The crypto community emphasizes belief, fostering strong consensus through totemic culture.

The crypto community emphasizes belief, fostering strong consensus through totemic culture.

The establishment of the Web3 community requires belief. In contrast to code, imagery can serve as a carrier of totemic culture, making it easier to form consensus and establish belief. This chapter discusses the origin of totemic culture and its role in the Web3 industry, helping readers understand the importance of Web totems.

1.1 Totemic Belief and Human Civilization

1.1.1 Totems and Totemic Belief

The term "totem" is a transliteration of the Algonquian dialect "totem," meaning "his kin" or "his clan." A totem is a special symbol, usually an animal, plant, or inanimate object, representing the identity and affiliation of a tribe, clan, or group. In other words, a totem is an object of worship that has been visualized and personified.

In ancient times, totems were used to represent the identity and sense of belonging of specific communities. Through their unique images and symbolic meanings, they expressed the specific values, belief systems, and cultural traditions of a group of people.

In totemic belief, people believe in the mystical and supernatural powers associated with the totem. By establishing a connection with the totem, people hope to gain protection, strength, and wisdom. Totemic belief also involves a series of rituals, ceremonies, and customs to maintain a good relationship with the totem and strengthen internal cohesion and collective identity within the community.

Totems have different symbolic meanings and interpretations in different cultures and societies. They are not only symbols but also a continuation of cultural heritage and tradition. Through totems, people establish connections with nature and mysterious forces, emphasizing the interaction and symbiotic relationship between humans and nature.

Totemic belief is an early form of religion that existed in ancient and primitive societies. It is a semi-social, semi-superstitious system, most commonly found among ancient and modern barbarians.

According to the system of totemic belief, tribes or communities are divided into several groups or clans, each member believing they have a blood relationship with a certain natural object (usually an animal or plant). This collectively revered animal, plant, or inanimate object is called the clan's totem.

In totemic belief, each clan member shows respect for the totem in a manner that does not harm it. This respect is often interpreted as a form of belief, with each clan member believing they are descendants or relatives of the totem. This belief forms the belief aspect of the totemic system.

Totemic belief is not only evident in belief but also in social aspects. It manifests as the prohibition of intermarriage between members of the same clan, forcing them to seek spouses in other clans. This social regulation aims to maintain the purity and diversity of kinship between clans while also promoting interaction and communication between them.

As an important religious form in ancient societies, totemic belief provides explanations for the origins, survival, and fairness of human beings. In the social production conditions of that era, people hoped to gain protection and blessings by deifying certain things in nature, ensuring their well-being.

1.1.2 Totems and Human Aesthetics

In ancient times, human creation of artifacts and totemic symbols was inseparable from aesthetic activities. This is because humans have a close relationship and interaction with nature. By directly observing and imitating the life activities of nature, as well as perceiving and understanding nature, humans draw inspiration and create. Through the formation and use of symbols, humans can not only classify and describe tangible things but also cultivate imitation abilities, logical thinking, and aesthetic consciousness. As a symbolized, visualized, and personified object of worship, the totem has significant meaning in human production and aesthetic activities.

An example is the artifacts and totemic symbols created by primitive humans, which combine certain human organs or structures with animals, plants, or even inorganic objects to form unique totemic images. For example, merging the head of a lion with the human body symbolizes power and majesty; combining bird wings with human arms symbolizes freedom and flight. These totemic images not only reflect human emulation and expression of nature but also demonstrate human awe and worship of various life forms in nature.

Additionally, the aesthetic activities of ancient humans are closely related to totemic classification logic. They engage in aesthetic activities based on different totemic symbols and artifact characteristics, attributing animal images and attributes to artifacts, and expressing reverence and worship for nature through decoration and pattern design. For example, combining the image of a fish with an artifact conveys dependence on water sources and pursuit of abundance; incorporating the patterns of the sun and moon into artifact designs expresses reverence for natural seasons and light.

Totemic symbols not only play a role in aesthetic activities but also influence the formation of society and culture. As a collective belief and cultural symbol, totems connect people's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, promoting social cohesion and cultural inheritance. Through the establishment of collective identity and collective consciousness, people form shared aesthetic values and cultural traditions. For example, the totemic image of a tribe may symbolize their ancestors, traditions, and values, becoming an important symbol of their social and cultural identity.

Overall, human aesthetic activities develop in interaction with nature. By creating and using artifacts, totemic symbols, and related myths, humans can connect the beauty of nature with their own lives and social activities. This aesthetic activity not only demonstrates the unique rational thinking and aesthetic ways of humans but also provides spiritual motivation for transforming their living conditions. The relationship between totems and human aesthetics highlights human awe, emulation, and creation of nature, as well as the desire to pursue and express beauty.

1.1.3 The Role of Totems in the Development of Human Civilization

Totems play a crucial role in the birth and inheritance of human civilization. Here are some roles that totems play in this regard:

Origin of civilization: Totems, as part of early human society, carry the origin of human civilization. They represent human understanding, mystery, and worship of nature and the universe. Through totems, humans began to explore and express their understanding of the world, driving the development of civilization.

Religion and belief: Totems appear as symbols of religion and belief in many cultures. They represent human worship and awe of gods, ancestors, or supernatural powers. Totemic belief helps people establish a connection with the divine, providing moral guidance and spiritual support, laying the foundation for individual and communal belief systems.

Identity and community cohesion: Totems play a role in cohesion and identity within communities. By worshiping or using specific totems together, people can belong to specific groups or cultural traditions, establishing ties with ancestors and descendants. Totems symbolize kinship, clans, tribes, or nations, strengthening community cohesion and unity.

Inheritance of stories and traditions: Totems transmit cultural values and historical traditions to future generations through stories, myths, and rituals. Totemic images and related mythological stories become part of cultural heritage, preserving the memory and wisdom of human civilization through oral or written transmission.

Transmission of values and moral principles: Totems transmit a set of values and moral principles through symbolic meaning and stories. They are an