...considered a primitive ritual now * Although banned by the Indian government, still occurs behind closed doors * Upper-caste widows may not remarry, so many are abandoned by their families after the death of their husband in Vrindavan, "the City of the Widows", a pain ghetto on southern Delhi Who participates in the ritual/rite-of-passage? * Women or girls of all ages, who have become widows, belonging to an orthodox Hindu family or background * Marriage of young girls to older men is common in India and other traditional parts of the world * Widows=outcasts of Hindu society, no place for them What are some characteristics of the ceremony? * Becoming a widow is considered a “sin” in Hinduism, for her actions in her previous life for which she is making up for or compensating for, (as this supposedly caused the death of her husband) * Widow has three options: 1. Marry your husband’s younger brother 2. Burn with your dead husband (sati) 3. Lead a life of self-denial * When being forced to spend the rest of her life in an ashram or institute, she must: * Shave her head bald * Wear a white clothing/sari (symbol for widows), without any makeup, cover their heads with their scarves made to look unattractive, as they could not remarry ever * wear the tika sign of the god Krishna on the forehead * restrictions on food even, given a horrible diet, expected to eat one meal a day *...
Words: 1010 - Pages: 5
...loved one and to help the living cope with and understand the departure of that loved one. These rituals are very different from one culture and society to the next. In the United States, funerals and death rites are usually one day affairs with no further rites practiced. In Japan, funeral rites are much more ritualized and not only deal with death, they also deal with life after death. The lack of funeral and death rites in contemporary Western society can lead to disenfranchised grief as they may be insufficient in helping people cope with the loss of a loved one. Japanese culture marks aging with milestone birthdays that are celebrated to map the progression of aging to the final destination of death. In this paper I will be examining funeral and death rites and if they adequately help with the grieving process and the acceptance of death. I will be examining the funeral and death rites in the United States from an etic perspective and contrasting this examination with an emic perspective of the same rituals as they are practiced in Japan, to show that my cultures rituals are lacking in the tools to deal with grief and acceptance of death. I will be examining funeral and death rites in my own culture from an etic perspective. In order to do this I will have to step outside my culture and my belief system. According to Crapo (2013), "An etic description or analysis…..creates a model of a culture by using cross-culturally valid categories, which anthropologists have...
Words: 2268 - Pages: 10
...Maat, coming from Horus’ triumphant battle against the fratricidal Seth. The numinous nature of the world also comes from the actions of a god, specifically Re. He repeatedly rises in the morning giving us light and air, and then set in the west at night battling chaos, to then rise again the next day. And finally the hope of eternal afterlife, comes from the act of resurrection carried out by Isis, after Osiris had been murdered by Seth. Death since before the dynastic period in Egypt has been an important concept, great cemeteries are built for the dead, they are buried with their goods such as figurines or pieces of pottery, and there are various depictions of festivals and offerings on the tomb walls. The defunct were even classified into justified or unjustified dead depending on their actions during their time as the living and the funerary rituals received. The Pharaoh, also known as the King of Egypt, while being human he was believed to be of theistic descent. He was the mediator between the people and the gods, having to sustain the latter through offerings and rituals so that Maat was kept in the...
Words: 967 - Pages: 4
...People’s attitudes towards funerals have been changing and as a result, the number of traditional funerals has been declining. "Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals." -- Sir William Gladstone Survival in the U.S. Funeral Industry: A PESTEL Analysis The funeral industry, one of the oldest and among the most stable of industries regardless of economic trends, is facing one of the biggest challenges of its existence, and the threat is coming from an unlikely source – their own customers. People’s attitudes towards funerals have been changing and as a result, the number of traditional funerals has been declining. Funeral customs and services are as old as civilization itself. Throughout the history of mankind, every culture and civilization studied has attended to the proper care and disposition of their dead by way of three common things: some type of funeral rites, rituals and ceremonies, a sacred resting place and memorialization (Whittaker, 2005). Researchers have discovered Neanderthal burial grounds dating back to 60,000 BC along with animal antlers and flower remnants placed on the corpse indicating a form of ritual and gifts of remembrance. Primitive man lived in fear and reacted to life events and most natural phenomenon, such as weather, and attributed these acts to that of a higher being...
