Since the earliest civilizations, humans have pondered over their existence asking where they came from, what is their duty to the earth and each other, and where does their journey of life continue after death. It is within human nature to be curious, however there was knowledge that lied beyond comprehension. These philosophical questions proved nearly impossible to answer, but what saved mankind from these uncertainties was the cosmology — a historical timeline providing answers to the unanswerable. Cosmologies are as old as human civilization itself, and they have helped humans understand and become less afraid of the universe in which they live. These origin stories, often passed down orally, provided moral principles and a beginning
…show more content…
After the death of an individual, in almost all cases they will ascend upwards into a world where they can live with their gods and ancestors. This creates a very reassuring thought that death is not something that should be feared because there is a chance for eternal life of peace. The concept of hell is less common among the various cosmologies, and if there is such a place as hell, it isn’t necessarily a bad place to go. (The idea of hell being a place for sinful humans is a common belief in the Abrahamic religions). In Aboriginal culture, below the earth lies a barren underworld where no life exists; not even the evilest humans will go to this place. The Norse had a concept of hell, but it was a place where no suffering occurred. Moreover, there is also a possibility for reincarnation back into human form or into sacred objects or animals. For example, the Wichita believed that after death a humans soul would return back to mother earth and the Aboriginals said that sometimes people took the forms of the sacred objects of their totemic ancestors. Cosmologies tend to portray death and the afterlife as places where people can reunite with their ancestors and live at peace with their governing deities in peace. This, more than any other aspect of human culture, provides the greatest sense of comfort for an individual knowing that they can expand their life past
After the death of an individual, in almost all cases they will ascend upwards into a world where they can live with their gods and ancestors. This creates a very reassuring thought that death is not something that should be feared because there is a chance for eternal life of peace. The concept of hell is less common among the various cosmologies, and if there is such a place as hell, it isn’t necessarily a bad place to go. (The idea of hell being a place for sinful humans is a common belief in the Abrahamic religions). In Aboriginal culture, below the earth lies a barren underworld where no life exists; not even the evilest humans will go to this place. The Norse had a concept of hell, but it was a place where no suffering occurred. Moreover, there is also a possibility for reincarnation back into human form or into sacred objects or animals. For example, the Wichita believed that after death a humans soul would return back to mother earth and the Aboriginals said that sometimes people took the forms of the sacred objects of their totemic ancestors. Cosmologies tend to portray death and the afterlife as places where people can reunite with their ancestors and live at peace with their governing deities in peace. This, more than any other aspect of human culture, provides the greatest sense of comfort for an individual knowing that they can expand their life past