(a) Read the article.
(b) Watch the Flash animation video at the ABC Dust Echoes site called "Morning Star".
(c) Take the "Quiz"
(d) Then respond to the following questions:
Article:
http://www.modernpaths.com/library/rituals/
Video: (you will have to load the Dust Echoes program and click on the "Morning Star" circle along the top of the page)
"Morning Star" - http://www.abc.net.au/dustechoes/dustEchoesFlash.htm
- What is the purpose/s of the Death rite?
- What is the difference between a Rite and a Ritual? And why is the ceremony shown in the video best described as a Rite?
- Describe, in your own words, the process of the Death rite shown in the video (4-5 sentences).
1) What is the purpose/s of the Death Rite?
ReplyDeleteThe Death Rite is a ceremony, in which an individual who has died is being officially put to rest (depending on what religion they belong to may change the outcome). This official ceremony holds the purpose of comfort for others who shared the same beliefs and it is ethical behaviour of the specific religious group. It is in most religious views, the next step of initiation.
2) What is the difference between a Rite and a Ritual? And why is the ceremony shown in the video best described as Rite?
A Rite is a singular religious practice or ceremony. (It is often a step of initiation)
A Ritual is the specific method of how a Rite must be done; it is something that is done to bring people of the same belief together and of them finding ways to connect their transcendent dimension with their immanent dimension.
The ceremony shown in the video is best described as a Rite because it is portraying a religious Death Rite. This means that it would be incorrect in saying that the ceremony was a ritual because really they were performing a singular part of their beliefs and also they are coming together for the next step of initiation of the dead individual.
3) Describe the process of the Death Rite shown in the video?
The process shown in the video was of an Aboriginal Death Rite. First a chant is sung by a man, to inform the spirits, and then the dead man was placed on a platform on a tree, away from the tribal camp to be cleaned by the birds. Then the people build a fire inside a marked circle and smoke themselves, this process lasts for a couple of weeks (It is at this time that the dead mans spirit is released). In this ceremonial stage they also make a hollow log coffin (Lorrkon), it is into this coffin that the remains of the dead man’s bones go into. The final stage of their Death Rite is of the people carrying the coffin whilst dancing up the hill and into a cave, which would be the final resting place of the dead man. After this the men paint themselves red and run in and out of the water two or three times until the water is red and the morning star rises (the act of releasing the dead mans spirit into the universe). The cry of a baby signifies new life.
By: Dona Adikari, 11 Ludovic
1) What is the purpose/s of the Death Rite?
ReplyDeleteThe Death Rite is defined as a ‘ceremony’ where the deceased is put to his or her final rest, it is often seen as the final rite a person can take in their life in reference to religious rites.
Emmi Theodoridis
11chav
2) What is the difference between a Rite and a Ritual? And why is the ceremony shown in the video best described as Rite?
A Rite is a formal or ceremonial singular act, where as a ritual is a collection of religious rites. Therefore a ritual describes the rites that but be followed or completed. The ceremony shown in the video is an example of a religious rite as it is only showing a singular action of the religion as opposed to a set or ‘guide lines’ for what to do.
3) Describe the process of the Death Rite shown in the video?
The process of the death rite in reference to the video seen begins with the singing of a particular hymn; this is down to inform the spirits as to what was happening. This was followed but he decease man being placed on a branch in a tree in order to be cleaned by the birds. Then the tribal people ‘smoke themselves’ by building a fire which lasts a few weeks. This symbolises the release of the deceased man’s spirit.
This is followed by the creation of the log coffin as they refer to as ‘Lorrkon’. Once the birds have cleaned the body the bones are placed in the log coffin. The coffin is then carried into a cave, where it is permanently rested.
The other tribal people continue the ceremony by covering their bodies in red paint and running into the water, until the water has turned red too. The rite ends when the morning star rises.
What is the purpose/s of the Death rite?
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of the death rite is to lay the deceased to rest and let their spirit go free. The death rite changes for different religions but it is usually held so that people close to the deceased can pay their final respects to the deceased body. It is also held so that the spirit can get a proper passing into the next life.
What is the difference between a Rite and a Ritual? And why is the ceremony shown in the video best described as a Rite?
A rite is a single act that is usually sacred and passed down from generation to generation while a ritual is where many rites may be performed in order to make a process complete. The ceremony in the video is a rite as it is just one act under the death rite, therefore only one act is being performed so it is not a ritual.
Describe, in your own words, the process of the Death rite shown in the video (4-5 sentences).
The death rite in the video is unusual to us but that is their culture. It begins when an elder or a man of age in the camp sings out to the spirit world to tell them of the death. After this the ceremony of birth, life and death had began for the first time for this clan. To release the spirit the people had to smoke themselves up then danced until the body decomposed and only bones were left. The people made a ‘lorrkon’ which is a coffin made from bark then they went to collect the bones but only pure men were able to climb the tree and collect the bones. The lorrkon was then placed in a cave which would be the final resting place for the bones. Then after more dancing the morning star appears which signifies that the spirit of the dead is released to the universe. That concludes the ceremony of birth, life and death.
