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Vilca or cebil (Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil) is a species known for its psychoactive properties and its widespread use among the pre-Hispanic peoples who inhabited the southern Andean area (southern Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile and northwest Argentina). Studies on this species, as well as on medicinal, psychoactive, or magical plants in general, tend to consider its use in post-Spanish conquest times to be scarce or irrelevant in the Andes of South America. However, based on an in-depth review of the existing literature and on ethnobotanical research conducted in markets in Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru, this paper provides an updated overview affirming the continuity of the use of this species. The results indicate a significant diversity in terms of usage types, plant parts used, treatments, and conditions in which it is applied, along with new records of vernacular names. This paper also offers an interpretation from the perspective of Andean logics, highlighting the current therapeutic effectiveness of the seeds of this plant, facilitated through a series of "movements" that aim to restore the affected person's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Paul Ricœur's narrative hermeneutic provides a unique lens for interpreting liturgy as narrative. Liturgy begins with the collective, prefigured knowledge of the assembly and configures symbols, music, prayers, scriptures, and actions into an interpretive narrative. This process engages the liturgical assembly's imagination to synthesize its unique narrative of God's divine story. This paper explores the function of imagination in the formative process of liturgical narrative arguing that imagination shapes human knowing and being through liturgical narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Mystery" is a term with divergent meanings in the religious and secular worlds. This term bears history in the philosophical and theological worlds. The meaning of the term includes concepts of secrecy, mysteriousness, incomprehensibility, and transcendence on the one hand and its connection with religious rituals on the other hand. This nature of the term recommends that we re-read its original meaning. This article tries to understand the connection of this term with archaic religious rituals based on mimetic theory. This article finds that the mysteriousness behind the archaic religious rituals is related to the scapegoat mechanism. The hidden process of deification in primitive religions and cultures is the reason behind the meaning of the term mystery. Using mimetic theory as a tool, this article asserts that only "revealed mysteries" remain in human history following the Christ-event and defines mystery as a process of deification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jurnal Ilmiah Islam Futura is the property of Jurnal Ilmiah Islam Futura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Previous research suggests that sharing emotionally intense experiences with others, for example by undergoing dysphoric collective rituals together, can lead to "identity fusion," a visceral feeling of oneness that predicts group cohesion and self-sacrifice for the group. In this pre-registered research, we provide the first quantitative investigation of identity fusion following participation in a national funeral, surveying 1632 members of the British public. As predicted, individuals reporting intense sadness during Queen Elizabeth II's funeral exhibited higher levels of identity fusion and pro-group commitment, as evidenced by generosity pledges to a British Monarchist charity. Also consistent with our hypotheses, feelings of unity in grief and emotional sharedness during the event mediated the relationship between sadness intensity and pro-group commitment. These findings shed light on importance of collective rituals in fostering group cohesion, cooperation, and the dynamics of shared emotional experiences within communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a common assumption that human behavior is guided by a desire to feel safe and avoid harm. However, this view is challenged by the popularity of high-risk leisure sport and other practices that involve subjecting oneself to a considerable danger with no apparent gain. By using real-contact stick fighting as an example, I suggest that the attractiveness of at least some such practices can be explained by cognitive dynamics that are typical of affectively intense rituals such as initiations. Affectively intense rituals are known to enhance personal meaning-making and foster identity fusion, that is, the overlapping of personal and social identities. The sense of meaning thus engendered effectively satisfies common identity motives and thus elicits positive affect. By introducing ritual studies perspectives into the edgework paradigm that is commonly used to conceptualize voluntary risk taking, I contribute to an increased understanding of the cognitive processes motivating participation in extreme leisure sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jaimini's Book of the Horse Sacrifice (Jaiminīya Āśvamēdhikaparvan) is a late mediaeval Vaiṣṇava text that is unusual for several reasons. In this article we examine the interplay of violence, devotion and ritual in the Sanskrit vorlage and its Kannada transfiguration--the Jaiminibhārata of Lakṣmīśa (ca. 1500 CE). Violent emotions or extreme feelings are deeply imbricated in South Asia religious discourse. Extreme feeling is entangled with the history of texts that emerged as a result of interreligious and intra-religious debate. Our article puts forth the idea of violence as a mode of bhakti devotion, and we historicize the emergence of violence-as-bhakti in the Vaiṣṇava context, using the tale of Mayūradhvaja from Jaimini's Book. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our previous paper, we examined the genesis of the choral work, its textual and musical sources, the intellectual and cultural influences that may have played a role in its creation. Starting from this complex ideological background, in this paper we will examine, through a detailed analysis of the score, how the composition's structure, musical language and techniques bring the text to life, where its message is directed, and what additional conceptual and expressive value they provide. The Gates of Sky is, in a certain reading, a cultural-anthropological journey, partly based on historical references, partly mythical. However, its rich musical language and symbolic meanings only gain significance if they are combined with a suitable and convincing sound dramaturgy. For the author's basic aim is not merely to evoke a ritual, but to give the performers and the audience the opportunity to experience the metamorphosis it embodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using medieval religious drama as a model, Honduras' Teatro La Fragua has developed a Gospel dramatization program that both reflects the practices of medieval theater in style and expresses the issues of a modern-day world in message. Their vernacular cycle plays are performed in public spaces by local people, written by and for the community, and staged in the streets and public spaces for ordinary people in both urban and remote rural areas. Medieval vernacular drama thus maintains an enduring stylistic presence in a modern-day counterpart as it underscores the Gospel's message of inclusion, equity, and diversity while incorporating elements of agency and native culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the exploration of a significant sign, the "viśvavajra", found in the caisson ceilings of Buddhist esoteric art in Dunhuang's Mogao Caves. These caissons, featuring the viśvavajra sign in the center, were prevalent from the mid-Tang period to the Western Xia dynasty (ninth to thirteenth centuries) and are recorded by The Overall Record of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes under description as "Jiaochu Jingxin". Similar caissons are also found in Western Buddhist Caves near Dunhuang, and Yulin Caves in Guazhou County, indicating a distinct regional character. Focusing on a well-preserved and intricately detailed example from Cave 361, this article aims to elucidate the specific tantric significance of the viśvavajra at the center of the caissons within the broader context of Buddhist art. Drawing from related tantras, the discussion explores how the sign and its surrounding compositions align with a particular homa (fire offering) maṇḍala, specifically the śāntika maṇḍala crucial to numerous Tantric Buddhist rituals. Furthermore, the article examines the evolution of caisson of this type of maṇḍala over time. By comparing the mid-Tang example from Cave 361 with the late Tang period's Cave 14, a noticeable shift in format becomes apparent. The viśvavajra sign takes on new significance, embodying "the samaya of all Tathāgatas". Ultimately, the article explores how the significance of the viśvavajra sign transforms into an allusion to Vairocana or Rocana under the Sino-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist context in the Hexi Corridor during the early Northern Song and Western Xia dynasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documented the structure and meaning of the language used in the Buntang ritual, as practised among the Dayak Maanyan in East Barito, Kalimantan, Indonesia. This is a special language spoken by this group, living in the southern part of Borneo, to communicate with their ancestors’ spirits. In our documentation, we observed the Buntang ritual, the location of the ceremony, the participants involved, and the interactions between participants to obtain a complete record of the Buntang ritual. We then interviewed a wadian, “priest”, for a complete transcription of the speech used during the ritual. The language used in ritual features constructions of paired clauses. Drawing on the awakening and summoning practices for ancestors’ spirits in this ritual, we documented 2,868 paired clauses. The first clause of the pair uses words from daily use in the Maanyan language, while the second clause uses words that are only used in the ritual. Pairs are a combined form of two clauses with the same meaning in an unequal number of words. This inequality occurs because of verb, noun, or adverb reductions at the beginning of the second clause and word additions at its end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1960s–1970s in the Soviet society, formation of new civil rituals gained relevance. One of the newfound components was family and household (personal family) rituals – ceremonial registration and a wedding. The article reveals the process of introducing a new civil wedding ritual in a Tatar village in the 1970s. The sources include wedding photographs from the family archives of the Nurutdinovs, the Mamatovs, the Khakovs, and the Romazanovs – natives of different regions of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, as well as the author’s field materials collected through in-depth and longitudinal interviews. Wedding photographs represent valuable illustrative material on the problem of the formation of a new “Soviet rituals” in the socio-cultural space of the village, including the destruction of the wedding image and deprivation of its national features and characteristics. They can be considered a multifaceted source upon which the formation of collective memory about the Soviet past is based.

Abstract Previous research suggests that sharing emotionally intense experiences with others, for example by undergoing dysphoric collective rituals together, can lead to “identity fusion,” a visceral feeling of oneness that predicts group cohesion and self-sacrifice for the group. In this pre-registered research, we provide the first quantitative investigation of identity fusion following participation in a national funeral, surveying 1632 members of the British public. As predicted, individuals reporting intense sadness during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral exhibited higher levels of identity fusion and pro-group commitment, as evidenced by generosity pledges to a British Monarchist charity. Also consistent with our hypotheses, feelings of unity in grief and emotional sharedness during the event mediated the relationship between sadness intensity and pro-group commitment. These findings shed light on importance of collective rituals in fostering group cohesion, cooperation, and the dynamics of shared emotional experiences within communities.

