Rituals for Healing and Harmony in Leslie Marmon Silko'sCeremonyand Limbus' Mundhum

Abstract

This dissertation aims at exploring how Leslie Marmon Silko'sCeremonyand Limbu community’s religious scriptureMundhumboth epitomize that shamanistic ritual performances based on the narratives of memory and myth are carried out with distinct purpose of healing and harmony in the community.This study aims to determine how the shamanistic ritual performancesin the different cultures are associated with their healing effects. Building on the studies of the both texts from the perspective of ritual performances, this research asks: To what extentCeremonyandMundhumrepresent shamanistic ritual performances based on the narratives of memoryand myth are carried out for healing and harmony through the psychological treatment of individual and of the whole community? Based on theperformance theories of rituals and their performativity, this research attempted to explore theuniversal pattern and purpose of social drama as exhibitedin the given two textual contexts.Analysis of the two texts depicted thatthemainpurpose of ceremonial ritual performancesis to reach to the stage of schism through redressive actions to address the crisis created by breach.Performativity of theserituals focuseson the purpose rather than mere repetition of the form and content of such rituals.Both texts explore the therapeutic dimensions of shamanisticrituals as addressing the problemslike sickness and psychological traumain the society. Tayo’s healing process through ceremonial rituals inCeremonyandMundhumbased rituals for avoiding jealousy and evil reveal the power of words which ‘do’ rather than merely reporting events and stories. Rituals inCeremonyandMundhumadvocate the need to becoming aware of one’s own stances in relation to the positions of others and then take steps to maintain or change positions as considered by Schechner. The change is instrumental to revisit our inner self and cast away fears and evil thoughts to lead a healthy life as the ritual performances serve the purpose of healing the sickness andstrengthenpsychological harmony and safety of individual and ofthe whole community.Further researchin this area could lead tothe most important revelations ofpsycho- social dimensions offaith healing and shamanistic ritualsperformancesin the changed context. Keywords: shamanism, ritualperformance,performativity,healing,harmony, symbolic journey