Ritual

Folk narratives that preserve and carry the common cultural values and basic cultural codes transmitted in the oral culture environment to the future are the mirror of societies. The syncretic/heterodox Yassawī dervishes who came to Anatolia from Khorasan as a result of the oppression and coercion imposed by the Mongols in Central Asia in the 12-13. centuries interacted not only physically but also spiritually and intellectually. The Alevî-Bektâşî velâyetnâmas, which bear traces of both the pre-Islamic belief systems and practices of the Turks and Islam and Sufism, are works that reveal the idealized characters, philosophy of life and thought structure of the Turks from the past to the present with their intense sociocultural content and quality. The aim of our study is to examine Alevî-Bektâşî velâyetnâmas in the context of ecocriticism, which emphasizes the relationship between literature and the
environment. This theory, in its most general definition, is "the examination of the principles of ecology in literary texts". In its most general definition, this theory is "the study of the principles of ecology in literary texts". In the light of the Velâyetnâmas, from the point of view of tradition, natural cults are in themselves manifestations of reverence for the sacred. The study will reveal the perspective of the tradition on natural objects such as trees, fire, water, stone/earth as well as the elements of the sky, earth and underground that define the triple
layer. In addition, water resources, environmental order, destruction of vegetation, attitudes towards the protection of natural heritage, perspective on hunting and hunting, sources of pollution, perception of the life cycle and reflections of nature-culture friendship will be analyzed based on sample passages. The examples identified as a result of the analysis will be evaluated on the axis of Turkish mythology, belief systems and cultural values. As a result of this study, data will be obtained on how the practices aimed at protecting our natural habitat that we share with other living beings and keeping the ecological system in balance were provided in the pre-technology / pre-computing period. Based on these findings, it will be
possible to make comparisons with the perspective of today's world, and solutions to the environmental problems of the modern world will be brought to the agenda.

Despite its prevalence, the 20th-century communal kiddush ritual in synagogues remains understudied. This article addresses the gap by analyzing its purposes, connection to the prayer service, and impact on religious and social aspects. Drawing on Bakhtin, Gluckman, and Turner, this study explores how its carnivalesque elements challenge norms while reinforcing the synagogue. Additionally, it investigates kiddush's liminality and significance. The Kiddush ritual is pivotal, encapsulating values, ethos, and processes. Culinary practices within it function as an encrypted language, unveiling insights into the synagogue's central social role and the significance of food in shaping communities and religious belonging.

This paper focuses on the relationship between Tibetan culture and mountain deities. It illustrates how ancient Tibetans made offerings to the rivers and riverine sources such as snow mountains in terms of mythological concepts and indigenous culture. In other words, it is still a kind of living practice of ancient people, who worship nature–mountains, rivers, and lakes to avoid the misfortunes–such as ‘devastating famine’, ‘storming hail’, ‘lighting thunderbolt’, and ‘destructive flood’. Even today, local Tibetans worship all these spirits in the name of ‘lha’ (ལྷ།) on the mountain, ‘gnyan’ (གཉན།) and ’btsan’ (བཙན།) in the rock, ‘klu’ (ཀླུ།) in the water–their environments should not be disturbed or polluted. So, the article depicts how Tibetan indigenous culture protected from polluting those natural rivers and snow mountains for centuries.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of promotion on tourist interest in the Sum Putri tourism object in TelukBetung Utara sub-district, Bandar Lampung city. The data used in this study were primary data. Furthermore, the data collection technique used in this study was a survey that used Use Google Forms to collect data. In this study the researchers used the t test and coefficient test methods with the help of the smart plss program version 2. Based on the results of the research, the R² value lies at 0 R² 1, an R² value close to 1, which means the model is getting better. Meanwhile, the value of R² which is zero means that there is no relationship between the dependent variable and the explanatory variable. From the table, with the location of R² 1 with a value of 0 0.999 1, this means that the variance of the Effect of Promoting the Variance of Economic Growth is 99. 9%, while the remaining 0.01% is explained by other variables outside the model. Keywords :Promo...

