purification rite | anthropology - Encyclopedia Britannica

purification rite, any of the ceremonial acts or customs employed in an attempt to reestablish lost purity or to create a higher degree of purity in ... purificationrite TableofContents IntroductionConceptsofpurityandpollutionGeneralconceptsPurityandpollutioninrelationtoreligiousconceptsPollutionandthesacredPollutionandsinPollutionandtheforcesofevilCategoriesandtheoriesofpollutionandimpurityCategoriesofpollutionandimpurityPhysiologicalprocessesViolenceandassociatedprocessesAnomaliesSocialclassifications:classesandcastesTheoriesofpollutionandimpurityTypesofpurificationritesOccasionsandsymbolismofpurificationritesClassificationofpurificationritesTheremovalofpollutionTheexpulsionofpollutionThetransferofpollutionThedestructionofpollutionThetransformationofpollutionintopurityTheintroductionofpurityOtherpurificationritesExamplesofpurificationritesRiteforpurifyingacuredleperinancientJudaismTheNavajosweat-emeticriteTheZoroastrian“GreatPurification”ritePollutionbeliefsinmodernsociety FastFacts Facts&RelatedContent More MoreArticlesOnThisTopic AdditionalReading Contributors ArticleHistory Home Philosophy&Religion Spirituality purificationrite anthropology Alternatetitles:cleansingrite Print print Print Pleaseselectwhichsectionsyouwouldliketoprint: TableOfContents Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. 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ExternalWebsites AktaLakotaMuseumandCulturalCenter-Inipi By SherryB.Ortner • EditHistory RelatedTopics: ritual ablution ritualbath lustration reversal ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ purificationrite,anyoftheceremonialactsorcustomsemployedinanattempttoreestablishlostpurityortocreateahigherdegreeofpurityinrelationtothesacred(thetranscendentalrealm)orthesocialandculturalrealm.Theyarefoundinallknownculturesandreligions,bothancientandmodern,preliterateandsophisticated,andassumeawidevarietyoftypesandforms. Conceptsofpurityandpollution Generalconcepts Everyculturehasanidea,inoneformoranother,thattheinneressenceofmancanbeeitherpureordefiled.Thisideapresupposesageneralviewofmaninwhichhisactiveorvitalizingforces,theenergiesthatstimulateandregulatehisoptimumindividualandsocialfunctioning,aredistinguishedfromhisbody,ontheonehand,andhismentalorspiritualfaculties,ontheother.Theseenergiesarebelievedtobedisturbedor“polluted”bycertaincontactsorexperiencesthathaveconsequencesforaperson’sentiresystem,includingboththephysicalandthementalaspects.Furthermore,thenaturalelements,animalsandplants,thesupernatural,andevencertainaspectsoftechnologymaybeviewedasoperatingonsimilarenergiesoftheirown;theytoomaythereforebesubjecttothedisturbingeffectsofpollution.Becauselostpuritycanbere-establishedonlybyritualandalsobecausepurityisoftenapreconditionfortheperformanceofritualsofmanykinds,anthropologistsrefertothisgeneralfieldofculturalphenomenaas“ritualpurity”and“ritualpollution.” Theritualsforre-establishinglostpurity,orforcreatingahigherdegreeofpurity,takemanydifferentformsinthevariouscontemporaryandhistoricalculturesforwhichinformationisavailable.Somepurificationritualsinvolveoneortwosimplegestures,suchaswashingthehandsorbody,changingtheclothes,fumigatingthepersonorobjectwithincense,recitingaprayeroranincantation,anointingthepersonorobjectwithsomerituallypuresubstance.Someinvolveordeals,includingblood-letting,vomiting,andbeating,whichhaveapurgativeeffect.Someworkonthescapegoatprinciple,inwhichtheimpuritiesarerituallytransferredontoananimal,oreveninsomecases(asamongtheancientGreeks)ontoanotherhumanbeing;theanimalorhumanscapegoatisthenrunoutoftownand/orkilled,oratleastkilledsymbolically.Manypurificationritesareverycomplexandincorporateseveraldifferenttypesofpurifyingactions. Ritualpurityandpollutionaremattersofgeneralsocialconcernbecausepollution,itisbelieved,mayspreadfromoneindividualorobjecttoothermembersofsociety.Eachculturedefineswhatispureandimpure—andtheconsequencesofpurityandpollution—differentlyfromeveryotherculture,althoughthereisconsiderablecross-culturaloverlappingoncertainbeliefs.Culturesalsovarygreatlyintheextenttowhichpurityandpollutionarepervasiveconcerns:Hinduism,Judaism,andcertaintribalgroupssuchastheLoveduofSouthAfricaortheYurokofnorthernCaliforniaintheUnitedStatesseemhighlypollution-conscious,whereasamongotherpeoplespollutionconcernsarerelativelyisolatedandoccasional.Evenwithintheso-calledpollution-consciouscultures,attitudestowardtheculturalregulationsmayvaryconsiderably:theYurok,ontheonehand,aresaidtoconsidertheirpurificationritualstoberatheranuisance,albeitnecessaryforthesuccessoftheireconomicendeavours;butHindus,ontheotherhand,seemtoincorporateandembracemorefullythemanyregulationsandritualsconcerningpurityprescribedintheirbeliefandsocialsystems. Pollutionismostcommonlytransmittedbyphysicalcontactorproximity,althoughitmayalsospreadbymeansofkinshiptiesorco-residenceinanareainwhichpollutionhasoccurred.Becausepurityandpollutionareinnerstates(thoughthereusuallyareouterorobservablesymptomsofpollution),thedefiledman—orartifact,temple,ornaturalphenomenon—mayatfirstshownooutwardfeaturesofhisinnercorruption.Eventually,however,theeffectsofpollutionwillmakethemselvesknown;theappearanceofasymptomordisasterthatisculturallydefinedasaconsequenceofpollution,forexample,maybethefirstindicationthatadefilingcontacthasoccurred.Commoncross-cultural,humansymptomsofpollutioninclude:skindisease,physicaldeformity,insanityandfeeblemindedness,sterility,andbarrenness.Naturealsomaybecomebarrenasaresultofpollution;but,ontheotherhand,thenaturalelementsandmagicalorsupernaturalforcesmayrunamokasaresultofpollution. Ingeneral,thevitalenergiesofman,nature,orthesupernatural,asaconsequenceofpollution,maybecomeeitherhypoactiveorhyperactive.Thevitalenergiesmaytendtooperateinamannerthatleadstowarddecline,lossofpotenciesandfertility,anddeath;theymayalso,however,tendtooperateinanoppositemannerthatleadstowardexcess,increaseandperversionofpotencies,andchaos.Bothofthesetendenciespresumablycontrastwiththetendenciesofastateofpurity,althoughtheproperties,symptoms,orconsequencesofpurityrarelyareexplicitlydefinedinculturalideologies,incontrasttothewealthofdetailelaboratedontheconsequencesofpollution. Onthewhole,purityseemstobeequatedwithwhateveracultureconsiderstobethemostadvantageousmodeofbeingandfunctioningforachievingtheparamountidealsofthatculture.Thus,throughoutmostAsianreligions(e.g.,Hinduism,Buddhism,Jainism,andTaoism),purityisequatedwithcalmness(physical,mental,andemotionalequilibrium)inkeepingwiththeidealgoal—atleastforreligiousadepts—ofachievingspiritualtranscendenceorliberation.IncontrasttosuchAsianreligions,groupswhosedominantculturalorientationispragmaticandthis-worldly,suchastheYurok,oftenequatethestateofpuritywithvigourandquicknessofmindandbody. Purityandpollutioninrelationtoreligiousconcepts Conceptsofpurityandpollutionmaytendtomergewithseveralconceptsofreligion:thesacred,sin,andtheforcesofevil. Pollutionandthesacred Theconsequencesofcontactwithboththesacred(thetranscendentrealmandobjectsinfusedwithtranscendentqualities)andthepollutedmaybeidentical,althoughthereasonsfortheconsequencesinthetwocasesarequitedifferent.Thedangersofcontactwiththesacredmayarisefromthebeliefthatthegodsareoffendedbypollution;theywillpunishapersonwhodefilesasacredprecinctorobject(forexample,inBuddhismandmanyotherreligions,amenstruatingwomanwhoentersatempleorshrine).Thegodsmayevenpunishanentirevillageortribeforsuchanoffense.Tocomeintocontactwiththesacredisalsoviewedasdangerousbecausethesacredishighlypowerfulor“charged”withenergy;thus,onemustbeproperlystrengthened(usuallybypurification)fortheencounter.Ifoneisnotthusstrengthened,hewillbeoverwhelmed.Althoughcontactwiththesacredmayhavenegativeconsequencesforaperson,thisisnotbecausethesacredispolluting.Ontheotherhand,thedangersofencounterwithapollutedperson(e.g.,an“untouchable”inIndia)orobject(e.g.,feces,inmostcultures)arisedirectlyfromthepollutionthatpassesfromthatpersonorobjecttooneself. Pollutionandsin PurityandpollutionbeliefsmaybecomeincorporatedintoareligiousmoralitysysteminwhichpollutionbecomesatypeofsinandanoffenseagainstGodorthemoralorder,andpuritybecomesamoralorspiritualvirtue.Thus,forexample,intheOldTestament,thepollutionofbirthmustnotonlybecleansedbysymbolicorritualgestures;itmustalsobeatonedforasaculticsinthatoffendsthesacredprecinctsoftheLord.Ingeneral,themoreuniversalisticreligions—Christianity,Buddhism,andIslām—seemtode-emphasizetruepollutionconcerns,andtosubsumethemwithintheirframeworksofmoralandreligiousbeliefs.BoththeQurʾānofIslāmandtheNewTestamentofChristianityshowasharpdecreaseinrulesofspecificpollutionavoidances(e.g.,fewerfoodprohibitions)comparedtotheOldTestament.Similarly,thesacredtextsofBuddhismstresstheunimportanceofspecificavoidancesandrituals(inimplicitcontrasttothemultipleanddetailedpurityregulationsofHinduism)andthenecessityforcultivatingone’sspiritualandmoraldevelopmentinstead. Pollutionandtheforcesofevil Ideasofpollutionareoftencloselyassociatedwithbeliefsindemons,sorcerers,andwitches.Allofthelattermaybeviewed,inpart,aspersonificationsofthepowersofpollution.Peopleinpollutedstatesarebelievedtobedangerousnotonlytoothersbecausetheymayspreadtheirpollution,buttheythemselvesareoftenthoughttobeindangerofattackbydemons,whoareattractedbythedefiledperson’simpurities(seealsoangelanddemon). LoadNextPage