Scarification Ritual, Papua New Guinea
Australian Aboriginal Spirituality
- Primal Religion;
- Transition into manhood rituals do not include scarification or self-inflicted wounds;
- Indigenous Australians ritual incorporates a lot of dancing and performance into their ritual;
- Due to European Settlement the ritual is no longer practiced.
Sociological Approach
- One of 7 ways to approach religion;
- It is very difficult to understand social complexities without examing religion;
- Refers to the role religion plays in societies.
The Spirit House and the Crocodile God
(Peta Goldburg, Patricia Blundell,
Trevor L. Jordan; 2015).
Outisde View of the Spirit House (Lars Krutak, 2008).
Method:
Inside view of the Spirit House (Lars Krutak, 2008).
During the initiates' seclusion in the Spirit House (Lars Krutak, 2008).
Initiates in the Spirit House (Lars Krutak, 2008).
Cost Vs Tradition
- 2 months secluded in spirit house with other initiates;
- The skin-cutting and scarification takes place;
- Initiates bathe in the Sepik River;
- Initates enter the healing process.
- 12-35 years old
- Generally five years between each ritual;
- The medical costs pertaining to the ritual can be quite expensive depending on the number of sons from each family participating;
- Food, lodging in the Spirirt House, medicines, money for the cutting, and other offerings must be provided by individual families;
- Large amounts of medicines are needed as inficetion can often leads to death;
- No longer compulsory for all male members to participate.
Jewish ritual
(Thetravellust.com, 2015), (Lars Krutak, 2008), (Wilderutopia.com, 2015)
"I am a man of the Sepik and without this ritual where would we be? Our village and our people only survive because of this ritual. We honour our ancestors through the skin-cutting, and we will never stop doing it… because it is what makes us who we are today.”
-Anonymous member of the Kaningara Tribe
- Bar Mitzvah
- Read from Torah
Scroll of the Torah, a symbol of Judaism.
Arnold Van Gennep
- Ethnographer;
- 1873 - 1957;
- Developed the stages of liminality:
- Pre liminal;
- Liminal
- Post liminal