Words: 2287 - Pages: 10
...view to show readers how areas where they may already have an opinion on can be seen from other perspectives. In Part I, readers will be shown from an etic perspective how Americans have, over time, developed an addiction to indebtedness and live in abundance on credit, not caring of growing deficits and interest burdens. In his 2013 book, “Cultural Anthropology,” Crapo describes an etic analysis as “an outsider’s or observer’s allegedly “objective” account.” In Part II, the Japanese culture surrounding death will be described as how an insider would understand it. Crap described an emic analysis as “an insider’s or native’s meaningful account.” (Ch. 1.1). For various cultures around the world to truly understand and empathize with one another, it is important to be able to see things from each other’s perspective. Being able to understand an issue in America as an outsider would see it, and likewise to look at something that might seem strange to us as an insider would will help us grow beyond our preconceived notions and ignorance. Part I This section of the paper will detail an etic analysis of American economics, specifically revolving around debt. Americans do not see debt as an issue that threatens their existence but instead as a nuisance to be delayed as long as possible. This section will discuss how Americans used to strive to be one of the world’s greatest producers. It will also detail how America shifted into a culture of...
Words: 1490 - Pages: 6
...Hmong World View and Social Structure According to Durkheim (1961), the source of what we regard as sacred or religious lies within our own image. The deities and spirits we pay respect to are but "society transfigured" for in the final analysis we only worship our society. It is society which is both the cause and the expression of religious sentiments through regular ritual representations (Aron, 1967: 53) These rights constitute beliefs enacted for the purpose of preserving a sense of belonging for the participants and maintaining them together as a group. They not only tie the members of the group to each other "but also to the past and the future generations" (Cohen, 1871: 180). Religious ideas, in the words of Bachofen (Leaf, 1979: 118), define fundamental relations in society, showing internal structures similar to the actual behaviour or the believers. The supernatural order is in general based on the social relationships of the group. It validates and regulates these relationships, thereby conserving the social orders. In this paper, I will discuss the social organisation of the Hmong of Laos and Thailand in relation to their religious beliefs in order to see if the two spheres mutually interact to maintain the broader social system. It has been said that ancestral spirits are no more than "a projection of the authority system of the living - the lineage elders elevated to a supernatural plane" (Keesing and Keesing 1971: 309). How true is this of the Hmong? I will...
Words: 6450 - Pages: 26
...beings. Part of the concept of Zhong is that family members have the responsibility of honoring and tending to their deceased ancestors by providing them gifts and sacrifices to show respect. They also may call upon their ancestors for help or guidance in times of distress (Robson, 94, 104). This practice in Confucianism was of particular interest to me because I too think that there is great importance in honoring one’s family, even the ones that have passed on. I enjoy this idea of never forgetting the loved ones that have died because their traditions have active rituals to honor the dead, whereas I feel that American culture has a much smaller focus on the deceased. Yes, American’s almost always have funerals to commemorate one’s memory, and a few holidays here and there to mark a day on the calendar to go put flowers on their grave, but overall, I feel that Western society does not pay much attention to the dead in comparison with Confucian traditions. Calling upon ancestors for...
Words: 1217 - Pages: 5
...area. First I we will delve in to the general backgrounds of these two tribes, followed by an in depth examination of Religious beliefs practiced by each tribe, as well as the Life cycle rituals of the Yokuts and Cherokee. Directly proceeding this we will then contrast the former in depth examinations with that of the Tlingit tribe who resided in the Northwest culture area and also we will contrast The Yokuts and the Cherokee with the Zuni tribe who reside in the Southwest cultural area. General Background: Yokuts The Yokut tribe is a group of native North Americans found in the California culture area. The Yokut tribe inhabited the San Joaquin Valley of California. The Yokut tribe has been broken up into three main groups based on the area that their territory encompassed. The are the Northern Valley Yokuts who inhabited the region beginning in the northern most San Joaquin valley, present day Stockton, to the area where the San Joaquin Valley turns northward toward the Calaveras and Mokelumne rivers, or present day Modesto. The Next division is known as The Southern Valley Yokuts. This group of Yokuts lived in the Southern San Joaquin Valley from the upper forks of the Kings River, present day Fresno, to the area of the Tehachapi Mountains, present day Fort Tejon (Wallace 1978). Therefore it is safe to say that 500 hundred years ago, if I were standing in the spot where I am typing this paper; then it is possible that I might be staring...
