"In the early 1960s most ethologists maintained that personality, decision making, emotions, and culture were unique to humans, but chimpanzee research helped to dispel that arrogant thinking. And now Dimitris Xygalatas shows that rituals are not confined to humans but are present in many mammals, birds, and even insects. This is a fascinating, well-researched book about a fascinating subject. You will learn a lot."—Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace Ritual is a deep, engaging, magnificent book. Full of vivid stories about the myriad ritual behaviors of human beings — from the prayers made to countless gods to kissing dice at craps to wearing feathered gloves full of biting ants to walking barefoot on hot coals — it shows how humans turn ordinary life into something awe-inspiring, how we use shared rituals to transcend our solitary selves. Xygalatas walks through fire himself, literally and intellectually, to share great wisdom about the human condition.”—Nicholas A. Christakis, New York Times-bestselling author of Blueprint and Apollo’s Arrow Paul Bloom, author of Against Empathy and The Sweet Spot Edward Slingerland, author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization Tanya Luhrmann, author of How God Becomes Real Ritual tells us how we can use this new science, and the wisdom embedded in ancient traditions, to elevate our lives, improve our health and strengthen our communities."—Joe Henrich, author of The WEIRDest People in the World Michael Patrick Lynch, author of The Internet of Us and Know-It-All Society Jesse Bering, Professor of Science Communication at the University of Otago and author of Suicidal Mark Solms, author of The Hidden Spring
2022-06-22
In his first book for a popular audience, Xygalatas, who runs the Experimental Anthropology Lab at the University of Connecticut, digs into an understudied field. Researchers have often dismissed the concept of ritual as an oddity existing at the fringes of culture even while acknowledging that every society has its ceremonial practices. Despite his initial skepticism, the author observed a huge number of rituals, supplementing his findings with lab studies, and interviewed numerous participants, many of whom “swear on the importance of their rituals, although they are not always sure why they are so important.” Humans have been doing this for millennia. In fact, Göbekli Tepe, one of the oldest and largest archaeological sites in the world, built more than 12,000 years ago, was apparently designed with a variety of ceremonies in mind. Xygalatas examines religious ceremonies as demonstrations of faith and sacrifice, as well as military rituals, which have the purpose of building solidarity and skills. Other rituals connect to mate selection and fertility. The legal profession has plenty of odd ceremonies of its own, with robes, titles, and Latin incantations, and athletes will often carry lucky charms or perform personal rituals before a big game. Yes, Xygalatas concludes, rituals are essentially pointless in that they do not have any impact on the physical world. However, there are undeniable effects for those who participate, and they are usually beneficial in providing social cohesion and individual purpose. “Ceremony is a primordial part of human nature, one that helps us connect, find meaning and discover who we are,” writes Xygalatas. “It is only when we embrace our obsession with ritual that we will be able to harness its full potential in our lives.”
Intriguing glimpses of how ritual provides the foundation stones of social structure and cultural evolution.
Narrator Neil Gardner sounds awed as he delivers a list of rituals such as serpent-handling in churches. That awe carries over as the British-accented Gardner narrates discussion of more common rituals such as toasts and graduations. His cheerful fascination turns to gentle amusement when he shares a passage about children who don’t believe they’ve grown a year older without a birthday party. Gardner speaks in the thin voice of an elderly fire-walking participant as the author recounts his field studies of various traditions. Listeners might start to think about the part ritual plays in their own lives as the author considers topics such as athletes’ superstitions or the changes in familiar rituals such as graduations during lockdowns. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Neil Gardner sounds awed as he delivers a list of rituals such as serpent-handling in churches. That awe carries over as the British-accented Gardner narrates discussion of more common rituals such as toasts and graduations. His cheerful fascination turns to gentle amusement when he shares a passage about children who don’t believe they’ve grown a year older without a birthday party. Gardner speaks in the thin voice of an elderly fire-walking participant as the author recounts his field studies of various traditions. Listeners might start to think about the part ritual plays in their own lives as the author considers topics such as athletes’ superstitions or the changes in familiar rituals such as graduations during lockdowns. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