The soil mantle of the tropical karst landscapes of southern Mexico was a key resource for ancient Maya agriculture and experienced deep transformation due to long-term human impacts under changing environmental conditions. We conducted a comparative analysis of three compound soil toposequences in mountainous (Sierra de Chiapas/Middle Usumacinta Valley, Busiljá, and Chinikihá archaeological sites) and platform (NE Yucatán Peninsula, Yalahau region) karst landscapes to reconstruct general tendencies and regional variations in pedodiversity development and soil–human interactions since the Early Preclassic Period. Toposequence characterization is based on macro- and micromorphological observations, accompanied by a suite of laboratory data. Calcareous upland geoforms of all toposequences have similar soil combinations consisting of shallow Rendzina and deep red clayey Terra Rossa types of profiles. We argue that Rendzinas, now dominant in the upland soil cover, in most cases, are not a product of incipient pedogenesis on limestone; they have developed from the residues of Terra Rossa soils after their advanced erosion. Pedosediments generated by ancient soil erosion have been found in the piedmont and depression positions in the mountainous landscapes of Chiapas, as a result of lateral downslope soil removal, and in the subsurface karstic cavities in the platform of NE Yucatán, indicating vertical “soil piping.” The soils of the lowland domains show contrasting differences between the toposequences: gleyic clay–rich soils and humic alluvial soils prevail in Chinikihá and Busiljá, whereas hydromorphic carbonate soils have formed in Yalahau karstic depressions. These differences in the lowland soil properties led to divergent ancient Maya land use strategies; in Chinikihá and Busiljá, the major agricultural domain was developed in the lowlands, implying largescale artificial drainage. On the contrary, in Yalahau, mostly upland Rendzinas were cultivated, implying “precision agriculture” and “container gardening.”

Este trabajo parte de la hipotesis siguiente: Conforme mas intensa es la heterogeneidad, la densidad poblacional y la diversidad cultural en el espacio urbano, mayor es tambien la fragmentacion social. Ante esta situacion fragmentada se despliega el ritual cuya estrategia fundamental, en contextos megalopolitanos, es la de hacer sentir la unidad social a los habitantes. El estudio parte de un caso en especifico: el carnaval de Huitzizilapan, ubicado en el municipio de Lerma, es decir, en medio de las dos metropolis del centro del pais, los valles de Toluca y Mexico.

This essay proposes a fresh approach to the sin offering and guilt offering and to their distinction.  First, although organically connected, the sin offering and the guilt offering must be distinguished in occasion and purpose. The sins which gave rise to the respective offerings were fundamentally different, and each offering served to answer the need occasioned by its particular sin. The sin offering rectifies deficiency, moral or ritual, while the guilt offering rectifies stigma. Second, in relation to their function, both the sin offering and guilt offering provided moral/ritual forgiveness and restoration for the offending sinner who presents the sacrifices rather than for the sacred space of the polluted tabernacle/temple. Third, the blood of the sin offering is to be considered ritually defiled because of the offerer’s identification with the animal victim, while the blood of the guilt offering is to be considered ritually consecrated as a compensation offered to God. This understanding helps to comprehend the significance of the manipulation of blood in the respective rites. Lastly, while the sin offering is occasioned by inadvertent sin either corporately or individually, the guilt offering arises from the offender’s trespass upon YHWH’s inherent rights or privileges. This may occur either directly through the misuse of sacred items or derivatively through the violation of another’s property rights, coupled with deception. Such a “breach of trust” or “sacrilege” (מַעַל) (Lev 6:2 [5:21]) undermines the theological significance of the imago dei in one’s neighbor. I will derive implications from this study for understanding the Levitical cult and aspects of the New Testament economy, including Christ’s sacrifice for sin.

This article relates Giorgio Agamben's interpretation of the oath to one Anabaptist critique of oath swearing, namely the one found in the final article of the 1527 Schleitheim Confession. How might Agamben's philosophical interpretation shed light on Schleitheim's instruction to refuse oath swearing? And where might Schleitheim's formulation challenge Agamben's argument? Reading Schleitheim in light of Agamben's formulation, we come to see how the confession's refusal of oath swearing can be read as a critique of sovereignty and a re-envisioning of certitude and trust in a community without such enforced guarantees. This means oath refusal is far from an afterthought to more central Anabaptist concerns. Indeed, oath refusal can be seen as integral to, perhaps even exemplary of, the attempt to build a community under a sovereignty of a radically different kind.