1. What is the purpose/s of the Death rite?
ReplyDeleteThe Death rite aims to release the soul of the dead to the Universe so that the cycle of “Mardiyhin” (the cycle of life and death) may continue. The Death rite also allows the Aboriginal people of the tribe of the dead person to properly mourn their passing.
2. What is the difference between a rite and a ritual? Why is the ceremony shown in the video best described as a rite? The difference between a rite and a ritual is that a ritual is a way of bridging the gap between the transcendent and imminent dimensions for the period of the ceremony. It allows humans to connect to their “higher power” and the subconscious section of our brains. However, the connection is more at an everyday level. An example of a ritual in the Christian tradition is praying the Rosary. A rite, on the other hand, is a more formal ritual that is usually initiatory; that is, it welcomes someone into a certain stage of their religious development. For example, Baptism. Similar to rituals, rites also aim to connect humans to their higher power and subconscious but on a more formal and significant note. However, not all rites have to be initiatory. Some rites are just to mark specific important events. A feature common to all rites is that it is a formal, established ceremony. The ceremony shown in the video is best described as a rite because it marks the transition from life to death, which is initiatory. Also, it is a formal ceremony that is not performed at an everyday level. It is specifically performed as a death ceremony when a member of a tribe has died.
3. Describe, in your own words, the process of the Death rite shown in the video.
The Death rite began with the body of the dead man being placed in a tree so that the birds may clean the bones. Then, the Elder of the tribe called out to the Spirit Lords in a special song. He then placed some branches over the body and left it in the tree. On the ground, the Elder drew a large circle in the earth with a stick. The tribe then made a large “bonfire” just outside the circle. To release the spirit of the dead person, the tribe had to “smoke themselves up” with the smoke from the fire. They stood inside the circle and danced a traditional dance for weeks. As the tribe danced, some members made a traditional ‘lorrkon’ (coffin) with bark. Over this time, the dead person’s body was being cleaned by the birds. Once the bones were clean, the Elder climbed up the tree and retrieved the bones one by one. The bones were wrapped in bark and placed in the lorrkon. The lorrkon was then placed in a cave. After the tribe returned from “burying” the dead person, they all went to the watering hole and washed themselves clean. They then waited for the morning. When the morning star appeared in the sky, this signified the dead person’s spirit being relesed to the Universe. The Death rite was complete.
By Madeline Richardson
11 Studies of Religion
Mr Bosco
Chris Eid
ReplyDelete11 Edwin
Question
1. The death rite is any ceremonial acts or customs employed at the time of death and burial (may differ within religions). The main purpose of this is to bring comfort for other people within that community. Different groups have different explanations on why they do this eg. Next step after life (reincarnation/initiation), to release their spirits/souls etc.
2. A rite is a formal religious ceremony, and a ritual is a prescribed method for performing a religious ceremony. The ceremony view in the video was a rite. This is because it brings people with that community (tribe) together and it helps suffers to connect to the transcendent dimension. Also they are performing their own practises for this dead individual, which is performed with every death (these practises change from different groups)
3. There are ten important steps taken within this story:
1) the camp suffers its first death
2) the man calls out to the spirit world through the song of “Mularra”
3) the ceremony of birth, life and death begins
4) the community must ‘smoke themselves up’ so they can release the spirit of the man
5) crows clean the mans body
6) the ceremony goes on for days, and the tribe makes a ‘Lorrkon’ to place the dead man’s bones in
7) they collected his bones and wrapped them with bark and then placed them into the ‘Lorrkon’
8) the mans bones are placed in a cave to preserve them
9) when the morning star is present the spirit is release to the universe
10) finally the ceremony of birth, life and death is completed
1) The purpose of the aboriginal death rite is to allow the spirit/soul of recently deceased person to leave its body and continue in the afterlife. This may provide comfort for the friends and family of the person who died. These types of ceremonies such as death rites and funerals are a religious response to a fundamental question of existence.
ReplyDelete2) Rites are rituals or ceremonies performed to mark the major events in a person’s life. E.g. Birth, Reaching of Adulthood and death.
The Ritual shown in the video is an example is an example of a rite as it was performed to mark a major event in the life of one of the members of the aboriginal tribe. In the this case the death of a tribe member.
3) The Aboriginal death rite is performed as follows:
-Person Dies
-A man calls out to the spirit world through the song of Mullara and thus the ceremony of birth life and death begins.
-The body of the recently deceased person is placed in a tree to be cleaned
-A circle is drawn on the ground and in order to release the man’s spirit the people smoke themselves up.
