Ritual Places Research Articles

Cypriot ritual and cult from the Bronze to the Iron Age: a longue-durée approach

In two recent studies on Early Iron Age Cypriot sanctuaries and religion—the first dedicated to the memory of John N. Coldstream, the second to the memory of James R.B. Stewart—I attempted to show that looking at Cypriot ritual places (and practices) ‘before and after’ can be a stimulating and valuable methodological tool for understanding Cypriot ritual and cult diachronically. A drastic transformation imprinted upon the physical and socio-political landscape of the island during the Early Iron Age relates to the establishment—for the first time in the history of the island—of the extra-urban temenos sanctuary, related to the territorial formation of the Cypriot polities. After a careful analysis of Early Iron Age sacred topography and material culture assemblages, the next step would be a meticulous examination of their associated rituals, cults, and iconography in order to illustrate better the transplantation and transformation of Late Cypriot ideas (and ideals) into the Iron Age.

The Archaeology of Ritual

The main objective of this review is to consider what archaeology can contribute to general anthropological theories on “ritual in its own right” and to highlight the potential for advancing knowledge about ritual experience as a distinctive material process. An examination of the exceptional material frame marking ceremonial events demonstrates the value of ritual as a heuristic and challenges archaeologists who privilege the interpretation of religion, affect, ontology, or cultural rationalities as necessarily determinative of the ritualization process. Therefore, archaeologists should not interpret ritual places and residues as immediate proxies of other sociopolitical realities but instead should base their inferences on cross-contextual analyses of archaeological data sets. Ultimately, attention to the amplified materialization of the ritual process, often entailing the performative bundling of disparate material items in archaeological deposits, permits a re-evaluation of theories proposing that ritual is intimately connected to agency and power.

Ustno izročilo o lintverju kot indikator ritualnega prostora antične skupnosti Ajdovščine nad Rodikom<br>The Oral Tradition about Lintver as an Indicator of the Ritual Place of Ajdovščina above Rodik’s Antique Community</br>

The article is part of a B.A. thesis in which the author studies the relations between folk traditions and archaeological research. She analyses the oral traditions related to a mythical figure called Lintver, a kind of a snake-like dragon that apparently lived in Jezero above village Rodik (southwestern Slovenia). Mid-nineteenth century descriptions and local oral traditions suggest that the parish in Brezovica organized regular monthly processions to the site to bewitch the devil. As Lintver’s dwelling-place lies in the immediate vicinity of Ajdovščina’s Roman cemetery, the paper considers the possibilities as to how the traditions about the mythical being could lead us to an ancient ritual place.

Kholyato-1 Ritual Complex on the Yamal Peninsula

The ritual complex of Kholyato-1 was situated at the Yuribei River mouth on the Yamal Peninsula. It was represented by an anthropomorphic figurine located in front of a semi-circle of arrowheads, and a concentration of reindeer bones and antlers. The ritual complex was placed over a burial. The site is dated to the turn of the 17th–18th centuries and has been interpreted as a warrior burial containing part of the body or as a cenotaph constructed for a warrior, possibly a chief, that was subsequently used as a ritual place. The ritual site was used for post-funeral ceremonies and then as an assembly place for the local home guard.

Production of Liminal Places – An Interdisciplinary Account

Using the concept of liminality, this paper provides a comparative study of ritual places. The concept was introduced by Arnold van Gennep in his study "rites de passage", in which he differentiated between rites of separation (préliminaires), rites of transition (liminaires) and rites of aggregation (postiliminaires). The main characteristics of liminality were elaborated by Victor Turner: of crucial importance are the temporary dissolution or reversal of existing social structures and the visit of places that are set apart due to their geographical or cultural location. Accordingly, these places enhance the emotional and physical experiences of the individuals participating in the rituals. We discuss case studies from Prehistoric Archaeology, Classical Archaeology and Ethnology: (I) the Heidentor near Egesheim on the Swabian Jura in southwestern Germany, used during the Hallstatt and the La Tène period, (II) the Early Iron Age ritual complex of Francavilla Marittima close to the Ionian coast of Calabria in southern Italy and (III) the recently used pilgrimage site in the Manzhyly-Ata Valley on the shore of Lake Yssyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. The comparative analysis focuses on the spatial and material expressions of liminality and its social significance: the history of origin and usage, special forms of artifacts involved in the rituals and the geographical or cultural location. Due to the exceptional nature of the case studies, their location and long (dis)continuous histories of use, they differ from contemporaneous structures. Altogether, the concept of liminality provides new perspectives on ritual sites and how they were embedded in their surrounding landscapes.

