Rites, spells and ceremonies of the world

A rite is something done in a set way: a cleansing, an offering, a blessing, an initiation, a binding. What marks it out is form, with fixed words, gestures, timing and often a specialist to lead it. Rites exist in every culture, from the Catholic exorcism and the Vedic fire offering to the Yoruba sacrifice and the Aboriginal ceremony. This page describes them as customs, in outline. Here they are described as customs and in outline only.

Parts of a rite

Most rites share a few parts: a prepared space, a purifying act, speech or song, a gesture, an offering, and a closing that returns everyone to ordinary life. Scholars such as Arnold van Gennep called rites of passage a sequence of separation, threshold and return. Many rites also mark a time: the new moon, the solstice, a death, a birth, a wedding. Some are done once in a lifetime and some every day, and the same gesture can be a rite in one house and a habit in the next.

Who may perform

Some rites belong to anyone in the household, such as sweeping the house at new year or tying a thread on a child's wrist. Others need an officiant: a priest, a medium, a shaman or an initiated elder. Women often hold domestic rites and are shut out of public priesthood, though in places such as Korea, the Philippines and parts of Africa women lead spirit rites. A rite is also tied to a community: it is done with others present, who witness it and agree that it counts.

Rites that hurt

Not every rite is gentle. Some involve animal sacrifice, which is a normal part of a number of living religions and is performed under rules of its own. Exorcism rites have caused real harm when applied to people with mental illness or to children accused of witchcraft, with deaths reported from beatings, fasting and restraint. Illness needs real medical care. Others are simple and joyful, such as a blessing over bread or a thread on a wrist, and carry no danger at all, which is why most rites are never remarked upon.

Change and commerce

Rites move with people. Diaspora communities adapt them to apartments, city streets and other languages. Some are now sold as retreats or workshops, which can strip them from their community and context. Tourism has also turned ceremonies into shows, and communities increasingly set rules about who may watch, photograph or join. Government rules shape rites too: some countries license ritual slaughter, others require permits for processions, and a few have banned particular ceremonies outright, so a rite can become a legal question as well as a religious one.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Augur: Unknown author, Public domain, source

Libation: Arkady Zarubin ( Аркадий Зарубин ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Midsummer: Kora27, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Walpurgis Night: Luis Ricardo Falero, Public domain, source

Astragalomancy: Roland zh, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Statue rubbing: Matthias Rosenkranz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source

St John's Eve: Jules Breton, Public domain, source

Beating the bounds: Andrew Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source

Magic circle: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source

Saint Andrew's Day: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source

May Day: Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0, source

Rites, spells and ceremonies