The enchanting artistry of Lord Nataraja embodies Lord Shiva within Hindu mythology, offering a captivating spectacle. Through exploration, this dance reveals multifaceted layers, shedding light on creation's rhythmic beats and destruction's force of dissolution. By examining Lord Nataraja's enigmatic pose, the mysteries behind its deeper import and sacred essence are being demystified. Ancient scripts, paintings, and philosophical traditions all contribute to an insightful exploration of Shiva, uncovering the rich tapestry of his identity and a narrative that spans the limits of time and place while providing keen insights into the fundamental nature of existence and spirituality according to Hindu cosmovision. Through a detailed analysis of the Nataraja pose, this paper uncovers the hidden meaning behind each element, starting with Shiva's dance floor, fire, serpent, raised leg, and multiple arm postures. Shining light on their meaning within Hinduism, the symbols represent creation, preservation, and destruction while also exploring their philosophical and spiritual interpretations.

Schluß, Henning / Andersen Christian (2020): Elementarpädagogik und Pluralität in Wien. Zentrale Ergebnisse des Forschungsprojekts PLUKI.  In:  Kalloch, Christina / Schreiner, Martin: "Eigentlich sind wir alle Geschenke" - Religiöse Bildung im Elementarbereich. Jahrbuch für Kinder-  und Jugendtheologie Bd. 3, Calwer-Verlag, Stuttgart, S. 113 - 125.

In order to meet the demand for educational justice and equal educational opportunities, the number of elementary educational institutions in Vienna has increased significantly since 2009 as a result of a change in the funding modalities. This founding boom has also led to the formation of facilities that are tailored to a specific clientele. However, this cannot be seen as a specific feature of facilities with special links to Islam. The diversity of providers with their different ideological and religious positions or pedagogical profiles is not a novelty; on the contrary, it is made possible by legislation and can be interpreted as an expression of a society that sees itself as pluralistic. This is traditionally reflected in educational institutions under Catholic and now also Muslim sponsorship as well as in the sponsorship of elementary educational institutions that are close to religious communities as well as to political parties or educational schools. In a plural city, the application of the principle of subsidiarity, which goes back to Catholic social teaching, leads to this diversity of sponsors with different religious and ideological or pedagogical orientations. Following this principle, the establishment of educational and welfare institutions is the task of municipal or state organizations only when the needs cannot be met by the self-activity of the social groups.3 Seen from this perspective, the establishment of educational and welfare institutions, including mono-confessional Islamic institutions, is a sign of integration. With the sounding out of the wishes of the parents, the customers elementary educational facilities, are met with this practice. Since the amendment of the Kindergarten Act (WKGG 2018), elementary educational institutions in Vienna are obliged to consider customer wishes in the context of the preparation of a business plan, which should ensure the economic viability of the institutions for at least 5 years through customer orientation. The PLUKI study clearly shows that a concept of segregation, which is also common in research, does not go far enough, because segregation is not a privilege of institutions with special relations to Islam, but segregation must also be spoken of where children without a migration background or with a certain religion or ideology attend an elementary educational institution in isolation from others. The present study does show tendencies toward segregation, but these are contrary to common assumptions, in that institutions even in mixed residential areas succeed in keeping themselves free of children with a migration background, and these then find themselves in greater numbers in so-called "Islamic" institutions. It is striking that it is not only children with a connection to Islam who attend these facilities, but also children whose parents have a migration background, especially from non-privileged backgrounds, e.g. from Turkey and the Arab region, but also from Poland, Romania or African countries. The parents of these children certainly belong to various Christian churches, but nevertheless find it difficult to find a place for their children at "native" institutions. These segregation tendencies are reinforced by economic dynamics. Paradoxically, it was precisely the introduction of the non-contributory kindergarten that supported these "perverse effects." For example, although the Kita is free of charge for all, "additional contributions" of up to 400 euros per month must be paid outside the facilities operated directly by the municipality. These additional contributions are generally not subject to income scales, as were the former Kita contributions. However, they are tax-deductible and thus affordable, especially for parents with high incomes. Here, an economic selection principle has a much stronger effect than it did before in the fee-based kindergarten. Low-income parents are therefore referred to kindergartens and groups that charge no or low additional fees. These are either those in municipal sponsorship or often those attributed to the "Islamic" context. For kindergartens run by local authorities, however, a further principle comes into play, which is very understandable from a socio-political point of view. Children of parents who work are to be given priority for a place. This is certainly to be welcomed from the point of view of enabling women in particular to work, but it means that children of parents where one parent does not work cannot be considered until all children of working parents have been taken care of. The slightly higher unemployment rate of parents with an immigrant background means that these This means that it is precisely these children who tend to be denied access to municipal facilities. They are then left only with the so-called "Islamic", or according to its self-understanding, intercultural kindergarten, because here too, as a rule, no or low additional fees are charged. This is not a conscious shielding of the minority from the majority society, but rather we have found structures that favor exclusion from the majority society. The fact that all those excluded are categorized under the label "Islam" has less to do with those affected by this exclusion than with the categories under which those so excluded are gathered. These category labels change over time in social discourse (Hirschauer (2014);Andersen (2018)). While it used to be the workers or the Turks, since 2009 and especially 2015 it has been Islam that has been used as a criterion for differentiation, regardless of whether the kindergarten children concerned come from families that feel they belong to one of the currents of Islam.

