items, mainly household items, precious jewelry, etc. were placed next to them.

It is obvious that already in those distant times, the religious idea began to gradually take shape that the deceased continues to live after his death, that in parallel with the real and living world there is another world where the dead live.

At the early stage of the emergence of humanity, the belief in some forces, perhaps in religion, of people who once lived in primitive times, was perfectly reflected by their creativity - in the works of cave and rock paintings.

They were found in large numbers in Europe, including France and Italy. Most of these rock art are images of people and animals, hunting scenes and so on.

Analysis of rock and cave paintings gave scientists the opportunity to conclude that primitive man firmly believed in a special connection between himself and animals, as well as in the ability to control the behavior of animals using certain magical spells.

Finally, it is worth noting the fact that scientists have established that among people living in the primitive age, the veneration of a variety of objects and things was widespread, which, in their belief, should bring them good luck and protect them from danger.

Ancient religions of the world - Worship of nature

Religious beliefs and cults of primitive people developed gradually. Primary form religion was the worship of nature.

The primitive peoples did not know the concept of “nature”; the object of their worship was the impersonal natural force, designated by the concept of “mana”.

Primitive religions of the world - Totemism

Totemism should be considered an early form of religious views.

Totemism is the belief in a fantastic, supernatural relationship between a tribe or clan and a totem (plant, animal, object).

Totemism is the belief in the existence of a family connection between a group of people (tribe, clan) and a certain species of animals or plants. Totemism was the first form of awareness of the unity of the human collective and its connection with the outside world.

The life of the clan was closely connected with certain types of animals that its members hunted.

Subsequently, within the framework of totemism, a whole system of prohibitions arose, which were called taboos. They represented an important mechanism for regulating social relations. Thus, the gender and age taboo excluded sexual relations between close relatives.

Food taboos strictly regulated the nature of the food that was supposed to go to the leader, warriors, women, old people and children. A number of other taboos were intended to guarantee the inviolability of the home or hearth, regulate the rules of burial, and fix positions in the group, the rights and responsibilities of members of the primitive collective.

One of the most ancient religions - Magic

Magic is one of the earliest forms of religion.

Magic is the belief that a person has supernatural power, which is manifested in magical rituals.

Magic is a belief that arose among primitive people in the ability to influence any natural phenomena through certain symbolic actions (incantations, spells, etc.).

Having appeared in ancient times, magic was preserved and successfully continued to develop for several thousand years. If initially magical performances and rituals were carried out as if general direction, but later, their transformation gradually took place.

Modern historians and specialists on this issue classify ancient magic according to the methods, focus and purposes of influence.

Types of magic in ancient religion

Types of magic by methods of influence:

Contact magic (direct interaction of the bearer of magical power with an object or subject to which the magical action is directed)

Initial magic (a magical act aimed at a distant object that is out of reach of the subject of magical activity);

Partial magic (indirect influence through cut hair, legs, leftover food, which in one way or another reaches the owner of magical power);

Imitation magic (impact on any semblance of a specific subject).

The types of ancient magic, according to their social orientation, methods and purposes of influence, are divided into:

Harmful magic (causing damage - causing damage to a person);

Military magic (a system of rituals designed to assist in ensuring victory over the enemy);

Love magic (aimed at increasing or decreasing sexual desire: lapel, love spell);

Healing magic (designed to heal a person or pet);;

Trade (industrial) magic (designed to ensure good luck in hunting or fishing);

Meteorological (weather) magic (helps change weather conditions);

Magic is sometimes called primitive science or ur-science, because it contained initial knowledge about the surrounding world and natural phenomena.

Among primitive people, an important role was played by the veneration of a variety of objects and things that were supposed to bring them good luck and protect them from troubles. This form of religious belief is called "fetishism".

The most ancient religions of the world - Fetishism

Fetishism is the belief that a certain object has supernatural powers.

Any object that captured a person’s imagination could become a fetish: a stone of an unusual shape, a piece of wood, an animal skull, a metal or clay product. This object was attributed properties that were not inherent to it (the ability to heal, protect from danger, help in hunting, etc.).

Most often, the object that became a fetish was chosen by trial and error. If after this choice a person managed to achieve success in practical activities, he believed that the fetish helped him in this, and kept it for himself.

If a person suffered any misfortune, then the fetish was thrown out, destroyed or replaced by another. This treatment of fetishes suggests that primitive people did not always treat the object they chose with due respect.

Ancient primitive religions- Animism

Speaking about early forms of religion, one cannot fail to mention animism.

Animism is the belief in the existence of souls and spirits.

While on initial stage development of mankind, primitive people at that time, sought to provide themselves with protection from all sorts of misfortunes, some diseases, and the influence of natural phenomena. In those days, they endowed nature and the things and objects around them with something magical, on which a lot depended, for example, their existence.

