Ancient spiritual belief further had it that a person who suffered misfortune or overly suffered from the human instinctual passions of fear and aggression was 'possessed' by bad or evil spirits. Relief was sought by offering sacrifice or avowing servitude to the mythical good spirits or Gods in return for favours, forgiveness, redemption and salvation, if not now then in an imaginary life-after-death.
Each tribe has, over millennia, formalized its own particular religion based on these ancient words, traditions, fears, superstitions and eccentric fairy tales.
Shamans, priests and God-men soon laid claim to be the earthly representatives of these mythical 'other- worldly spirits and Gods and, as such, their words and deeds were taken to be sacred and inviolate.
Thus the shamans, priests and God-men came to wield enormous power and influence, for to dare to question them was to provoke the evil spirits, incur the wrath of the Gods and ultimately deny oneself the chance of salvation in an imagined future life-after-death.