ULHÔA, Martha Tupinambá de; COSTA-LIMA NETO, Luiz. Música de entretenimento no Rio de Janeiro da primeira metade do século XIX. In: BESSA, Virgínia de Almeida; PÉ-REZ GONZÁLEZ, Juliana. (ed.).Sudeste. Vitória: Associação Nacional de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Música, 2023. p. 18 - 61. (Histórias das Músicas no Brasil).

Le rôle du jeu dans la structuration des Cultures Je commencerai, comme tout le monde, par des pionniers et des classiques : Arnold Van Gennep, un peu inattendu ici, Johan Huizinga et Roger Caillois. Je ne rappellerai que l'essentiel de leurs apports décisifs, pour fonder mon raisonnement, m'y appuyer, et tenter d'aller plus loin avec René Girard. En effet, j'ai l'intention de montrer, avec eux, que le jeu est essentiel dans la fondation, la structuration et la conservation des Cultures. Dans ses géniales intuitions, Johan Huizinga avait bien pressenti, sans jamais arriver à le formuler radicalement, que le jeu est issu du mécanisme « sacré » fondateur de toute Culture. René Girard l'a fait. Je le résume ici avec mes mots : le jeu, qui est un rite, est un « replay » symbolique, à caractère prophylactique, du sacrifice du bouc émissaire, fondateur de toute Culture. Il vous faudra un peu de patience et un peu de bienveillance pour me donner le temps de définir tous ces concepts, de les articuler dans un raisonnement, et enfin de vous proposer une synthèse qui n'est, comme c'est le cas pour toute recherche, qu'une étape provisoire sur le long chemin de la découverte de notre condition humaine de « singe raté ». Voilà, pour la mise en route ! ***

El primer artículo de mi tesis doctoral en Estudios Amazónicos por la sede Amazonia de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Me gustó mucho escribirlo, pero, por varias razones me alejo de este porque es una bisagra entre una vida pasada y lo que voy aprendiendo desde que vivo en Leticia.


En este artículo presento que los cantos de cuna de madres shipibo-konibo, kakataibo, amahuaca, kukama, yagua y magütá comparten una serie de rasgos. La melodía se basa en el villancico chachapoyano Niño Manuelito y el texto se acomoda a él mediante una línea hexasilábica o con alargamiento y supresión de sílabas. Además, cantan en un registro alto, usan voz en falsetto, y emplean una bilabial vibrante múltiple para entonar la melodía. Se presentan quechuismos, entre los cuales waka se asocia con la acción de comer al bebé o wawa. Así, propongo que el villancico Niño Manuelito circuló en la red Ucayali-Amazonas debido al trabajo misional franciscano y a las migraciones forzadas del primer boom del caucho (1879-1912); a su vez, la melodía se reinterpretó como canto de cuna para luego difundirse a lo largo de esa red y se acomodó a las características del canto presentes en la región. Por último, identifico otro tipo de rasgos en común: reduplicaciones, diminutivos, temáticas de potenciales peligros y repeticiones, que explico a partir de las características propias del canto de cuna como género musical.

