Body rituals in Nacirema American culture and society

The Nacirema occupy a broad and diverse geographic zone between Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Their highly developed market economy belies, or perhaps informs, the evolution of elaborate body rituals. The body rituals of the Nacirema are diverse and usually gendered. The underlying assumptions of the Nacirema body rituals are that the human form in its natural, unadulterated or unadorned state, is inherently profane, impure, and aesthetically unpleasing. Therefore, the Nacirema set up shrines in their home. The shrines contain magical serums, lotions, and potions with mysterious properties. Wealthy Nacirema may have several shrines, elaborately designed, and many set aside special shrines for individual members of the family. Less well-to-do Nacirema may have only one body ritual shrine in the home, shared among all family members. Nacirema also have public body ritual shrines located in important areas of social or political importance, including the places in the hubs of their elaborate market economy.

Children are gradually introduced to the Nacirema body rituals. However, there are a few rites of passage that determine when children can perform major body rituals on their own and without assistance from their parents. Body rituals are gendered. Although men and women usually perform different body rituals, there are several body rituals that are universal and transcend social class status or gender in the Nacirema society. For example, the mouth-rite is one of the central Nacirema body rituals: “The daily body ritual performed by everyone includes a mouth-rite,” (para. 10). Each member of the household, including children who are old enough to do so on their own, perform the mouth-rite. In fact, the Nacirema have specialized oral priests the American Anthropological Association (1956) refers to as “holy mouth men,” (para. 9). Visits to the holy mouth men take place several times a year or more, if special petitions to preserve the sanctity of the mouth are required.

According to the American Anthropological Association (1956), there are two main types of mouth rites: the private mouth rites that take place in the home and the mouth rites that only take place in the presence of the holy mouth men. It is presumed that in some Nacirema villages or communities, women can also perform the holy mouth rituals as high priestesses of the mouth cult. Therefore, there are holy mouth women and holy mouth men. Gender is not a factor in determining who has access to the inner sanctum of the mouth temples. The mouth temples are designed for all people, although there is sufficient evidence to suggest that wealthy Nacirema access the holy mouth men and holy mouth women more often than poorer Nacirema. Mouth rites that take place in the temple include what seem to be exorcisms (para. 11). The exorcisms involve “unbelievable ritual torture of the client,” using a variety of metal tools and magical materials (para. 11). Through these exorcism rituals, the Nacirema stave off demons of the mouth, including evil spirits that inhabit the oral cavity and cause symptoms like tooth decay, gum disease, and worse. It is also believed that the mouth rituals improve overall attractiveness, and therefore some holy mouth men and holy mouth women perform special rituals that brighten the teeth through the application of special magical materials.

The private mouth rituals take place in the privacy of the Nacirema home, and rarely in public Nacirema body shrines. Of the various mouth rites, the most common seems to be a ritual involving a stick with bristles at the end, a sort of brush that magically and perhaps symbolically sweeps away disease and ill health. Another Nacirema ritual entails running a thin piece of twine between the teeth, and the function of this ritual may only be known fully to the holy mouth men and holy mouth women. Ultimately, the Nacirema are religious and superstitious people who spend an inordinate amount of their time, energy, and resources on the maintenance or purification of the body.



References

American Anthropological Association (1956). Body ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist 58(3).