Ritual Character Research Articles

SEMANTICS OF SILENCE IN POETICS OF O. F. BERGHOLZ

The phenomenon of silence in the creative heritage of O. F. Bergholz has not been studied to date. The category of silence is considered in the article as a nonverbal communicative act, a nonverbal form of spiritual experience and a behavioral strategy. In the center of attention is the poem “Except” (“Reached mute despair…”), written by Bergholz after a trip to the construction site of the Volga-Don Canal. The text mentions the icon of the Savior “Good Silence,” thanks to which the category of silence acquires axiological characteristics: forced silence is a strategic means and is realized as salvation from lies (good silence). At the same time, the lexeme silence rhyming with despair in a socio-political context means that the cowardly silencing of the people’s suffering deserves censure. In the poem “Except” with an allusion to Tyutchev’s “Silentium!” and in direct reference to true knowledge (“He knew”), the limitations of the verbal capabilities of language are noted (“no consonance/what he saw cannot be conveyed”). In the poem “February Diary,” silence is actualized as “the identity of speaker, the listener and the topic,” the expressiveness of silence as highest point of communication is emphasized, its conventionality is noted. In the poem “No, not from our meager books…,” the semantics of silence goes back to the author’s religious memory: in the final scene, the chain of generations closes in Christian silence/reconciliation. Silence as a special communicative behavior acquires a ritual character in a number of other texts: the heroine’s meeting with her father in the story “Day Stars” (chapter “The Secret of the Earth”) is saturated with silentium vocabulary; the call to silence on the eve of mortal battles in the poem “The hand pulls to the heart of the Motherland…” determines the normative behavior of a person in a borderline situation. Silence as conscious and effective resistance to the actions of the authorities (an act of disagreement) is manifested in the diary discourse of the poetess and the late cycle “Anna Akhmatova.” An extensive semantic palette of silence is revealed on the basis of Bergholz’s poetic, prose and diary texts.

АНАЛИЗ УЙГУРСКОГО ТАНЦЕВАЛЬНОГО ФОЛЬКЛОРА ЧЕРЕЗ ПРИЗМУ СОВРЕМЕННОГО ВЗГЛЯДА

The article provides a historical analysis of uyghur dance folklore. The worldview of the uyghur people and the reflection of religiosity in their dance culture are considered. On the basis of the studied materials, dances that have not reached our days are revealed. There are also identified dances that, having lost their ritual character, have retained some traditional elements of dance movements. The presented information testifies to the existence of the uyghur dance art since beginning of our era. This led us to believe that modern uyghurs are carriers of a very ancient tradition.

Theology, Witness, and Spirituality in a Post-Secularized Historical Context

Religion and spirituality are seen to be making a comeback since the 1990s and increasingly thereafter in the European context. However, traditional forms of Christianity are diminishing, while other types of religion take the lead. An increasing number of voices are being raised among Christians, calling for a re-evangelization of society. Nevertheless, there is some skepticism about such activism against the backdrop of plurality, human rights, and freedom, regarding not only issues of political correctness but also considering the question of efficacy. While spirituality abounds, even among conscientious Orthodox Christians, there is still a need for theology. Even among Orthodox Christians, spirituality is mainly linked with a withdrawal from the world, history, and the political, often taking a ritualistic character expressed in religious acts of pietism through habits and customs. This is unfair to the historical and liberating physiognomy of the Orthodox Christian faith, as it does not differ much from other types of new age religious movements. In order to foster Christian witness amidst the desert of post-modern cities, one must rediscover theology. Theology, centered around the Gospel and the patristic tradition, can contribute vital missing elements and does justice to the Incarnation of pre-eternal Logos, to the Resurrection, and to the fulfillment of life. Unless Christians grow in their understanding of theology and the world around us, there will be only mirages of spirituality that take the place of a spirituality derived from faith and its incisiveness and meaningfulness for life today.

