Book
Sherpas through their rituals
Cambridge University Press • Cambridge • Published In 1978 • Pages: 12, 195
By: Ortner, Sherry B..
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This monograph presents a detailed study of three major Sherpa religious rituals -- the NYUNGNE, or atonement of individuals through fasting and silence; the extended set of exorcism rites following a funeral, designed to cleanse pollution from the participants; and the rites of offerings to the gods to insure the continued protection of the community against the demons. Interwoven throughout the discussion of these rituals is the Sherpa concept of hospitality by means of which the gods are fed and praised and petitioned for their on going support. Ortner also attempts to show how the shaping of consciousness takes place through the individuals participation in the rituals. The author's anslysis of the symbolism of the rituals is often highly theoretical and metaphysical in nature and closely tied-in with the dogma and theology of Sherpa Buddhism.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Theoretical orientation in research and its results
- Functional and adaptational interpretations
- Visiting and hospitality
- Burial practices and funerals
- General character of religion
- Spirits and gods
- Prayers and sacrifices
- Purification and atonement
- Magic
- Organized ceremonial
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Sherpa
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2004
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Asia
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Central Asia
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- Book
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- John Beierle ; 1991
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1966-1976
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- not specified
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- General Everest region, Nepal
- NotesAdditional notes
- [by] Sherry B. Ortner
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-189) and index
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Sherpa (Nepalese people)