The main objective of this study is to examine the Islamic and Malay elements that are acculturated in the Dabus dance ritual of Perak, Malaysia. The focused group of this study is the Dabus of Tanjung Bidara village, estimated to have been established since the 1818s. However, throughout that time, the perception of the Malay community has not been strong yet, specifically regarding the ritual relationship of the Dabus dance with Islamic values. In fact, not infrequently, Dabus dance rituals are seen as contradicting the values of Islam itself. It is even seen over as skewed by some of the Malay community. However, in terms of history, meaning, practice, and ritual function, the Dabus dance itself cannot be separated from Islam. The study was designed as a field study. The data collected is qualitative and analysed critically using ritual theory, cultural symbols, and acculturation. Data was collected through interviews, field observations, and documents. Other data sources include a review of text, photos, videos, and relevant articles. The findings show that 1) the process of Malay-Islamic acculturation in Dabus dance rituals has been since the arrival of Dabus dance in the Malay peninsula and continues until now; 2) one of the most significant Islamic-Malay acculturation methods and strategies is the reinvention of the Dabus dance over time; 3) Islamic-Malay acculturation includes not only physical forms (forms, structures, and ritual elements) but also non-physical aspects (doa, zikir, selawat, berzanji, belief).

Através de uma interpretação da obra do teólogo holandês Gerardus van der Leeuw (1890-1950), o texto analisa a fenomenologia enquanto estratégia teórica de compreensão da religião. Embora reconheça o fundamento existencial da religião, a fenomenologia tem como objetivo uma síntese intuitiva das essências pesquisadas, descrevendo tais fenômenos como mistérios a ser contemplados e reproduzindo, para o pesquisador, uma realidade análoga à experiência do sagrado. O historicismo absoluto, inspirado na obra de Benedetto Croce (1866-1952), busca as razões humanas que produzem a experiência religiosa. O processo histórico descrito por tal historicismo é o da crise da presença – o risco de não estar presente numa história humana mediante valores, retrocedendo à vitalidade natural – e o de seu resgate por meio de técnicas rituais de de-historificação e mediação que transformam os momentos críticos da existência (relacionados à sobrevivência material e psicológica) em realidades culturalmente conquistadas e estabelecidas.

Esta é a tradução para o Português Brasileiro do artigo Crisi della presenza e reintegrazione religiosa, publicado por Ernesto de Martino na revista italiana Aut Aut 31, em 1956. O texto é um dos primeiros momentos em que De Martino se dedica a pormenorizar o conceito de “crise da presença”, cunhado a partir do Dasein de Hegel. A partir da possibilidade de perda momentânea e reintegração da presença por meio do rito, De Martino inaugura uma nova abordagem para o estudo das religiões. A tradução a seguir foi realizada a partir da publicação original e cotejada com a tradução inglesa publicada na HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory 2(2), em 2012.

Entre as técnicas simbólicas instaladas pelas diversas culturas com o fim de fazer frente à crise do luto, canalizá-la e resolvê-la, a técnica dita “lamento ritual” ocupa lugar central. Isso não só ocorre na região geográfica do Mediterrâneo, onde esta instituição conheceu uma trajetória historicamente muito longa (estendendo-se desde as práticas funerárias conhecidas do Egito Antigo à Grécia Clássica, do Israel antigo à Síria, da Córsega e da Romênia ao Sul da Itália do século XX), como também em outras regiões do mundo. Se o lamento ritual foi conhecido igualmente por civilizações geográfica e culturalmente tão distantes do Mediterrâneo, isso se deve à natureza intrínseca da prática. Mais precisamente, à natureza ritual do trabalho de luto, realizado por meio duma ficção característica, que subentende um emprego “estratégico” (ou funcional) dos estados psíquicos dissociados. A reflexão acumulada sobre o lamento ritual, “saber-fazer técnico” ou “competência prática-aplicada”, entendida como dispositivo simbólico capaz de tornar suportável a crise do luto utilizando-se de estados hipnóticos, permitirá chegarmos à questão da articulação entre estados psicofisiológicos e sua utilização histórico-cultural.

