Atheism among Comanche, Pirahã, and Greeks

TL;DR

Stone Age Herbalist argues atheism existed in ancient societies like the Comanche, Pirahã, and Greeks, countering modern stereotypes.[[1]](https://www.scribd.com/document/878696055/Atheism-In-The-Ancient-World-by-Stone-Age-Herbalist)[[2]](https://www.stoneageherbalist.com/p/atheism-in-the-ancient-world)
Pirahã reject creation myths and creator gods due to empirical mindset; Comanche show practical skepticism with vague spiritual notions.[[1]](https://www.scribd.com/document/878696055/Atheism-In-The-Ancient-World-by-Stone-Age-Herbalist)[[3]](https://ffrf.org/fttoday/april-2010/articles-april-2010/the-pirahae-people-who-define-happiness-without-god)[[4]](https://henryehooper.blog/two-spirit-myths-comanche-theory-of-the-universe)
Challenges idea that religion is universal, showing some cultures thrived without strong theological beliefs.[[1]](https://www.scribd.com/document/878696055/Atheism-In-The-Ancient-World-by-Stone-Age-Herbalist)

The story at a glance

Stone Age Herbalist examines atheism through examples from the Comanche, Amazonian Pirahã, and ancient Greeks in a paywalled Substack essay. He contrasts today's mocked "online atheist" stereotype with historical cases of disbelief. The piece appeared in November 2023 amid anthropology debates on whether religion is inevitable in all societies.[[2]](https://www.stoneageherbalist.com/p/atheism-in-the-ancient-world)

Key points

Opens by mocking the modern online atheist as "bearded, fat, unkempt, donning a fedora hat - in a word, low-status."[[2]](https://www.stoneageherbalist.com/p/atheism-in-the-ancient-world)
Pirahã have an empirical mentality, lack creation myths or belief in a creator deity, and prioritize personal experience over abstract stories.[[1]](https://www.scribd.com/document/878696055/Atheism-In-The-Ancient-World-by-Stone-Age-Herbalist)[[3]](https://ffrf.org/fttoday/april-2010/articles-april-2010/the-pirahae-people-who-define-happiness-without-god)
Comanche viewed as practical skeptics who dismissed unified gods or creation myths, focusing instead on harnessing powers from many spirits via puha (medicine power).[[1]](https://www.scribd.com/document/878696055/Atheism-In-The-Ancient-World-by-Stone-Age-Herbalist)[[4]](https://henryehooper.blog/two-spirit-myths-comanche-theory-of-the-universe)
Ancient Greeks had explicit atheists like Diagoras of Melos (first self-professed), Democritus (materialist), and Epicurus followers who saw gods as non-intervening.[[5]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mwsMxsBjWk)
Argues not all cultures need complex religion to function; some succeed with minimal theology or skepticism toward the supernatural.[[1]](https://www.scribd.com/document/878696055/Atheism-In-The-Ancient-World-by-Stone-Age-Herbalist)

Details and context

The essay draws on anthropology to question the assumption that religion is a human universal. Pirahã, studied by linguist Daniel Everett (who deconverted from Christianity), reject unobservable claims like Bible stories, living without numbers, fixed colors, or future tenses in their language.[[3]](https://ffrf.org/fttoday/april-2010/articles-april-2010/the-pirahae-people-who-define-happiness-without-god)[[6]](https://www.bentley.edu/news/professor-dan-everett-featured-new-nat-geo-documentary)

Comanche religion was personal and pragmatic, lacking dogma, priests, or a supreme deity; they focused on immediate powers rather than cosmic origins, skeptical of single-god narratives pushed by outsiders.[[4]](https://henryehooper.blog/two-spirit-myths-comanche-theory-of-the-universe)[[7]](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=CO033)

Greeks provide classical examples, where philosophy enabled outright denial of gods amid polytheism, unlike more rigid systems elsewhere. This fits Stone Age Herbalist's broader work on dissident anthropology, highlighting diverse human beliefs.[[8]](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/09/battling-the-gods-atheism-ancient-world-review)

Key quotes

"One of the most pre-caricatured images today is that of the online atheist. He is a figure of mockery and ridicule - bearded, fat, unkempt, donning a fedora hat - in a word, low-status." — Stone Age Herbalist[[2]](https://www.stoneageherbalist.com/p/atheism-in-the-ancient-world)

Why it matters

Atheism or weak theology appears in varied societies, from hunter-gatherers to philosophers, upending claims of innate religiosity. Readers interested in anthropology learn some groups prioritize evidence over myth, thriving without creator gods. Watch for more on Pirahã linguistics or Greek skepticism, though full essay access remains paywalled.[[1]](https://www.scribd.com/document/878696055/Atheism-In-The-Ancient-World-by-Stone-Age-Herbalist)