Ritual Classification
All
of the previously mentioned Gansu rituals can be categorized as a certain type
of ritual; all Gansu rituals provide insight to the cultural mores and general
epistemologies of any society. The prayer rituals in Gansu society function as
protective (or divination) rituals because although the first two prayers said
every day are simply just a symbol of respect to the deities of our
polytheistic culture, the last prayer of the day or tribute that is performed
has the purpose of gaining protection against evil spirits that reside in our
local mountains. Protective rituals often be a preventive measure against
dangerous endeavors, and while there is often a sacrifice offered for a God, in
Gansu culture people honor the God of the stream through spending fifteen
minutes of silence in the water.
The
Gansu political ritual involving the inauguration of a new elder can be
classified as an ideological ritual, or more specifically as a rite of
intensification. The public inauguration and a public governing session enhance
social unity through attempting to gain the trust of the whole society, and
when the new elder speaks to the people, the ultimate goal must be that the
society trusts him as a political leader and the fabric of society will not rip
apart due to political disagreements. The prior rite of passage of feeding the
preceding elder’s corpse to a panda additionally shows a sense of continuity
with the past that is often evident in rites of intensification.
The
marriage anniversary ritual in Gansu culture is difficult to assess, however it
can be classified as a therapy ritual, although the participants are not always
necessarily in a severe state of illness. While couple may not in fact be
physically ill, labor and child-rearing are stressful activities and the
marriage anniversary ritual serves to let the couple relax, therefore bettering
their mental health and most-likely alleviating any stresses or anxieties. The
ritual also serves to allow the breaking of the Gansu post-partum sex taboo (or
a taboo of sex for other purposes aside from procreation), for one day as much
stress and anxiety stems from a lack of sex and unfulfilled desires. But
because of the recent addition of prophylactics as anniversary gifts, Gansu
couples can spend a day “tasting forbidden fruit”, so to speak.
The
Gansu economic ritual is an ideological ritual that seeks to reinforce social
order and values. By accepting gifts from modern China and conversely planting
trees wherever Gansu people may work, it reminds the Gansu people not only of
their heritage and connections with nature but when Gansu people are away
working as a part of China’s modern workforce, they are remembered through the
many gifts received, lent out and borrowed back in the Gansu village. The
planting of trees also seeks to ideally remind Gansu workers of their status
within society so they may seek and aspire to a different specialization within
society one day. Younger men and women will seasonally work in modern China,
but often skills learned will translate to and be necessary for the operation
of daily life in the Gansu village, and eventually many people do not leave
after mid-life.
1 comment:
*There is no comment link for the post that I am trying to respond to, so I am posting to this post. My comment is meant for the Ritual Process Post on Thu. June 21.
Similarities and Differences between our cultures rituals:
One similarity was the frequency of prayer in both societies. BBBBs pray to Mother Earth everytime they go fishing. The Gansu Panda Tribe prays frequently too, but they pray more than BBBBs because they worship more than one god. One big difference that was apparent as I was reading through the Gansu Panda Tribe blog is that my community views politics differently. The panda tribe has leaders and elders that are in charge, the BBBBs do not.
Cultural Factors that contribute to the similarities and differences:
I think most of the differences are attributed to different beliefs. BBBBs don’t care about material good, or titles. They enjoy being the same and just relaxing. That is the whole point of being a BBBB. The Gansu Panda tribe is more organized than BBBBs. They have specific roles that member in the have. BBBBs on the other hand have the same basis expectation of each other (you fish, I fish, you nap, I nap, etc)
Ritual Classification:
Religious- Their religious ritual could be classified as an ideological ritual because the continuous praying could be to remind the tribe members of their role in the community.
Political-Could be a rite of intensification because it only happens when a new elder is being appointed.
Marriage Anniversary- Divination Ritual because it seems to be an activity that could be dangerous and unpredictable.
Economic-Maybe a rite of identification? It seems that this ritual is in place to reinforce values and norms of the tribe.
Post a Comment