Fieldwork II

We have recently become aware of the Kuukuh Nation. We, the Balena, have made initial attempts to better understand their cultural ways through looking at their rituals. Please visit them in order to start to understand their ways.

http://merryweatherflowersinc.blogspot.com/

Ritual Classification

The Balena’s institution for relgion, Baleonology, has one distinct ritual of Baleocide. Simply defining Baleocide as a ritual doesn’t do it the justice that it deserves. Though Baleocide could be classified in more than one way, Baleocide is primarily a rite of exchange and communion. Rites of exchange and communion, bluntly speaking, are a “this for that” exchange. Essentially, Baleocide matches this criteria. After a successful hunt, the Blue Whale that has been brought to the center of the village is met by the elder. At this point the exchange occurs. The Balena receive the Blue Whale for sustenance, and in turn sacrifice their elder back to the Blue Whale. In order for the Balena to survive, they must give back to whom from they have taken so much. The essence of the symbiotic relationship that the Balena have with the Blue Whale clearly can be seen as a rite of exchange and communion.

The Balena’s institution for kinship and family also has a rather distinct ritual, the birthing ritual. As for most rituals, the birthing ritual could very well be classified in numerous ways, but to the Balena, it is primarily a protective ritual. During the birthing ritual, the entire village encircles the birthing hut. This is a powerful symbol. Not only does it represent the Balena’s circular view of life, but it also represents a protective circle. The Balena stay circling the birthing hut throughout the entire duration of the labor. This circle protects both the mother and the infant. It functions to make sure that the mother does not have any complications during birth and also that that the infant is healthy upon birth. The infant is born into this protective circle and this circle, the community, will serve to protect the infant throughout it’s life. To ensure that it does not succumb to the harsh environment and to make sure that it does not lose touch with the ways of the Balena.

The most important ritual in the Balena institution of education is the First Hunt. This ritual serves as an ideological ritual, but more specifically, it is a rite of passage. Rites of passage serve to move an individual from one place or status to another. This rite of passage moves the Balena from child to adult. For over a year, the child shows great attendance to process during this liminal state between child and adult. The First Hunt is the culmination of this process, of this rite of passage. After this rite of passage, when the child has become an adult, they are seen in a new light. They will now be depended upon by the community and have to give all that they are to their society.

The Balena’s social structure is exemplified in the ritual of the Circular Harpoon. This is an ideological ritual as well, but this ritual can be best classified as a rite of intensification. Rites of intensification serve to reinforce the values and norms of a culture as well as to preserve the continuity of the past to the present. This rite helps maintain that continuity. There may be differences of age in the Balena, but there are no gaps between the past and the present. This rite demonstrates this by the very simple yet symbolic act of the elder giving his harpoon to the youngest member of the Balena. In a sense, the elder gives the young Balena his/her knowledge, experience, and beliefs all at once during this gesture ensuring that everything that the elder was will be preserved in this young Balena. 

Ritual Process

Baleonology, the Balena’s religious institution, is rich with rituals. Though one clearly stands out as not only the most important, but one that outsiders may view as particularly interesting. The ritual is known as Baleocide. To the Balena, Baleocide is not only the highest honor one can achieve, but also it is seen as the culmination of a full life. Baleocide, bluntly, is a ritual of sacrifice. The Balena live their entire lives dependent on the Blue Whale. It is not only their sacred deity, but also their source of sustenance. The Balena hold a clearly symbiotic relationship with the Blue Whale. For every Blue Whale they hunt, they must sacrifice one of their own, their elder.

Whenever a Blue Whale is successfully hunted, the Balena know that the ritual of Baleocide will soon take place. Upon completion of the hunt, the current village elder meets the hunters bringing in the body of the Blue Whale in the center of the village. The reality of the situation is bittersweet but the atmosphere is not somber, but almost celebratory. The entire village, including those who were involved with the hunt, encircle the Blue Whale and the elder. The elder does not speak, nor does anyone else. The elder extends his arm and places his hand on the head of the Blue Whale. He then takes a knife and cuts the first piece of blubber from the Blue Whale. With this done, it signifies the beginning of the elder’s last meal. No words are spoken throughout the meal. The following morning at dawn the villagers assemble at the docks. The hunters who brought in the Blue Whale then escort the elder from dry land to sea. They row out until they are nearly out of the villager’s sight. The elder then stands and makes a small cut on the palm of his hand. He lets the wound drip blood into the water and then waits. The elder could be waiting only moments, or hours waiting for the Blue Whale to appear. Once the Blue Whale arrives the hunters lower the elder into the water and return to land. Once they return the past life cycle is complete and the new one begins.

