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To: alt.religion.orisha,alt.lucky.w From: eballard@sas.upenn.edu (Eoghan Ballard) Subject: Re: Authentic Initiation Ceremonies Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 08:06:09 -0400 Kevin, You've made a few good points even if your comparisons at times get a little "cute". You are of course right than in most cases a Cuban is going to, if not be related to his godfather, know him and his reputation. It was precisely that issue that I was raising by suggesting that a potential initiand should look to see the role and reputation within the community. As for determining what is or isn't "authentic" that too can be addressed. To a degree I agree that the term "authenticity" is a slippery one, but more because the term is usually loaded with a variety of cultural and political meanings that often deal with issues of performance and appearance and occassionally have economic consequences. Accepting that, the standards are not so fluid that with a bit of education one cannot learn to apply the standards and values of the community to determine whether one or another temple or house is or is not "authentic". These traditions are not tabula rasas nor is just anything acceptable. Neither does it have to do just with such obvious social issues as homosexuality. My familiairity with Palo allows me to consider a wide range of cultural material that is preserved in this tradition. It is a rich and deep tradition in terms of the quantity, quality and variety of cultural material that has been preserved. To begin to do it justice would require a substantial number of volumes and one could not be assured of covering it all. A good palero (an authentic one if you would) must know a substantial number of prayers and songs. These prayers and songs are more often than not macaronic (meaning comprised of multilingual lyrics) and allude to his need to possess a reasonable amount of African vocabulary. In the case of Palo whether in Cuba or elsewhere that material will not be available through anything store bought. Then there is ritual practice. The rites and practices of these traditions are complex and require a fairly substantial level of study to execute. Lastly but not of least importance is whether the person gets results. That is the hardest of all tests. So the issue is not as fluid nor as maliable as your comparison suggests. In Cuba at least the chaff is soon separated from the wheat. Eoghan
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