Journal article
Sanctity and sanction in communal ritual: a reconsideration of Shintô festival processions
Ethnology, Vol.36(1), pp.1-12
1997
DOI: 10.2307/3773932
Abstract
Japanese society is characterized by an emphasis on harmony and self-restraint as guiding principles of daily interaction. As a consequence, alcohol is often considered a necessary catalyst for promoting the open expression of alternative viewpoints, though only in certain culturally prescribed contexts. A Shintô festival procession provides one such context. The bearers of a large, sanctified object "purify" themselves with liberal amounts of sake, and their intoxicated condition combines with the sheer bulk of the object to lend an ominous uncertainty to its movement. Since the object is perceived as being controlled by the will of the deity, however, no one can be held responsible for any damages incurred during the procession. This type of ritual may thus be considered an instrument of social sanction, affording the people a means of enforcing compliance with accepted norms or seeking retribution for perceived injustices.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Sanctity and sanction in communal ritual: a reconsideration of Shintô festival processions
- Creators
- Scott R. Schnell - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Ethnology, Vol.36(1), pp.1-12
- DOI
- 10.2307/3773932
- ISSN
- 0014-1828
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 1997
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology
- Record Identifier
- 9983557509102771
Metrics
56 Record Views