Words: 6090 - Pages: 25
...Theme of Human Struggle in the Works of Ernest Hemingway” In my research paper I will show how elements of life and death, folklore/fables, myths, and rites of passage support the theme of human struggle against nature in the stories "The Old Man and the Sea," "Indian Camp," "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro” by Ernest Hemingway. Through comparative analysis of these stories' underlying themes I will address the initiation experiences of his heroes. Human dignity, morality, and the formation of human individuality through mental strife and the struggle against nature are often themes of Hemingway. Humans cope with the complexity of the world by developing simple mental models based on opposite parts. Life and death are together, two extremes of one energy. Life is the active force and death is the inactive force, but they cannot be separated. Thus, they are two aspects of one reality. When people are reading about living beings and mythological beings or those who are dead, they view the word of the dead as a living world. The dead eat, sleep and move. In the book “The Hero in Hemingway's short stories”, J. DeFalco points out that: " in the Myth there are usually three dominant movements which are cyclic in pattern. They are the departure of the hero, the initiation, and the return from heroic adventure." (17). The movements of the hero to the world where mythological beings dwell is called passage. Usually, the boat, which...
Words: 1980 - Pages: 8
...Egypt comes to life in this four-part miniseries, Egypt Beyond the Pyramids. Within the walls of recently excavated temples and tombs lie secrets that will challenge current ideas about ancient Egypt. Discoveries—from the enormous burial tomb called KV5 to the sacred temples of Karnak—show how ancient Egyptians lived, worked, worshipped, and honored their dead. To provide a deeper understanding of Egypt’s past, head archaeologist Dr. Kent Weeks, along with other Egyptologists, leads viewers into ancient temples and tombs—including the resting place of Pharaoh Ramesses II’s lost children—some recorded on film for the first time. Epic in scope, Egypt Beyond the Pyramids demonstrates that as archaeologists uncover more about the past, their discoveries yield more questions than answers. Curriculum Links Egypt Beyond the Pyramids is appropriate for middle and high school classes in world history, ancient history, and art history. National History Standards Egypt Beyond the Pyramids fulfills the following National Standards for History: Historical Thinking 1 (Chronological Thinking), 2 (Historical Comprehension), 3 (Historical Analysis and Interpretation), 4 (Historical Research Capabilities), World History, Era 2. EGYPT BEYOND THE PYRAMIDS THE HISTORY CHANNEL CLASSROOM PRESENTS EGYPT HOUR 1: MANSIONS OF THE SPIRITS Egypt Beyond the Pyramids: Mansions of the Spirits takes the viewer on an exploration of the magnificent temple of Karnak, home to the Egyptian god Amun; the wonderfully...
Words: 4214 - Pages: 17
...THE LOTTERY - SUMMARY In A Nutshell "The Lottery" caused major controversy when it was first published in the June 26, 1948 issue of The New Yorker. Shirley Jackson's implicit critique of the brutality underlying the rituals and values of America's small towns outraged magazine readers, many of whom cancelled their subscriptions (see the Encyclopedia Britannica for more on the tale's publication history). As a side note – Jackson based "The Lottery" on her life in North Bennington, Vermont (source). Some of us here at Shmoop happen to be from that fine state, and we'd like to assure all potential tourists that despite what you may read in "The Lottery," you don't have to worry about sudden stoning in the Green Mountain State. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. The anonymous, generic village in which "The Lottery" is set, in addition to the vicious twist the story gives to a common American ritual, enhance the contemporary reader's uneasy sense that the group violence in the story could be taking place anywhere and everywhere, right now. Jackson's skillful warping of a popular pastime has become an American classic, establishing her position as one of the great American horror writers. Why Should I Care? So, if you've ever been hanging out with a group of friends and done something truly stupid, you may have heard the refrain, "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump, too?" Your answer is probably "no," but Shirley Jackson disagrees. She thinks you – and...
