The religious culture of the Yami Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The religious culture of the Yami - Essay Example The â€Å"Legend of Imulud† demonstrates explains why bamboo, fish, iron, and silver are considered by the people of the Yami tribe to be of great importance. Silver which is assumed to have been discovered by the Son of Bamboo, is frequently used by the Yami for purposes such as ornamentation of helmets for ancestral ceremonies as well as when performing religious rites. On the other hand, Iron, which is alleged to have been discovered by son of Stone, is considered insignificant. The myth demonstrates the importance of Bamboo. Yami as well as many Asian cultures use bamboo for several purposes such as a delicacy for many households. The creation story depicts a harmonious association between the Yami and the fish. This is because the Yami value maline food. Therefore, the Yami culture is greatly embedded in the Yami creation myth. Therefore, the â€Å"Legend of Imulud† is crucial in explaining the creation of man as well as clarifying the social mores observed by the Yami society. The â€Å"Legend of Imulud† clearly explains the history of the Yami and the reasons why they respect certain objects. However, it fails to explain the Yami cosmology. By this, I mean that the concept of how the gods came into being is lacking. However, the myth is quite similar to the creation story in the bible, which also fails to explain the origin of God. Therefore, the myth demonstrates that not everything can be explained (Yami Culture Web). The Belief System The Yami belief system comprises of cosmogony that is considered as underdeveloped. However, some researchers argue that the cosmogony could have been developed but has regressed. The belief system is based on belief in aspects such as demons. However, the belief has some features that are reflective of Christianity practiced by denominations such as Protestants and Catholics. The Yami describe a pantheon comprising of numerous divine layers inhabited by different deities. The firs layer is considered the habitat for the main god who is referred to as Simo-Rapao. This god is considered in charge of all other gods. The other gods are supposed to report to him on all matters regarding the Irala people. Ayami myth claims that Simo-Rapao was responsible of creating the first two people. As aforementioned, the first two people were created from stone and bamboo. Simo-Rapao follows instructions from other gods and punishes wrongdoers as advised by the other gods. The pun ishments could be in terms of calamities that are capable of affecting the entire tribe. The second layer in inhabited by Sio-Mima, who is considered in charge of the world comprising of islands of Japan, America, Formosa, Ivatan. Si-Toriao is considered the occupant of the third layer. He is responsible of bringing rain as well as lightning. Si-Lovolovoin is considered the messenger of the gods. The Yami invoke Si-Lovolovoin in their chants especially during the fishing season when the natives request for plenty of flying fish (Leeming 278; Kuang web). Other gods such as Si-Videy and Si-Pariod occupy the lowest layer. The Yami myth claims that these two gods plenty of yams and taro and leave the people with very little food to survive on. When caterpillar invade the Yami territory, they blame it on Si-Videy and Si-Pariod. Pina-Langalangao and Sinan-Maniray are two female supernatural being that the Yami believe in. Although the two female gods are not considered part of the deities , the Yami believe that the two control the birth as well as the lifetime of the humans. According the Yima, the two female supernatural entities crack a coconut during birth and measure the juice that outpours. Additionally, the entities can assess the water-containing capacity and use it to determine the lifetime of an