Q&A Hero

Q: Not all rituals are religiously based.

Q: In BOTH sacred and secular henna tattooing ceremonies, the body becomes representative of all of the following EXCEPT: A. The individual physical body B. A purified vessel reflecting social and religious feminine ideals C. The gendered and social body within society D. A canvas not only design and adornment, but simultaneous cohesion and questioning of social norms

Q: Kapchan discusses how henna art on bodies makes public internal chances such as coming of age/marriage, etc. All of the following are ways Kapchan discuses that internal components or values are made public by this ritual EXCEPT: A. Application of Henna often marks changes in life such as: marriage, birth, a son's circumcision, or death. B. Visible henna marks after a henna tattooing ritual act a reminder of feminine self-identity. C. Visible henna marks after a henna tattooing ritual bear a woman into her dominant culture and renew the properties of a private sociocultural ritual to a wider public audience D. The ephemeral art of henna has no constants whatsoever and the meaning of visible henna marks after a henna tattooing ritual will remain a dynamic mystery

Q: All of the following are parameters that are generally specific henna tattooing in Morocco EXCEPT: A. Henna tattooing all over the world maintains the same cultural parameters as in Morocco. B. Permanently tattoo is religiously disapproved of and has generally fallen out of vogue though it is still practiced as a health/therapeutic or anti-therapeutic ritual. C. Henna tattoos are applied to the hands and feet because these are the only areas visible when women wear the long jellaba. D. Apart from the ritualistic context of marriage ceremonies where men's hands are dipped in henna, henna tattooing and adornment is only practiced on women.

Q: At which two events in a woman's life is Baraka practiced and why? A. Before marriage consummation and before delivery of children, because the woman must be pure for these two events. B. At menarche and before marriage consummation to purify women's bodily fluids. C. Before marriage consummation and before delivery of children, because these two moments mark when women, and their sexuality specifically, can become pollutants to society and women must come to terms with this loss of purity and power. D. At menarche and before marriage consummation, because these two moments mark when women, and their sexuality specifically, can become pollutants to society and women must come to terms with this loss of purity and power.

Q: When Kapchan discusses sacred and secular henna adornment of women's bodies in Morocco, what is the primary ritualistic difference between a sacred versus secular henna tattooing? A. In a secular tattooing meaning is more open and is more subjectively manipulated B. In secular tattooing only, the designs are meant for beatification and reflect feminine artistry C. The female body becomes publically displayed to men and women alike in contrast to its usual concealment D. Secular tattooing is a folk art while sacred tattooing is not

Q: In both Charismatic Renewal and Japanese post-abortion rituals, _________ is one of the most important symbols. A. fire B. water C. milk D. food

Q: The symptoms of distress a Japanese woman displays after an abortion are attributed to A. criticism by friends and family members for committing a socially unacceptable act. B. condemnation by the gods for committing an unnecessary act. C. psychological trauma and the effects of the fetal spirit begging for love and comfort. D. vengeance and resentment from the aborted fetal spirit that is a victim of an unnatural, but necessary, act.

Q: To the Charismatic Renewal movement, the imaginary baptism of an aborted fetus heals by A. turning the fetus into a person who can be prayed for and sent to Jesus. B. reassuring the mother that she has made the correct decision. C. allowing the fetus a second opportunity on earth in the future. D. cleansing the mother's hands in an act symbolizing the washing away of sin.

Q: The Charismatic Renewal movement believes that healing practices are necessary after an abortion because A. the emotional bond between mother and father has been damaged. B. the mother has made a difficult but necessary decision which leaves her with ambiguous emotions of grief and relief. C. abortion produces death trauma for the fetus and the mother experiences guilt and grief. D. the mother is thought to be incapable of conception until she has asked for God's forgiveness.

Q: According to Myerhoff, the transformation from physical being into deity is one in which the ritual participant is A. moving backward, regressing to a primordial state of equality by observing reversals. B. moving forward, to a higher and more egalitarian existence by observing reversals. C. using discussion and reflection to appreciate the supernatural world. D. communing with the supernatural in order to gain spiritual power. E. all of the above.