Quarto Convegno Nazionale della Società Italiana di Antropologia Culturale
"Il ritorno del sociale"
Sapienza Università di Roma, 21-22-23 settembre 2023


Il mio contributo al tema proposto dal panel intende prendere come riferimento dialettico il concetto e l’immagine fecondi della “doppia assenza”, che risalgono alla famosa opera postuma di Abdelmalek Sayad (1999). Nella relazione etnografica con una comunità di filippini cattolici a Rehovot, in Israele, ho avuto modo di studiare la festa di Flores de Mayo, un complesso rituale che prevede una sfilata in costume per la città, la celebrazione della Messa e una serie di “rappresentazioni” legate al culto di Mama Mary e alla storia di Sant’Elena e della Inventio Crucis. Tra la festa che ho osservato e il modello tradizionale celebrato nelle Filippine si possono cogliere vari rapporti sineddotici, in cui l’esperienza storica del rito in contesto migratorio e la riproposizione nostalgica del vissuto festivo “a casa” si pongono come livelli diversi di una seconda relazione sineddotica con un frame mitico che, in Israele-Terra Santa, si fa altro. Seguendo Todorov (1970), si può vedere in questa “doppia sineddoche” cui il rito dà vita una attiva metaforizzazione dell’esperienza migrante che si sostanzia nella riconfigurazione di uno spazio sociale “possibile”, dentro il quale si opacizzano non solo il qui ed ora, ma anche il passato e l’origine. Nel rito la doppia assenza del migrante coincide con la sua doppia presenza.

Sayad, A. 1999. La double absence. Des illusions de l’émigré aux souffrances de l’immigré. Paris: Seuil.
Todorov, T. 1970. “Synecdoques”. Communications 16: 26–35.

Aus der Grabung Basel-Rittergasse 4 (1982/6) konnten insgesamt 3424 Tierknochen, die aus spätlatènezeit-lichen Schichten bzw. Gruben und frühaugusteischen Schichten stammen, archäozoologisch untersucht werden. In Bezug auf den Erhaltungszustand, das Tierartenspektrum, das Skelettteilspektrum und das Schlachtalter liessen sich einerseits Unterschiede zwischen dem Material aus den spätlatènezeitlichen Gruben und Schichten, andererseits zwischen den Funden aus den spätlatènezeitlichen und frühaugusteischen Phasen feststellen. Aus archäozoologischer Sicht wurde die der keltischen Oberschicht zugehörige Bewohnerschaft der untersuchten Fläche in augusteischer Zeit durch romanisiertere, womöglich dem Militär zuzurechnende Bewohner abgelöst.

La danza en México, expresión de la religiosidad popular que tiene orígenes prehispánicos y coloniales, se ha mantenido viva hasta nuestros días como una  tradición devocional en torno a las imágenes centrales del catolicismo. En este capítuoo analizo la manera en que las prácticas actuales de los danzantes permiten recrear una memoria identitaria de la tradición y el ser mexicano,  que liga a los creyentes católicos con un linaje imaginario del indígena, que reinventa el pasado fundacional de la nación, que permite recrear una continuidad histórica del mestizaje cultural entre el pasado indígena y el catolicismo colonial

With a point of departure in the major discovery of ritually deposited bear bones at the Pitted Ware culture site of Kainsbakke on Djursland, Denmark, this paper sets out to investigate the human-bear relationship in Denmark during the Mesolithic and Neolithic (c. 9500–2400…cal…BC).
Studies of the abundance of bear bones in the archaeological record demonstrate a decreasing tendency throughout the entire Mesolithic and earlier parts of the Neolithic, followed by a rise in the early 3rd
millennium BC (i.e. the Pitted Ware culture). Additional investigations of the treatment of the bones, the selection of specific bone elements and the contexts in which they were found indicate changing patterns in the human-bear relationship. These are interpreted as being due to a combination of environmental change and shifting contacts and interactions with societies in especially the eastern Baltic region.