Religious ritual as a means of forming values and moral attitudes on the basis of the sacrament of baptism

The article presents the religious ritual that is the rite of the sacrament of baptism as a means of forming moral values and attitudes. The purpose of the presented research is an attempt to show the formative character of the baptismal ritual and its communicative character, which become apparent through the analysis of the individual components of the baptismal rite. The synthesis made allows for a better understanding of the individual signs, which evoke the specific content of the Christian message of conversion and call for a more conscious following of the path of faith.

Brotherhood at times of war

Brotherhood at times of war

Time, grief, and hope on film

Time, grief, and hope on film

Дефекты костной ткани на черепах людей энеолитического могильника Екатериновский мыс юга Среднего Поволжья. К вопросу специфики культурных традиций

Unusual defects mainly in the form of surface ellipsoid or less commonly sub-circular indentations were recorded on the skulls of mature individuals from the Eneolithic burial grounds in the forest-steppe area of the Volga region (Yekaterinovsky cape). Almost all of the defects are localized on the parietal bones. The origin of the small-sized lesions could be associated with trauma. The large defects occur due to additional surgical prophylaxis by scraping. There are separate cases of classical end-to-end trepanation (burial 57/1, 83). The authors conducted a comparative analysis of the identified defects with similar injuries on the materials from ancient burial grounds of the Volga region (Khvalynsk I, II), other regions and periods of Europe. Ritual character connected to age initiation rites was previously attributed to their origin. This thesis is supported by new source discovery (Yekaterinovsky cape). The probability of the so-called symbolic trepanation is considered. We do not exclude these types of reasons. However, priority in determining the technical content of the period of trauma development that accompanied the ritual is given to other target settings. Their natural appearance was initially associated with “shock symbols” and after the entire ceremony, if necessary, surface trepanation was used for medicinal purposes. Such marginal traditions are usually characteristic of ancient highly organized and influential societies, which is confirmed by archaeological data, in particular, regarding the fame and role of the Khvalyn Eneolithic population in the cultural processes of the central regions of Eurasia. The beginning of the trauma ritual in the Volga region was laid at least in the 6th millennium BC (Yekaterinovsky cape), then adapted and developed by the ancient Khvalyn groups.

INAUGURAL SPEECH AS A GENRE OF PUBLIC ADDRESS BY BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTS

The article is devoted to the thorough study of the inaugural address as a genre of public speeches on the material of the Brazilian political discourse. The political discourse of Brazil, unlike the discourse in English, German or other languages, has so far not attracted due attention of researchers, and the present paper is intended to fill the lacuna. The work presents the results of analysis of speeches of this genre of four Brazilian presidents: J. Sarney, L. da Silva, D. Rousseff and J. Bolsonaro. The article describes typical features and elements inherent in the genre of inaugural adress as a whole, the fundamental characteristic of which is its ritual character. A comparison of the speeches of the politicians chosen by the author for the study, despite the similarity of their content and the identity of the thematic blocks, gives an idea of the linguistic features and speech strategies of each particular president.

한국 고대 香徒의 고려 계승과 변화상

Hyang-do(香徒) is a subject that has universality and specificity in East Asia from whether or not the term is used. In East Asian Buddhism, the term Hyang-do is unique because it is found only in Korea but in the sense that Hyang-do is a community for Buddhist services(佛事) such as making Buddha statues and pagodas, it can be said that universality is also found because it can be compared with ‘eui-eup(義邑)’ and ‘knowledge(知識)’, which are common in China and Japan. Although relatively extensive research results have been derived in the meantime, there is no comparative perspective on the human composition of Hyang-do, and the purpose and region of Buddhist services in the ancient times and Goryeo dynasty. Since Hyang-do can be studied as a link between ancient times and the Middle Ages, this paper examines aspects and changes of Hyang-do that has been inherited to Goryeo dynasty without being disconnected from the ancient times. Through this, this paper reveals that Hyang-do has functioned as a religious association from the time of its origin, and examines that these were composed of religious actors and participants of Buddhist services. This is also found in the aspect of Hyang-do in the Goryeo Dynasty, but in the case of participants in Buddhist services, the number of prayers and donors and laborers is divided. In the case of Seonrang(仙郞), which appears to be a member of Hyang-do, the difference between the two periods was found in that the ritual character was strongly revealed unlike in ancient times. Through this paper, as a constituent organization based on the system of Hyang-do as a community of Buddhist services and the common belief in merit through participation in Buddhist services, it can be noted that Hyang-do has been responsible for the promotion of the teachings of the Buddha(弘法) in the Buddhist world.

