Animatism

According to some Anthropologists, animism instead of marking the earliest stages in the evolution of religion was a later development in the history of religion.They are of the view that in the pre-animistic stage,the religious belief of primitive people consisted of people's view that every thing had life and so animate.

The animatist theory of Marett known as Manaism put forth that primitive people believed in some non-material,impersonal and understandable supernatural power that was defined in animate and inanimate objects.This theory of Marett is known as animatism or manaism.

The name manaism is after the term mana used by Melanesians to designate the force in animate and inanimate objects.Bonga among the Ho tribe in India is similar to Marett's theory of primitive religion.