Q: Myerhoff concludes by suggesting that "paradox is the very quick of ritual," meaning that A. reversals portray differentiation and continuity at the same time. B. all rituals must involve a paradox. C. rituals depend on a negotiation between two seemingly opposite planes of existence. D. that reversals underpin all rituals.

Q: Myerhoff insists that rituals differ from myths because A. they involve the entire community. B. they require action. C. they facilitate transformation. D. they promote the attitude of the sacred. E. they allow participants to reverse their spiritual roles.

Q: According to Myerhoff, the primary ritual function of the peyote hunt is A. to experience intense hallucinogenic visions. B. the transformation of participants into non-physical entities by providing a mnemonic device. C. the transcendence of the ineffable. D. to collect peyote for consumption.

Q: According to Myerhoff, the reversals which occur in Wirikuta are not expressed through A. naming. B. emotional states. C. interpersonal and ritual behavior. D. relationships between the physical and spiritual world.

Q: For the Huichol Indians, Wirikuta is A. a village that has been recently abandoned. B. a paradisiacal condition that existed before the creation of the world. C. a place where physical existence is literally reversed. D. a place where the supernatural and the natural realms diverge.

Q: Mason critiques the ways in which social scientists have tried to define "rite of passage" and asserts that A. an initiate has his/her own unique experience that does not necessarily fit into a model. B. Turner's definition is invalid. C. nonverbal communication in a rite of passage is more important than verbal communication. D. the liminal stage is composed mainly of physical movements.

Q: By touching one's head to the floor, a ritually younger Santer'a participant salutes the "head" of an elder which A. shows submission and acceptance of one's position in the social order. B. marks the end of the initiation ritual. C. creates an eternal bond between the ritual families of the two participants. D. marks the end of subordination to the elder and elevates one's position to that of equal status.

Q: Santer'a is understood as an initiatory religion because A. initiation rituals take place on a weekly basis. B. to become a member one must participate in the initiation rituals of every family member. C. members are initiated every day through individual prayer. D. the changes and elevation of a member's position in the religion are marked by initiation rituals.

Q: The head is an especially important symbol in Santer'a initiation rituals because A. it is thought to be filled with evil spirits that must be washed away. B. it represents the passage of knowledge from an elder to the aleyo. C. through it, the sacrificial animals and the aleyo communicate. D. it is the spiritual faculty and central locus of a human being.

Q: In Santer'a, embodiment is especially important because A. the teaching of moral behavior and ritual skills happens informally and nonverbally. B. observers can easily evaluate the initiate to decide whether or not he/she will be accepted into the religion. C. verbal communication is strictly discouraged. D. participants cannot communicate with oricha verbally.

Q: The "most sacred things," the sacerrima, are A. revealed to the initiates by the elders at the end of the liminal period. B. the axiomatic building blocks of an entire worldview, regarded as absolute ultimate mysteries. C. usually reserved for rites of passage that happen in advanced adulthood. D. are symbolically stripped of meaning during the liminal period.

Q: Turner argues that the frequent disproportion and monstrousness displayed in the communication of sacra A. makes initiates aware of the primary factors of their culture through a "primordial mode of abstraction." B. is a by-product of ritually induced hallucinations and dreams. C. increases the separation felt by neophytes. D. creates tension among and between initiates.

Q: What are the three phases of rites of transition identified by van Gennep? A. ambiguity, contradiction, and structure B. separation, margin, and aggregation C. exhibitions, actions, and instructions D. disproportion, monstrousness, and mystery

Q: The "liminal" period explored by Victor Turner is A. the interstructural situation experienced by neophytes in a rite of passage. B. the final episode in a rite of passage, where the neophyte achieves a new social status. C. a condition of highly elevated awareness and understanding. D. a condition of infancy, where the neophyte is in her/his first stage of existence.

Q: All of the following are reasons why ritual is compared to theatre EXCEPT: A. Ritual is seen as a cultural performance. B. Ritual can include scripted or learned communication or movements. C. Ritual often involves a scared space and use of special costumes or props. D. Ritual can deliver participants into new stages if life with new rights, responsibilities, and privileges.

