The Forest of Symbols - Assignment Example

?Ceremonies have so much been embedded in our society that the performance of it is deemed normative and ordinary. In fact, the non-celebration of itinvites criticism and perhaps violent reactions. In the academic field as well, especially in the fields of anthropology, theological studies, and other social sciences, the subject of ritual is a highly studied area. Various personalities such as Clifford Geertz and Victor Turner have established their theories so well that until today, it is highly accepted and referenced. There have been many definitions of the term “ritual”. But for the purpose of discussion for this paper shall, much of the characterization of the subject matter shall be based around the middle-ranged definition as cited by Grimes in his article Ritual. Accordingly, “ritual is a style of action, one that is formal, stylized, prescribed, symbolic, non-technological, repetitive, traditional, and so on”. Further, it is also a “culturally constructed system of symbolic communication. It is constituted of patterned and ordered sequences of words and acts, often expressed in multiple media, whose content and arrangement are characterized in varying degree by formality, stereotype, condensations, and redundancy” (Tambiah, 1979:119). Using the above definition, we can surmise that there is a particular relationship between rites and symbols in relation to culture and values. Hence, to fully grasp the essence of a ritual, it is best to deconstruct its components in order to assign a meaning to it. To put into perspective, the term “ritual” itself must be differentiated against the term “rite” while the element of symbols must be understood as something that gives meaning to the whole experience. The term “rite” could be understood as the processual flow of reliving a sequence of events by means of representation through symbolic acts and objects. All these when completely carried out constitute what we call a ritual- the interplay of rites and symbols; the whole experience. To exemplify the interplay between rite and symbols, we can use two established events: ANZAC and Easter Vigil. A “rite” in an Eastern vigil would constitute getting up at down, followed by lighting of candles, singing praises, etc. and in the same way, ANZAC “rites” world include ringing of bells at dawn followed by marching around town and laying of wreaths made of red poppies at ANZAC shrines. To restore efficacy of a ritual, both of these events have to be carried out at specific places too complete with all symbolic articles to fully recreate the significance it is supposed to generate. In the case of Easter Vigil, the procession has to be started at a specific area and ends at the Church while ANZAC has to be commemorated also through procession which ends at the memorial shrine. Further, in an Eastern Vigil ritual, the following articles are regarded very important and must be present at all times: candles, bible, priest, water, oil, white garment, fire, cross, and Eucharist to name a few. Additionally, symbols are not limited only to physical objects for it includes gestures and/or events such as initiating procession during dawn, laying of hands, anointing with oil, and submerging into water. In the same way, ANZAC celebration calls for representatives to ring bells during dawn, marching around town, and create wreath made of red poppies and lay them all over a shrine. The value of the aforementioned symbols in the specific events mentioned is indispensible for it reveals so many things about a particular culture. Upon the execution of a ritual or ceremony, simple everyday objects are regarded as articles with evocative meaning embedded on them. In fact, Victor Turner conjectured that symbols are the smallest unit of ritual. Yet, even as the smallest part of a ritual, symbols play a very important role in a given ritual as it becomes the vehicle by which appropriate messages are sent across. This goes to show that though different in context, both ANZAC and Eater Vigil share various similarities through the different symbols used and the meaning it conveys. For instance, the specific moment that both of these events commence is during dawn. Symbolically, the dawn brings about a new day, a new hope, and quite literally a break of light from darkness. In contrast, darkness constitutes the idea of death and hopelessness. We regard sunrise and even sunset as a normal day to day instance. But when positioned in a religious context of Christianity, or commemorative event of ANZAC, the break of darkness by first light bears itself a different meaning. For the Christians, the breaking of darkness through the first light of the sun could symbolically represent Christ being able to conquer death. In the same way, the ANZAC’s wake-up call during the dawn signifies or relives back that specific moment in history where Wiki’s and Australians stood their ground for war. It is important to point out the need to study symbolisms and its interconnectedness with a rite in every religious education. This is because every symbol bears with it a kind of story and a history specific to the culture owning or experiencing it. For instance, what the candles, the bible, anointing of the head, water baptism, and the cross represent may not necessarily be understood and granted with much respect by Islam practitioners as opposed to how Christians treat it. While Muslims may have knowledge of what Christianity does and believes, this is not enough for them to understand the event since contextually, they are not wired and oriented to believe in such matters. And the same goes to any soldier in the Asia Pacific who would witness the taking place of an ANZAC celebration – the flag parade, the red poppies, or even the ANZAC event itself. Without studying rituals and the symbolisms that go with it, everything would just be meaningless. Hence, it is through the function of symbols in a given ritual that students of theology are guided and provided a connection into understanding the underlying concepts embedded in a culture. Further, the theological study of ritual as a whole along with its specific rites and symbols also carry with them values that affirms and/or validates existing social processes and why these have to be perpetuated. In the case of Christianity, the representation of the Easter Vigil reminds its communitas1 how the creator died to save us from being eternally damned in hell. In this mundane world where we live as sinners, we must continually seek to be in union with Christ. And to be able to remind us in a way that is meaningful, believers must recreate Christ’s baptism in a modern society setting. The value ideally conveyed in the ritual is that we must continually try to live a Christ-like life. The case of Anzac shares a parallel concept of validating existing social norms. The celebration of it helps remind the citizens of the battle fought so that the freedom they are continually enjoying today may be achieved. In essence, the values of patriotism and courage are inculcated among its citizens, and even to the rest of the world who will witness the said event. All these insights are made possible when we begin to study the symbols in relation to its context – which is religion and national history. Rituals are important facets of our culture not only because of the rich socio-historical background it presents but also because it acts as a kind of “social glue”. This means that more than just a social drama, rituals sustain the society’s equilibrium and secures the solidarity among its members (Gluckman 1958). Despite differences in social status, gender, age, etc., both ANZAC and Easter vigil embraces a community that shares a specific commonality regardless of the aforementioned factors. When ritual is executed, everyone concerned are one and united. Amidst the everyday reality of differences, rituals provide a hyper-reality of oneness and belongingness. And only when we engage ourselves in the study of the dynamics between symbols and rituals are we provided with meaningful insights about our culture and everything embedded in it including religion and history. References: Anthrobase. N.d. Communitas. Retrieved from http://www.anthrobase.com/Dic/eng/def/communitas.htm Bronach, Aisling. n.d. A Maelstrom of Symbols. Retrieved from http://www.shadowdrake.com/symbols.html. Deflem, Mathieu. 1991. Ritual, Anti-Structure, and Religion. A Discussion of Victor Turner’s Processual Symbolic Analysis. “Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.” 30 (1):1-25. Retrieved from http://www.cas.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zturn.htm Lovat, T (1995) Ritual. In T Lovat (Ed), Teaching and Learning Religion: A phenomenological approach (pp 21-33). Grimes, R L (2000). Ritual. In W. Braun and R T McCutcheon (Eds), Guide to the study of Religion (pp 259-270). Turner, Victor W. 1967. "The Forest of Symbols." Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. Read More