They worshiped supernatural forces, personifying them as nothing other than the spirits of these things and subjects.

It was believed that all natural phenomena, objects and people have a soul. Souls could be evil and benevolent. Sacrifice was practiced in favor of these spirits. Belief in spirits, as well as in the existence of the soul, persists in modern world, in all world religions.

Animistic beliefs are a very significant part of almost all religions of the world. Belief in spirits or evil spirits, as well as in the immortal soul - all these are modifications of the animistic ideas of the primitive life of mankind.

The same can be said of other early forms of religious belief. Some of them were assimilated by the religions that replaced them, others were pushed into the sphere of everyday superstitions and prejudices.

Ancient world religions - Shamanism

Shamanism is the belief that an individual (shaman) has supernatural powers.

Shamanism as an ancient religion appeared at a later stage of human development, when people already appeared who at that time had a special social status. Shamans were called upon to sacredly preserve the information they received, which had special significance for the clan or tribe where they lived.

The shaman knew how to perform an ancient ritual called ritual (a ritual with dances and songs, during which the shaman communicated with spirits). During the ritual, the shaman allegedly received instructions from the spirits about ways to solve a problem or treat the sick.

Elements of shamanism are present in modern religions. For example, priests are credited with a special power that allows them to turn to God.

In the early stages of human development, primitive forms of religious beliefs did not exist in their pure form. They intertwined with each other in the most bizarre forms.

It is for this reason that to pose the question of which of the forms of the most ancient religion of primitive man arose first, before some other, and which later, we will probably never know; it is simply, simply not possible, it is not realistic to establish accurately.

The considered forms of religious beliefs can be found among all peoples at the primitive stage of development. As social life becomes more complex, forms of cult become more diverse and require closer study.

The art of primitive man. Elena Orlova.

ART OF PRIMITIVE MAN

“In search of a better life, humanity will more than once remember the free man of antiquity: he was close to nature, lived with it soul to soul, knew its beauty. He knew something that we have not known for a long time.
The movements of the ancient are integral, his thoughts are strictly expedient, his sense of proportion and desire for decoration are acute. To understand the Stone Age as wild lack of culture would be a mistake of ignorance. In the pages of the time of stone that have reached us there is no bestial primitiveness. We feel in them a special culture that is too far from us.”
N.K. Roerich Stone Age.

It is commonly mistakenly believed that our distant primitive ancestors were ignorant savages, completely devoid of modern sophistication, grace, taste and sense of beauty. But this is far from true. And evidence of this is the art of primitive man, free and proud, inextricably linked into a single whole with Mother Nature, subtly and sensitively feeling her true beauty and striving to display it, to decorate his life with all accessible ways.
We still have a lot to learn from the so-called “savages” of antiquity. And, above all, the ability to subtly sense the beauty in the world around us and timid attempts to convey this beauty in our first works of art. What is art if not a passionate desire to decorate, improve what we see around us, to bring Beauty into the space around us, to create something with our own hands as beautiful and better as possible? Art can just as easily decorate our everyday life as the galleries of luxurious palaces and museums. In the same way, primitive man strove for beauty, convenience and order in his daily life; that’s why he was a man, not a beast, to live at random. It is art and the bright ability to create that distinguishes man from the beast and elevates him to God. For man’s destiny is Creativity, which ultimately leads him to Cosmic Creativity.

The art of primitive man abounds in a variety of graphic designs and silhouettes, bright pictorial images made with mineral paints, miniature sculptures carved from stone or skillfully sculpted from clay; as well as decorative stone and bone carvings; reliefs and bas-reliefs, fancy ornaments.
If such art existed at that time, then we can say with complete confidence that high level culture of Stone Age man and refute speculation about his supposedly primitive “savagery.”

Primitive man first masters such materials as bone, stone and clay, then metal, he takes his first timid steps, trying at first to process them clumsily and slightly roughly. He tries his hand and every time his work becomes more beautiful and perfect. What an indescribable joy in these first attempts to embellish your life, clothes, appearance, how much sincere, genuine enthusiasm is hidden in these first creations of primitive art! Let's imagine how these small masterpieces were created: rock paintings, figurines of ancient goddesses, amber beads and pendants, how much painstaking work, patience and love for their creation was put into them.

How much charm lies in the ancient Stone Age. How many more mysteries and secrets do we have to solve, how many more to speculate... What did they think about, how did primitive people live, what did they worship? The main deity of ancient man was the sacred Fire, Agni. They worshiped fire, prayed, and made sacrifices. He was deified. Without fire there would be no life. The fire warmed, food was cooked on it. He was considered the life-giver and preserver of life. Ancient people also worshiped the feminine principle. The woman was revered as a goddess and guardian of the hearth.*

Paleolithic art reflects the rich inner world primitive man. Cave painting, bone engraving, and primitive sculpture were closely related to the life activity and magical beliefs of people.
Primitive artists most often used mineral and vegetable paints, chalk, charcoal, and ocher in their work. The drawing process itself was considered magical and was accompanied by special spells and rituals. Sculptural images of animals and people abounded in decorative patterns, which also contained a magical meaning, since magic played a huge role in people’s lives.