-A Ritual is performed for several days
-Meanwhile the dead man’s body has been cleaned by the birds
-A bark coffin is made ( A longkon)
-The dead man’s bones are placed in the coffin
-With the appearance of the morning star the ceremony of birth, life and death (Marian) is complete.
Benjamin Plummer
ReplyDeleteYear 11 Religion
Q1.
What is the purpose of the death rite?
A1.
The purpose of the death rite is to correctly dispose of a deceased person’s body according to the rites and religious rituals and/or customs of the community the deceased belonged to, e.g. Aboriginal tribe. The death rite also serves as a way for the community to mourn and honour a deceased member of the tribe or community group. The rite also serves as a way of securing the deceased person a place in the afterlife, or guaranteeing their spiritual survival. It is also a way of training younger members of the community in the ways of disposing of the corpses of members of the tribe.
Q2.
What is the difference between a Rite and a Ritual? And why is the ceremony shown in the video best described as a Rite?
A2.
The difference between a rite and a ritual is that a ritual is an action that is repeated by a person on regular occasions, such as eating a favourite meal at a restaurant. A ritual is a REPEATED action, which enables us to subconsciously attach ourselves to something. A rite is a singular act which is often passed down from generation to generation, and is often tied in with religious ceremonies, or is of important religious or spiritual significance.
Q3.
Describe, in your own words, the process of the Death rite shown in the video (4-5 sentences).
A3.
The process of the death rite depicted in the video is; firstly a chant is sung by the tribe to alert the spirits of a death, and to prepare the deceased’s spirit for the afterlife. Then the body is placed in a tree so as it can be cleaned by scavenging birds and the spirit can be released from the body. Then the tribe build a large fire and ‘smoke themselves’, presumably so that they can be cleansed for the next stage of the funerary rite, this stage of cleansing lasts a several days. Then purified men of the tribe climb the tree after all that remains are bones, and place the bones in a bark coffin, which is then interred in a cave to protect them from being scattered by the elements. The funerary rite is recognised as being finished with the appearance of the new morning star.
Kim
ReplyDelete1) The purpose of a “death rite” is to allow the soul of the individual to be released into the universe so that the cycle of life/death can go on. The “death rite” is also a method of proper mourning for the Aboriginal community so that they can pay their full respects to the deceased.
2) The difference between a rite and a ritual is that a rite is often an official ceremony which initiates someone into the next stage of their faith. A rite a single formal ceremony which is not performed on a daily basis, compared to a ritual which can be less formal. A ritual is something which can be performed routinely (e.g. a Catholics praying via rosary beads).
This story can be described as a rite because it is far more sacred than a ritual and it distinctly bridges the gap between the immanent and transcendental dimension as the Aboriginal people perform the “death rite”.
3) This death rite shown to us started with the body of the deceased being placed into a tree so that it could be cleaned in preparation for the forthcoming events. Then, a special song was sung by the elder as he placed branches over the body in the tree. Then, a bonfire was made by the elder inside a large circle drawn on the ground. In order to release the spirit from within the body, the tribe surrounded themselves in smoke and danced for days and days. Whilst this dancing occurred, some of the tribal members created a coffin made out of bark. At the same time, the deceased person’s body was being cleaned by wild birds and once the bones were cleaned they were placed in the coffin. Once this coffin was placed in a cave, the rest of the tribe returned to the watering hole and washed themselves clean. As soon as the morning star appeared, this was considered to be the spirit being released into the universe.
1) What is the purpose/s of the Death rite?
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of the death rite in the morning star is to complete the final rite in a human’s life, by completing a very important ceremony to guide the humans body into the afterlife. This is done through carefully carrying out all the steps in the ceremony to make sure the spirit of the dead man or women has their spirit journey safely from our world to the afterlife. Another main purpose of the rite is to teach others that death is a natural part of life and there is necessary a rite to be undertaken when this happens this is a belief and it also keeps people calm and busy so they are a part of the rite and not thinking about the death of the person they are thinking more about helping the soul of the person cross into the afterlife.
2) What is the difference between a Rite and a Ritual? And why is the ceremony shown in the video best described as a Rite?
A rite is a formal ceremony that is usually based around an individual, there are different types of rites for example an initiation rite in joining something or making a transition such as from childhood to adulthood, there are also ancient rites which are seen to have cosmic functions such as rites to keep the sun in the sky to put water in the Nile etc. While a ritual is based around a rite and is carried out to make a rite effective or to help complete a rite. The ceremony in the story is a rite because it is showing the singular event of an individual passing form the world of the living into the afterlife.
3) Describe, in your own words, the process of the Death rite shown in the video (4-5 sentences).
