Significance Of Ritual In North American Indian Religion Essay

Significance of Ritual in northeasterly American Indian Religion     When scholars study religion, the tendency exists to focus on themythological aspects of the religion in an attempt to understand the major implicit in(p) concepts present. However, an equally rewarding study often can be perfect(a) through the careful analysis of the religions rite aspects.This is especially true when canvass North American Indian religions wherethere is an abundance of elaborate rituals that simulated military operation a significant role in theirculture. By closely examining the details and symbolism of ritual movements, wecan gather just about basic taste of what is seen to be of value in a certaintheology. While most(prenominal) Native American rituals tend to be mono-cultural, thereare a few rituals that frequently appear in many different regions and tribescrosswise North America. Two of these widespread rituals are the ritual of the"sacred thermionic tube,&q uot and perspiration lodge notices. The sacred pipe ritual is loadedwith symbolic meaning, and offers a generous insight into Native American beliefsystems. This essay ordain first look at the dynamics of the sacred pipe ritualand offer more or less explanation into its religious significance, then draw someparallels to the more common sweat lodge ceremony. If a recurring spectraltheme appears in check rituals, it can be considered evidence of a consistent,structured belief system.     The use of smoking pipes in Native American cultures is a popular andvery ancient practice. Direct predecessors of the modern pipe appear 1,500years ago, and other less relevant pipes can be found as far back as 2,500 yearsago. The distinguishing symptomatic of the sacred pipe is that the bowl isseparable from the spacious stem, and the two move are kept apart except duringritual use. The pipe is seen as a holy object and is treated with much respect.This type of ceremonia l pipe was used by tribes ranging from the Rocky Mountainrange to the Atlantic, and from the disconnection of Mexico to James Bay. It did notpenetrate into Pacific coast or south westsideerly cultures, where tubular pipes werepreferred. Inter-tribal trading helped the practice of this particular ritualspread rapidly, because in order for peaceful trade relations to take place someform of ritual had to be observed. Resp... ...placed on directions, especially east and west which is obviously derived fromthe path of the sun. Also important are the upward and down directionsrepresenting the male sky and the female earth, and the joining of the two togive life. The artless fact that these symbols are so widespread and evident inseparate rituals suggests that the North American Indians had a strong religiousfoundation long before Europeans arrived and attempted to teach them religion.WORKS CITED LISTBrown, Joseph Van Epes. The heavenly electron tube Black Elks Account of the SevenRi tes of the Oglala Sioux. Norman, Oklahoma University of Oklahoma Press, 1953.Coorigan, Samuel W, ed. Readings in Aboriginal Studies Brandon, ManitobaBearpaw Publishing, 1995.Hultkrantz, Ake. Belief and Worship in Native North America. Ed. ChristopherVecsey. siege of Syracuse, New York Syracuse University Press, 1981.Robicsek, Francis. The Smoking Gods Tobacco in Maya Art, History, andReligion. Norman, Oklahoma University of Oklahoma Press, 1978.Steinmetz, Fr. Paul B., S.J. "The Sacred Pipe in American Indian Religions."American Indian ending and Research Journal. 8(3) 27-80, 1984.