The historical religions are largely a question of race, the Mongols proper, Manchus, Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, Indo-Chinese, and Tibetans being at least nominal Buddhists. The Turks, Tartars, and most Malays are Mohammedans; and the Finns, Lapps, and Magyars now Christians. Other so-called state religions—Confucianism and Taoism in China, Shintoism and Bushidoism in Japan are other ethical codes fostered and upheld for political purposes.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE NEGRO,
OR BLACK RACE
Original Domain.—The Eastern, or Oceanic, Section had its home in Malaysia, Andamans, Philippines, New Guinea, Melanesia, Australia, Tasmania; with no later expansion. The Western, or African, Section lived in Africa south of the Sahara.
Later Expansion.—Subsequently the Africans spread, either voluntarily or were taken as slaves to Madagascar, north Africa, southern United States, West Indies, and Latin America.
Religion.—Spirit-worship very prevalent among native Negro races, and totemism in Australia. The Melanesian system is distinctly animistic, distinguishing between pure spirits, that is, supernatural beings that never were in a human body, and ghosts—that is, men’s disembodied spirits revisiting their former abodes. There are prayer, sacrifice, divination, omens, death and burial rites, a Hades too, with trees and houses, as on earth, also a ghostly ruler, but no supreme being. There is little or nothing of all this in Australia or New Guinea, where the religious sentiment is so little developed that many close observers have failed to detect it.
Among African tribes, though religion is animistic, ancestor-worship seems much more prevalent than nature-worship. There is no supreme being anywhere. The chief deities are Munkulunkulu, with many variants along the eastern seaboard, and Nzambi, also with many variants on the west side, both intermingling in the interior. Witchcraft, omens, and ordeals are very prevalent; pure fetishism and human sacrifices prevail in Upper Guinea, in Uganda and other parts.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE AMERICAN,
OR RED DIVISION
Original Domain.—The New World. The chief sub-divisions were as follows:
(1) North American: Eskimo, Athabascan (Chippewaian, Taculli, Hupa, Apache, Navajo); Algonquian (Cree, Chippewa, Mohican, Delaware, Shawnee, Cheyenne, Illinois, etc.); Iroquoian (Erie, Huron, Mohawk, Tuscarora, Cherokee, etc.); Siouan (Dakota, Assinaboin, Missouri, Iowa, Winnebago, Mandan, Tutelo, Catawba); Muskhogean (Seminole, Choktaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Alibamu, Apalachi); Salish; Shoshone; Pawnee; Pueblo (Zuñi, Hopi, Tegua).
(2) Central American: Opata-Pima (Yuma, Cora, Tarahumara, Tepeguana); Nahuan (Aztec, Huichol, Pipil, Niquiran); Maya-Quiché (Huaxtec, Maya, Lacandon, Quiché, Pocoman, Zendal, Chol, Zotzil, Cachiquel, Mamé); Zapotec; Mixtec (Mixé); Lencan (Chontal, Wulwa, Rama, Guatusa); Bribri; Cuna.