"Lamentation as a (female) ritual genre"
Lamentation as a (female) ritual genre Expressive ritua... more "Lamentation as a (female) ritual genre"
Lamentation as a (female) ritual genre Expressive ritual mourning and lamentation are commonly interpreted from a gendered perspective. Social structural theory explains that ritual mourning forms and substantiates asymmetrical gender divisions, while performance theory focuses on the potential for individual and gendered empowerment offered by ritual participation. This article underscores the validity of both perspectives, and examines the dynamics between the creation of (gendered) communities of mourning and their expressive performance. It is observed that cross-culturally lamentation rituals are built around what is here called inner and outer ritual rhetoric. The trajectory of communication in inner ritual rhetoric is between participants. The effect is the formation of social unity among the mourners. In contrast, outer ritual rhetoric addresses an external audience, this usually being men, the deceased or deities, with the hoped for effect that these will react and rectify an undesirable situation. To achieve the goals participants have a kit of verbal and non-verbal rhetorical tools at hand, like crying, self-debasement, and songs, which are employed to generate reaction.
The article applies Assmann’s categories of divine presence (local, mythic and cosmic) on the bod... more The article applies Assmann’s categories of divine presence (local, mythic and cosmic) on the bodily presence in pyramid tombs. It is argued that the organization of pyramid texts as a ritual of resurrection, as explained by Allen, may be combined with older readings of the texts as ritual utterances for the king’s funeral. Text and architecture are modelled around reccurring cosmic and
mythic cycles of death, regeneration and rebirth.
The article discusses the destruction of names, images and symbols of the gods of the polytheisti... more The article discusses the destruction of names, images and symbols of the gods of the polytheistic religion by the followers of Akhenaton during the Amarna period in Egypt. A systematic study of a number of pre-Amarna tombs suggests that active iconoclasm was limited to the persecution of the god Amon and his consort Mut. There are few or no indications of attacks on other deities, although they may have suffered a ”silent” iconoclasm by being subjected to cultic neglect as indicated by post-Amarna restoration texts. The background of the iconoclastic movement is traced in religious and political developments in the pre-Amarna period. Iconoclasm as method is suggested to be connected to scepticism towards the efficacy of statuary as medium of divine presence on earth, and a wish to insert the king’s living body in the place of statues of deities.
This is an excerpt of my dissertation, "Funerary Purifications: Contexts and Connotations of an A... more This is an excerpt of my dissertation, "Funerary Purifications: Contexts and Connotations of an Ancient Egyptian Rite". It includes the abstract, introductory chapter, chapter-conclusions, the final conclusion chapter, and bibliography. I aim to revise it for publication. Drop me a note if ou would like a copy of the full dissertation.
This study examines a category of ancient Egyptian purification scenes that show a man seated on a pot or a laver-like object, while adjacent priests pour water through a sieve over his head. As the rite is only found among compilations of funeral scenes, the term funerary purification is employed to distinguish these from other forms of purification scenes. Funerary purifications appear first early in the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2000 BCE), when they are found in a frieze of cryptic funeral scenes on a stela and among ritual scenes in an object frieze on a coffin. Similar scenes in near-identical contexts are found on two more coffins later in the Middle Kingdom, while early in the New Kingdom (ca. 1550 BCE) the scenes resurface in the funeral scenes in a tomb at el Kab and shortly thereafter in two Theban tombs. For the full abstracts, see the document..
"Lamentation as a (female) ritual genre"
Lamentation as a (female) ritual genre Expressive ritua... more "Lamentation as a (female) ritual genre"
Lamentation as a (female) ritual genre Expressive ritual mourning and lamentation are commonly interpreted from a gendered perspective. Social structural theory explains that ritual mourning forms and substantiates asymmetrical gender divisions, while performance theory focuses on the potential for individual and gendered empowerment offered by ritual participation. This article underscores the validity of both perspectives, and examines the dynamics between the creation of (gendered) communities of mourning and their expressive performance. It is observed that cross-culturally lamentation rituals are built around what is here called inner and outer ritual rhetoric. The trajectory of communication in inner ritual rhetoric is between participants. The effect is the formation of social unity among the mourners. In contrast, outer ritual rhetoric addresses an external audience, this usually being men, the deceased or deities, with the hoped for effect that these will react and rectify an undesirable situation. To achieve the goals participants have a kit of verbal and non-verbal rhetorical tools at hand, like crying, self-debasement, and songs, which are employed to generate reaction.
The article applies Assmann’s categories of divine presence (local, mythic and cosmic) on the bod... more The article applies Assmann’s categories of divine presence (local, mythic and cosmic) on the bodily presence in pyramid tombs. It is argued that the organization of pyramid texts as a ritual of resurrection, as explained by Allen, may be combined with older readings of the texts as ritual utterances for the king’s funeral. Text and architecture are modelled around reccurring cosmic and
mythic cycles of death, regeneration and rebirth.
