The Dancers Complied, the Chicken Denied: Explorations into the Pragmatic Work of Rituals among the Dumi Rai of Eastern Nepal

Wettstein, Marion (2015). The Dancers Complied, the Chicken Denied: Explorations into the Pragmatic Work of Rituals among the Dumi Rai of Eastern Nepal. Shaman. Journal of the International Society for Shamanistic Research, 23(1/2), pp. 163-188. Molnar & Kelemen Oriental Publ

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Asking what is relevant in a ritual process and to whom, this article follows
in detail a short sequence of an agricultural bhume ritual performed by the
Dumi Rai of Eastern Nepal. On the basis of this example, it is suggested that
moments of excitement or bewilderment among our local key partners can
provide points of entry for a deeper understanding of their culture. Discussing
the conceptual difference between correct and perfect ritual action, the
article arrives at a pragmatic approach to the “work of ritual.” Based on the
locally perceived equivalence between ritual work and other, everyday work,
it is suggested to employ by analogy a notion of a ritual “working contract”
between today’s living community and the ancestors who are addressed in the greatest part of rituals among the Rai.

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