The Balena have this ritual to appease the Blue Whale. They ultimately give back all they are to that which they have depended upon. The ritual not only exemplifies their circular way of life and their symbiotic relationship with the Blue Whale, but it also accomplishes showing the Balena where their place is in this circle of life. It is a “good death” for the elder, and all Balena hope to one day be able to sacrifice themselves as well as the ultimate symbol for Baleonology.

The Balena’s institution of kinship and family is a communal one. Almost every ritual in Balena culture is attended by the entire Balena population. The Balena stress community and do not see family as limited by blood lines. The birth ritual exemplifies this sense of community.

The birth ritual begins when the pregnant mother has her first contraction. Immediately after this takes place she is escorted to the birthing hut in the center of the village. The hut is small and circular. The father, the elder, and several of the oldest women villagers join the mother to be inside the hut. As for most Balena rituals, the remaining villagers encircle the hut joined together by holding hands. This ritual lasts as long as the mother is in labor and can be grueling for all parties involved. The mother is clearly enduring the pain of giving birth and the villagers outside the hut stand solemnly embracing each other for the duration of the birth. Once the child is born the umbilical cord is cut and after the mother has a moment with her newborn child, the elder takes the newborn outside. The elder then walks around the edges of the circle slowly. The villagers, one by one, place their hands on the head of the newborn. Once everyone has done so the ritual is complete and the newborn is now considered to be brought into the world of the Balena.

The Balena have this ritual to acknowledge that every newborn is not only a product of the biological parents, but a product of the entire community. Every member of the village will take part in raising the newborn. Not only does this ritual accomplish emphasizing community upon the Balena but it also accomplishes bringing the newborn into the community. A newborn would not be considered truly Balena if this ritual did not take place.

The Balena’s institution for education has one distinct ritual, the First Hunt. Once a child has reached the age of 12, they are eligible to hunt. The ritual does not necessarily take place on the birthday of the child. But once a child is 12, the next time the Balena deem it necessary to hunt another Blue Whale, the child is brought along on the hunt. This ritual can incorporate one child, or several children, depending upon how many children have turned 12 and need to participate in their first hunt. The child accompanies the hunters at dawn down to the docks. Harpoon in hand, the child is the first to board the boat. The child stands with the senior hunter at the head of the boat as they are rowed out to sea. The senior hunter directs the boat until the Blue Whale is spotted. Once in harpoon distance the child speaks aloud “may I one day be able to give back to you all of which I have taken”. The child then thrusts the harpoon at the Blue Whale. If it is not a fatal blow, the senior hunter steps in and finishes the process.

This ritual is done to show the child first-hand the reality of the world they live in. To make them realize the totality of the situation they live in and how exactly they take away that from which they hold sacred. It accomplishes the final step of the passage from child to adult. Now considered an adult, the child will be expected to contribute to their society all that they have to offer.

The Balena are not a hierarchical society per se, but they are lead by their village elder. Upon completion of the last hunt, and Baleocide, the current elder takes on the position of leadership. The elder is no longer allowed to hunt and therefore the next ritual takes place. The ritual is simply known as the Circular Harpoon. Like many Balena rituals, this one is held in the center of the village. The elder is joined by the youngest member of the village as they are encircled by the rest of the villagers. The elder holds his harpoon in his left hand as the child stands to the elder’s left side. The elder then speaks aloud “as my hunting days are over so are yours beginning”. The elder then hands the harpoon to the child and the ritual is complete.

The ritual is a product of the Balena’s circular way of life. It is done to bring life full circle back to its beginning again. It accomplishes two things. One, it signifies the elder’s transformation from an ordinary member of the village to elder. And two, it signifies the beginning of the child’s transformation to hunter and adult.

One of the most significant rites of passage in the Balena culture is the transformation from childhood to adulthood. The process of becoming an adult is a lengthy process. The beginning is marked formally by time. Once a child turns the 11 the process begins. The Balena do not celebrate birthdays by gift giving traditionally. But if a child has not been handed down a harpoon by the village elder by the time they turn 11, they are given one on their 11^th birthday. The night of their 11^th birthday the villagers assemble in the center of the village. The child stands along side the elder in the middle of the circle. At this time if they do not yet have a harpoon the elder presents one to the child. The elder then leads the child around the inside of the circle, slowly passing each of the villagers. The elder then returns to the center and the child then steps outside of the circle, physically separating themselves from the rest of the Balena. This marks the separation. The villagers disperse and the child is then lead by the senior hunter to a small hut located near the docks distant from the rest of the village’s structures. The child may be living in this hut alone now or with other children who are in the middle of their transformation from childhood to adulthood. For the next year, this is where the child will stay, separated from the rest of the village. They are in a liminal state. They are no longer considered children, exempt from daily tasks of the village, and they are not yet adults who contribute to all the daily tasks involved in sustaining the Balena way of life.

