Death, Sacrifice and charity Flashcards
Maurice Bloch’s theory of death/sacrifice?
Ritual controls powerful natural forces of death, reasserts place in society
what is Bloch’s idea of rebounding violence?
People involved in sacrifice dip into spirit world and borrow power, people involved submit to violence, enter world of dead and interact with supernatural forces, use power to consume the enemy other and return to the world of living with new vitality
what features do all examples of rebounding violence have?
sacrificer brought close to death
substitute is killed and consumed (often animals due to vitality)
resulting in vitality - political violence and conquest
how may charity be linked with sacrifice
Relationship with a god established through giving something up
What is Westermarck’s view of charity?
It evolved out of sacrifice
Give something to those who need it on behalf of gods and receive something back
What is the Maussian view of charity?
Based on self. Same principles as sacrifice. And gift.
Giving something up in return for something else
An example of Bloch’s rebounding violence?
Iphiginea in Greek myth:
Greek want to attack Troy but no wind to sail
= divine punishment from god
Solution = sacrifice daughter
Deer substitution = wind and Greek filled with power
OR Orokaiva initiation in Papua New Guinea
1 - boys and girls ‘hunted’ like pigs, chased around village in terror
2 - chased onto funeral/slaughter platform and blindfolded = symbolically killed, left world of living
3 - taken into hut in forest, isolated, kind of spirit
4 - come back associated with spirit - transcendental vitality
Examples of charity
Theravada Buddhism in N Thailand - Bowie
- merit-making - cross-class giving mediates process of hegemony and resistance
- poor have little hope in becoming a good buddhist - donations = favour elite
- merit making as a weapon of the weak:
may legitimise wealth but also pressures wealthy to be generous
temporary relief - mask inequality
- exchange as a means of gaining power over people - recipient sense of indebtedness
OR Zakat in Islam - Benthall
- those with property worth over certain amount = pay proportion as Zakat
- giver also benefits, what is left is purified
- deals with poverty without eliminating wealthy - ideologique
Who discusses rebounding violence?
M. bloch
How may one view the request of death by elderly/illness among the siberian chukchi?
Not suicide
Ritual blood sacrifice
Why may the request of death among the Chukchi be seen as a ritual blood sacrifice rather than suicide?
exchanging soul-stuff with deceased ancestors - sacrificial offerings - reciprocal, obligation?
Result in vitality - further life, sending of animals as food?
