Early on, when man had but a basic understanding of himself, it is theorized that he (they) had a basic religious belief. The belief was in Animism and The Locus Mundi. Animism is the term given to the belief that everything has its own spirit, or energy. Not just things we consider “alive”, but hills, waterfalls, the air you breathe, all of these had energy. The energy had to come from somewhere though, hence, The Locus Mundi. The Locus Mundi is the center of all life, where all the energy of all things comes from, and where it will go when it dies. Somehow, in some way, it is said that the belief in animism became a widely practiced religion. The main focus of the practice was the shaman. The shaman was almost always an artist, and would draw or make something. An example of his work would be a cave painting. He would then take some of his anima and infuse it into what he created. The pictures were extremely general, so whatever he painted or made he turned into a prediction or spell of what was to come. For instance, drawing a bison being hunted on a cave wall (like the ones on the walls at the Lascaux cave) would be like a spell a shaman would “cast” for a good hunt. This typ

s type of “magic” was called sympathetic magic. By all logic this is magic by coincidence. However, to a caveman, if you said that you were going to cast a spell for a good hunt, and then the hunters came back with a bison, you had special power. Places had magic in them too. Stonehenge is a very good example. It was made with mathematic precision and excellent craftsmanship. Each stone had to be precisely cut and placed. Not to mention all the stones weighed many tons individually. No one knows why whoever built it did so, but many explanations have been put forth. Maybe it’s a calendar, or a place to hold ceremonies or sacrifices, the truth is, we don’t know for sure because we weren’t there. It is a sight to behold though, and to a caveman that saw it, or built it, this place had power.

A theocracy is a kingdom ruled by a god or diety(s). Everything that’s done in a theocracy is to bring glory to the worshiped god or gods. Art is no exception. Everything that was made artistically was used in a ritual or ceremony, or on display glorifying the god represented. Mesopotamia was a good example of this. Almost everything they did glorified the gods, or described some situation that was brought on by the gods, such as peace. The Bull Headed lyre depicts this trend by showing a bulls head, a typical diety of fertility carved into a lyre. The lyre was used in ceremonies and was eventually buried in the king’s tomb, proving its importance. Another culture that makes a prime example of a theocracy is the Egyptians. Their king was a god. Everything they did was for him. The pyramids were for him. The Valley of the Kings was dug out just for Pharaohs. All the sculptures depicted religion in some way. All the non-pharaoh gods must be represented too. They have countless carvings, statues, and monuments for themselves as well. But possibly none found were greater than King Tut’s tomb. Every inch of the burial chamber shone with splendor. All the spells and hieroglyphs delicately crafted on the walls and treasures. His burial mask was said to shine as bright as the mid-day sun. Every single picture was expertly crafted on everything. Even his box of servants was made out of gold. They revealed that the Cult of the Dead was not obsessed with death, but with life. From the moment the new Pharaoh took his first breathe; the Cult was already preparing him for the afterlife. Not to be outdone, the Mesopotamian people celebrated divine kingship in two larger than life examples. The first is the Stele of Hammurabi. This Stele depicts Hammurabi receiving a ring and a staff from the god Shamash. The ring and staff symbolize his power to administer the law and rule his people. The whole work symbolizes his political power as king, but the fact that he is receiving it from Shamash proves his power as a divinely chosen king. It stands at a massive seven feet six inches tall and is made out of black basalt. To further drive home his divine ruling, Hammurabi’s Code is engraved under the actual picture. Another example of divine authority is Sargon’s Guardians. Each depicts Sargon’s head on a flying bull’s body. Each was massive, requiring many men to literally drag it into place. They were so huge, there are other monuments just to the installation of one of these monuments. The sheer size and frightening demeanor showed his power as king. Also, the fact that his head is on a monster’s body shows his divine choosing. It’s like the gods let him transcend his body to put his visage on that of a monster.