Nature spirit
In some beliefs, a “ subtle ” entity is called nature spirit , which is connected to a certain place in nature. This place can be a plant, a river, or a rock. Nature spirits are known in mythology and ancient traditions. In general, nature spirits are neither human nor animal, but also not necessarily incorporeal concepts. In contrast to other spiritual beings such as the spirits of the dead ( ancestral cult , ghost ) and the house and hearth spirits, they represent a further subgroup in the belief in spirits ( see also polydemonism ). In contrast to house or hearth spirits , which according to their imagination live in buildings, nature spirits are more likely to be described as shy of people, but nevertheless often described as human-like in their external appearance or behavior. The rank of deity is generally not assigned to nature spirits.
The idea of nature spirits arose in the animistic local religions and often passed over from there to younger religions, such as the Arab jinn to Islam , the Bhutas to Hinduism, or spirits of the Tibetan popular belief Bon to Tibetan Buddhism .
Classification
A systematic or even conclusive classification of the nature spirits fails because of their diversity, which is linked to that of nature, from which human imagination is ignited. The idea of nature spirits is also tied to regionally or locally different traditions and developments, so that a uniform point of view is ruled out. Today, through the esoteric connection to various fantasy worlds, new individual beings or subdivisions are constantly emerging.
The following classifications are therefore preliminary:
Omnipresent nature spirit
In some areas of esotericism , the belief in "mother nature" or in Gaia as mother goddess is widespread. This is the idea of an omnipresent spiritual being that encompasses all of nature. This belief does not exclude the existence of small spirits . A related but not congruent idea is the world spirit , as represented by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel . The world spirit is most likely a philosophical variation of the Holy Spirit .
Elementals
The terms natural spirit and elemental spirit are sometimes used synonymously. With reference to the classic four-element theory , various systematics of the elemental spirits were set up in works of natural philosophy and natural romanticism . Most influential was the approach of Paracelsus , who distinguished between nymphs (water), sylphs (air), pygmies (earth) and salamanders (fire). The concept of elemental spirits was partly adopted by folklore as a collective term, for example, it is said that Undine and Melusine can be assigned to the water spirits .
Classification according to the intended habitat
In a similar way, the nature spirits can be further subdivided according to their assumed "habitat".
- This can be a plant, like the tree spirits or if some elves are supposed to live in flowers.
- As forest spirits at all the ghosts can be summarized that are native to forests or trees such. B. Forest Schrate or Wood Elves .
- More Schrate that live in meadows or streams.
- Corn spirits are keepers of the fields
- However, specific nature spirits should also be able to attach to an animal or an inanimate object.
- On or in mountains you can find the mountain spirits , among which Rübezahl is probably the most famous representative.
Of course you can also integrate this classification into the previous one, for example if you count the mountain spirits among the earth spirits.
The term " goblin " is a collective term for various house or nature spirits.
Origin and characteristics
Nature spirits play a role in some religions , in many folk tales and fairy tales , Germanic, Celtic and other myths and in esotericism. Certain events or appearances are ascribed to these spirits.
It is often believed that nature spirits defend nature. There are many stories in which they help or harm people who are good to nature when they feel threatened or the good they protect.
In some fairy tales, the nature spirits are assumed to have an affinity for human children, which they exchange for their own offspring after birth. These so-called changeling , which people have been blamed for, are usually characterized by an unpleasant character and torment their surrogate parents with constant screaming etc.
A popular motif of romanticism is the love between a nature spirit (usually a nymph or an elf) and a person, which ends tragically because the respective dream partner remains unreachable. The love for an undine conveys this one soul. In Paracelsus states that the nature spirits wish to enter into marriage with people to participate so the alliance of the gods with the people and to gain a soul, because they possessed themselves do not own.
In general, the nature spirits do not seem to be purely spiritual beings. Rather, the vast majority of them seem to be tied to a fixed physical existence. This differs from the ghosts, whose shape usually has no fixed structures.
However, this does not rule out that the spirits take on changing external forms, especially since they often have magical powers.
Today's meaning
Western world
For the majority of people with a western influence, dealing with nature spirits is likely to have an entertaining character, which arises from exciting or romantic stories and also gives an idea of the ideas and fears of our ancestors, especially since they are part of numerous popular stories of folk mythology (fairy tales, sagas) of many peoples .
However, even today some people claim to be able to perceive nature spirits (and other spirits) or to be able to communicate with them.