The research proposes reassembly of the concept of civil religion with reference to the work of E. Durkheim, which, according to the authors, can contribute to the development of general theoretical and methodological foundations and epistemology of civil religion. The materials for the research are the works of E. Durkheim, as well as theorists of civil religion. In the first step, the authors clarify the definitions of religion from Durkheim’s definitions of religion, justifying that the sacred is not necessarily connected with the divine or belief in the supernatural. Further, drawing on Durkheim's theory of the social Durkheim’s theory of the social, the authors show that civil religion is a consequence of the of Durkheim's postulated determinizing power of the social. In the next step the authors justify how Durkheim's thesis can be used to analyze the contemporary civil religion. First, in order to create social solidarity requires the conscious use of collective feelings and ideas. Second, rituals are necessary to maintain collective perceptions and their broadcast, but they do not construct these perceptions per se. Third, there is no difference between the emotions and experiences of the people who participate in a any religious or civic ceremony. In order to examine the functioning of civil religion under conditions of organic solidarity, the authors turn to Durkheim’s writings on education. The sociologist insists on the possibility of a universal moral system, and the transmission of norms and values should take place not only in the moments of rituals, but also in the process of daily educational work. Thus, the analysis made it possible to come to the following conclusions: 1) practices of civil religion should take into account the determining power of the social; 2) civil religion in Durkheim’s interpretation is the cult of man and the universal; 3) it is necessary to distinguish between civil religion and political use of symbols, since civil practices themselves should be aimed at solidarizing not so much the political nation as citizens as people.

Dijital teknolojilerin gelişmesiyle birlikte gerçek uzamdan farklı bir alan olarak dijital uzamın ortaya çıkması gündelik hayat pratiklerinin sunuluş biçimini etkilemiştir. Bu açıdan gündelik hayat içerisinde önemli bir role sahip olan kadim ritüeller de dijital uzam üzerinden aktarılmaya başlanmıştır. Ritüelin dijitalleşmesi üzerine yoğunlaşan bu çalışmanın temel problemi, kadim ritüellerin dijitalleşme ile birlikte seyirlik meta haline gelmesi sonucunda auradaki dönüşümün anlaşılmasıdır. Zoom Cinemas isimli YouTube kanalında canlı yayınlanan ölüm ve evlilik geçiş ritüelleri ile dini tören ve ibadet ritüelleri videolarından rastgele örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilen her kategori için 5 video metin analizi yöntemi ile analiz edilmiştir. Örneklemde bir metin olarak ele alınan videoların açıklanabilmesi için de betimsel analiz yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda ölüm ritüellerinin aura yitimi açısından en çok erozyona uğrayan ritüel biçimi olduğu, buna karşılık evlilik ritüellerinin doğası gereği gösteriye daha uygun olduğu anlaşılmıştır. İbadet ve dini törenlerin dijitalleşmesi sürecinde ise dinsel deneyimin canlı yayın aracılığıyla aktarılamaması ‘oradalık’ üzerine kurulu maneviyatı dijital üzerinden sekteye uğratmaktadır.

Nas ciências sociais, a escola inglesa de antropologia desenvolveu estudos que observaram a performance, descrevendo comportamentos e ações que retratam a vida social, um olhar especial para o ritual. Ao destacar o ritual, a dramatização do social passa a ser um conceito importante para analisar os grupos humanos. No Brasil, o antropólogo Roberto DaMatta com o arcabouço teórico de Victor Turner fez análises sobre eventos diversos que descrevem o drama social. Entre esses eventos estão a parada militar, o carnaval, os festejos religiosos e o futebol. Para discutir a importância do trabalho do antropólogo Roberto DaMatta, a proposta do texto é realizar a análise descritiva de duas obras fílmicas sobre o futebol brasileiro, os filmes: Boleiros I – era uma vez o futebol (1998); e, Boleiros II – vencedores e vencidos (2006), do diretor Ugo Giorgetti. Ao analisar os dois filmes indicados, percebemos a partir de conceitos e categorias elencadas por DaMatta que a dramaturgia, como arte, ao propor reproduzir o social, escancara os dramas de uma sociedade que guarda valores aristocráticos de um passado recente.

The paper deals with a complex of finds in the form of a cluster of alchiks in the amount of 50 pieces found in a medieval Russian dwelling which was located in the southern outlying part of the Ryazan principality. The main task of the study is to find out the functional purpose of these items. The nature of signs of wear and external influences was studied. The data on the ornamentation, location and nature of the drilled holes are systematized. Morphometry of astragals was performed to determine the type, possible breed, gender and age of the animals. Among the alchiks, 41 items are not drilled, 9 have drilled holes. The ornament in the form of cut lines is fixed on the surface of seven alchiks, their thickness indicates a tool in the form of a thin blade. It is established that alchiks belonged only to rams or sheep. Traces of mechanical impact indicate that the astragals were dice. Morphometric analysis shows that the animals were 63.5–84 cm at the withers, with an average of 71 cm. These parameters are most similar to the Golden Horde sheep. These alchiks could have been imported to the Kamennoye settlement from the steppe zone, from the territories that were part of the Golden Horde.