During this transformation process the child, or children, have no contact with the rest of the Balena are exempt from any other ritual taking place within the community. The only member of the Balena that they are in contact with, besides the others in the process of becoming adults, is the senior hunter. For the next year they will be taught all the tasks necessary to the Balena. Practicing and honing their skills so that once they reach adulthood they will be able to be functional members of the society. They are taught to use a harpoon, to butcher and prepare the Blue Whale, and most importantly, they are given daily lessons regarding Baleonology and the circular and symbiotic way of the Balena life. They watch every hunt and Baleocide from a hilltop, not only paying attention to the hunting process, but looking through a third person’s point of view at the circle of life itself: the hunt and death of the Blue Whale, the sustenance it provides the Balena, the sacrifice to the Blue Whale, and then back to the beginning.

During this liminal stage, whether one of the children is beginning their first day of the transformation or finishing their last, they are equals. There is no structure here, no difference, they are all one and none. They are all participants in this transformation but not considered children or adults.

Once they turn 12, they are not immediately reincorporated back into the village as adults. They are now only eligible to be. They must wait for the next hunt to take place. Once it is necessary for the Balena to hunt another Blue Whale the child then leaves their hut and joins the hunters down at the docks. They participate in the ritual of the First Hunt. Once they successfully finish the hunt they are lead back to the village by the senior hunter. The elder assembles the villagers in the center of town circularly around the fresh kill. The child then passes through the perimeter of the circle and joins the elder along side the Blue Whale. It is at this point that the transformation is complete. The child is now an adult and will now have to contribute their life to sustaining the lives of other Balena.

Fieldwork

We, the Balena, have recently made contact with a group known as the Pioneers on the other side of the United States.

http://we-pioneers.blogspot.com/

Symbol Theory

The Balena's symbols are rich with meaning. Each symbol is not merely a representation of a single idea, but instead they are layered with deep, all encompassing ideas that reflect not only who they are and where they came from, but how they view the world.

The Balena symbol for religion, Baleonology.

The Balena's symbol for religion, Baleonology, displays high amounts of condensation. The most obvious idea represented by this symbol is the symbiotic relationship that the Balena have with the Blue Whale. It illustrates that the existence of the Balena depend on the Blue Whale and that the Blue Whale depends on them in return. This symbol also represents the circular way of life. The clockwise direction illustrates the Balena's passage through time and understanding that everything comes back around to its beginning. The symbol for Baleonology represents the idea that everything comes with equal consequence. They take from the Blue Whale and then in turn have to give back themselves to the Blue Whale in return. Lastly, the symbol taken in as whole represents Baleonology. They depict the Blue Whale in blue, which they associate with the sacred and man in black, representing the profane. Though this is a clear distinction between the sacred and the profane it helps one understand the relationship and how the process of eating the Blue Whale and in turn sacrificing themselves back to the Blue Whale show how the profane can interact with the sacred and how the sacred takes in the profane.

The Balena symbol for social structure.

The Balena's symbol for social structure is also overflowing with meaning. Here though, it will be viewed in terms of its unification of disparate significata. The symbol itself is powerful, but in order to understand why it is so powerful to the Balena it must be viewed in terms of all the similar ideas that it represents. Firstly, it depicts the Balena's hierarchy system. The Balena is lead by its current elder, male or female, who is depicted in blue representing their closeness with the Blue Whale. Next, it represents the path in life from being a child to becoming an elder. The path of life is Balena society represents the goal that each child has of one day becoming the elder and giving themselves back to the Blue Whale from which they have lived off of. Lastly, the symbol represents the circular way of life in Balena society marking the way in which the elder, who is at the top of the Balena social structure, returns back to the younger members of its society. The harpoon in this symbol is circularly encompassing both the child, representing the youngest and lowest members of their society, and the elder. Its movement is clockwise starting with the child when they acquire the harpoon and ending with the elder, which then returns back to the next youngest member. All of these meanings are brought together in unison which represents the Balena social structure.

The Balena symbol for kinship and family.

The Balena's symbol for kinship and family is an interesting symbol that represent the ideology of kinship and family, but it also incites a great emotional response in the Balena. The polarization of meaning found in this symbol is evident to the Balena but must be highlighted for outsiders in order to fully comprehend its power. On the ideological pole of meaning it represents the sense of community and equality in Balena society. The symbol is depicted as different members of society from different blood lines embracing each other, bringing them together in an equal relationship showing that they are stronger together than apart. On the sensory pole of meaning, to the Balena it incites a great emotional response of belonging and acceptance. When viewing this symbol, it helps the Balena remember that they belong to this society and that they are both accepted and depended on by others. This is quite powerful to the Balena and forces them to be there for other Balena people.