Words: 5311 - Pages: 22
...Art from the past can depict and influence culture in a variety of ways, and can still be seen in our own culture today. At times, we might often wonder how a tradition or ritual had originally started, but never actually retrieve many answers. Fortunately, art from centuries ago could help us trace the clues to how things began. The things that we see and use nowadays could have easily be connected to the past as a sacred relic or a powerful symbol. Though we may not know it, we could very well be using some of the same customs that many have used in the past, but in our own modern way. Regardless of when it was made or where it was originated, art can take on different forms, but still hold some of the same meaning it had had from many years...
Words: 1470 - Pages: 6
...Carbondale OpenSIUC Publications Department of Anthropology 6-1-2004 An Integrated Analysis of Pre-Hispanic Mortuary Practices: A Middle Sicán Case Study Izumi Shimada Southern Illinois University Carbondale Ken-ichi Shinoda National Science Museum, Tokyo Julie Farnum Montclair State University Robert Corruccini Southern Illinois University Carbondale Hirokatsu Watanabe Terra Information Engineering Company Follow this and additional works at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/anthro_pubs © 2004 by The Wenner‐Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Published in Current Anthropology, Vol. 45, No. 3 ( June 2004) at 10.1086/382249 Recommended Citation Shimada, Izumi; Shinoda, Ken-ichi; Farnum, Julie; Corruccini, Robert; and Watanabe, Hirokatsu, "An Integrated Analysis of PreHispanic Mortuary Practices: A Middle Sicán Case Study" (2004). Publications. Paper 8. http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/anthro_pubs/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Anthropology at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Publications by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact jnabe@lib.siu.edu. C u r r e n t A n t h r o p o l o g y Volume 45, Number 3, June 2004 2004 by The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. All rights reserved 0011-3204/2004/4503-0004$3.00 An Integrated Analysis of PreHispanic Mortuary Practices A Middle Sican Case Study1 ´ by Izumi Shimada, Ken-ichi...
Words: 32806 - Pages: 132
...Book Review Summary of Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament by John H. Walton Chapter 1 Chapter 1 is Walton’s introduction to the discussion concerning the congruence of the Old Testament with the world surrounding it. This chapter discusses the history, methodology, and reasoning behind comparative Old Testament studies. It then concludes with the principles and goals each student should possess as he or she studies the Old Testament. His synopsis of comparative Old Testament studies begins with the resurgence of Egyptian and Mesopotamian archaeological studies during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.[1] He then moves on to discuss the impact of Friedrich Delitzsch’s lectures concerning how the writers of the Old Testament borrowed from extrabiblical sources set the stage for many secular ideologies removing the special revelation aspect from the Bible. This allowed two things to take place. First, it brought out the comparative study of the Bible into a critical realm; and second, it made Assyriology, Egyptology, and Hittitology serious academic disciplines which have greatly enhanced modern man’s understanding of these ancient cultures. While Walton discusses several forms of Old Testament study, his opinion favors comparative studies. He starts with explaining the reasoning for sound methodological comparative study and moves on to answer the “why” it should be performed over other studies. In his view, it expands...
Words: 4252 - Pages: 18
...Which most of the time is not aimed simply to take nutrients or feed. In societies that are arranged and productive economies that have had large surpluses of food has remained present. It was part of the offerings to the gods, the cult of the dead and ceremonials intended to acquire the properties vitals of the victim or supernatural gifts. In the other hand, we find the cannibalism of prehistory, in the past human flesh was part of the diet of our ancestors. Intake brain or other tissues contaminated with prions led to outbreaks of disease and development, through natural selection, the defensive mutation whose genetic trace has survived to this day. They also ate the things they loved when they died as a token of love and would not let the body rot between worms, ie, they were eaten by Emor. Pathological cannibalism concerns the psychopath cannibalism as we saw in the movie Silence of the Lambs. Finally, we have the current cannibalism which are rare cases but, experts agree that are very similar to those of the tribal groups, and indissolubly linked to Satanism and to group rituals, rather than the practices of...
Words: 1152 - Pages: 5
