It finds a lot of reference in the Mosaic rituals. The Jews always considered water as an agent of ritual purification. This practice started in early Christian times, probably because of the Jewish heritage that Christianity has. According to the Laguna, this will ensure the old man does not travel into the next life while thirsty and will also enable him to send the Laguna some rain since the dry season has lasted too long.Īt the same time, the sprinkling of holy water by the priest symbolizes cleansing in the Catholic Church. The conflict is resolved by Leon, a grandson of Teofilo, when he requests Fr Paul to sprinkle holy water on the deceased’s body at the grave. What Does the Holy Water Symbolize for Father Paul? The differences were based on belief and translated into precepts, bringing about an artificial conflict that would soon be resolved by the humane treatment both groups embraced as a way of life. “The curtains were heavy, and the light from within faintly penetrated it was impossible to see the nuns inside eating supper,” the Laguna lived side by side men amongst women in all that they did (Silko 5).
Human sitting on clouds native american full#
While the Catholics live in strict separation with the nuns cloistered in their chambers, “The priest turned away from Leon and looked out the window at the patio full of shadows and the dining-room windows of the nuns’ cloister across the patio” (Silko 5). This apparent void in beliefs is further illustrated in the way of life of the two communities to show “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” symbolism and theme. This divergence may exist even though the symbolism is strikingly similar in some instances and may mean the same thing. Such people, even though they may not be Catholics, have a place in the salvation of souls. The Catholic Church recognizes people who may not have heard the full message of the gospel, but in their own way have a desire to live within the confines of socially acceptable values. The conflict develops between the two creeds due to this existence of elaborate processes in both, which makes many catholic thinkers assert that traditional and religious practices are mutually exclusive. The funeral mass involves prayers and blessing as well, a graveside ritual in which, the coffin or body (if a coffin is lacking), is sprinkled with ‘holy water,’ specially prepared by the officiating priest for the occasion. The ministering priest uses olive oil, blessed by the bishop, and says relevant prayers.
They include the anointing of the body organs representative of the five senses, and in the case of men, the loins. They involve the administration of the sacraments if a person is still alive or the administration of intercessory prayers and blessings over the corpse if a person is recently deceased. The catholic last rites are ideally performed before death but can be conducted a few hours after death if a priest is available. Catholic Church Perspective on Central Conflict in “The Man to Send Rain Clouds”įrom the point of view of the Catholic Church, there are similar practices, but it requires members to follow these instead of the traditional norms. The ritual of sprinkling cornmeal mixed with pollen at the place of death, at the house of the deceased and the grave is meant to invoke a blessing for protection while the red blanket in which the corpse is wrapped guarded him against malignant forces as he travelled into the spiritual world (Raitt 152). The other two rituals were safeguards against evil.
The colours painted on Teofilo’s face were meant to facilitate his recognition once he arrived in the spirit world, with each colour having a specific meaning attached to it. Their placement on corpses shows that they are being empowered to travel into the spiritual world (Venefica 25). The feathers symbolize the ascension and flight of the soul among many Native American cultures. “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” conflict is demonstrated with the help of direct and indirect characterization. The Laguna ritual for giving a deceased member of the tribe a decent send-off involves tying of a feather in the hair, smearing of symbolic colours on the face, wrapping of the corpse in a red blanket and sprinkling of cornmeal and water at various places including the gravesite.
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