Iceland
In Iceland , dealing with nature spirits is still so lively today that special people with knowledge of the spirit such as Erla Stefánsdóttir communicate with the nature spirits before construction work, otherwise problems such as machine breakdowns or accidents during construction will occur. Therefore, there are often seemingly nonsensical roads in Iceland, because nature spirits have to bypass the habitat. The relationship to the spirit world is more lively in the Nordic countries than in Central Europe.
Tibet
In the Tibetan pre-Buddhist original religion Bon , nature spirits and their appeasement or control also play an important role. Individual elements of this culture have found their way into Tibetan Buddhism . At the time of the first spread of Buddhism in Tibet, the subjugation of the Tibetan natural spirits by the tantric master Padmasambhava was a central requirement for the spread of Buddhism in the country. Many of the nature spirits conquered by Padmasambhava were installed under oath as protectors of the Buddha's teachings (so-called Dharmapala ).
Shamanism
The shamanism researcher Mircea Eliade on how shamans deal with animal spirits:
- It looks like this imitation of animal movements and sounds could be considered an " obsession ." Perhaps it is more correct to speak of the shaman taking possession of his auxiliary spirits; he himself transforms into an animal, although he achieves a similar result when he puts on an animal mask. One could also speak of a shaman's identity ; he becomes a spirit animal and "speaks", sings or flies like an animal, a bird. The "language of animals" is only a variant of the "spirit language", the shamanic secret language. "( Lit .: Mircea Eliade 1974, p. 101)
Anthroposophy
The anthroposophy integrates the concepts of nature spirits from the old folk beliefs. Some anthroposophists seek connection and collaboration with nature spirits through the media . The anthroposophical Flensburger Hefte Verlag (see literature) publishes “interviews” with nature spirits by Verena Staël von Holstein at regular intervals . Staël von Holstein's nature spirits are presented as distinct beings with titles (“the great”, “the stone”); they know each other and prove to be extremely informative and informed about the news situation (e.g. Iraq war). Particularly popular nature spirits are confronted with letters to the editor in follow-up “conversations”. The publisher has now published over half a dozen books on nature spirits, which even list the nature spirits among the authors.
Esoteric
Belief in the real existence of nature spirits has increased in the context of esotericism, whereby mythological approaches are very often mixed with influences from fantasy .
literature
General
- Mircea Eliade: Shamanism and archaic ecstasy technique. Rascher, Zurich 1954, Suhrkamp, Frankfurt a. M. 1974 (reprint) ISBN 3-518-07726-0 .
- Nicolaus Equiamicus (Ed.) The world of spirits. A treasure trove of belief in miracles. Ubooks, Mossautal 2008, ISBN 978-3-86608-086-7 .
- Ronald C. Finucane: Ghosts: Appearances of the Dead & Cultural Transformation. Prometheus Books, New York 1996, ISBN 978-1-573-92068-1 .
- Leander Petzoldt : Small lexicon of demons and elementals. (= Beck'sche Reihe 427), Munich 2014, (5th edition), ISBN 978-3-406-66928-6
- Marko Pogačnik: Elemental beings. The emotional level of the earth. Droemer-Knaur, Munich 1995, ISBN 3-426-86083-X .
Anthroposophical
- Esko Jalkanen: The healer from the north. Flensburger Hefte Verlag, Flensburg 1999, ISBN 3-926841-89-3 .
- What the nature spirits tell us - asked directly in an interview. Flensburg Flensburger Hefte 79. Flensburger Hefte Verlag, Flensburg 2003, ISBN 3-935679-09-2 .
- New conversations with the nature spirits. Flensburger Hefte 80. Flensburger Hefte Verlag, Flensburg 2003, ISBN 3-935679-10-6 .
- From smoke creatures, meadow creatures, peat creatures and mechanical systems. Naturgeister Vol. 3. FH special edition 21. Flensburger Hefte Verlag, Flensburg 2004, ISBN 3-935679-17-3 .
- Nature spirits . Vol. 4. Compendium of questions. FH special edition 22. Flensburger Hefte Verlag, Flensburg 2003, ISBN 3-935679-18-1 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Petzoldt 2014, p. 7f.
- ↑ Petzoldt 2014, p. 9f.
- ^ Lutz Röhrich : Elemental spirits . In: Kurt Ranke (ed.): Encyclopedia of fairy tales . Concise dictionary for historical and comparative narrative research, Volume 3. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin and New York 1981, ISBN 3-11-008201-2 , Sp. 1316-1326. Here Sp. 1316.