Rituals of Life – On initiation rituals and practices in connection with entering new stages of life

Thematic field of the exhibition "Body. Cult. Religion."

People pass through various social stages in their lives. The transitions between these stages are often characterised
by religious beliefs and associated actions that are performed on the individual body. In many societies, the transition between certain stages is accompanied by rituals of formal acceptance – known as "initiation" – into the new stage of life. Initiation processes or rituals exist worldwide in different societies and eras.

There are many religious initiation rituals. As a Christian, for example, you are baptised, as this is how you are accepted into the circle of Christianity. In many societies, circumcision, tattooing, branding or shaving hair are elements of initiation rituals. In some societies there are also secret initiation rituals. One example is the Freemasons, whose initiation ritual is initially secret even for candidates. But there are also other initiations that you only go through in the course of your life. These include, for example, the first communion in Catholicism or the pilgrimage to Mecca in Islam.

The result of every initiation – whether socially and/or religiously characterised – is a change in the social status of the individual. It is often at least temporarily separated from the previous social environment and surroundings (e.g. when leaving school). Initiation processes promote the cohesion of a (religious) society and give the individual a sense of belonging. Modern forms of initiation also retain some of the functions that underlie these rituals in all societies: the creation of identity, integration into social groups and the emphasising of shared values.

Selected exhibits

The following texts are based on the exhibition catalogue:

Erhardt, S.; Graefe, J.; Lichtenberger, A.; Lohwasser, A.; Nieswandt, H.-H.; Strutwolf, H. (eds.): Body. Cult. Religion. Perspectives from Antiquity to the Present. Münster 2024. (only available in german)

• Icon with a depiction of the baptism of Jesus from the 18th century (Cat. no. 158)

  Exemplary exhibits from the ‘Rituals of Life’ theme area

  The scene shows the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan by John the Baptist. In the Christian faith, the moment of baptism reveals Jesus' divine sonship and thus also the Trinity of God. In the depiction, the white dove symbolises the Holy Spirit, while the divinity of Jesus is made clear by a halo with the inscription "The Being". For Christianity, baptism, as attested in the New Testament, is the central initiation rite. It symbolises participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. In the Christian sense, initiation symbolises incorporation into the church and community. (exc/fbu)

• Buddhist begging bowl ( Cat. no. 170)

  

  This contemporary begging bowl from Thailand in the ‘Rituals of Life’ area is one of the personal items given to Buddhist monks and nuns when they undergo full initiation into the order. The original rule says that they are to go out together in the early morning to beg for their food from the Buddhist laity, that is, those not ordained as nuns or monks. Since the older rule forbids the monks and nuns to work, the laity are obliged to provide the order with the necessary material goods. The daily collection of alms thus ensures the close link between order and laity, and embodies the ideal of mutual giving: the laity give food to the order, which in turn gives the laity the Buddhist teachings, considered to be the greatest gift. The collection of alms is still practised today, although the laity often also run monastery kitchens. (exc/pie)

• Clay tablet with priestly initiation, 6th century BC (Cat. no. 148)

  This clay tablet dates from the 6th century BC from Uruk in modern-day Iraq and is inscribed with a text in cuneiform script. It tells of how the temple authorities approached the priestly community to ask whether an aspirant could be initialized as a priest. The text makes it clear which requirements a candidate for the priesthood had to fulfill in addition to the usual purity regulations: he had to have “impeccable” ancestry, namely be the son of a priest and a “pure” mother, i.e. born in wedlock. It is known from other texts that the temple barbers examined candidates for the priesthood physically. Priests were not allowed to have any health restrictions or aesthetic abnormalities, such as poor eyesight, broken teeth, kidney stones, asymmetrical facial features or skin diseases. They were also expected to lead a morally impeccable life, which is also attested to in this text.

  Purity, both physical and mental, was a prerequisite for being able to face the gods. The gods were quickly angered by impurity and then the ritual threatened to fail, with all the negative consequences for the community. (exc/fbu)

• Sistrum (Cat. no. 160)

  

  The Ethiopian sistrum is a liturgical instrument in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It is used during church services and at important church festivals and processions, which are enriched by music, singing and dancing. One of the most important festivals in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. In some places, this festival can last for several days, and music always plays a role in the processions. At Timkat, it is mainly drums, simple horns and sistra that are used, these being played by both clergy and the congregation, with the entire procession moving while singing and dancing. (exc/tst)

• Tablet with apotropaic symbols and notations (Cat. no. 169)

  

  This wooden tablet probably comes from Morocco and was originally used for writing and memorising the Quran. The front is colourfully painted, while the back is for writing. Originally, such wooden tablets were widespread and have been in use since at least antiquity. Nowadays, similar tablets are still used in the Maghreb and in the sub-Saharan region for teaching the Quran. Memorising parts of the Quran still takes place in Quranic schools (kuttāb) and is an important step for a child on the path to becoming a full member of the religious community. Since Islam believes that the Quran is the direct, revealed and unchanging word of God, memorising it can be seen as incorporating His word into one’s own body. (exc/tst)

• Candomblé initiation ritual (Cat. no. 172)

  

  Taken by Pierre Verger in Brazil, this photograph shows a novice (iaô) in a trance during an initiation ritual in the Candomblé, a Brazilian religion with African roots. In the Candomblé belief system, every human being is connected with certain African deities (orixás) before birth. Initiation is intended to strengthen this connection and anchor it permanently in the human body. The orixás are considered to dwell in the head (ori), which is therefore at the centre of a series of initiation rituals. What can be seen here is the so-called Saída de iaô (‘novice’s appearance’), when her head is shaved and decorated with small cuts, these then being soaked with an infusion of plants and blood from sacrificial animals that carry the energy (axé) of the novice’s personal orixá. Damp chalk (pemba) produced ritually is also used to paint the head with dots and net-shaped signs extending over the shoulders to the arms. The white colour of the chalk is associated with the god Oxalá, who is connected to the process of creation and is therefore important for the initiation – the symbolic creation – of the novice. (exc/pie)

To the next thematic field: "Disembodiment"