Patterns of traditional religious and cultural practices of the Idoma People of Nigeria

The research focuses on the patterns of traditional religious and cultural practices of the Idoma People of Nigeria. The study also seeks to investigate the cultural beliefs and practices of the Idoma traditional society which were affected by the advent of Christianity in the area. Some of the cultural beliefs and practices of the Idoma people before the advent of Christianity will be examined, as well as the people response to the new faith and the propelling factors behind the responses of the people. The study adopted qualitative phenomenological research design and descriptive method of data analysis. Personal interview forms a primary source of data collection while the secondary source includes library sources. The study reveals that the advent of Christianity in the Idoma traditional society had some impact and consequences on their traditional and cultural practices. Some of the Idoma beliefs and practices affected include ancestor veneration, polygamous marriage, burial rites, widowhood practices, naming ceremony among others which are no longer practiced the way it used to be practiced before the advent of Christianity. The study recommends among other things that, there should be a synergy between Idoma traditional beliefs and practices and Christianity for peaceful co-existence, progress and developments in the area.

A Theological Understanding of Ancestor Veneration in the Bapedi Society as an Expression of Transcendence and Anticipation of Comfort and Hope

In the Bapedi society, ancestor veneration is one area that requires scholarly attention. Historically, in the indigenous Bapedi religion there is far greater acceptance that ancestors are in existence, and ancestor veneration and culture are related. A significant dimension in the role played by the ancestors in the Bapedi culture is how they are believed to transmit and safeguard life. Therefore, an investigation of ancestor veneration as a source of comfort and hope, in the context of Bapedi people’s religious and cultural rituals is inevitable. The present study investigated the Bapedi conception of death, its meaning, the significance of the rituals performed during and after death, and how Bapedi people conceive and deal with ancestor veneration. To achieve this, the study employed direct observations, video recordings, and informal interviews. Three interrelated research questions, therefore, guided this study: 1) Do Bapedi people believe in the resurrection of the dead and eternal life for the individual after death?; 2) Does the continuing relationship of ancestors with their families have medical, financial, moral, biological, and social implications for the living?; and 3) Do Bapedi people believe in reincarnation of a dead individual in the form of another individual still living, and particularly in the powerful spirit or soul of a dead person which still has a potent functional role which affects the still living? Findings of this study have shown that ancestor veneration seems to offer Bapedi people an opportunity to express their faith and confidence in their ancestors. It has become evident from a thorough analysis of the data that music is a societal need and appears to be an expression of the most basic values and feelings of the Bapedi people. It was concluded that ancestors have unlimited powers over the lives of the living, and there are no restrictions to either the chastisement or the blessings that they can confer on their descendants.

The Gastronomy of Tenggerese's "Cangkriman-Sodoran" Oral Literature

The diversity and uniqueness of Tenggerese cuisine is a small part of the complexity of gastro-ritual. So far there have not been many comprehensive studies on the gastronomy in Tengger, especially the one in Tenggerese rituals. This article is focused on the ways Karo ritual reveals the aspects of art, aesthetics, socio-culture, history, and science and knowledge. Using the perspective of gastronomic literature, this research found out that the sacredness of traditional Tenggerese cuisine is stabilized in the oral literary piece of Cangkriman. This oral literary piece, which falls into the category of puzzle, becomes an integral part of the performance of Sodoran dance. Sodoran dance in turn becomes an integral part of Karo festival. The symbols of mercy, generosity, thoroughness, detailedness, and ancestor veneration can be seen in the preparation and serving of ritual foods (sesaji [food offerings]) and foods for the participants (cooked rice, side dishes, and snacks) in Karo festival. The preparation and serving of Karo ritual foods show unique culinary aesthetics. The preparation and serving of foods, side dishes, and snacks, which are done by the village institution bethek-sinoman, show a social activity that is full of the value of gotong royong (mutual cooperation). Specifically the genealogy and embryology of the Tenggerese people are symbolized in the traditional snacks of pepes and pasung.

Lessons From Whakapapa and Filial Piety: Can Social Work Capitalize on the Connection That Survives Death?

Ageing is part of life, and so is death. Although death will involve all of us over time, it is often regarded as a taboo topic, and bonds with the dead are seldom acknowledged in contemporary times. The paper presents selected insights on the connection that survives death, learned from a qualitative study on two indigenous knowledges—whakapapa (genealogical connections in Maori) and filial piety (respect/care for ancestors). Data were collected from interviews with 49 key informants (Maori=25; Korean=24) in 2018/19 in New Zealand and South Korea. The research findings indicate that the connectedness with ancestors or deceased loved ones is a significant part of the participants’ mental and social lives. Māori (the first nation people of New Zealand) have established the unwritten convention of whakapapa as the core value that places whānau (family) at the centre of social relationships. In Korean culture, its filial piety/ancestor veneration tradition has emphasised the connection between deceased and living family members. Criticism about the traditions of whakapapa and filial piety was also raised by a few participants. The significance of this study is situated in the innovative perspective that the post-mortem relationship can be embodied, not only by the living who practise memorial respect for the dead, but also by those older people who establish after-life legacy before death. To help capitalise on this whakapapa connection, the so-called concept of “memorial social work” is presented as a potential area of social work practice, which has critical implications in the ageing/end-of-life related fields.

