The Native American culture has long embraced the idea of the spirit world. However, the great spirits of Native America bore no resemblance to the ghosts or demons that we typically think of today. Instead, these were considered to be the very spirits of nature herself - - the sun and moon, the sky, the earth, the sea, trees, animals, and of course mankind. Native American spirits were to be sought and prized for the gifts that they bring and the lessons that they teach. Some tribes believed that the best of their people, maidens and warriors alike, went on to become spirit guides. These guides were supposedly capable of keeping their individual charges from going astray as well as for keeping their people, as a whole, on the right pathway.
Other tribes embraced animal spirits as an important source of knowledge, strength, and character. Still others put their beliefs in the Creator and the vast number of spirits that he would send to his people.
As it turns out most cultures embrace the concept of ghosts or spirits in some way. Even heavily Communistic countries like China, still have stories and myths about ghosts, spirits, and demons. I hope you will continue to look for my upcoming articles on myths and legends. In many of those we will delve more deeply into the topic itself as well as into individual cultures.
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