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Analysis Of Body Ritual Among The Nacirema By Horace Miner

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Body Ritual Among the Nacirema by Horace Miner describes the compelling culture of the Nacirema natives and the core beliefs that drive them to the extremes they exercise. It is apparent what Horace’s opinion of their practices are, as he is both fascinated and horrified to learn what these people do to preserve life.
The Nacirema, as stated in the reading, dedicate a considerable portion of their day in ritual activity. They prioritize the health and appearance of the human body, using ceremony as a means to keep the human’s natural tendency of sickness and repulsiveness, at bay. It is later mentioned that these ceremonies and rituals verge on the side of sadistic and extreme brutality. I can understand this sort of self concept. The body …show more content…

In every household lives a shrine. The quantity and general aesthetic varies upon wealth but, every home has at least one that is implanted into the walls. Shrines consist of chests that hold charms and magical potions created by powerful and specialized practitioners. Whatever the charm or magical potion may be, it is considered very important to the worshipper, even life threatening to be without. This is a daily practice done in private. I suppose it is comparable to the dedication of religion in American culture. When surrounded by like minded folk, it turns heads when we don’t adhere to certain practices and more seriously leaves us frightened for our future primarily in the after life. On a lesser note, we do possess items in our households we would sadly feel lost without. Family heirlooms, old momentose, and childhood flashbacks in their physical form in theory give us a chance to keep those feelings and memories forever. Although we don’t worship them, we highly prioritize their preservation and damaging these materials can sometimes have serious effects on our mental state. We, like the Nacirema, begin to obsess over what we deem we can’t be o.k …show more content…

“The Nacirema have an almost pathological horror and fascination with the mouth, the condition of which is believed to have a supernatural influence on all social relationships.” The holy-mouth-man is visited once or twice a year and replicates a more torturous form dentistry. Enlarging or creating holes in the clients teeth in order to insert supernatural substances inside is the foundation of his job. It is noted that these acts are performed exclusively by men. The Nacirema endure such suffering because of the importance that is put onto the mouth as quoted above. Oral upkeep and the quality of one’s character are considered to go hand in hand, and it is crucial enough to sit through painful surgery without anesthetics for probably hours. I believe it has become such a sacred feat simply because of the foundations of the Nacirema’s belief system. A fearful and self oriented mindset that if certain procedures aren’t followed through we will be rejected and therefore unable to go

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These “boxes or chest” contains “many charms or magical potions” which mean medicine, prescribed by the “medicine men” or the doctors in an “ancient and secret language” or the fuzzy penmanship of the doctors which is understood only by the medicine men. The temple of these “medicine men” is called the “lapisto” or hostpital where wealthy sick natives come for treatment. Under these boxes is a “small font” or the faucet and the sink which every member of the family “bows his head before it and splashes holy water” which is purified by the “priests”. Rituals such as “mouth rites” where Naciremans “insert a small bundle of hog hairs in their mouths” also symbolize the brushing of teeth every American does. Once or twice a year, because of the Nacirema’s great care for mouth care, they seek a “holy-mouth-man” or a dentist to “exercise the evils of the mouth” or remove tooth

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Irony is that most of these procedures or rituals themselves cause the tooth-decay. For instance, Miner states that “if there are no naturally occurring holes in the teeth, large sections of one or more teeth are gouged out so that the supernatural substance can be applied” (p. 181). This fact leaves every sensible human to explore how the fear of losing something can push people to endure such

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Miner described the holy-mouth-man as torturing and unbelievable because the holy-mouth-man drills holes to put in some “magical” substances that somehow stops decaying of the teeth. Miner said that the clients come to the holy-mouth-man to, “to arrest decay and to draw friends.” (Miner) But then Miner continued to say that, “The extremely sacred and traditional character of the rite is evident in the fact that the natives return to the hold-mouth-men year after year, despite the fact that their teeth continue to

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