Compare the religions of ancient tribes, inhabitants of the interfluve and European tribes.
All peoples have gone through the same stages in the formation of religious beliefs. The first beginnings of religion were found in the people of the Stone Age. They developed along with human societies and acquired more and more complex forms.
Therefore, the differences in religions will be fundamental between an advanced civilization and a primitive tribe.
The difference in the religions of Mesopotamia and the tribes of Europe
The first state formations on the territory of Mesopotamia were formed in 3-4 millennia BC. The very first civilizations were created by the Sumerians and Akkads. Even then, they had clear religious ideas and belief systems. At this time, primitive tribes lived in Europe. In fact, the Stone Age has not yet ended in Europe, the development of metal has just begun.
However, one can compare the religions of the inhabitants of the interfluve and the European tribes:
The gods of Mesopotamia had names, they appeared in human form and possessed certain attributes. This concreteness means that religious beliefs have gone through a long period of formation;
At this time, European tribes believed in a certain single deity, which manifests itself in all natural phenomena, plants and animals;
The deities of the European tribes did not have specific features. That is, they did not look like people. Meanwhile, as the gods of Mesopotamia flew across the sky in fiery chariots, had children, entered into confrontation with each other;
The tribes of Europe worshiped totems. In addition to the concept of deity, they identified their tribe with any animals. It was considered the patron saint of the tribe. There was nothing of the kind among the tribes of the Two Rivers.
What was in common
It must be said that the European tribes acquired beliefs similar to those of the inhabitants of Mesopotamia later. This stage is known as paganism. Then the gods acquired names, their lives were described in detail in myths, they differed little from people.
But during the first states of Mesopotamia, the European tribes were at a primitive stage of development. However, both of them practiced sacrifices.
As a rule, the victims were fruits and animals. Rarely, on special occasions, people were sacrificed. Another similarity was the belief in the spirits of nature – mountains, lakes, forests, and so on. These peoples had sacred places where they performed their rituals.
