Totemism in the Works of the Orientalist William Robertson Smith

Abstract

Totemism was one of the prevailing beliefs among the ancient Arabs in the Arabian Peninsula, as no kingdom or state was devoid of this belief. It is a composite religion based on the relationship between a human community and a natural object called the totem. It is founded upon the worship of animals and plants. The totem is an animal, plant, or idol adopted by a tribe as its symbol, distinguishing it from other tribes. This belief was widespread among the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Arabs, and other nations. All members of the tribe are named after it, believing it to be their sacred ink and protector. They feel a special bond with it, and their beliefs and religious rituals are entirely built upon the sanctification of the totem.