Fetish Religion
Fetish Religion
Religious Studies / Anthropology / Animism / Magic
Definition:
A Fetish Religion refers to a belief system in which certain objects (fetishes) are believed to be endowed with spiritual, magical, or divine power. These objects are venerated, activated through ritual, and used for protection, healing, or influence. The term originated in colonial anthropology and is considered problematic today due to its ethnocentric roots.
Etymology:
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From Portuguese feitiço meaning "charm" or "made object"
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Used by European colonizers to describe African spiritual practices
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Adopted into religious and anthropological discourse in the 18th and 19th centuries
Key Features:
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Fetish objects include carved figures, stones, bones, cloth, or crafted items
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Believed to contain spirits, channel forces, or embody deities
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Require ritual maintenance: feeding, anointing, sacrificing
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Prominent in West African traditions (e.g., Vodun, Ifá, Santería, Candomblé), and echoed in global indigenous religions
Modern View:
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Scholars now favor terms like "ritual objects," "spirit vessels," or "material religion"
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Also parallels in modern esotericism: use of charged crystals, talismans, amulets
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Should not be confused with the sexual term "fetish" from psychology
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