The article discusses the destruction of names, images and symbols of the gods of the polytheisti... more The article discusses the destruction of names, images and symbols of the gods of the polytheistic religion by the followers of Akhenaton during the Amarna period in Egypt. A systematic study of a number of pre-Amarna tombs suggests that active iconoclasm was limited to the persecution of the god Amon and his consort Mut. There are few or no indications of attacks on other deities, although they may have suffered a ”silent” iconoclasm by being subjected to cultic neglect as indicated by post-Amarna restoration texts. The background of the iconoclastic movement is traced in religious and political developments in the pre-Amarna period. Iconoclasm as method is suggested to be connected to scepticism towards the efficacy of statuary as medium of divine presence on earth, and a wish to insert the king’s living body in the place of statues of deities.
This is an excerpt of my dissertation, "Funerary Purifications: Contexts and Connotations of an A... more This is an excerpt of my dissertation, "Funerary Purifications: Contexts and Connotations of an Ancient Egyptian Rite". It includes the abstract, introductory chapter, chapter-conclusions, the final conclusion chapter, and bibliography. I aim to revise it for publication. Drop me a note if ou would like a copy of the full dissertation.
This study examines a category of ancient Egyptian purification scenes that show a man seated on a pot or a laver-like object, while adjacent priests pour water through a sieve over his head. As the rite is only found among compilations of funeral scenes, the term funerary purification is employed to distinguish these from other forms of purification scenes. Funerary purifications appear first early in the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2000 BCE), when they are found in a frieze of cryptic funeral scenes on a stela and among ritual scenes in an object frieze on a coffin. Similar scenes in near-identical contexts are found on two more coffins later in the Middle Kingdom, while early in the New Kingdom (ca. 1550 BCE) the scenes resurface in the funeral scenes in a tomb at el Kab and shortly thereafter in two Theban tombs. For the full abstracts, see the document..
Uploads
Papers by Pål Steiner
Lamentation as a (female) ritual genre Expressive ritual mourning and lamentation are commonly interpreted from a gendered perspective. Social structural theory explains that ritual mourning forms and substantiates asymmetrical gender divisions, while performance theory focuses on the potential for individual and gendered empowerment offered by ritual participation. This article underscores the validity of both perspectives, and examines the dynamics between the creation of (gendered) communities of mourning and their expressive performance. It is observed that cross-culturally lamentation rituals are built around what is here called inner and outer ritual rhetoric. The trajectory of communication in inner ritual rhetoric is between participants. The effect is the formation of social unity among the mourners. In contrast, outer ritual rhetoric addresses an external audience, this usually being men, the deceased or deities, with the hoped for effect that these will react and rectify an undesirable situation. To achieve the goals participants have a kit of verbal and non-verbal rhetorical tools at hand, like crying, self-debasement, and songs, which are employed to generate reaction.
mythic cycles of death, regeneration and rebirth.
Thesis Chapters by Pål Steiner
This study examines a category of ancient Egyptian purification scenes that show a man seated on a pot or a laver-like object, while adjacent priests pour water through a sieve over his head. As the rite is only found among compilations of funeral scenes, the term funerary purification is employed to distinguish these from other forms of purification scenes. Funerary purifications appear first early in the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2000 BCE), when they are found in a frieze of cryptic funeral scenes on a stela and among ritual scenes in an object frieze on a coffin. Similar scenes in near-identical contexts are found on two more coffins later in the Middle Kingdom, while early in the New Kingdom (ca. 1550 BCE) the scenes resurface in the funeral scenes in a tomb at el Kab and shortly thereafter in two Theban tombs. For the full abstracts, see the document..
Lamentation as a (female) ritual genre Expressive ritual mourning and lamentation are commonly interpreted from a gendered perspective. Social structural theory explains that ritual mourning forms and substantiates asymmetrical gender divisions, while performance theory focuses on the potential for individual and gendered empowerment offered by ritual participation. This article underscores the validity of both perspectives, and examines the dynamics between the creation of (gendered) communities of mourning and their expressive performance. It is observed that cross-culturally lamentation rituals are built around what is here called inner and outer ritual rhetoric. The trajectory of communication in inner ritual rhetoric is between participants. The effect is the formation of social unity among the mourners. In contrast, outer ritual rhetoric addresses an external audience, this usually being men, the deceased or deities, with the hoped for effect that these will react and rectify an undesirable situation. To achieve the goals participants have a kit of verbal and non-verbal rhetorical tools at hand, like crying, self-debasement, and songs, which are employed to generate reaction.
mythic cycles of death, regeneration and rebirth.
This study examines a category of ancient Egyptian purification scenes that show a man seated on a pot or a laver-like object, while adjacent priests pour water through a sieve over his head. As the rite is only found among compilations of funeral scenes, the term funerary purification is employed to distinguish these from other forms of purification scenes. Funerary purifications appear first early in the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2000 BCE), when they are found in a frieze of cryptic funeral scenes on a stela and among ritual scenes in an object frieze on a coffin. Similar scenes in near-identical contexts are found on two more coffins later in the Middle Kingdom, while early in the New Kingdom (ca. 1550 BCE) the scenes resurface in the funeral scenes in a tomb at el Kab and shortly thereafter in two Theban tombs. For the full abstracts, see the document..