Focusing on extensive fieldwork, this book explores the historical evolution and sociocultural backdrop of Greek fire-walking rituals. It delves into the significance of these practices within their community, examining how they reflect broader themes of faith, tradition, and resilience. Through detailed analysis, the author uncovers the rituals' meanings and their impact on cultural identity, providing a comprehensive understanding of this unique phenomenon.
A TELEGRAPH 'Best Smart Thinking Books of 2022' PICK'A gripping guide to rites and customs around the world' New Scientist'Fascinating ... pacy, adventurous' Mail on SundayRitual is the oldest, and certainly the most enigmatic, thread in the history of human culture. And it presents a profound people ascribe the utmost importance to their rituals, but few can explain why they are so important. Apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from handshakes to hexes, hazings to parades. Before we ever learned to farm, we were gathering in giant stone temples to perform elaborate rites and ceremonies. And yet, though rituals exist in every culture and can persist nearly unchanged for centuries, their logic has remained a mystery - until now.In Ritual , pioneering scientist Dimitris Xygalatas leads us on an enlightening tour through this shadowy realm of human behaviour. Armed with cutting-edge technology and drawing on discoveries from a huge range of disciplines, he presents a powerful new perspective on our place in the world. In coronations, in silent prayer, in fire-walks and terrifying rites of passage, in all the bewildering variety of human life, Ritual reveals the deep and subtle mechanisms that bind us together.
