- published: 31 Oct 2014
- views: 571091
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including by a religious community. The term usually refers to actions which are stylized, excluding actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers.
The field of ritual studies has seen a number of conflicting definitions of the term. One given by Kyriakidis (2007) is that Ritual is an outsider's or "etic" category for a set activity (or set of actions) which to the outsider seems irrational, non-contiguous, or illogical. The term can be used also by the insider or "emic" performer as an acknowledgement that this activity can be seen as such by the uninitiated onlooker.
A ritual may be performed on specific occasions, or at the discretion of individuals or communities. It may be performed by a single individual, by a group, or by the entire community; in arbitrary places, or in places especially reserved for it; either in public, in private, or before specific people. A ritual may be restricted to a certain subset of the community, and may enable or underscore the passage between religious or social states.
To tell you the truth
it really hurts
It shouldn't have be like this
when everyone else takes the pain
Why can't I do the same
If only I could do without my
god damn rituals
And all your flaws
makes you perfect
It wasn't meant to end this way
when everyone else takes the pain
Why can't I do the same
If only I could do without my
rituals
It makes me smaller
when we're not together
Crushed
by the weight of a feather
It makes me smaller
when we're not together
I could be crushed
by the weight of a feather
To tell you the truth
it really hurts
I don't deserve to be treated like this
when everyone else takes the pain
Why can't I do the same
If only I could do without my