The Digital Monument to the Jewish Community in the Netherlands: a meaningful, ritual place for commemoration

The Digital Monument to the Jewish Community in the Netherlands went online in 2005. This monument has been dedicated to preserve the memory of “all the men, women and children who were persecuted as Jews during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, and did not survive the Shoah”.In 2010 the Jewish Monument Community was linked to this virtual monument, this website Community offers the possibility to contribute additional information about individual victims remembered in the Digital Monument. The results of this research show that in comparison with commemoration at a traditional material monument, in particular the individual features of this new concept regarding commemoration are valued. Each individual victim may be commemorated and remembered in a very personal manner by telling who the victim was, and how he or she lived on the eve of deportation.The conclusion is that cyberspace may offer a significant and relevant place for, in this case, commemoration practices. Both Digital Monument and Community offer a meaningful place of commemoration of Dutch victims of the Shoah.

Changing Traditional Religions in Metropolitan Seoul: New Ritual Places and Practices of Buddhism and the Indigenous Shamanistic Religion

Changing Traditional Religions in Metropolitan Seoul: New Ritual Places and Practices of Buddhism and the Indigenous Shamanistic Religion

Fans’ resistance to naming right sponsorships

Purpose– The aim of this article is to contribute to the literature by analyzing potential determinants of fan resistance to naming right sponsorships. Although sports sponsorships mostly trigger neutral or positive reactions by fans, the authors find empirical support which provides evidence for fan boycott or resistance.Design/methodology/approach– The authors empirically test a model using a sample of 798 soccer fans and thereby quantify structural relations between determinants and fan resistance. They use a logistic regression to assess potential determinants of fan resistance.Findings– Results indicate that sponsee- and sports-related variables, such as fan/regional identification and attitude toward commercialization, contribute to higher fan resistance. Furthermore, fans see themselves as in-group members who discriminate out-group members. As the sponsoring company takes over control and imposes a “threat” (the change of a stadium’s name) on the group’s ritual place, this results in strong negative emotional reactions. These emotions tend to be repeated and affirmed in intra-group communications which intensify negative reactions unless the sponsor offers a positive contribution from the fans’ standpoints. Our findings confirm that sponsorship fit and perceived benefits of the sponsorship reduce fan resistance while the sponsor’s regional identification is unrelated to fan resistance.Research limitations/implications– Little attention has been paid on negative reactions to sponsorships in the existing research. Therefore, future research could assess negative effects resulting from other sponsorship contexts, such as the sale of a club's naming right, promotion campaigns during the venue and to sponsorship deals in general. Moreover, research should be devoted to finding strategies that lead to a reduction of fan resistance to sponsorship actions.Practical implications– Results show that sponsorship fit reduces fan resistance. Existing literature suggests that sponsorship fit can be improved by emphasis or creation of fit between sponsor and sponsee. Additionally, sponsors should try to build a bridge between sponsor and fans to gain acceptance of the in-group by raising awareness on the benefits that the sponsee receives from their partnership. Moreover, sponsors should actively strive to understand negative reactions of the fans and adapt their communication strategy to avoid resistance, e.g. due to fans’ feelings of overt commercialism.Originality/value– Although naming right sponsorships are generally considered a powerful instrument for companies to gain high profile and market share, they seem not to be entirely free of risk. This article contributes to the literature by conceptualizing the phenomenon of fan resistance and assessing the determinants that contribute to fan resistance when naming rights are sold. Our findings extend the understanding of negative sponsorship effects in addition to the mechanisms and theoretical frameworks that are documented in the literature (Cornwellet al., 2005).

The Late Neolithic sepulchral and ritual place of site 14 in Kowal (Kuyavia, Central Poland)

The Late Neolithic sepulchral and ritual place of site 14 in Kowal (Kuyavia, Central Poland)

Engaging in ritual after client suicide: the critical importance of linking objects for therapists

AbstractWithin the counselling field it has long been known that engaging in ritual after the loss of a significant other has positive therapeutic benefits for the mourner. In contrast, little is understood about therapists’ experiences of ritual in response to their clients’ deaths by suicide. Based on interviews with six therapists whose clients had died by this means, this article explores the place of ritual in these individuals’ lives. Little evidence was found to suggest that the need for therapists to engage in ritual, post-client suicide, was recognised, supported or met, by others. As a result, the grief of these therapists became disenfranchised, transforming them into ‘forgotten mourners’ and forcing them to engage in ‘peripheral’ rituals using linking objects. It is hoped that this article, by highlighting the critical importance of ritual for therapists mourning the loss of a client by suicide, will help to ameliorate the current void in the literature relating to this issue.

