Hultkrantz argues that religion always “borrows its expressions from the setting or milieu in which man appears,” using examples taken from the Shoshoni culture. Linguistically, the Shoshoni classify animals in relation to their cultural importance. For instance, the buffalo (a very important food source) has several names, some depending on the age and sex of the animal. Different body parts of the buffalo also have different names. However, ravens and crows (of little cultural importance) are both classified under the same name. In this article, Hultrantz argues that this linguistic feature carries over into Shoshoni religious beliefs, as well, and that the Shoshoni also classify animals in relation to natural and supernatural reality. The essay includes a particularly interesting examination of the two types of soul that, according to the Shoshoni, belong to man and, unlike other animals, to the bear as well.