The foundation of the Cherokee religion was the belief of three worlds: the Upper World, Middle World and the Under World. The Middle World was where the Cherokee believed all living spirits lived. Therefore, they were a part of the Middle World. The Upper World is very similar to the concept of Heaven in Christianity. Cherokees believed that spirits of people and animals that had passed lived in the Upper World along with the Creator. It was thought that these spirits watched over the Cherokee people and would come down to restore balance and harmony if needed. Finally, the Lower World is where evil was located. It is similar to the Hell of the Christian faith. The bad spirits located here were believed to be able to come to the Middle World and cause disharmony.
This belief in balance and harmony spanned to many different aspects of the Cherokee society. The Cherokee people had many hunting and gathering practices to prevent the overuse of species. They thought that if they killed too many plants or animals of a certain species, they would be harming the balance of nature. Additionally, the Cherokee believed that it was their duty to protect the balance. This led to many conflicts with settlers who did not contemplate the consequences of their actions with nature. These are only two ways that the Cherokee religion affected other aspects of their culture.
As mentioned, the three separate worlds are very similar to the Heaven and Hell model of the Christian faith. European settlers were known to attempt to convert the native people to the Christian faith. This led to hardship for some native tribes. However, it has been said that it was relatively simple for the Cherokee people due to the similarities among the two faiths. Currently, many people of the Cherokee culture are known to practice Christianity while still holding onto a few of the original Cherokee stories.
This belief in balance and harmony spanned to many different aspects of the Cherokee society. The Cherokee people had many hunting and gathering practices to prevent the overuse of species. They thought that if they killed too many plants or animals of a certain species, they would be harming the balance of nature. Additionally, the Cherokee believed that it was their duty to protect the balance. This led to many conflicts with settlers who did not contemplate the consequences of their actions with nature. These are only two ways that the Cherokee religion affected other aspects of their culture.
As mentioned, the three separate worlds are very similar to the Heaven and Hell model of the Christian faith. European settlers were known to attempt to convert the native people to the Christian faith. This led to hardship for some native tribes. However, it has been said that it was relatively simple for the Cherokee people due to the similarities among the two faiths. Currently, many people of the Cherokee culture are known to practice Christianity while still holding onto a few of the original Cherokee stories.