This contribution proposes to analyse the ritual artefacts produced among the Otomi of the Eastern Sierra Madre from a relational perspective. Even before being the offerings and supports of invisible entities, in fact, the materials produced during the performances have the function of tying together a heterogeneous collective of agents involved in a shared action on the world. Materiality appears, in this light, as the connecting element, the necessary mediator, so that human and non-human agentivities can realise together the reactivation of life cycles.

Archaeologists deploy a variety of models and theories, often tailored to specific questions or situations, in making sense of the material record we study. The concept of the community of practice, originally developed in the context of modern work and learning situations, describes among other things how participation in shared activities can create and shape social relationships. It therefore offers a powerful and flexible framework for the many archaeological research agendas in which group dynamics play a role. Some archaeologists have already begun to use the community of practice approach (CoP) as an interpretive framework, and this essay argues that a wider embrace would be a benefit to individual archaeologists and to the field as a whole.

This study examines a body of engaged "ritual magic practitioners" to understand their methods and techniques for facilitating putative parapsychological outcomes in everyday life, as well as outcomes on a computerized test of putative psi. We hypothesized that the combination of meditation, visualization, and related mental exercises at the core of magical practice relates to both invoked anomalous phenomena and spontaneouslyoccurring anomalous phenomena, and further that the perceptual-personality variable of transliminality (i.e., loose mental boundary functioning) is integral to this process. Likewise, we also anticipated that these associations would enable ritual magicians to score significantly above-chance on the psi test. A split-sample analysis found a positive and statistically significant series of relationships between transliminality and the majority of measured variables within the sample, and notably those involving questionnaire measures of subjective and objective anomalies as well as daily mental exercises. The ritual magicians also performed significantly below-chance (p < .01 for several conditions) on the psi test, as a function of open testing of ESP or using ritual to influence the test. We discuss these results in terms of significant predictions of trait and practice variables on ESP scoring, as well as the evidence that magical practice may represent techniques in which a transliminal dis-ease model might be better remediated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While funerals are traditionally solemn occasions in Confucian ideology, Korean funeral rituals also displayed elements of playfulness or festivity. Previous studies have often interpreted this playfulness as a remnant of local traditions, contrasting with the prevailing Confucian approach to funeral rituals characterized by grief and sorrow. Drawing on ethnographic research in Jeongseon, Gangwon-do during the mid to late 20th century, this study examines the playfulness in Korean funeral rituals as an innate aspect of the ritual itself. Funerals in this period involved abundant food and vigorous social exchanges between family members and condolers from around the village. The concept of good death (hosang), which generally denotes one's passing after a long life and under stable economic and family conditions, mitigated the solemnity of funerals and allowed playfulness to manifest within the ritual. This gave rise to various expressive forms, including playing with the bier the night before the burial, adhering to playful behavior norms shared by participants, and fostering a festive atmosphere where jokes and laughter were permissible. With detailed descriptions, this study illustrates how the concept of good death influenced the practice of funeral rituals, enabling diverse cultural expressions to emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious rituals are historical events performed in certain forms at certain times. There is a distinction between religious rituals guiding practice with their event character and religious and philosophical meta-narratives positioning rituals mentally/ideologically. This distinction also leads to some ambiguities regarding the meaning of rituals. Since Ancient/primitive thought considered human existence within the whole (cosmos), it interpreted the ritual as a representation of cosmology. This wholeness has made the experience of boundaries, both within and beyond human limits, visible at its most fundamental level. From this perspective, ritual has dimensions such as formation, deformation, and transformation as a process of delineating boundaries and then transcending them. In this article, we will emphasize that ritual, in its event form, provides an opportunity for individuals to understand and transform themselves by considering various dimensions of human existence. In this context, we will discuss different aspects of the Mawlid, Alawi samah rituals, and the Mawlawi sama ceremony in Turkish-Islamic culture. We will explain how participants in the Mawlid ritual undergo a transformation process through the narrative of supernatural. In Alawi samah, we will focus on the ritual as a spatial representation of bodily formation. In comparison to the local-universal dichotomy of Alawi samah, we will draw attention to the symbolic formation of the city concept in the Mawlawi samah ceremony. In the Mawlawi ceremony, we will attempt to analyze the mutual interaction between the city and the ritual as a symbolic manifestation of cosmic unity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the role of music in eliciting emotional states among the Hamdouchiya Sufi order in Morocco. It highlights the aesthetic aspects of Sufi rituals as relational activities that impact sensory perceptions and mystical experiences. Music serves as a medium through which emotions are expressed, self-imagination takes form, and challenges to the study of rituals are presented. Aesthetics plays a pivotal role in Sufi practice and