A Celebration of DemonsThe Sinhalese exorcism rituals are perhaps the most complex and the most magnificent in performance still extant. For this second edition, the author has written a new preface and introduction in which he argues that the techniques of healing in Sri Lanka and the aesthetics of this healing cannot be reduced to Western psychoanalytic or psychotherapeutic terms, and develops new and original approaches to ritual and the aesthetic in general. |
Contents
Exorcists | |
Exorcisms and the Symbolic Identity of Women | |
Demons and the Cosmic Hierarchy | |
Event and Structure in Major | |
Music Dance and Trance | |
The Comedy of Gods and Demons | |
A Celebration of Demons | |
Bibliography | |
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Common terms and phrases
aesthetic Anagarika Dharmapala Asoka's aspects audience avamangalle avatara berava Buddha caste comedy constituted context cosmic hierarchy cosmic order dancer deities demon palace demonic attack demonic illness demonic possession disorder divine dominant drum Drummer dummala engaged episodes everyday world exorcism performance exorcism ritual exorcists experience Galle ghosts gods household human identity ideology igaha illusion individual Indranie Indranie's Isvara Kalu Yaka karava Kataragama kumbhanda Mahasona major demon ceremonies major exorcisms Mangara pelapaliya manifestation mantra Maru Sanniya meaning middle class midnight watch music and dance myth nature navandanna Obeyesekere objectification objective offering basket organization pade paliya panikki patient Pattini performance arena polluting present reality relation relatives Riri Yaka rite ritual ritual action ritual events role sanni demons Sinhala Sinhalese Buddhist Sinhalese cultural social and political songs specific Sri Lanka subordination Sunil's Suniyam supernatural temple tovil traditional trance transformation Victor Turner vidiya Vishnu women yakṣa