Uncharted sources of particle bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from South Asia: Religious/ritual burning practices

This paper deals with the real–world emissions of particle bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted from different religious and ritual burning practices in India. The emission factors (EFs) of various PAHs were characterized over integrated stages of burning practices including pyrolysis, flaming and smoldering. Sampling was carried out in selected five different types of religious and ritual places: Hindu Temples (HT), Muslim Holy shrines (MG), Buddhist Temples (BT), Hindu Marriage Places (MP) and Cremation Centers (Hindu Funeral Pyre) (CC); where burning practices mostly include natural and synthetic biomaterials in different proportions. Seventy PAHs were analyzed and grouped in light PAHs (LPAHs=25) and heavy PAHs (HPAHs=45) according to number of benzene rings present and respective molecular weights. The average EF of total PAHs (TPAHs) from MP, MG, BT, HT and CC is estimated as 77.04±5.39, 99.09±6.02, 90.35±6.76, 22.78±1.57, and 77.15±6.16mg kg−1, respectively. Country level emission budget of particulate bound TPAHs from religious and ritual burning practices has also been evaluated to 0.47Gg yr−1; contributed ~23% of the 2.07Gg yr−1 – Indian emission budget of PAHs from unknown sources reported earlier.

The politics of spatial renovation: Reconfiguring ritual places and practice in Iron Age and Early Historic South India

In South India, during the Iron Age and Early Historic Period, the space and meaning of certain ritual places were occupied and renovated by particular social groups in order to strategically meditate transitional logics of value and power. In northern Karnataka, during the Iron Age (1200–300 BC), megalithic monuments were built on earlier Neolithic ritual places (ashmounds), or materials from these places were removed and incorporated into megaliths constructed nearby, appropriating their space, material, and meaning, contributing to the construction of developing social distinctions. In the lower Krishna River Valley, during the Early Historic Period (300 BC–AD 300), Buddhist monastic communities constructed architectural complexes on, or proximal to, extant megalithic mortuary complexes, appropriating the space and meaning of these important ritual places. This paper explores how these strategic appropriations of socially significant places inscribed the landscape with novel forms of politically salient ritual architecture reordering the experience and perception of socio-ritual practice and place.

Replenishing Ritual: Rediscovering the Place of Rituals in Western Christian Liturgy. By Anton Usher. Pp. 277, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Marquette University Press, 2010, £21.50. Grand Entrance: Worship on Earth as in Heaven. By Edith M. Humphrey. Pp. xii, 24

The Heythrop JournalVolume 55, Issue 2 p. 344-345 BOOK REVIEW Replenishing Ritual: Rediscovering the Place of Rituals in Western Christian Liturgy. By Usher, Anton. Pp. 277, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Marquette University Press, 2010, £21.50. Grand Entrance: Worship on Earth as in Heaven. By Humphrey, Edith M.. Pp. xii, 244, Grand Rapids, MI, Brazos Press, 2011, £12.99. Lost in Wonder: Essays on Liturgy and the Arts. By Nichols, Aidan, OP. Pp. viii, 184, Farnham, Ashgate, 2011, £45.00. Joseph Martos, Joseph Martos Louisville, KentuckySearch for more papers by this author Joseph Martos, Joseph Martos Louisville, KentuckySearch for more papers by this author First published: 06 January 2014 https://doi.org/10.1111/heyj.12067_46Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume55, Issue2March 2014Pages 344-345 RelatedInformation

Geruststellende klanken: Muziek en crematierituelen Comfort Music: Music and Cremation Rituals

Het crematorium is, onder meer, een rituele ruimte waar mensen elkaar ontmoeten om afscheid te nemen van een dierbare overledene. In het crematorium is veel te zien: de architectuur en inrichting van het gebouw zijn symbolisch rijk. Tijdens het crematieritueel wordt de fysieke en rituele ruimte in sterke mate bepaald door muziek. Muziek is een belangrijk onderdeel van het crematieritueel, maar er is tot nu toe weinig onderzoek naar gedaan. In dit artikel verken ik het crematorium en het crematieritueel vanuit muzikaal perspectief. Ik focus op een van de mogelijke functies van het crematieritueel: troost bieden. Onderzoeksvragen zijn: 1. Hoe kan muziek de luisteraar troosten; 2. Welke muziek klinkt er tijdens het crematieritueel; 3. Biedt deze muziek troost aan de participanten? Ik ga op deze vragen in aan de hand van het zogenoemde ‘Muziekboek’ van het Crematorium Tilburg.

