The Burning Saints Cognition and Culture in the Fire-walking Rituals of the Anastenaria

The Anastenaria are Orthodox Christians in Northern Greece who observe a unique annual ritual cycle focused on two festivals, dedicated to Saint Constantine and Saint Helen. The festivals involve processions, music, dancing, animal sacrifices, and culminate in an electrifying fire-walking ritual. Ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author Xygalatas, Dimitris
Format eBook
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Routledge 2012
Taylor and Francis
Taylor & Francis Group
Edition1
SeriesReligion, Cognition and Culture
Subjects
Anastenaria
Christianity
Fire walking
Greece
Rites and ceremonies
Mental Processes
External Conditioning
Members Free Ride
Young Man
origin
constantine
Vice Versa
Costly Signalling Theory
high
rumelia
Endogenous Opioids
Saint Athanasius
costly
Public Administration
Vigil Light
Saint Panteleimon
eastern
Costly Rituals
Arousal Rituals
dionysian
Religious Transmission
personal
Dionysian Origin
Greek Orthodox Religion
Higher Level Phenomena
High Arousal Rituals
Endorphin Rush
Eastern Rumelia
Icon Stand
Flashbulb Memories
Public Tv Channel
Tv Station
Special Agent Rituals
rituals
arousal
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Summary:The Anastenaria are Orthodox Christians in Northern Greece who observe a unique annual ritual cycle focused on two festivals, dedicated to Saint Constantine and Saint Helen. The festivals involve processions, music, dancing, animal sacrifices, and culminate in an electrifying fire-walking ritual. Carrying the sacred icons of the saints, participants dance over hot coals as the saint moves them. 'The Burning Saints' presents an analysis of these rituals and the psychology behind them. Based on long-term fieldwork, 'The Burning Saints' traces the historical development and sociocultural context of the Greek fire-walking rituals. As a cognitive ethnography, the book aims to identify the social, psychological and neurobiological factors which may be involved and to explore the role of emotional and physiological arousal in the performance of such ritual. A study of participation, experience and meaning, 'The Burning Saints' presents a highly original analysis of how mental processes can shape social and religious behaviour.
ISBN:9781845539764
9781138108219
1138108219
1845539761
DOI:10.4324/9781315728711