belief, involving the body as a vessel for spiritual transformation and interaction with music as reflections of the divine. The article also discusses the concept of aesthetics within a cultural context, emphasising its influence on socialisation and morality. Sufism provides an opportunity to contemplate the limits of the mind, self and emotions, thereby unveiling the ritualistic shaping of one's spiritual existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tradition is a multifaceted concept and a term with contested meanings. It is usually understood as an unchanging collection of artefacts passed down from generation to generation, where continuity between past and present is expected and assumed. Scholarly studies, however, have shown that tradition is continuously produced and 'invented' in order to cope with the present and to imagine a possible future. The articles in this special issue explore different ways in which tradition is imagined, articulated and produced in different religious contexts, in which Islam serves as a focus for reference or contrast. They show that a specific Islamic tradition can undergo profound transformations to the point of losing its connection with Islam, both at the individual and at the social or communal levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the pandemic, Hungary was the only country in the world where the number of marriages not only decreased but also increased. Parallel to this, in the five years prior to the pandemic there were not as many divorces in Hungary as afterwards. Every year since late socialism, there were at least 10,000 fewer new marriages than marriages ending in divorce or death; a trend that was broken in 2019 when the government introduced new loans for married people at a favorable interest rate, representing a quasi-money injection to support people officially getting married (instead of merely cohabiting). Based on my digital anthropological research, I focus on the complex relationship between getting married and the end-of-marriage rituals. I found that the changes in the meanings of marriage influenced not only getting married but also the eventual end-of-marriage rituals. All these factors, as well as the specific reasons for divorce and separation (e.g., the desire to remarry), are related to the way in which end-of-marriage rituals are scripted and interpreted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the Vajra-kīla made from khadira wood from a technological history perspective, focusing on the use of the kīla in Indian rituals and its contrasts with Indrakīla and other deified forms in various practices. The Indian prototype of the pronged instrument can be traced back to architectural tools. During Indian rituals, monks incorporated architectural customs into maṇḍala construction, including striking wedges made of khadira wood, tying five-colored strings, driving the kīla into the ground no more than four fingers deep, and never retrieving the wedges. Consequently, the majority of these disappeared without a trace. By exploring its early forms and materials, we can also understand the causes of the geographical imbalance in the remaining quantities of kīla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text develops philosophical considerations on the "institutional" dimension of marriage. First of all, the meaning of "institution" is problematized, as it is so much disputed and controversially interpreted today. On the one hand, in fact, it is circumscribed to denote a repressive reality—restraining, delaying, even disciplining—considered necessary and rescuing by some scholars, yet harmful and dangerous by others. On the other hand, accentuating its verbal form, "institution" is also understood in terms of movement, as the novelty that results from the act of instituting, as a discontinuity that opens a field of possibilities. Paul Ricœur considers institutions as part of the ethical tripod, i.e., of the ways through which human beings can flourish. In the context of these divergent understandings, this paper secondly considers the possibility to speak of marriage as an institution and to take marriage rituals as an example both of rite of passage and aggregation rituals. Bourdieu says that the separation achieved in rituals has a "consecrating" effect. Third, the paper questions whether functional and symbolic changes in marriage and marriage rituals can affect their institutional status and problematize their consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Âşıks, renowned for their adeptness at improvisational poetry, are viewed as the inheritors of certain shamanic functions within historical contexts. Originally, shamans assumed diverse roles encompassing poetry, medicine, and priesthood before social and religious transformations prompted a gradual shift of the poetic responsibilities, first to individuals termed ozan (bards) and later to âşık, beginning from the 15th to 16th centuries. Âşıks share parallels with shamans in their upbringing, developmental stages toward âşıklık (bardhood), and esteemed societal positions. Their reverence for deceased masters becomes evident in their artistic presentations, wherein they express homage to the memories, and consequently the spirits, of their masters by reciting the works of esteemed âşık masters, notably Köroğlu, during their performances. This practice, referred to as "usta malı söylemek" (the performance of the masters' poems and folk songs) within the Turkish âşık tradition, represents an endeavor to establish a connection with the spirits of ancestors. The resemblance between the tradition of âşıks evolving within the master–apprentice dynamic and shamans invoking the spirits of departed ancestors, embarking on celestial and subterranean journeys empowered by them, and the âşıks' homage to their masters' spirits through recitations of their works, thereby sensing their masters' influence by engaging with them, is striking. This study explores the extent to which contemporary âşıks consciously embrace this resemblance. To this end, a sample group of 34 âşıks residing in diverse regions of Türkiye was interviewed, and the acquired data were analyzed using the document analysis method. Accordingly, all the âşıks who participated in the study were nurtured within the tradition of