Most religious rituals are staid affairs (quiet contemplation and reading from holy texts are a common feature) but these rites are rather more unusual. Let's explore...
- Canine-filing in Bali
- The church filled with wax body parts
- Veganism and blood at the Nine Emperor Gods Festival
- The bear-sending ceremony of the Ainu
- Finger-cutting in Papua New Guinea
- Given to the birds with sky burial in Tibet
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| Vultures play a major role in sky-burials... (Jecqan) |
Canine-Filing in BaliMany religions have rites that adherents must pass through. In Bali, members of the populace undergo Metatah - a rite in which the sharp edges of the canine teeth are filed down. Usually performed between the ages of 6 and 18, a priest will take a file to the offending teeth. Whilst the process is mostly symbolic in the modern era, it used to be the norm to remove the distinguishing features of canine teeth entirely.
As for why this is done, the Balinese consider the sharp edges of the canines to represent evil traits. Known as "Sad Ripu" these include greed, envy and rage - all things the Hindu Balinese feel they could do without. It helps that filed teeth are considered beautiful in Balinese culture!
The Church Filled With Wax Body Parts
Situated in the Brazilian city of Salvador, Igreja Nossa Senhor do Bonfim (Our Lord of the Good End) features rooms full of wax limbs and organs.The church is a repository of votive offerings - essentially sacrificial effigies given to the church in perpetuity, in the hope of (or in thanks for) a boon. This boon can range from healing, walking away from a car crash or even career promotion.
The church keeps one room as the "active" site for the offerings, changing the ones on display based on perceived need. The upper floor features a museum of votive offerings brought to the church, ranging from a coin that stopped a mugger's bullet to a preserved kidney stone after a successful operation - even the shirts of some Brazilian world cup footballers are held there.
The church is also used as an object of veneration by the Candomblé religion. This fusion of religions combines African religion with elements of Roman Catholicism - and the adherents worship the local deity Oxala outside of the church. Legend has it that a worshiper vowed to wash the church each year in gratitude after surviving war with Paraguay - the practice was taken up by other Candomblé adherents as a way of giving thanks for their own blessings - though they are banned from actually entering the church itself.
Veganism and Blood at the Nine Emperor Gods Festival
Also known as the vegetarian or vegan festival, the Nine Emperor Gods festival is a Taoist celebration. Street food vendors switch to vegan versions of their usual fare, while processions of the faithful and spectators make their rounds.Though mini versions can be found elsewhere, the city of Phuket in Thailand is the epicenter of the Nine Gods festival. Each year, devotees gather to purify themselves with a controlled diet (no meat, alcohol or even strong flavors.) The more devout will also take part in varying ordeals - often involving sharp objects. It is not uncommon to see devotees with blades driven through their cheeks!
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| The Ainu used to capture, raise and ritually sacrifice bears... (raincarnation40) |
The Bear-Sending Ceremony of the Ainu
The Ainu people are native to a few islands in the Japanese archipelago, each with their own separate set of rituals. One of their spiritual tenets is that almost every being has a soul - and that this soul is most apparent when it leaves the body.
Despite their differences, all groups of Ainu made use of "Iomante" or the bear ceremony. Hunters would capture a bear cub and raise it, only to then ritually kill it. This was intended to send the soul of the animal to the mountains, in honor of their deity - Iomante actually translates as "sending off."
The method used to kill the bear varied from group to group, but usually involved shooting it with arrows. Parts of the bear are then used as religious offerings - either placed at an sacred altar, or at sacred bone piles in the mountains.
This ceremony was abolished in 1955 by Japanese law (though an exception applies due to religious protections) but the Ainu seem uninclined to return to bear killing. Instead, some Ainu use elements of Iomante to "send off" the spirits of already dead totemic animals (such as owls and bears.)
Finger-Cutting in Papua New Guinea
Most people mourn deaths with tears and ceremony. Women from the Dani tribe of Papua New Guinea used to amputate a finger instead.
The Dani were discovered in 1938, and they stick rigidly to tradition. They wear colorful outfits (including the "Koteka" or penis sheath) and warriors are often adorned with large piercings. Other tribes in the area consider them to be ferocious fighters and head-hunters, something they demonstrate in mock battles.
When a relative died, the female survivors were expected to cut the top off of a finger - symbolizing the pain one feels when losing a loved one. The Indonesian government outlawed the practice, but missing fingers (one for each death) are still very much in evidence on older tribeswomen.
Given to the Birds with Sky Burial in Tibet
Performed in Tibet, sky-burial involves a human corpse being laid out for the vultures to consume. This isn't perceived as a gory or ignominious end, but rather a symbolic way for the spirit of a Tibetan Buddhist to be taken to the heavens.
The process is fairly simple. The deceased is wrapped in cloth and kept in the corner of the house for 3-5 days, whilst monks read scripture aloud to free the soul. The family then strips the body and fixes it in a sitting position (with the head against the knees) before releasing it to the feeding grounds. The deceased is taken by a specialist "body carrier" or "body breaker" so named for their role in cutting up the bodies for the birds. Rather than being a grim task, the breaker keeps a light-hearted demeanor as though doing ordinary farm work - Tibetan Buddhists believe that this normalcy helps the deceased let go of this life.
The process concludes when "Su" smoke is released, drawing the attention of the birds and bringing them down to consume the body.