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the anthropologist has become so familiar with the diversity of ways in which different peoples behave in similar situations that he is not apt to be surprised by even the most exotic customs. in fact, if all of the logically possible combinations of behavior have not been found somewhere in the world, he is apt to suspect that they must be present in some yet undescribed tribe. this point has, in fact, been expressed with respect to clan organization by murdock. in this light, the magical beliefs and practices of the nacirema present such unusual aspects that it seems desirable to describe them as an example of the extremes to which human behavior can go. professor linton first brought the ritual of the nacirema to the attention of anthropologists twenty years ago, but the culture of this people is still very poorly understood. they are a north american group living in the territory between the canadian creel the yaqui and tarahumare of mexico, and the carib and arawak of the antilles. little is known of their origin, although tradition states that they came from the east.... nacirema culture is characterized by a highly developed market economy which as evolved in a rich natural habitat. while much of the people's time is devoted to economic pursuits, a large part of the fruits of these labors and a considerable portion of the day are spent in ritual activity. the focus of this activity is the human body, the appearance and health of which loom as a dominant concern in the ethos of the people. while such a concern is certainly not unusual, its ceremonial aspects and associated philosophy are unique. the fundamental belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease. incarcerated in such a body, man's only hope is to avert these characteristics through the use of the powerful influences of ritual and ceremony. every household has one or more shrines devoted to this purpose. the more powerful individuals in the society have several shrines in their houses and, in fact, the opulence of a house is often referred to in terms of the number of such ritual centers it possesses. most houses are of wattle and daub construction, but the shrine rooms of the more wealthy are walled with stone. poorer families imitate the rich by applying pottery plaques to their shrine walls. while each family has at least one such shrine, the rituals associated with it are not family ceremonies but are private and secret. the rites are normally only discussed with children, and then only during the period when they are being initiated into these mysteries. i was able, however, to establish sufficient rapport with the natives to examine these shrines and to have the rituals described to me.
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