The Manifestation of the Concept of Initiation and Transition in Some Rituals of Birth to Puberty

Abstract

Initiation and transition are concepts used in many cultures to describe fundamental changes in the lives of individuals. These initiations and transitions from one stage to another are often accompanied by ceremonies and rituals. Many of these rituals are unknown, and introducing and making them known gives us a deeper understanding of the culture of the society. Therefore, this study seeks to examine, using a descriptive-analytical method, the ancient origins of the three rituals of "throwing a newborn down from the roof", the "circumcision ceremony", and the "new pants celebration", which include the individual from birth to adolescence, and to reveal their connection with the mythical ritual of initiation. The research results show that all three rituals instill in the initiate the concept of transition from the previous stage of life and initiation to a new stage. In other words, the ritual of throwing a baby from the roof means transition from the womb of the original mother and initiation to the embrace/womb of the Great Mother (Earth) or transition from womb life and initiation to earthly life. The circumcision ceremony, with its mythological symbols - such as reaching wholeness and perfection and the emergence and dominance of the male principle with the symbolic use of the number three - is related to the rituals of initiation to Islam and joining the community of men. The new pants celebration also means the individual's transition from childhood and reaching adulthood and acquiring a new social and cultural identity.

Keywords: Folk culture; ritual; passage; initiation; birth; puberty.



Research background

Rahimi and Shirdel (2013) have also related the story of Zal, Fereydoun, and Kaykhosro to the initiation ritual and the initiation ritual of magicians and healers. Ahmadi (2015) has also identified the role of numbers in Iranian rites of passage in his research. Barsam (2016) has analyzed the mythological death rituals in the Halilrud civilization and their relationship with initiation. Tavassoli (2016) has compared the rites of passage related to birth and death in the two great civilizations of Iran and India. Shahpar (2017) has examined the birth rituals in the popular culture of the Larestan region in the framework of the initiation-van-janub theory. Atash-e-Abparvar et al. (2019) have explored the place of some numbers, including three, seven, and forty, based on the rites of passage in the culture of the Bakhtiari people. Alizadeh and Ashayeri (2010) have studied the rituals of childbirth in the culture and folk literature of Bushehr. Parizadeh and others (2010) have studied and analyzed the symbols of familiarization in the Barzo Nameh. Seyyed Yazdi and others (2021) have studied the manifestations of initiation in the Darab Nameh of Tarsus. Vaezzadeh and Davoudi (2023) have made the symbols and rituals of initiation in Khosrow and Shirin Nezami the subject of their research.

Goals, questions and assumptions:

The present research aims to introduce and analyze some unknown rituals and answer the following questions:

1. What role do initiation and transition rituals play in the formation of an individual's personal, social, and cultural identity?

2. Are the three rituals discussed in this article held in all cultures and ethnicities or are they specific to certain ethnicities?

3. What symbols are used in these rituals and are these symbols aligned with the concept of initiation?



According to the research questions, the following hypotheses can be put forward for the subject under discussion:

1. Ceremonies and rituals that are manifestations of initiation and transition play an important and fateful role in the individual's personal, cultural, and social identity and existence.

2. Some of the symbolic rites of passage are widespread and universal, and are held in many parts of the world, while others are specific to specific geographical areas and are not found in other cultures.

3. Some of the rituals in this study use symbols that reinforce the concept of initiation.

Main discussion

Initiation and transition have had an active and constant presence since the distant past and in different cultures around the world, but its manifestations are diverse and countless in accordance with different cultures; that is, although the concept of initiation is a single and universal concept, the forms and formats of its rituals are very diverse and have many types. Many manifestations and rituals of initiation have remained constant over time and have not undergone any changes or developments, but some ceremonies and rituals have also changed in recent times. Sometimes, initiation rituals have seen new manifestations that were unprecedented in the past. Although initiation and transition is an ancient and ancient concept, in recent times, new manifestations of it are emerging that have remained unknown. Therefore, the present study aims to introduce and analyze some unknown rituals, including "throwing a newborn down from the roof", the "circumcision ceremony", and the "new pants celebration" and to determine the ancient and mystical origins of each.



Conclusion

The conclusion of the present study indicates that the three rituals of "throwing a newborn down from the roof", the "circumcision ceremony", and the "new pants celebration" are more than a simple ceremony and a symbol of passing from one stage to another. The ceremony of dropping a child from the roof is actually a form of initiation ritual, in which the baby, after passing from the womb of its original mother, enters the embrace/womb of the Mother Earth or the Great Mother to benefit from her blessings and support.

The circumcision ceremony is also a form of joining the male community and religious initiation. The existence of the symbolic number three also strengthens and confirms the concepts of this symbolic initiation with its semantic auras such as its connection with the concept of the male gender, abundance of power and strength, perfection and integrity, etc. When three is the central core of this ritual and is its spiritual pillar, it means that the individual's powers have reached their highest level and he is a complete human being.

The new pants celebration is also a symbolic transition of the individual from childhood to adulthood, a concept reinforced by the symbolic meaning of nudity (the period of initiation and innocence). By fully performing this ritual, which is a transition from the instinctive realm to the realm of intellectual and cultural maturity, the initiate attains a new social status and new duties and responsibilities are defined and specified for him.