The Kalash Tribe of Pakistan

[Jay Pan ROKK]

Ha, i could never imagine it was possible.

[Jackson81]

Originally Posted by IndyCovaHart

Polytheism in a region surrounded by Muslims who are obsessed with the "Oneness" of God is a tough call.

I wonder how many of them have been slaughtered by fundamentalist Islamic terrorists.

Sadly that was the first thing I thought of...

Interesting. I find those tribes that are isolated from society and pretty much do their own thing to be really interesting. They had a show recently that i watched on the history channel i believe, which was about dying languages. This guy would go to all these isolated tribes, mostly about 300 people located mainly in places like Africa and the jungles of South America and try and find information about their languages. It was pretty cool.

[ElKarlo]

Originally Posted by Leagon

Picture It: The Polytheistic Kalash Tribe of Pakistan | Kalash Tribe, Pakistan, Picture of the Day | CitizenSugar - News and Politics

Saw this on Yahoo!.

They look like a completely different race. In a way, they remind me of how native Australians look, but its very different and really interesting. They claim to be the direct descendants of Alexander the Great. It'd be cool if someone could some genetic tracing to see if that's true.

Not sure if this is more WR or Mayberry, but whatever.

Ahem, I believe they are actually decendent from the Bactreo Greeks who settled the area after Alexander came through. They are one of the few tribes in Pakistan that is Polythesist, they are a throwback to the ancient world it seems,

But I think I read that genetically they are unrelated to the Greeks or Balkan people.

[Zankou]

Oh man, this is a seriously cool cultural subject. I've long been an admirer of the Kalash/Nuristan. The Kalash are one of the last remaining pockets of Indo-European religion and culture. Outside of India, they are really the last pagan Indo-Europeans.

"Kalash culture and belief system differs drastically from the various ethnic groups surrounding them but is similar to that of the neighboring Nuristanis (Kafirs) in northeast Afghanistan, before their enforced Islamization in the last decade of the 19th century. Kalash religion, mythology and ritual strongly resemble those of the Vedic Indo-Aryans and the pre-Zoroastrian Iranians."

Paganism for the win!

Sadly their neighboring Kalasha in Pakistan were forcibly converted to "The Religion of Peace" at the end of the last century, or killed. By "The Religion of Peace."

As far as where they came from, they can hardly be Greeks ... it is much more likely that they are relatively unmixed descendants of the original Indo-European migrations into the region, given their physical appearance and their Indo-Aryan religion.

[DrSatanDracula]

Like the majority of Northwest India, the Kalash descend from the Aryan invaders of India.

The difference is that these Kalash have retained a racial designation without much in the way of inbreeding throughout their entire culture, rather than merely amongst the higher castes.

Thus the almost Slavic features.

[DrSatanDracula]

Also:

Paganism for the win indeed.

The religion of our ancestors lives on.

The Kalash ought to be accorded a protected minority status by the UN. Prevent genocide/forced conversion in the current climate of extreme Islam.

The same with the Yezidi angel worshippers in the Middle East.

[Zankou]

Originally Posted by DrSatanDracula

Also:

Paganism for the win indeed.

The religion of our ancestors lives on.

The Kalash ought to be accorded a protected minority status by the UN. Prevent genocide/forced conversion in the current climate of extreme Islam.

The same with the Yezidi angel worshippers in the Middle East.

Yes, the Yezidi! Another connoisseur's religion. Germany actually has a fairly high number of Yezidi immigrants these days, as persecution from various followers of "the Religion of Peace" has driven them out of their ancestral homeland.

[DrSatanDracula]

Zankou:

Yes, the Yezidi! Another connoisseur's religion. Germany actually has a fairly high number of Yezidi immigrants these days, as persecution from various followers of "the Religion of Peace" has driven them out of their ancestral homeland.

I have heard of this migration.

But I have also heard of the radical Turkish immigrants that are becoming as big of a bother as the other Islamic immigrants into Europe.

It might be one of history's greatest ironies that the Yezidi might soon find themselves as persecuted for their beliefs in their homeland as in Germany.

Let us hope not, as these rare religions are cultural jewels.

The Ainu religion in Hokkaido and people is also fascinating. As is Bon in Tibet. Zoroastrians...

An interesting fact about Zoroastrians: Freddie Mercury, of Queen fame, was one. A priest even officiated at his funeral, even if he was mostly non-religious.

[Zankou]

Yep, I was aware of Mr. Mercury's Parsi heritage. Other interesting religious jewels:

Samaritans
Mandaens
Druze
Nestorians