the master–apprentice relationship akin to shamans. They diligently sought to evoke the spirits of their masters during their performances by reciting masters' poems and songs, reminiscent of shamans invoking the spirits of deceased shaman ancestors through prayers resembling divine verses. Furthermore, while variations specific to different regions and age groups existed among these âşıks, it was observed that consciously reciting the poems of their masters elevated the masters' spirits. Simultaneously, they harbored concerns about the potential harm that neglecting this practice might inflict upon the tradition, themselves, and their surroundings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands" (dongtian and fudi, 洞天福地) is a unique concept of sacred space in China and even in East Asia, combining beautiful natural scenery, rich historical heritage, and diverse cultural heritage. This paper tries to explain Mount Jingfu's (jingfu shan, 靜福山) aesthetic representations. The results show that the landscape's physical environment projects the spatio-temporal system and the concept of the universe in Daoist aesthetic ideals. With the spatial evolution of divine immortals' abodes from imagination to reality, people's yearning for divine cave palaces is transformed into their connection with and their expression of the palaces in exploring space interests and aesthetic trends that are then integrated into the secular life of thousands of households through living religious rituals. Preserved by local religious believers, the ritual activities incorporated geographic, familial, and divine interactions, and characterised essential social aesthetics. By exploring a typical case of Lingnan Region (lingnan, 嶺南, an old term for South China), this paper aims to elucidate the significance of the Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands as living heritage in contemporary society across multiple dimensions, and to provide a theoretical basis for the protection of its system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeologists deploy a variety of models and theories, often tailored to specific questions or situations, in making sense of the material record we study. The concept of the community of practice, originally developed in the context of modern work and learning situations, describes among other things how participation in shared activities can create and shape social relationships. It therefore offers a powerful and flexible framework for the many archaeological research agendas in which group dynamics play a role. Some archaeologists have already begun to use the community of practice approach (CoP) as an interpretive framework, and this essay argues that a wider embrace would be a benefit to individual archaeologists and to the field as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eating has always played a central role in people’s lives, serving as an important symbol of togetherness and community- building for thousands of years. In many cultures and religious traditions, communal eating or commensality holds significant importance and is often surrounded by ritual symbolism. These rituals and customs serve various purposes, ranging from expressions of togetherness to honouring gods or declaring peaceful intentions. Theatre performance, like eating, is a communal event. Throughout different historical periods, these two forms of communal existence often intertwined more closely than we experience today: from the ceremonies of the Bacchanalia and Dionysia in ancient Greek and Roman culture, to Elizabethan theatrical traditions, Renaissance and Baroque banquets, and modern experimental culinary and olfactory theatre. As theatre is an art form rooted in ritual and religion, theatrical performance operates with the same tools and mechanisms as ceremonies. The article illustrates the mentioned aspects through the impact mechanism of the performance Celebration – based on the movie Festen by Thomas Vinterberg –, presented at the Hungarian State Theatre of Cluj in 2011, under the direction of Robert Woodruff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article takes as its focus an examination of instances of occasional commemoration of the dead in Udmurt culture. Descriptions of such commemorations are based on sources drawn from published research literature as well as the author's own field materials collected between 2007 and 2022. It should be noted that, to date, no specific research has been conducted on this issue, most probably due to its irregularity and, to some extent, its intimate nature. The material shows that cases of occasional commemoration within Udmurt culture cover a fairly wide range of social, ceremonial and magical aspects of life. Faith in the power and strength of ancestors has built up an entire system of relationships and behavioural strategies that vividly characterise a traditional worldview that is actualised in extraordinary life circumstances. It can be said that today examples of occasional commemorations are quite diverse, and are commonplace in the everyday and ceremonial life of the Udmurt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a theoretical argument for examining the previously unexamined interface between the strong program in cultural sociology ethnomethodology/conversation analysis (EMCA). While these two approaches have radically different theoretical and empirical commitments, they nonetheless share a common root in Durkheim's sociology, specifically with regard to the centrality of solidarity, ritual, and morality to collective life. Similarly rooted in Durkheim, Goffman's theory of interaction ritual provides an analytic pivot between EMCA and the strong program. The broader theoretical argument is illustrated using data from interviews with adults about their most recent encounter with a rude strangers in public space, which are here treated a breaches of the interaction ritual of civil inattention. Members readily draw on the specifics of a particular stranger interaction gone awry to reflect on the nature of life in public and to expound on their understandings of the ethics of face-to-face interaction and everyday morality more generally. Where EMCA focuses on the discoverability of the organizational features of everyday interaction, the position developed