The painting of primitive man is unusually expressive. Depicting the animal, the primitive artist tried to convey in an extremely realistic way the remarkable strength of the beast, its greatness and formidable power. What inspiration can be seen in these seemingly unrelated numerous paintings depicting animal grace in motion, hunting scenes, etc.
How masterly are the ornate outlines in the Altamira cave. They are made with special grace, care and airy lightness. Soft smooth lines of the design are woven into a complex pattern. The heavy, clumsy Venus figurines** embody the ideal of femininity of ancient man. He knew how to see and appreciate female beauty in his own way. His vision of beauty was expedient. This vision included the veneration of the female deity and the feminine essence, as the ancestor of the clan, guardian, and protector. A woman, with her appearance and presence, brings peace and harmony, harmony and order to the family, therefore she is worshiped as a goddess.
The appearance of ceramics introduces a new, fresh, clean stream into primitive art. Chaotic matter in the hands of a reasonable person, before his eyes, turns into a pliable material, and then into a harmonious creation. This is a new victory over the blind forces of material nature. The harmony of creation triumphs over chaos, just as reason triumphs over the flesh. A new conquest brings new opportunities and polishes new facets of human skill.
This skill was reflected in the intricate decoration of the vessels, the more complex design of the ornament, its geometric harmony and proportionality. There is more and more space for the artist’s creative inspiration and imagination. Clay is a softer and more pliable material than stone, and the primitive potter can more easily realize his designs. Painting acquires more decorative and harmonious features. The images are dynamic, graceful, despite the lack of perspective and sketchiness, they seem to float in the air and this makes them seem even more airy, light and graceful. The stylized fantastic images of Tassili-Adjer are a whole symphony and a riot of colors... Intricate petroglyphs on the shores of Lake Onega, mysterious rock signs are evidence of long-forgotten magical cults. The main idea is clearly visible in these drawings - to assert man’s power over Nature, to become its king and to triumph over the world around him. How majestic is this attempt to subjugate the forces of Nature. Let it be with the help of magic and rituals, but to curb the unruly chaos, make the surrounding world a harmonious, organized whole and master it. This idea, reflected in primitive art, contains the greatest daring of man to become not a slave, but the master of the surrounding world, to conquer it instead of blindly submitting to it.

Literature
L. Lyubimov Art of the Ancient World
Russia and the world Reader for primary school, book 1. ASPU Publishing House, 1997.
Childhood of Humanity Teaching. History manual. Comp. E. Shnaidshtein, Astrakhan-1993.

* With the advent of settled life, while continuing to use rock overhangs, grottoes and caves for living, people began to establish long-term settlements - sites consisting of several dwellings. The so-called “big house” of the tribal community from the settlement of Kostenki I, near Voronezh, was of considerable size (35x16 m) and apparently had a roof made of poles.It was in this kind of dwellings, in a number of settlements of mammoth and wild horse hunters dating back to the Aurignacian-Solutrean period, that small-sized (5-10 cm) sculptural figurines depicting women were found carved from bone, horn or soft stone. Most of the figurines found depict a nude standing female figure; they clearly show the desire of the primitive artist to convey the features of a woman-mother (the breasts, huge belly, wide hips are emphasized).
Good examples of such figurines were found in Western Europe (figurines from Willendorf in Austria, from Menton and Lespug in southern France, etc.), and in the Soviet Union - in the Paleolithic sites of the V villages of Kostenki and Gagarino on the Don, Avdeevo near Kursk, etc. The figurines of eastern Siberia from the sites of Malta and Buret, dating back to the transitional Solutrean-Magdalenian time, are more schematically executed.

** The earliest primitive sculpture is the so-called. "Paleolithic Venus" from Willendorf (about 30 thousand years BC). It is difficult to judge to what extent this first sculpture is related to reality. It’s hard to believe that this creature with a huge, hypertrophied lower part and sagging breasts from constant feeding was the standard of beauty for the people of that time. Perhaps there is some exaggeration of volume here, conveying the idea of ​​motherhood, fertility, femininity. The face on this small figurine is not shown: it is covered with a cap of curly hair. Most of the Venuses of that time can be called faceless.

It is curious that sculptures of Paleolithic Venuses are common in the periglacial region and do not go far to the south. It was not by chance that they “chose” a cool climate. Two seasons of the year are clearly distinguished here: summer - hunting, “male”, and winter - sedentary, “female”. And the more stable the settlement, the higher the role of a woman in the life of the community, the stronger the cohesion of the clan around her.

Publications by Elena Orlova"