Art and Culture in the Diplomatic Ceremonial as the Basis of International Relations

Currently, there is an increased interest in ceremonial culture. A ceremonial is a kind of cultural message from one social group of people to another. The basic idea of behaviour, the inner meaning of secular ceremonial is laid down in church rituals, and external forms of behaviour can be borrowed from the traditions of everyday secular life. Diplomacy as one of the spheres of applied politics is a very complex and responsible type of human activity, which has always had a pronounced ritual character. The conclusion of contracts and alliances took place according to a certain scenario plan, according to which the ceremonial action developed. During the preparation and holding of the ceremony, the exchange of diplomatic letters and embassies continued, solemn meetings were arranged for the honored guests, feasts, theatrical performances, games, and festivities were given in their honor. the purpose of the article is to conduct a comprehensive study of the communicative functions of diplomatic ceremonial in international communication based on the analysis and generalisation of new facts with the involvement of archival materials and other sources introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. In this study, art is considered for the first time from the point of view of the communicative factor of a diplomatic ceremony. A ceremonial is an event in the life of society that has a symbolic meaning. The norms of ceremonial reflect not only ideology but also the social psychology of society, without an adequate interpretation of which it is impossible to correctly understand the behavior of statesmen in specific situations related to their official status.

Кумысные праздники, ритуалы и церемонии в контексте помнящей культуры Великой степи

Based on written and field sources, this article examines kumis holidays, rituals and ceremonies in historical retrospect and modern reality. According to Chinese, Armenian, Central Asian sources of the 13th–17th centuries, the ritual significance of kumis is shown which for centuries retained the role of the main ceremonial attribute in the framework of military rituals and sacrifices in the culture of the peoples of Central Asia. Kumis was sprinkled on military standards on the eve of the battle. It acted as a sacrificial libation to Heaven, the cardinal points, and the mountains. Kumis was a prestigious drink and an obligatory treat both in the nomad tent of a simple steppe dweller and at state receptions and festivals of the great steppe empires. This drink served as the main treat at the feast. The order of its distribution semantically designated the hierarchies in the steppe empires. In the Kazakh steppe, the traditions of kumis ceremonies and holidays continue, according to ethnographic sources of the 19th–20th centuries, to maintain stability. In the twentieth century, the prestigious nature of kumis among the Kazakhs is still noted, and the ritual character of kumis treats is indicated. Currently, kumis in Kazakhstan still plays the role of a prestigious drink, which is present not only in calendar rituals but also in feasts organized as part of the rituals of the life cycle. Field studies carried out in July-September 2021 give reason to speak not only about the sustainability of kumis holidays within the framework of the spring and autumn calendar rituals, but also their actualization as an element of intangible cultural heritage and an application for setting a world record. In contrast to the Middle Ages, in the ceremony of treating kumis today, a change in the nature of the religious rite and purpose is noted. The complex of kumis holidays that arose in ancient times is considered today by Kazakhs as a cultural heritage, as a place of memory. It is used as a symbolic capital for organizing and carrying out various kinds of events.

Aspects and Narrative meanings of Neokgeonjigigut(넋건지기굿) in <Munyeodo(무녀도)>

In the narrative of <Munyeodo(무녀도)>, in order to comprehensively understand the transmission of the story of the speaker I and the transmission of the picture ‘Munyeodo(무녀도)’, ‘Neokgeonjigigut(넋건지기굿, a ritual of the sipirit salvation)’, which connects the end of the narrative and the tradition You need to figure out if it’s playing a role. Therefore, In this study attempted to clarify the ritual character and meaning of <Munyeodo>, focusing on the aspects and narrative functions of the ‘Neokgeonjigigut’ in <Munyeodo>. To this end, the new meaning of <Munyeodo> was investigated based on how the ritual characteristics of ‘Neokgeonjigigut’ appeared in <Munyeodo> and what functions were performed in the process of the narrative. This is meaningful in discovering the value of an open narrative that aims for reconciliation rather than conflict and confrontation by discovering the integrated thinking unique to the Korean people in the narrative of <Munyeodo>.

