The Origin and Function of Culture

1. In 1912 Freud published a book on Totem and Taboo wherein he shows that savages in certain cases act and think much like neurotics. They avoid certain things which are connected with certain other things and what in the case of an individual neurotic, might be called a peculiar idiosyncrasy in the case of primitive tribes is called a taboo and forms one of the pillars of their social system. They act in an irrational way; that is they have rites and magic which are similar to the compulsive activities of the neurotic. The sub-title of the book is: on certain correspondences between the savage and the neurotic. But, strictly speaking, the analogy is not between the savage and the neurotic, rather the analogy lies between savage cultures and the neurotic, between what the savages does in groups and what the neurotic does as an individual.

2. One way to arrive at an understanding of the nature of a primitive culture is by aiming at the individual who is in the hub of the whole system.

The typical representative of a Siberian tribe and the leader of the community is the shaman.

Shirokogoroff in his very thorough investigation of Tungus shamanism, tells us that: “Since the shaman functions as a safety valve and as a regulator of the psychic life of the clan he lives under the permanent feeling of bearing a great responsibility” “From the analysis of the relations between the shaman and his spirits, his own spirits and those of other shamans also his spirits and the complex of other spirits, we can see a great number of various prohibitions, avoidances, tabooes, binding every step of the shaman. Even in his family, the shaman must be careful not to harm his wife if he is a male shaman, or her husband if she is a female, not to speak of the children” “The shaman's spirits which he carries with him may always become involved with other spirits and a continuous trouble may originate from their conflict. Owing to this the shaman is always careful when finding hims