Totem

According to films and books people know very well how the choice of totem was made. Totem was usually the animal with which the tribe was associated later. But the interpretation of the totem meaning was not rather correct in the literature.

Totem plants, birds and animals were considered to be the keepers of the life and soul of people as well as angels in Christianity. And not the person chose the totem but the totem chose the tribe.

Before the choice was made, Indians passed through the complicated way the result of which was the totem. Before the totem was chosen a lot of signs were considered. A person had to guess the meaning of these signs and make the whole picture of the plant or animal that would become his/her totem. The sign could be different. For example, a person occasionally found the nest of some animal or the dear that started to follow the person, etc.

Besides the ritual meaning, the totem had the practical use.

As Indians were hunters, they had to know some knowledge about animals and birds as well as some methods that helped to survive in certain conditions. And such knowledge and methods could be got only with the help of environment and nature.

When the person chose the totem, he/she started to watch it and to study its behaviour that helped the hunter a lot. Totem also symbolised the temper of the person. For example, the fox was the totem of wisdom, so the person with such totem was also wise. Bear was the symbol of strength and stability, etc.