i wrote this piece a couple years ago when i was eighteen. reading it back, i can definitely see the juvenility in my writing style, vocab and viewpoints, but i think it’s sweet to see how far i’ve come and how my interests have shifted since then and now. this is objectively quite bad but keeps me grounded to my anthropological roots.
From a western standpoint, the idea of a ‘ritual’ typically connotes a sense outlandishness, a spiritual and almost supernatural process. Rituals are also, more often than not, associated with violence and humiliation, yet most fail to recognise the historical and cultural importance of these rites and their prevalence in secular societies today. Academic graduations, marriage and coming of age ceremonies are all secular rites which separate the mundane from the extraordinary, they possess a sense of excitement and connectedness. These ‘once in a lifetime’ celebrations initiate us into new stages in our lives, yet people still tend to mourn their ‘previous life’. This stresses the question, is the emphasis on life stages and status entirely necessary? Do the benefits of this ‘rebirth’ outweigh the possible torment of harsh rituals?
Ndembu rituals highlight the value of the ‘liminal period’ of initiation. This liminal phase is the second stage of initiation, described as ‘ambiguous’ or a stage of reflection where there is ‘a certain freedom to juggle with the factors of existence’ (Halton 1989). This is an anti-structural time period where the subject is stripped of their status, such as gender or occupation. In this period they are forced to submit to their superior elders, representing humanity’s ability to take control over natural processes, undergoing several ritual processes. To many, the dehumanisation of the subjects may seem needless and endangering however symbolic anthropologists, such as Turner, would argue that enduring this time away from any form of societal structure is necessary for the initiation. The almost lack of dignity throughout the liminal period allows the subject to gain knowledge of, and reflect upon, the significance of tradition, morals and culture before reentering Ndembu society (Turner 1985).
Many consider the often humiliating nature of these ritualistic processes to be completely inessential, and often times, unjustifiable. In Metro-Manila, sacrificial violence is used by brothers in the Tao Gamma Phi fraternity as a means of legitimising their worth within the elitist patriarchy of the Philippines. In this brotherhood, the more violence accepted by the subject during initiation, the greater ‘access to more and more secrets’ (Jensen 2015). This transaction reflects Bloch’s (1992) theory into ‘rebounding violence’ in which, through sacrifice and aggression, the brothers gain a new role within a masculine society in a systemic way that somewhat resembles the system of the Philippines’ elite. Bloch looks to rationalise the use of violence, which he views as necessary for the ‘rebirth’ of the initiate into a new stage of life. We can see this use of violence used in everyday life such as in mass protests for political change. Furthermore, the socio-political undertones of this initiation process underlines the idea that rites are often a test of courage, leadership and worthiness within a cohort as a purpose of finding who are the dominant leaders of a pack and who isn’t.
To conclude, I argue that initiation rituals are necessary in all societies for the transmission and maintenance of cultural values throughout generations, but also the formation of a community in which a brotherhood or cohort can feel a sense of belonging to. I believe that the ‘liminal period’ of initiation is critical for the subject to obtain wisdom and knowledge on the importance of societal structure in order to conserve morality in society, despite the violent connotations of it. Initiation rituals have always existed and will continue to exist beyond time and place.
Eugene Halton (1989). Nachwort. Das Ritual: Struktur und Antistruktur. Victor Turner. Translated by Sylvia Schomberg-Scherff.
Turner, Victor. 1985. Chapter 4: Betwixt and Between: The Liminal Period in Rites de Passage. In The Forest of Symbols. Ithaca: Cornell University Press
Bloch, M. (1992) Prey into Hunter, Chap. 2 ‘Initiation’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Jensen, S. (2015). Between illegality and recognition: Exploring sacrificial violence in a Manila brotherhood. Critique of Anthropology
two magpies 