here is concerned with the organization of members' interpretations of everyday interaction. While centered on specific kinds of interactional breaches, by finding common ground between EMCA and cultural sociology, the argument advances a potentially more broadly applicable approach that treats everyday encounters as morally meaningful and everyday lifeworlds as moral landscapes. Developing a comprehensive understanding of copresent interaction as a basic building block of society requires attention to both the organizational dynamics of copresent encounters and to the interpretive resources that ordinary members use to account for and justify their own and others' conduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ritualised commemoration of the deceased belongs to the most common forms of communication with the dead. The meaning that people ascribe to a religious commemoration ritual is determined by a concrete religious doctrine, although it can be influenced by a broader cultural tradition. However, in the context of alternative spiritual currents, there can be many possible interpretations of communication with the dead, as there is no "official" doctrine supported by established institutions. In addition, alternative spirituality is marked by the emphasis on individuality, which results in the predominance of solitary practice. Yet, in various contexts, the tension between individuality and community can be manifested in different forms of ritualised behaviour, ranging from strictly private performances to prescribed group rituals. The paper addresses different levels of individual and collective practice in the context of alternative spirituality in Slovakia, a post-socialist country with a predominantly Christian, mostly Catholic, population. It makes use of the theoretical tools of Mary Douglas' theory relating to the connection between cosmological beliefs and particular forms of social life. Rituals and ritualised behaviour are considered in the case of the triduum of All Saints' Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day. The results of ethnographic research on spiritual circles operating in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, have shown that these holidays are perceived and practiced differently by people with different religious or spiritual affiliation. The individual interpretation and the degree of associated ritualised behaviour depend on personal background, as well as the social organisation of a circle to which a practitioner belongs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the urban centers of Türkiye, where cultural changes are more widespread and effective, wedding processional is replaced by the solemnization of the marriage at indoor weddings, and the Kūdegū (old Turkic language; refers to bridegroom, son-in-law) awaiting the bride's arrival at the boy's house is replaced by differences in the way of the bride and groom's entry together; moreover, while wedding rituals such as the bridal bath and groom's hammam are being forgotten, bachelor/bachelorette parties are on the rise. The beliefs and practices related to the bride being taken out of the girl's house with a special ceremony have deep meanings, such as blessing the bride who has just joined the family, acclimatizing the bride who feels like an outsider and avoiding her from these feelings, and protecting the bride and groom from the körmös (spirits in Turkic mythology, devilish entities living in the underworld), bad spirits, and the evil eye. In this paper, the structure, function, practices, and beliefs of the rituals surrounding the bride and groom on the last day of Anatolian Turkish weddings are analyzed using a qualitative research method. In addition, this study identified the betrothal, performance, beliefs, and practices surrounding the ritual of "bridal pick up" among Anatolian Turks and evaluated the symbols and signs in the ritual procedures in the functional context of the origins and reflections of traditional Turkish beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the relationship between religion and football has gained considerable interest during the last twenty years, scant attention has been paid to the relationship between pilgrimage and football. This paper seeks to advance the study of this relationship through an exploration of collective memory about football disasters that throws fresh light on central themes within pilgrimage studies—pilgrimage as both a journey to a sacred place and the performance of diverse rituals at such places. The paper explores, in particular, the ways in which three different tragedies involving English football clubs have been commemorated through journeys to and ritual performance at places seen as sacred to those involved in commemoration—football stadiums and urban spaces, and cathedrals and pilgrimage shrines in England, Germany and Italy. Through this analysis, we seek to show how the commemoration of football disaster is linked to pilgrimage as a process where people seek healing and reconciliation through the public performance of rituals that link the local to the global. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This essay examines Chosŏn monarchs' patronage of the Nongsŏ Yi clan, a representative Ming descent group in Chosŏn, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The clan claimed its descent from Li Rusong and Rumei, the commanders of the Ming expeditionary forces during the Imjin War. This essay investigates the bureaucratic advancement of Li Rusong and Rumei's descendants, closely analyzing the monarchs' roles in making the clan a military yangban family and the obstacles that constrained such royal endeavors. It will also illuminate the close relationship between the intensification of Ming loyalism and the surging bureaucratic fortunes of the Nongsŏ Yi clan, placing special emphasis on how the rulers made use of Ming loyalist rituals to nurture the careers of the Nongsŏ Yi. This study also examines the bureaucratic vicissitudes of the Nongsŏ Yi during the nineteenth century, when the rulers exhibited a diminished interest in boosting Ming loyalism. This essay will also shed light on the status of Ming loyalism and the changing nature of rulership in nineteenth-century Chosŏn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]