대구 범물동의 동제(洞祭)공간 이용실태에 관한 조사연구

The ritual for community is a group ritual performed by the regional community of a village for the safety of the residents and abundant harvests. However, many ritual places have been destroyed by the anti-superstition movement, New Community Movement (Saemaul Movement), industrialization and urbanization since the 1960s. Under the circumstances, this study researched the status of use of the ritual place in Beommul-dong in Daegu where the ritual was revived in 2004 after having been suspended since the end of the 1980s due to urbanization. The revival of the ritual for community in Beommul-dong in Daegu, which had been maintained by the village people alone, is the prime example of the vitalization of local community as the recreation of local community, since the ritual has been transformed into a kind of festival involved with and financed by the local government. The study on analyzing the usage pattern of the ritual place may provide useful sources to come up with the modernized functions of the ritual place as a community place, where the heads of the ward office and cultural center, lawmakers and most of the residents perform the ritual, share foods and tread on the God of the Earth across the village at 11:30 in the morning on every January 16 of the lunar calendar.

THE CHRONOLOGY AND HISTORY OF MOUNT TAYLOR PERIOD (CA. 7400–4600 CAL B.P.) SHELL SITES ON THE MIDDLE ST. JOHNS RIVER, FLORIDA

Mount Taylor period (ca. 7400–4600 cal. B.P.) shell mounds on the St. Johns River in northeast Florida were some of the first Archaic freshwater shell sites to be documented in the Southeast. However, there is much that remains unknown about their chronology, history, and changing significance through time. This paper presents a regional chronology ofMount Taylor shell sites based on radiocarbon assays from well-documented contexts. Three major changes in the distribution, arrangement, and use of shell sites are identified which correspond with significant shifts in social interaction and environmental change. An examination of the contexts of shell deposition demonstrates that shell sites were frequently established as places to dwell and were subsequently transformed into places of commemorative ceremony or mortuary ritual. The history of Mount Taylor shell sites has implications for the broader debate on whether shell sites were middens or monuments.

Emission of volatile organic compounds from religious and ritual activities in India

Worshipping activity is a customary practice related with many religions and cultures in various Asian countries, including India. Smoke from incense burning in religious and ritual places produces a large number of health-damaging and carcinogenic air pollutants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde, benzene, 1,3 butadiene, styrene, etc. This study evaluates real-world VOCs emission conditions in contrast to other studies that examined emissions from specific types of incense or biomass material. Sampling was conducted at four different religious places in Raipur City, District Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India: (1) Hindu temples, (2) Muslim graveyards (holy shrines), (3) Buddhist temples, and (4) marriage ceremony. Concentrations of selected VOCs, respirable particulate matter (aerodynamic diameter, <5 μm), carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide were sampled from the smoke plumes. Benzene has shown highest emission factor (EF) among selected volatile organic compounds in all places. All the selected religious and ritual venues have shown different pattern of VOC EFs compared to laboratory-based controlled chamber studies.

Replenishing Ritual: Rediscovering the Place of Rituals in Western Christian Liturgy. By ANTON USHER.

Replenishing Ritual: Rediscovering the Place of Rituals in Western Christian Liturgy. By ANTON USHER.

Trois rituels occasionnels du baptême dans le sacramentaire gélasien

The Gelasian Sacramentary (Vat. Reg. lat. 316), I, lxvi – lxxvi (592-617) contains a collection of formularies of Roman origin, which, according to A. Chavasse, would have consisted of an Ordo for administering baptism in special circumstances. Actually, this collection is a compilation which brings together all the original pieces of three rituals : 1. An early ritual (IVth cent.) for baptizing a catechumen-energumen (epileptic), — with the necessary changes in the case of little children being the only candidates for this sacrament (end of VIth cent.). 2. A ritual as early as the former one, with similar changes, and used for baptizing a sick catechumen. 3. A ritual for baptizing a weak child, composed in the VIIth century, to take the place of both preceeding rituals. The compilation of these three rituals in one, is the work of the “redactor” of the Gelasian, i.e. the liturgist who, in East France, during the first half of the VIIIth century, composed a sacramentary, Roman in all essentials, Gallican in some complementary factors.

Magic and superstition in baseball in Taiwan: an examination of the Puyama aborigines’ use of the betel nut

Much work has been published on the place of rituals in numerous areas of life with reference both to general activities and, more specifically, to sport. As yet, however, there has been no significant study of the use of magic by and on behalf of players in Taiwan where baseball can legitimately be described as the national sport. This article seeks to fill that void by focusing in particular on the practices of the island's Puyama aboriginal people and the use of the betel nut to cast spells on opponents. The data for this study were collected during two research trips to Taidong County, where the Puyuma have traditionally used betel nuts on the baseball field for magical purposes. It is apparent from a series of personal reminiscences that the use of the betel nut spell had an influence on Puyama players and opponents alike. Its passing owes much to the increased acceptance of seemingly more rational ways of instilling confidence in athletes. The author argues, however, that the modern recourse to the ...