Essays on Ritual

The human lifecycle is biologically determined stages of development and is culturally understood and experienced. The rite of passage is any lifecycle ritual that marks a person or group’s transition from one social state to another. Arnold Van Gennep was an ethnographer known for his...

Human cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh or internal organs of other human beings. A person who practices cannibalism is called a cannibal. Some people have argued, however, that no evidence exists that cannibalism has ever been a socially acceptable...

The Lottery June was a time of harvest in our village. At this time, the fields were white with corn, sorghum and millet. June was not a month like any other, at the same time, the annual lottery was held. The event was well prepared...

Music has been the staple of many cultures because of the effects it has in the forms of song and dance. Several communities including the Shamans and Native Americans use music as a way of tribute, prayer, healing, and as a representation of feelings. When...

When I began deciding what kind of ritual I wanted to implement into my life, I decided that I did not want it to be merely a temporary part of my routine. To the contrary, I wanted to find a ritual that would help me...

The world is made up of many different people, people with different beliefs and religions, which make up the world and all the different ways to live in it. In the book Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity by Roy A. Rapport, we...

The Holi Festival is a day that is celebrated all across the world. It can also be called the “festival of love”. All of the color brings joy to everyone and all forget all the hate they have for others. Through Three of Ninian Smart’s...