‘Sempre la’o ho ita’

With the power to impact people’s lives in any number of ways, the ancestors play a prominent role in ensuring (or in some cases, jeopardising) the safety and well-being of their living descendants. This chapter explores a range of different forms and practices of protection, risk mitigation, and methods of managing anxiety and dread. This includes an examination of items imbued with protective powers; rituals and prayers conducted to receive ancestral blessings and protection; and rituals aimed at identifying which transgressions or inadequate ancestor veneration have caused problems. These ongoing acts of exchange and engagement will be examined in the context of the ‘everyday’, as well as at more specific instances of heightened occasions of insecurity, violence and conflict.

Уяўленні пра сірату ў традыцыйнай культуры беларусаў: асаблівасці вывучэння і перспектывы даследавання

The article presents the results of our research on the particularities of the ideas about the orphan in Belarusian traditional culture, as well as the perspectives for further research of this cultural phenomenon. Works by Belarusian, Polish and Russian philologists on the subject have been taken into account. The article has shed light on the particularities of Belarusian ideas about the orphan in funeral and wedding rituals, as well as folktales. Traditional ideas about the orphan have been analyzed in relation to the changes in family structures through history and the familial relationships of Belarusians. A connection has been discovered between the ideas about the orphan and the particularities of Belarusian popular religion, and namely the system of ancestor veneration. Conclusions have been made about the perspectives of researching the ideas about the orphan from a multicultural perspective.

Modern Beliefs of the Karakalpaks Concerning the Tradition of Ancestor Veneration

The ancestor worship is one of the most enduring traditions among the Karakalpaks and is still practiced today in many Karakalpak clans. This phenomenon is an important part of the culture, extending beyond the boundaries of a particular religion or complex of beliefs. The ancestor veneration is based on the notion that the human spirit continues to exist after death and is able to influence lives of the living. In the modern spiritual life of the Karakalpak people, the cult of their ancestors is preserved not only among the older generation, but also among young people who are actively involved in celebratory rituals. However, individual traditions and rituals associated with animistic beliefs, in particular with the veneration of ancestors, have transformed in recent decades. According to the collected information, globalization, urbanization processes and changes in the socio-economic life of the society are responsible for these changes

ON REFERRING TO CHRISTIANITY SANCTUARIES IN TABLE MOUNTAIN (MAT-LOM)

The article aims to verify some of the assertions made about attributing sanctuaries of Mount Stolovaya (Myat-Loam) in Ingushetia to Christianity. The principal tasks of the study are to conduct critical analysis of some of the statements of pre-revolutionary and soviet authors, related to those shrines; to check the conformity of the said shrines to the Christian places of worship; to compare rituals of the sanctuaries with the Christian ones.Pre-revolutionary imperial and soviet authors associate sanctuaries of Mount Stolovaya in the mountainous regions of Ingushetia (Myatzetli, Myattar-Dyala, Susol-Dyala) to Christianity, describing them as churches or chapels. For this purpose, names of the shrines were often distorted and then attributed to Christian saints. Those statements, without any scientific reasoning, were most likely aimed to legitimize the Russian Empire on the Caucasus’ territory, as a former Christian space. However, the study analysis of the sanctuaries, carried out by the leading experts in places of worship (architect A. Goldstein, archeologist M.B Muzhukhoev, ethnologists V. N. Basilov, V.P. Kobychev et al.) reveals that they do not comply with the established criteria of Christian monuments; rituals of praying at the sanctuaries also show no conformity to Christianity (it was forbidden for anyone to be inside the Ingush shrines except the priest; the absence of altar; animal sacrifice; feasts and dances, etc.).The analysis of architectural, ritual and ethnographic aspects of the sanctuaries on Mount Stolovaya provides the conclusion that Myatsil, Myattar-Dyala, Susol-Dyala are pagan shrines, associated with crypts as attributes of the cult of ancestor veneration. Basing on the analysis, it has been established that Myatseli and other distinctive Ingush sanctuaries, located in Kistin community of Ingushetia, were never Christian churches or chapels; attempts at associating Christian names of St. Mary or St. Matthew to the name of Myatseli and the sacred Ingush mountain Myat-Loam are unfounded. The results of the study refute the attempts of false attribution of Ingush national places of worship to Christianity and carry not only gnoseological, but also practical relevance.