The Power of Human Speech in Hittite Anatolia

Abstract With the aim of improving our understanding of how Hittite practitioners in ancient Anatolia used human speech to achieve a desired efficacy or performativity (and therefore change a current situation), this paper explores the ritual character of Telipinu’s mugawar (CTH 324) and its historiola. Along these lines, it examines what traces of human agency are present in the text, and under which circumstances its performance would have been most valuable. Considered from a broader perspective, this study also aims to link Hittite texts to the lives of Anatolia’s inhabitants and to the many ways they did things with words.

Singing of Deportees and Political Prisoners: Aspect of Liminality

The number of socially charged songs appearing during the period of prewar and postwar deportations, and political imprisonments seems truly amazing. Singing and song composition in exile or imprisonment is difficult to conceive, since the harsh reality seems incompatible with singing. This article aims at elucidating the peculiar ritual character of singing in the exile while employing the concept of liminality introduced and elaborated by anthropologists (Victor Turner and Arnold van Gennep before him). This concept could at least partly explain this rise in creativity among the deportees and political prisoners. Although there are numerous testimonies of the exile conditions suppressing the incentives to sing, opposite situations seem also having been frequent enough: singing helped people to settle somehow in the foreign and harsh environment.In the second chapter, the concept of liminality and communitas by Victor Turner is introduced in more detail. Similarly, the author maintains that songs were meant to “ritually” recreate those things that had been destroyed under the curse of deportation. The third chapter presents a discussion of the songs by the deportees and political prisoners. These songs are characterized by clear notion of the singers’ martyrdom. Motives of victimization, self-sacrifice and offering of sufferings are directly related to this notion. These sacrifices are deemed meaningful – they are believed to serve the cause of the national freedom; belief in the soul’s immortality and superiority is also strong. Motive of promising oneself or promising one’s heart to Lithuania is voiced. Sometimes striving for freedom is depicted as looking forward to the fulfilment of love. Impressive metaphors of deportation, such as travel, wandering, or hiding in the deep well could be pointed out. Often enough the deportee or political prisoner reflects upon his / her non-existence. Along with such motives, various testimonies regarding the particular value ascribed to these songs and the special effect they allegedly had on the listeners, etc. are also quoted in the article.The author of the article aspires to analyze the legacy of deportation, on the one part, as a text, and on the other part, as a rise in creativity resulting from communal and individual attitude. Therefore, material of this interdisciplinary study includes both the songs of deportees and political prisoners and the testimonies by the singers reflecting upon their own perception and understanding of their singing. On the one hand, these songs considerably differ from the traditional folksong poetic; on the other hand, their melodies are close to the new style of folksongs, thus their uniqueness should be primarily attributed to their origins. Therefore, it seems expedient to use a broader context of singing under the harsh conditions of exile or imprisonment, which considerably substantiates the value of these songs.Deportation is fraught with most painful losses shrouded with “in-between” existence – thus, a model liminal situation. Moreover, singing in exile helps to purify the very existence of the person finding himself or herself in this state of liminality, and thus can be reasonably considered a special attitude of the deportee. The individual as a whole is existentially incorporated into the symbolically adorned ritual process of solving the problems of life and death, which stands out in the songs of deportees and political prisoners. The community celebrations and gatherings helped to enhance the identity of the deportees finding themselves in the state of liminality. While singing, although generally a rare thing in the course of both celebrations and everyday routine, provided an important expression of vitality and spiritual freedom.

