medicine society

medicine society

▪ primitive religion
      in popular literature, any of various complex healing societies and rituals of many American Indian tribes. More correctly, the term is used as an alternative name for the Grand Medicine Society, or Midewiwin, of the Ojibwa Indians of North America.

      According to Ojibwa religion, Midewiwin rituals were first performed by various supernatural beings to comfort Minabozho—a culture hero and intercessor between the Great Spirit and mortals—on the death of his brother. Minabozho, having pity on the suffering inherent in the human condition, transmitted the ritual to the spirit-being Otter and, through Otter, to the Ojibwa.

      Traditionally, the Grand Medicine Society was an esoteric group consisting at times of more than 1,000 members, including shamans, prophets, and seers, as well as others who successfully undertook the initiation process. The society was thus both a centre of spiritual knowledge and a source of social prestige.

      With a complex series of four degrees of initiation that were held within an especially constructed medicine lodge, the society's central acts involved the ritual death and rebirth of the initiate. The powers of an initiate included not only those of healing and causing death but also those of obtaining food for the tribe and victory in battle.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society — The South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) is a primary source of information for diving and hyperbaric medicine physiology worldwide. History The SPUMS was founded on Monday May 3rd, 1971 in the wardroom of HMAS PENGUIN.cite journal… …   Wikipedia

  • Medicine man — This article is about the Native American healers. For the American film, see Medicine Man (film). Yup ik shaman exorcising evil spirits from a sick boy. Nushagak, Alaska, 1890s.[1] Medicine man or Medi …   Wikipedia

  • Medicine Wheel —    The term was first applied to the Big Horn Medicine Wheel monument and sacred site on Medicine Mountain, part of northern Wyoming’s Big Horn Range. The wheel consists of an 80 foot diameter circular arrangement of stones, with 28 rows of… …   Historical dictionary of shamanism

  • Society of Critical Care Medicine — (SCCM ), established in 1970, is an independently incorporated, international, educational and scientific society, serving its 14,000 members world wide who are dedicated to providing the highest quality care to all critically ill and injured… …   Wikipedia

  • Society of General Internal Medicine — (SGIM) is an American professional society composed of physicians engaged in internal medicine research and teaching. Originally named The Society for Research and Education in Primary Care Internal Medicine (SREPCIM), at its inaugural meeting in …   Wikipedia

  • Medicine Rocks State Park — IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) Medicine Rocks State Park …   Wikipedia

  • Society of Radiographers — Founded 1920 Members 18,635 Country United Kingdom Affiliation TUC …   Wikipedia

  • Medicine Lodge, Kansas —   City   Locati …   Wikipedia

  • Society of Friends of Science — ( pl. Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, TPN) was one of the first Polish scientific society which functioned in Warsaw from 1800 to 1832.NamesIn Polish, the society was also known as Warszawskie Królewskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk (Warsaw Royal… …   Wikipedia

  • Medicine Unboxed — Medicine Unboxed: understanding medicine through the arts and humanities. Date(s) October Begins 2009 Frequency annual Location(s) …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”