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This chapter examines the changing political framework of the region from the late nineteenth century through to World War I as fluid political boundaries that were transformed into bordered territories. It describes how local elites in the Yunnan boundary region managed the transition zone of the mountains between Burma and China, and the role that they played in the local political system after the Panthay revolt and just prior to the fall of the Konbaung Dynasty in Burma. The chapter then describes how old and new elites were created in this process of geo-political transformation. It focuses in particular on the eastern borderworld, where great ethnographic complexity became rationalised in line with new and emerging political needs. It describes in detail how a local system of cross-group relations expressed as a ritual system became a model for later Kachin ethno-nationalist ideological expansion influenced by these administrative changes.

This chapter deals with an important component of the traditional Nubian ritual system, but one which has lapsed into relative insignificance in modem times. It begins by describing the circumcision rites for Egyptian Nubian boys as they were practiced in some parts of Nubia (e.g., Diwan and Abu Hor) as late as 1933, and excision rituals for girls as they are still frequently performed. Nubian circumcision and excision ceremonies cannot simply be categorized as “rites of passage” or as “initiation rites.” They embody a complex constellation of interrelated beliefs, values, and principles of social structure—all of which must be examined in order to comprehend their form and existence. Furthermore, though the rituals had important effects on the social awareness and identity formation of children, they had no obvious relationship to gaps or failures in the socialization process.

This chapter argues that several general conclusions can be drawn from the specific case studies presented in the volume. First, scholars should actively resist the polarized characterization of ritual (imagined and perfect vs. actual and imperfect) that underlies most ritual theory today. Second, scholars should handle source material differently, putting studies of “lived” ritual in intimate conversation with studies of “imagined” ritual, and incorporating texts that discuss ritual disruption and adjustment more prominently in ritual theorizing. This will facilitate locating ritual disruption appropriately in ritual theory discussions. Third, ritual gone wrong highlights the fact that ritual activity is largely concerned with putting something at stake, often revealing dynamics and elements at play between conflicting stakeholders. Finally, ritual disruptions often function as a “tell,” signaling the relative vibrancy or vulnerability of a ritual system through its ability (or inability) to absorb innocent mistakes, deliberate change, or malicious misrepresentation.

This chapter examines the origins of the Gathering of Intentions, both historical and mythical. It includes discussions of the authorship of the tantra and the system of transmissions (brgyud pa gsum) within which the work’s myths are understood.

This chapter argues that priestly couples had a larger role in the Roman ritual system than modern scholars have realized. The rex sacrorum and the flamen Martialis certainly shared their offices with the regina sacrorum and the flaminica Martialis respectively. It seems very likely that the wives of the thirteen remaining flamines were flaminicae as well. Priestly couples are best understood in relation to the patterns of worship in the household, where husbands and wives fulfilled complementary religious roles. Indeed, priestly couples exemplified traditionally asymmetrical gender constructions and relationships. It is clear, however, that the structure of Roman society included a robust ritual role for both sexes. Wives and priestesses offered sacrifices at domestic hearths and public altars because the religious system was thought to function properly only when men and women served their gods together.

This chapter looks at an example of ancient ritual discourse about clothing—the significance of the vestments in Jewish sources on sacrifice in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The vestments of the high priest form a key component of the ritual system and constitute a complex semiotic system that functions both instrumentally and expressively. Whereas all clothing signals information about issues such as the wearer's status, the vestments gained additional layers of hermeneutical possibilities because their fabric, form, and order were commanded by God to be used in the ritual. At the same time, the vestments were thought to have had an active role to play in representing Israel before its God. This led to a semiotic system wherein each detail of the vestments could stand for something greater or perform a significant function in the ritual, depending on the interpreter's discernment.

This chapter discusses the claim of ancient rabbis that God created the first pair of tongs at twilight on the sixth day of creation. This statement is one among many in a rich tradition of myths of creation and precreation in rabbinic Judaism. The chapter examines the relationship of this myth to alternatives, in which entities other than the Torah were created before the world. This discussion of the preceding myths is threefold: first is to de-center the idea that the Torah was created before the world; second is to show that because of this alternative to the myth of the primordial Torah, the Temple, the sacrificial system, and the ritual system generally inspired creativity and systems of interpretation; and finally, to explain that the ancient Jews believed that God embedded signification in the natural world so that human beings could use those signs in their daily lives.