The Mythology of Evil Among North American Indian Yuroks and Its Implications for Western Spirituality
Royal Earl Alsup, Stanley Krippner
Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 1996 DOI: 10.1525/ac.1996.7.3.15 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | Argues that Yurok mythology conceptualizes evil as an 'imbalance' between people and parts of themselves, others, nature, or the Great Spirit, and that this imbalance is restored through worship, ceremony, and personal conduct. Proposes that Western spirituality could better confront individual and social evil by adopting Yurok emphases on sacred humor, ceremony for facing life's paradoxes, and myth for personal and group harmony. |
Abstract
The mythology of evil has assumed renewed importance among diverse spiritual groups in the West and among scholars of the anthropology of consciousness. An investigation of Yurok mythology reveals that it is conceptualized asian "imbalance" between individuals (or groups) and parts of themselves, other community members, nature, and/or the Great Spirit. Yurok teaching stories, as well as shamanic practices, provide examples of how these imbalances are brought into equilibrium through worship, ceremonial procedures, and personal behavior. Western spirituality may find ways to better confront individual and social evil by studying Yurok practices, especially their emphasis on the sacred uses of humor, their use of ceremony to face the paradoxes of life, and their application of myth to attain personal and group harmony.