Ceremonial pole

In The Evolution of the Idea of God, Grant Allen notes that Samoyeds of Siberia, and Damara of South Africa plant stakes at the graves of ancestors.

[1] Ceremonial poles may also be raised during celebrations and festivals, as with Gudi Padwa in Indian State of Maharashtra and the maypole dance in Europe.

The insertion of "pole" begs the question by setting up unwarranted expectations for such a wooden object: "we are never told exactly what it was", observes John Day.

In light of archeological finds, however, modern scholars now theorize that the Israelite folk religion was Canaanite in its inception and always polytheistic, and it was the prophets and priests who denounced the Asherah poles who were the innovators;[9] such theories inspire ongoing debate.

[10] According to Zelia Nuttall in The Fundamental Principles Of Old and New World Civilizations, tree and pole reverence to Anu in ancient Babylonia-Assyria may have evolved from the fire drill and beam of the oil press, stating that it was extremely probable that the primitive employment of a fire-stick by the priesthood, for the production of "celestial fire," may have played an important role in causing the stick, and thence the pole and tree, to become the symbol of Anu.

[11] The Buryats and Yakuts of Siberia place hitching posts called serge at the entrances to yurts or houses to indicate ownership and for shamanistic practices.

[13][14][15][better source needed] Presently, in the Indian subcontinent, central poles are features of temple settings such as Hinglaj Mata (Sindh), Khambadev (Maharashtra),[16] Nimad (Madhya Pradesh), Gogaji (Rajasthan), and Khambeshvari (Odisha).

[19] Kay Htoe Boe is a Karenni ritual dance and prayer festival, held by the men in the Kayan community in Myanmar (Burma).

[33] Ceramic vessels with quadruple images of pole goddesses represent a lunar fertility cult in the Precucuteni settlement of Baia–În Muchie (Suceava county, Romania), with some parallels.

[36] In the Cook Islands, Cult figures called staff-gods or atua rakau from Rarotonga, apparently combine images of gods with their human descendants.