rites of passage in bali Flashcards
Why important in Balinese culture?
as unless a person’s soul receives correct ritual attention during life, the soul cannot enter the heavens and be reborn. the child’s spiritual soul is placed in the hands of their parents
describe Balinese perception of universe:
divided in 3 main levels. This perception of universe believes that one lives in middle world and their soul is expected to pass in to the upper level of death as long as they follow the religious values, rules and traditions.
what are the 3 life cycle ceremonies?
- Kanda Empat
- Mephendes (tooth filing)
- cremation of ceremony
when does Kanda Empat occur?
after birth
what happens in Kanda Empat?
involved burial of placenta, blood, and umblical chord and marked by black river stron and siginificant plant from Bali’s culture.
Why does Kanda Empat occur? purpose
as long as this person lives, their family must pay ritual attention to site as the buried items symbolise four elements of life: fire, water, air, earth. the time of birth is seen as dangerous because it is when gateway between world and supernatural world has been forced open
When does Mephendes occur?
after puberty and before marrriage
actions as Mephendes?
involves filing of teech. Its an enormous ceremony attended by entire extended family.
purpose of Mephendes:
filing to avoid any resemblance to demons or animals. It other function is to create awareness of adult responsibility. After filing, undesirable characteristics such as laziness, materialism and desire to pursue sexual pleasure are disposed of
when does cremation ceremony occur?
marks final stage of life journey after death
what happens at cremation ceremony?
body is burnt ceremonially on funeral pyre. This process believed to set soul free to ascend to heavens because believed it is only when a human’s mortal remains are burned that the soul can be released.