Rituales de terminación y consumo en el Palacio 6J2 de La Blanca: una perspectiva zooarqueológica del Clásico Terminal en el Petén guatemalteco

La Blanca is an urban settlement located in the department of Petén, Guatemala. The site played an important role due to its strategic location alongside the Mopán River basin. This paper presents results of the zooarchaeological studies conducted on this archaeological site during the Classic Terminal period (850-1000 A.D.), a time of social upheaval in which the elite of La Blanca left the city and new inhabitants occupied the rooms of its monumental palaces. The animal remains analyzed came from the excavation of the south wing of Palace 6J2 at the Acropolis and represent a unique opportunity to understand the faunal use and management in a period of social and economic crisis. The animals deposited in these rooms pointed to the ritual character of the assemblage as well as the importance of the nearby environment as a means of providing resources for subsistence. The study of the archaeofaunal assemblages represents a first approach to provide clues about the economic importance of the animals and their role in ritual activities during a so debated period in Maya history as the Terminal Classic in the Lowlands.

Performing traditions of the storytellers of the epic «Manas»

The Kyrgyz perceive “Manas” not only as an oral-poetic work, but also as a living substance that has made a significant contribution to the development of national consciousness. The epics of many peoples of the world have ceased their primordial existence in oral form; they are imprinted only on paper and have taken a book form, which means that they cannot develop further in the traditional way. The legend of Manas was not lost in time thanks to the storytellers-manaschy, who carefully preserving and creatively processing it, passed it on from generation to generation. The Kyrgyz have always considered the important and significant role of the manaschy. They inspired the warriors, escorting them to the next combat battle to defend their homeland; were next to the ancestors at fateful moments for the Kyrgyz; were the highest spiritual orders who carried the wisdom and generosity of the people. The author of the article notes that storytellers face science with the task of investigating the functions of the live performance of “Manas”, which contains a ritual character. Until now, the performance of this epic was perceived only as an aesthetic action. The live narration of the Manas epic affects the sensitive channels of the audience. The basic factors influencing the consciousness of the listener of a live epic narration are the rhythm, voice and non-verbal reactions of the narrator, as well as the plot and nature of the episode being told. All this is a special type of coding of human consciousness with energy information. The author, comparing the work of some manaschy, which have not yet been considered as a scientific object, and the work of the storytellers of the epic of a number of other peoples of Central Asia, on the basis of his observations and additional information, reveals the peculiarities of performing traditions, and also comes to the conclusion that manaschy – a carrier of rich sacred information, and storytelling is one of the specific forms of cultural and spiritual communication, which requires further deep scientific research.

No Place for Racism

No Place for Racism

TransmutAção: ancestralidade na poética de BNegão

Este artigo pretende analisar três canções do disco TransmutAção, do rapper BNegão, em conjunto com o grupo Seletores de Frequência. A análise tem como centralidade uma performance específica dos artistas, feita no Centro Cultural Vila Verde, em São Paulo, em 2015, na qual ancestralidade e ritmo marcam os ensinamentos do tempo e demarcam a dádiva do momento presente. A análise tem como principal fundamento as ideias de Paul Zumthor por evidenciar, principalmente, questões relativas à performance e como essa se constitui. O texto ainda abrange a noção de performance por seu caráter ritualístico que envolve espiritualidade (neste caso, pelo conteúdo da mensagem de Bnegão) e por seu caráter poético-musical que realiza uma invocação do momento presente, priorizando o aqui e o agora dos integrantes do ato poético. O artigo explora a performance como um todo, analisando a música, a poesia, o gesto e a constituição do acontecimento. Em alguns momentos, ainda, o disco é citado como um todo, enquanto obra, por carregar uma mensagem que atravessa todas as canções.

Mimetic Theory

ABSTRACT This poem emerges from a tacking between a series of field engagements with precarity and deep immersions in the literatures of sacrifice. It is anchored by the vortex that René Girard proposed as the origin of culture. The prosody evokes this toggling and swirling, embodies the ritual character of assault and assent, and reminds us of the consequences of the inexorable escalation of desire. The imagery emphasizes the collusion demanded by comity, the connivance entailed by expiation, and the complicity required of forgiving and forgetting. I provide a poetic translation of the perils of observation inspired by Girard’s theorizing. The poem invites us to imagine what we might be willing to renounce in order to prevent consumption from consuming us.

Gazes from the South: The Tchiloli and the Work of René Tavares

Gazes from the South: The Tchiloli and the Work of René Tavares