Anth 18 Mar 2002

[adric]

quiz ( blown, whee :( )

Nacirema study from 1950s discussed



Rituals:

• Sacred or Secular


• performed to obtain expected results


• repeated actions: same every time


• Content:
  
  • action
  • music
  • speech
  
  


• Paraphenalia:
  
  
  
  • costumes
  • body paint
  • masks
  • instruments
  • sacred objects
  
  
  
  


• Participants:
  
  • individuals
  
  
  • special leaders
  
  
  • performers
  
  
  • observers
  
  


• Hidden Benefits:
  
  • reinforce community relationships
  
  
  • reinforces faith in shaman
  
  
  
  


• Typing:
  
  
  
  • Calender r.
  
  
  • Transition r.
  
  
  • Divination r.
  
  
  • Crisis r.
  
  
  • Healing r.
  
  

Dealing with Death

• bilogical and social death


• attitudes towards death and corpses


• Purposes of rituals:
  
  
  
  • dispose of body in culturally approved way
  
  
  • provide opportunity for expression of grief or joy
  
  
  • insure continuance of memory of decedent
  
  
  • release spirit from earthly body and insure friendly realtions with spirit
  
  
  • provide opportunity for living to redefine relationships
  
  
  • provide opportunity to redistribute wealth and property
  
  

Yanomami:

1. cremation by bonfire, ashes gathered, possessions destroyed, name never spoken again (taboo)


2. gathering to prepare banana soup with ashes


3. close relatives and friends partake of stew in order of seniority of relation

• provides partial immortality to the dead


• idea of burial is horrifying


• keeps memories alive


• refer to dead indirectly


• names never used again

Cremation in Western society:

• Jews adopted it historically, many have left it since WWII


• Muslims bury dead so they may be questioned by angels


• Christians began with Jewish burial traditions


• C. belief of resurrection


• martyrs were burned in naswer to this


• cremation uncommon in west for 2K years


• 1876(?) ovens started being used


• Supreme Court ruling


• AmerIndian cultures left dead to decay


• Tibet: call vultures with flag and horn to take dead

• embalming performed by a third party


• if not cremated, put in a fancy box


• try to prevent body from being consumed


• parallels to Egyptian rites

next time Voodun (Voodoo)