The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c19.s8.18

v1.c19.s8.18

Oldenberg³ has suggested that the existence of taboos in some cases may be due to totemism, and has instanced the wearing of an antelope skin by the Brahman pupil as sign of possibly the wearing of the skin of the divine animal. It is proper to note these cases, but in none recorded in the Vedic ritual is there any trace of the conditions necessary to lend even a possibility of totemism, namely the existence of the totem community which observes the taboo, or the connexion of the animals whose skin is worn with the wearer. That the skin may have been worn in certain cases for magic purposes is perfectly possible without any element of totemism being visible or existing.