Initiation
Initiation ritual is a redirect to this article. For an introduction to a criminal organization, see Initiation Ritual (Mafia).
This article explains the ritual initiation of outsiders. For the term in molecular biology, see initiation (transcription).
In ancient times, initiation meant admission to the mysteries, e.g. the cult of Mithras, and admission to a secret society. In ethnology, it refers to the celebration or consecration of maturity, in which in many cultures, through certain customs, admission into the circle of fully entitled members of a group's status or age is accomplished, often of boys into the company of men. Initiation is also understood as the introduction of an outsider (an aspirant, a neophyte) into a community or his ascent to another personal state of being (status), for example from novice to nun or from layman to shaman. The most important initiation in social history is the puberty and tribal initiation of tribal society and the initiation of the ancient mystery cults that grew out of it. Initiations follow a traditional rite.
Non-religious examples
Accolade
Knighthood is a secular initiation rite in which a noble is solemnly raised to the rank of knight.
Youthful dedication
In Germany the youth dedication represents a secular initiation rite, which is accomplished today particularly in the east German Lands of the Federal Republic.
Educational institutions
Many elite educational institutions have developed their own initiation rites. French elite educational institutions "...often crossed the line into humiliation and mistreatment until around 1997. Freshmen were forced to eat dog feces while naked on all fours, for example, or were fed a mixture of red wine, urine, and vomit as part of these so-called "bizages.""
Fraternities
Some fraternities have initiation rites in which members are admitted on probation ("Akzeption"/"Acception"). After this probationary period of one to four semesters, they are promoted from the status of "Fux" or "Fuchs" to full member by means of an initiation called "Burschung" ("Rezeption").
Youth Gangs
Initiation rituals are also common among youth gangs, where the aspirant usually has to pass a "test of courage" (e.g. theft). Newcomers are also subjected to tests of disgust and violence to force their submission. In France these humiliation rituals are called "Bizutage", in Brazil "Trote".
Informal humiliating admission rituals are also known in the military (for example, among the mountain troops in Mittenwald in 2009), in prisons, and so on. According to the ethnologist Sabine Doering-Manteuffel, such rituals are particularly pronounced among marginalized groups that see themselves as elite. Psychologist Jürgen Raithel explains these new forms of risky initiation rites as an attempt to find new stimuli in a stimulus-saturated and stimulus-desensitized society that bear the character of a test of courage.
Display of a knighthood
See also
- Bizutage
- Equatorial Baptism
- Candidate for dismissal and dedovshchina
- Code Red
- Neptune Festival, Baiame
- Hero's Journey, Vision Quest
- Couching
Questions and Answers
Q: What is initiation?
A: Initiation is a ceremony that marks the entrance or acceptance into a group or society, and can be a formal admission to adulthood in a community.
Q: Can initiation ceremonies be religious?
A: Yes, initiation ceremonies can be religious rites of passage such as Christian baptism or confirmation, or Jewish bar or bat mitzvah.
Q: What other types of groups may have initiation ceremonies?
A: Other groups that may have initiation ceremonies include fraternal organizations like the Freemasons or religious orders like the Benedictines.
Q: Who is an initiate?
A: An initiate is the person who takes part in an initiation ceremony and is accepted into the group or society.
Q: Is graduation from school considered an initiation?
A: Yes, graduation from school can be considered a type of initiation.
Q: Does initiation only happen once in a person's life?
A: Not necessarily. Depending on the group or society, initiation can occur multiple times as a person moves up or is accepted into different levels within the organization.
Q: Can initiation ceremonies vary in their rituals and traditions?
A: Yes, initiation ceremonies can vary in their rituals and traditions depending on the group or society and their customs and beliefs.
