ANTHRO 3AC Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Medicine Man, Culture Hero, Developed Market
Document Summary
Nacirema are n. a. group, come from the east. Highly developed market economy in rich natural habitat. ppls time devoted to economic pursuits and ritual activity w/ focus on human body. Human body is ugly, natural tendency to disease. Avert these characteristics thru ritual and ceremony. Opulence of house measured by # of shrines. Chest w/ charms + potions w/o which no native believes they could live. Recipes procured from medicine men, ingredients from herbalists. Keep used charms in box, their presence protects worshipper. Enter shrine, bow head before chest, mingles holy waters in font, washes self. Water from water temple where priests do ceremonies over it. Horror of + fascination w/ the mouth. Condition of mouth has influence on relationships. Holy-mouth-man twice a year; exorcise evils of the mouth. Fills cavities with magical materials; no cavities=gouging out holes in teeth for substances. Population w/ masochistic tendencies, holy-mouth-men w/ sadistic tendencies. Nacirema are americans. household shrine is bathroom. latipso is hospital.
