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Why did Durkheim think totemism was important to the origins of religion?

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totem fish mask — Totemism Totem fish mask from the Orokolo Bay area of New Guinea. Painted bark cloth over rattan frame with fringe of dried grass. Height 1.63 m.

Émile Durkheim believed that totemism was the most ancient and "pure" form of religion, serving as the key to understanding the origins of religious life. In his seminal work, The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, he argued that the sacred nature of the totem was not derived from the animal or plant itself, but was instead a symbolic reflection of the clan or social group.12

For Durkheim, the totem functioned as a representation of the collective consciousness. By identifying with a totem, individuals expressed their unity and social solidarity, projecting their shared emotions and social identity onto an external, sacred object. Consequently, he viewed the "totemistic principle" as the group itself, permeated with sanctity.1

Durkheim’s theory posited that religion originates from this social experience; it is the mechanism by which society recognizes its own power and maintains its social order. Through rituals, symbols, and taboos associated with the totem, the group reinforces its cohesion and reaffirms the collective bonds that define its existence.12