The first part of the rite is a person is found dead then someone calls out to the spirit world through song, this is the beginning of the rite this song also alerts others that someone has died. The body is then put into a tree and wrapped in bark to be cleaned by crows, while this is happening the people cover themselves in smoke to communicate with the spirit world through song and dance. This ceremony continues for days and weeks, while this is happening a log container is made for the bones then after the body is cleaned the bones are collected and placed in the log container. The body is then placed in a cave were it will be safe from harm, the ceremony still continues with more singing and dancing but in water. Then when they see the morning star they know the spirit of the dead is released to the universe and the ceremony is concluded.
Phoebe Yang
ReplyDelete1. A death rite is a ceremony to put a dead person to rest or a way of mourning the dead.
2.A rite is a formal religious ceremony. A ritual is a prescribed method for carrying out religious ceremony. The story can best be described as a rite because it is a religious ceremony that is repeated, but not methods or guidelines for performing the ceremony.
3. The death rite begins with a special chant that informs the spirits of that death. They then put the body on the tree outside the camp to be cleaned by birds. Then they start fire and use smoke for cleansing themselves. After the body has been cleaned by the birds, the bones are taken down and put in a hollow bark . After the bark has been put in a cave, they return and wash themselves clean.
1. What is the purpose/s of the Death rite?
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of a Death rite is to signify and put to rest a human from that religion that has died. This rite is undertaken to let the spirit out of its casing/body and release it into the universe.
2. What is the difference between a Rite and a Ritual? And why is the ceremony shown in the video best described as a Rite?
The difference between a rite and a ritual is... The ritual are the steps/processes undertaken to perform the entire rite. Whereas rite is a number of rituals which signify a meaning, it is a way of connecting from the transcedent dimension to the immanent dimension by releasing a alive spirit from a dead body.
3. Describe, in your own words, the process of the Death rite shown in the video (4-5 sentences).
First part to the Rite is; A man calling out the the spriits through the song of "mulara". Then he makes a bed of bark branches and leaves on the tree or floor, the dead man is then placed onto the bed, now the cereomony of life birth and death had began. The man then used a stick to draw a circle in the ground. They then start a fire in the circle and have to "smoke themselves up" (put ashes on themselves). they then danced in the circle, and at the same time the people made a lorrkon for the dead mans/womens bones. Then the Du-a man could pluck the dead mans bones and place them into the lorrkon. The lorrkon is then placed into a cave, the whole tribe then washes of the ash in water, and that is the end of the rite of death.
1, what is the purpose of the death right
ReplyDeleteThe death right is simply a ceremony/ritual where the deceased is put to his/her final rest Similar to the last rights to the catholic religion.
2, what is the difference between a rite and a ritual.
A rite is a single religious act where as a ritual is a series of rites combined. Therefore rituals define all the rites within that ritual. ( a example of a rite was in the video where it showed a singler act of that pacific religion.
3, describe the process of the death rite shown in the video.
The death rite begins with an elder singing a pacific hymn or song. This is done to ensure the older sprits know of the deceased and to what is occurring. The deceased was then placed in the branches of a tree to be cleansed and spiritualized by all flying creatures. Then all elders of the group lit a fire which represents the released of the dead mans spirit to the elders. A coffin that is known as a lorrokon is created out of logs. The body can only be placed in if it has been cleansed by the birds. The body is placed I a cave where it rests. The body is covered in red pain. The rite ends at morning break
Great work again, guys.
ReplyDeleteYou have described the death rite in the video effectively and appreciated its function in the Indigenous Spirituality.
However, some of you seem a touch confused with your differentiation between rites and rituals. Yes, rituals may form part of a rite, but you should not rely on their inter-relationship as a means to define what they are.
Rites are about formalising the process of changing one's status within the religion. Most rites are , but not all of them are. Rites can be seperated into three distinct catergories:
1) Seperation
2) Transition
3) Incorportation
Entering the religion at birth or soon after is a rite, being acknowledged as a man/woman rather than a child is a rite, going from being single to married is a rite, clensing oneself of impurity before entering into the after-life is a rite, and so on.
A ritual, on the other hand, is a single/series of repeated actions that are considered (by a religion or cultural community) to have symbolic meaning. One may perform these rituals on a daily, weekly, etc. Like rites, rituals are also an example of the immanent dimension of a religion - There purpose being to forge a bridge or strengthen one's connection to the transcendental dimension.
One of the main differences is that rituals can be performed individually and as a community. Whilst, rites must be performed as a community. Because rites are about formally and publicly acknowledging one's change of status - they, of course, cannot be performed privately.
Some examples of rituals include; crossing oneself, joining one's hands together in prayer, chanting or singing songs/hymns of praise or lamentation, covering oneself in smoke or paint, dancing, facing a certain direction and humbling oneself before God, etc.
Hope that clears things up.
Mr. Bosco
Mr Bosco i just scored 10/10 on the test
ReplyDelete