La dimensione cerimoniale caratterizza fortemente la vita delle corti italiane del secolo XV come della società e della cultura medievale; proprio dal Medioevo la società rinascimentale ricava molteplici spunti e occasioni per riattualizzare numerose pratiche festive. Il Rinascimento delle corti italiane fa sfoggio dell’ ideale propriamente umanistico della magnificentia attraverso l’esibizione e la messa in scena di apparati festivi, la cui realizzazione è affidata all’ingegno ed alla fantasia dei contemporanei architetti o scultori, che spesso e volentieri si fanno scenografi, obbedienti alle direttive del potere.
In particolare, la Milano degli Sforza offre numerosi esempi di come la dimensione e la vita festiva occupi un ruolo fondamentale nella dinamica di comunicazione del potere centrale del signore con il popolo intero. Storici, scenografi, artisti (si pensi a Leonardo), poeti, si prestano più volte a legittimare attraverso la loro opera tali avvenimenti, conferendo un’immagine di eternità al potere che essi stanno a rappresentare. Una delle personalità più interessanti del variegato panorama dell’ Umanesimo settentrionale, Tristano Calco, ci consente di ottenere una visione ancor più nitida del fenomeno attraverso la lettura di una sua vera e propria «trilogia delle nozze», cronachette che a differenza del rigore metodologico della sua opera storica maggiore, si lasciano spesso andare a divagazioni propagandistiche, pur non tralasciando il Calco il tradizionale impianto cronachistico e la descrizione documentata degli eventi nuziali e delle feste.

Se presenta la secuencia cronológica de los grabados y pinturas rupestres del departamento Guachipas, Salta,
Noroeste argentino que comprende cinco grupos estilísticos: Inicial, Temprano, Tardío, Inca e Hispano-Indígena/Colonial.
Los mismos se categorizan según la morfología de las representaciones, la técnica utilizada, las tonalidades y las escenas
que componen teniendo en cuenta su disposición sobre la roca matriz y las superposiciones de motivos. Por último, y a partir
de las investigaciones arqueológicas realizadas durante la última década, estos grupos estilísticos se integran a los procesos
sociales ocurridos en la región.

Among the most noteworthy practices in Buddhist temples in China today are yuan or wish-vow actions. Wish-vows encompass both wish-making (xuyuan 许愿) and vow-giving (fayuan 发愿), with both modalities embraced by average temple-goers from a general population. Chinese Buddhist liturgies encourage ritual performers to adopt a bodhisattva stance, wishing/vowing for the well-being of all beings. This introduces an ethical dimension to yuan performances. This paper analyzes the continuity in practice between wish-making and vow-giving, exploring how popular and Buddhist understandings of ritual entangle and how ritual generates meaningful narratives for practitioners. The article shows how the human pursuit of ritual effects and ethical self-transformation are not contradictory but rather complementary processes. Considering this Chinese ritual situation deepens our comprehension of votive practices in syncretic religious traditions. Additionally, it offers a new direction for considering religious potentialities in late socialist societies. Furthermore, it usefully challenges the use of the term “prayer” in Chinese contexts. In this way, the article bridges anthropology, Chinese studies, and religious studies and enhances our conceptual toolkit for studying ongoing human transformation.

"Nacer en el Antiguo Egipto: Instrumentos de Protección para el Parto" arroja luz sobre el proceso de parto en la antigua civilización egipcia, explorando tanto los aspectos biológicos como los religiosos que rodeaban la maternidad en este contexto histórico. En una sociedad donde la familia y la procreación eran fundamentales, la natalidad era vista como un indicador del buen funcionamiento del país. La obtención de un heredero no solo garantizaba la continuidad del culto funerario, sino que también era vital en el ámbito real para mantener la dinastía.