Q: ___________ is a classified by Wallace as a salvation ritual whereas ____________ is classified as an ideological ritual A. Taboo; mystic experiences B. Sprit possession; rites of passage C. Taboo, rites of intensification D. Rites of rebellion; rites of passage

Q: Wallace outlines __________ as the five major types of ritual. A. Technological rituals, therapy and antitherapy rituals, sacrifice rituals, salvation rituals, and birth/death rituals B. Technological rituals, therapy and antitherapy rituals, conventional rituals, supernatural rituals, and revitalization rituals C. Exploitative rituals, medical rituals, ideological rituals, salvation rituals, and legal rituals D. Technological rituals, therapy and antitherapy rituals, ideological rituals, salvation rituals, and revitalization rituals

Q: According to the editors, we can only assert (uncontroversially at least) that rituals serve which of the following functions? A. Rituals restore and maintain equilibrium in society. B. Rituals allay cultural anxieties and fears. C. Rituals simultaneously construct social arrangements and values, and teach community members about them.

Q: Which of the following elements are not usually involved in definitions of ritual? A. reliance upon symbols B. long-standing tradition C. repetition D. capacity to intensify bonds within a community

Q: According to Daugherty, group support features prominently in holiness-type churches, even though activities in the larger community and other social programs are avoided.

Q: Daugherty notes that West Virginians of other Christian denominations are markedly more psychologically and emotionally healthy than their serpent-handling neighbors.

Q: In the rituals discussed by Daugherty, the snakes are always handled with love and fear, and there is never any attempt to kill them.

Q: The serpent-handlers of West Virginia developed their religion from the diverse cultural exposure of the area.

Q: According to Geertz, a religious system is made up of a cluster of sacred symbols woven into some sort of ordered whole.

Q: According to Geertz, religious belief and ritual comfort do NOT fit into the "is" "ought" dichotomy.

Q: Some Mexicans claim that the Spanish conquest was unnecessary because Indians had already been converted to Christianity long before.

Q: The Guadalupe is important because she validates the Indian's place in the religious and political spheres of Mexican society.

Q: Indigenous Mexicans disguised their adoration of Tonantzin, revered goddess in traditional religious beliefs, to escape persecution by Spanish leaders.

Q: In the myth told by Urmilaji and recorded by Narayan, somavar is associated with the power of regeneration.

Q: The myth and the anecdotal story told by Urmilaji and recorded by Narayan do NOT teach the same lesson.

Q: The two geese in the myth told by Urmilaji and recorded by Narayan represent both a marriage and the bonds of brother and sister.

Q: In the story told by Urmilaji and recorded by Narayan, the daughters-in-law do NOT perform the duties of the washer woman Sunna as tributes to God.

Q: In the myth told by Urmilaji and recorded by Narayan about auspicious marriages all five daughters-in-law and the one daughter approach the man to receive blessings and positive wishes,

Q: The weather is said to be controlled by twins in every Native American culture.

Q: The Nyoro myths should be understood as an attempt to reconstruct a lost history.

Q: Myths are used by the Nyoro to validate existing sociopolitical stratification.

Q: Nyoro leaders utilize ancestral narratives to show how all three dynasties originate from a common ancestor, and are thus made of a single ruling family.

Q: The incest taboo is unique because it is a universal restriction.

Q: Symbols have a mutlivocalic nature.

Q: It doesn't matter to the anthropologist or the folklorist whether a myth is objectively or scientifically true.

Q: Myths are unique cultural artifacts because they can be objectively analyzed outside of their cultural context for comparative purposes.

Q: The symbolism of the serpent A. Is a universal symbol of evil and dangerous knowledge. B. Is found in almost all cultures and all religions in the world, and is characterized in the same way. C. Suggests the ambiguity of good and evil, sickness and health, life and death, chaos and wisdom, etc., and the notion of transcendence for serpent-handlers. D. As portrayed in the book of Genesis is the model for the serpent handlers approach to snakes.

