body-ritual-among-the-nacirema-Nacirema-人的身体仪式-人类学

1Assignment：1.Readthetext;2.Consultthedictionarytofindoutthemeaningsofallthenewwords;3.TrytounderstandthebodyritualoftheNacirema,esp.thedetailsassuggestedbytheexpressionsinheavyblack黑体;4.Reflectonyourinterpretationbyresortingtobottom-upandtop-downprocessing.BodyRitualAmongtheNaciremaHoraceMinerTheanthropologisthascomesofamiliarwiththediversityofwaysinwhichdifferentpeoplesbehaveinsimilarsituationsthatheisnotapttobesurprisedbyeventhemostexoticcustoms.Infact,ifallofthelogicallypossiblecombinationsofbehaviorhavenotbeenfoundsomewhereintheworld,heisapttosuspectthattheymustbepresentinsomeundescribedtribe.Thispointhasinfact,beenexpressedwithrespecttoclanorganizationbyMurdock.Inthislight,themagicalbeliefsandpracticesoftheNaciremapresentsuchunusualaspectsthatitseemsdesirabletodescribethemasanexampleoftheextremestowhichhumanbehaviorcango.ProfessorLintonfirstbroughttheritualoftheNacirematothe2attentionofanthropologiststwentyyearsago,butthecultureofthispeopleisstillverypoorlyunderstood.TheyareaNorthAmericangrouplivingintheterritorybetweentheCanadianCree,theYaquiandTarahumaraofMexico,andtheCaribandArawakoftheAntilles.Littleisknownoftheirorigin,althoughtraditionstatesthattheycamefromtheeast.Naciremacultureischaracterizedbyahighlydevelopedmarketeconomywhichhasevolvedinarichnaturalhabitat.Whilemuchofthepeople’stimedevotedtoeconomicpursuits,alargepartofthefruitsoftheselaborsandaconsiderableportionofthedayarespentinritualactivity.Thefocusofthisactivityisthehumanbody,theappearanceandhealthofwhichloomasadominantconcernintheethosofthepeople.Whilesuchaconcerniscertainlynotunusual,itsceremonialaspectsandassociatedphilosophyareunique.Thefundamentalbeliefunderlyingthewholesystemappearstobethatthehumanbodyisuglyandthatitsnaturaltendencyistodebilityanddisease.Incarceratedinsuchabody,aman’sonlyhopeistoavertthesecharacteristicsthroughtheuseofthepowerfulinfluencesofritualandceremony.Everyhouseholdhasoneormoreshrinesdevotedtothispurpose.Themorepowerfulindividualsinthesocietyhaveseveralshrinesintheirhousesand,infact,theopulenceofahouseisoftenreferredtointermsofthenumberofsuchritualcentersitpossesses.Most3housesareofwattleanddaubconstruction,buttheshrineroomsofthemorewealthyarewalledwithstone.Poorerfamiliesimitatetherichbyapplyingpotteryplaquestotheirshrinewalls.Thefocalpointoftheshrineisaboxorchestwhichisbuiltintothewall.Inthischestarekeptthemanycharmsandmagicalpotionswithoutwhichnonativebelieveshecouldlive.Thesepreparationsaresecuredfromavarietyofspecializedpractitioners.Themostpowerfulofthesearethemedicinemen,whoseassistancemustberewardedwithsubstantialgifts.However,themedicinemendonotprovidethecurativepotionsfortheirclients,butdecidewhattheingredientsshouldbeandthenwritethemdowninanancientandsecretlanguage.Thiswritingisunderstoodonlybythemedicinemenandbytheherbalistswho,foranothergift,providetherequitedcharm.Thecharmisnotdisposedofafterithasserveditspurpose,butisplacedinthecharm-boxofthehouseholdshrineasthesemagicalmaterialsarespecificforcertainills,andtherealorimaginedmaladiesofthepeoplearemany,thecharm-boxisusuallyfulltooverflowing.Themagicalpacketsaresonumerousthatpeopleforgetwhattheirpurposeswereandfeartousethemagain.Whilethenativesareveryvagueonthispoint,wecanonlyassumethattheideainretainingalltheoldmagicalmaterialisthattheirpresenceinthecharm-box,beforewhichthebodyritualsareconducted,willinsomewayprotecttheworshipper.4Beneaththecharm-boxisasmallfont.Eachdayeverymemberofthefamily,insuccession,enterstheshrineroom,bowshisheadbeforethecharm-box,minglesdifferentsortsofholywaterinthefont,andproceedswithabriefriteofablution.TheholywatersaresecuredfromtheWaterTempleofthecommunity,wherethepriestsconductelaborateceremoniestomaketheliquidrituallypure.Inthehierarchyofmagicalpractitioners,andbelowthemedicinemeninprestige,arespecialistswhosedesignationisbesttranslatedas“holy-mouth-men.”TheNaciremahaveanalmostpathologicalhorrorofandfascinationwiththemouth,theybelievethattheirteethwouldfallout,theirgumsbleed,theirjawsshrink,theirfriendsdesertthem,andtheirloversrejectthem.Theyalsobelievethatastrongrelationshipexistsbetweenoralandmoralcharacteristics.Forexample,thereisaritualablutionofthemouthforthechildrenwhichissupposedtoimprovetheirmoralfiber.Thedailybodyritualperformedbyeveryoneincludesamouth-rite.Despitethefactthatthesepeoplearesopunctiliousaboutcareofthemouth,thisriteinvolvesapracticethatstrikestheuninitiatedstrangerasrevolting.Itwasreportedtomethattheritualconsistsofinsertingasmallbundleofboarhairsintothemouth,alongwithcertainmagicalpowder,andthemovingofthebundleinahighlyformalizedseriesofgestures.Inadditiontotheprivatemouth-rite,thepeopleseekouta5holy-mouth-manonceortwiceayear.Thesepractitionershaveanimpressivesetofparaphernalia,consistingofavarietyofaugers,awls,probes,andprods.Theuseoftheseobjectsintheexorcismoftheevilsofthemouthinvolvesalmostunbelievableritualtortureoftheclient.Theholy-mouth-manopenstheclient’smouthand,usingtheabove-mentionedtools,enlargesanyholeswhichdecaymayhavecreatedintheteeth.Magicalmaterialsareputintotheseholes.Ifth