The Balena are an old people. Their routes can be traced back over 2000 years ago to a small coastal village in Alaska. They are a simple people that believe in equilibrium above all else. It is said for the Balena that nothing occurs without equal consequence. This rings true for every aspect of their existence. The Balena also view life as circular, coming back onto itself again and again.

The Balena live off of whaling alone. Whales are their sole source of food, the Blue Whale particularly. Though the Blue Whale is their only source of sustenance, it is also sacred to the Balena. In ancient Balena mythology, it is told that an elderly fisherman first encountered the great Blue Whale. He was astounded by the sheer size of the whale and immediately decided that if he could kill it, it would satisfy his villages hunger for months. So he did. A week later he returned to the ocean with his son. Another great Blue Whale, twice the size of the one he had successfully hunted, appeared before them. The whale asked for a sacrifice insisting that if the Balena were to rely on them for sustenance, then the whales would reciprocate this relationship. The elderly fisherman, being the oldest of the village, volunteered and stepped from his boat into the giant mouth of the whale. His son returned to land and informed the rest of the village of what had occurred. Since that day, the Balena have viewed the Blue Whale with great respect and have incorporated it into their new found religion, Baleonology. From then on, for every one Blue Whale that the Balena hunted, they sacrificed the current village elder, thereby living in a somewhat symbiotic relationship with those they hold sacred and rely upon. It is seen as an honorable death in the eyes of their culture and everyone hopes to one day feed the whales that have fed them for their lifetime.

Baleonology is not only the Balenas religion, it's also the Balena way of life. Baleonology is not just the worship of the Blue Whale, it is also understanding that one cannot simply take, but have to give back, eventually all that one has to offer.

The Baleonology symbol.
The symbol is circular in design, a common theme for the Balena, insinuating life as a cycle. The movement is also moving clockwise showing the Balenas passing through time.  It also represents the symbiotic relationship that the Balena have with the Blue Whale, coming back around on each other. The Balena always represent the Blue Whale with the color blue as it is associated with the whale. 

The Balena are a communal people and the idea of kinship extends well beyond blood. Each member of their society depends on one and other for everything. Each child is reared both by its parents, and the community as a whole.

The Balena symbol for kinship and family.
The symbol is that of four Balena people embracing each other. It signifies the strong bond that they have with each other. It symbolizes that they have each other to depend on and also that they are stronger together than apart. The variation in color shows differences in bloodline, but even though they may not be blood related they are still kin. Blue is used once again in reference to the Blue Whale.

The educational system of the Balena is not a formal one. Young children, both boys and girls, begin learning the ways of the hunt when they are 12. Learning the physical side of hunting is only one part of it. The underlying side of hunting is learning not only to respect the Blue Whales but also to understand the Balenas place in their relationship with the whales. That they are equals and depend on each other and therefore must repay the Blue Whales for what they take from them.

The Balena symbol for their educational system.
Again this symbol is circular in design representing the full cycle of what it is to be Balena. The movement is also again moving clockwise showing the Balenas progression through life from learning to hunt to readying oneself for sacrifice. The Balena depicted on the top half is in black, which is the standard color used to represent the normal Balena but the one depicted on the bottom half is in blue showing that they are ready to become one with the Blue Whale through sacrifice. 

The Balena do not have a formal version of government either. Instead, the oldest member of their society is the decision maker for the Balena. It is a bittersweet position, one that is well respected, but one that does not typically last long. The elder is seen to be the most wise and the most closely related to the Blue Whale given that they will soon meet their ultimate end as a sacrifice for the whale. The village elder is also no longer allowed to hunt. He gives his harpoon to the youngest member of the village as a symbol of life repeating itself.

The Balena symbol for their social structure.
The symbol is circular in design representing life as a cycle.  The elder is depicted as the blue Balena indicating his closeness with the Blue Whale. The child Balena is depicted in black and is seen as the new beginning of this cycle. The circle encompassing the two is actually a harpoon moving clockwise through time referencing that the elders days of hunting are over and the childs days are just beginning.

Living in Alaska has helped keep the Balena peoples remain isolated from the modern world. With little to no interaction with anybody outside their small village they never developed, or had the need for that matter, a form of currency. The Balena are a communal people, sharing everything that they have. When a whale is brought in, it is divided evenly amongst the population, which is fairly small. The Balena have never grown to be more than 200 strong. This is partly because they wish to keep their needs from the Blue Whale small, and partly because of the nature of their sacrificial system. It may also be do to the harsh climate and especially harsh winters. During the long wintertime, whaling does not occur. The Balena have to live off of that they have saved for the winter. Being the minimalist that they are, their supplies can often dwindle during the winter months and it is not unusual for some to succumb to starvation.