Q: Daugherty refers to the Holy Ghost as the "great equalizer" because A. The ritual of serpent-handling assures worth and creates a sense of power for the "undesirable poor." B. Holiness-type churches ask that only the "true believers" be rewardedthus setting the scales straight. C. The concept of the Holy Ghost that holiness-type churches work with is identical to other figures in mainstream Christian traditions. D. Because the Holy Ghost is expected to mete out justice by showing non-believers the error of their ways.

Q: Daugherty hypothesizes that, in the future, serpent-handling will A. Die out as a tradition because it is in conflict with other Christian traditions that they embrace. B. Gain increased popularity among youth culture groups. C. Be maintained as a tradition among some West Virginia mountain people because it is at the center of their Christian faith. D. Die out as a tradition among current practitioners in West Virginia as they experience economic improvement and decreased cultural isolation.

Q: Serpent handlers in holiness-type churches look to the "long conclusion" of the Gospel of Mark because A. it assures them that serpents have no power to harm in ritual practice. B. it assures them that snakes are natural creatures of sacrifice. C. it suggests that salvation can be reached through symbolic defeat of the serpent. D. it suggests that the handling of serpents can be a physical sign of the presence and power of the Holy Ghost.

Q: Daugherty suggests early on in her article that serpent handling among West Virginia mountain people is A. a tradition that has died out since the practice was made illegal in the 1930s. B. an act of faith that reflects the geographic and economic harshness of the region. C. gaining widespread popularity among youth culture in urban regions. D. an act of faith that reflects the low level of education among believers.

Q: The "ethos" or a religion of religions group is __________, while the "worldview" of a religion or religious group is _________. A. Ethics and reasoning of a culture; based upon geographic location. B. Moral and aesthetic aspects of a culture; the cognitive and existential aspects of a culture. C. Composed of sacred texts, intangible or unspoken rules of a culture. D. Moral and aesthetic aspects of a culture, economic principles dictated by the religion of a culture.

Q: Geertz would argue that Anthropology does all the following to/for philosophical investigation EXCEPT: A. Replace it B. Intellectually exhaust it C. Make it relevant D. Provide an empirical basis for it

Q: The religious/moral lesson taught in the example Wajang Geertz discuses is primarily: A. Religion is necessary B. Passionate/emotional religions belief is important C. Emotional detachment and tranquility reflect true nobility and religious enlightenment D. The quest for clear water is fruitless

Q: Greetz explains that the unified meaning of "feeling" and "meaning" in the word "rasa" allows for all of the following EXCEPT: A. A perceived fusion of Subjective experience and religions truths to be taken subjectively. B. Increasing predominance of atheism do to skepticism. C. Development of a sophisticated analysis of subjective experience. D. Metaphysical analysis of outward reality.

Q: The Wajang Shadow puppet plays are mostly depictions from what major religion? A. Buddhism B. Islam C. Paganism D. Hinduism

Q: Greetz asserts that evil in Javanese culture is derived from ________ and is manifested in the form of ________: A. unbridled passion and lack of self-control; witchcraft against others B. lack of understanding of religion; not worshiping C. not watching wajang puppet theatre; hermitic behaviors D. participating in trance dancing, possession

Q: According to Geertz, symbols do all of the following for religion, EXCEPT: A. Relate ontology and cosmology to aesthetics and morality. B. Sum up the way the world is and the way one ought to behave while in it. C. Provide false prophets to worship. D. Give tangibility to an autonomous value system.

Q: Wolf describes a "master symbol" as A. a symbol that is relevant to all members of a society. B. a seemingly insignificant object or idea which, when studied, is one of the most important symbols to members of a society. C. a material object that stands for something that is not material. D. a symbol which seems to embody the major hopes and aspirations of a society.

Q: The Guadalupe myth allowed which groups of marginalized peoples a place in the social order after the Spanish Conquest? A. Indian men, Spanish women and the disabled. B. Indians and recently freed slaves. C. Indians, illegitimate children of Spanish fathers and Indian mothers, and the disabled. D. Indians, illegitimate children of Spanish fathers and Indian mothers, and people who had lost their status within the Indian or Spanish community.

Q: To Wolf, the symbol of the Guadalupe is particularly interesting to study because A. it stands for a large variety of meanings and interpretations. B. it plays a significant role in a wide range of social relationships in Mexican society. C. it shows a rich history of evolution from its traditional meanings. D. it distinguishes traditional Indian beliefs from new teachings brought to Mexico by the Spanish.

Q: How does the anecdotal story relate to the mythical told by Urmilaji and recorded by Narayan? A. Both the story and the myth are centered around the same theme of death. B. The story looks at the positive side of death as a release and the myth looks at the negative side of death as tragic and a problem to be solved. C. Both stories depict the importance of worship as a means of solving problems or a release from problems. D. All of the Above.

Q: In the myth told by Urmilaji and recorded by Narayan and continuing ritual/worship practices, the Pipal tree represents which Hindi deity? A. Shiva B. Brahma C. Vishnu D. Ganesha

Q: For what reasons, discussed by Urmilaji and Narayan, is the washer woman, Sunna, gifted with the power to resurrect? A. She is from the Satyung period of light and long life B. She possesses droplets of immortality C. She, as a washer woman washes out the dirt of bad karma D. All of the Above

Q: In the myth told by Urmilaji and recorded by Narayan, why does the old washer woman Sunna not help the village person carry her basket of grass? A. Because she is tired B. Because the baskets are taboo C. Because she must worship before performing other duties D. Because she must resurrect the husband of the girl who performed tribute to God.

Q: In Narayan's article the primary difference between the myth and the story that Urmilaji tells is: A. The first myth is traditionally told during ritual worship to the Pipal tree during the dark moon Monday, and the other story with the same moral lesson is told anecdotally. B. The first myth is told only to woman, the other is told freely to anyone who asks to hear it. C. The first myth is told to personal like Narayan, who have visited Urmilaji more than once and have garnered her trust, the other story is told freely. D. The first myth was passed on to Urmilaji from oral tradition, the other story was not.

Q: In Narayan's retelling, a boon is synonymous with: A. Marriage B. Son C. Blessing D. Acknowledgement

Q: The Nyoro use the "cautionary tale" to A. validate the infallibility of young sons as leaders. B. show that while it is appropriate for the young to lead, they must respect the advice of their elders. C. show that young sons are not qualified to lead. D. show how elders always make the best leaders.

Q: The function of the relationships between the three Nyoro dynasties is to A. show how each dynasty is part of the same ruling family. B. differentiate each dynasty as completely unrelated to the others. C. emphasize the superiority of the current dynasty. D. enable the present ruling line to claim respect, prestige, and authority.

Q: According to Beattie, the status of the Nyoro rulers is validated by A. their real historical line of descent from the first family. B. the reification of youth in Nyoro society. C. ancestral narratives that explain how such status was established. D. their membership in one of the three ruling families. E. the demarcation of the Bito dynasty as socially superior to all other Nyoro.

Q: The hierarchy of the Nyoro first family mirrors existing social relations in that A. the youngest son assumes the role of inheritor and ruler. B. the oldest son becomes a trusted advisor to the youngest. C. the status of each son in based solely on personal merit. D. at birth, all siblings are considered equal.

Q: Beattie utilizes a functionalist analysis according to which myth A. provides an accurate account of Nyoro history. B. underscores the legitimacy of sociopolitical arrangements. C. relates to an era of social relations that no longer exist. D. describe an idealized societal reality that the Nyoro should try to attain.

Q: Geertz describes Worldview as: A. Synonymous with Ethos B. The global perspective of persons based on their geographic location C. People's view of the way things, in sheer actuality are, their concept of nature, of self, of society D. The dichotomy between "is" "ought" that occurs in religions reflection

Q: A. they are usually ignored in the systematic study of religion. B. although they stand outside of religion, they indirectly affect our experience of it. C. they are all "informal" religious expressions. D. they are imperative to the comparative study of religion.