What is dedication?

To answer the question “What is initiation?” simple enough. Initiation is a transition from one level of development of the Magician to another. But such a definition is quite amorphous and too ambiguous to understand this issue.

Nowadays, there are two schools of thought regarding the importance and necessity of initiation - modern and traditional.

The modern point of view is based on the idea of ​​dedication as a certain act of giving oneself confidence in one’s abilities. The influence of the psychological paradigm of magic is clearly visible here, which is based on the explanation of ritual as an action aimed at relaxation, concentration on the goal and self-confidence. This and similar points of view are supported by people who do not have serious ideas about magic.

The traditional view of initiation is based on the understanding of the essence of the ritual, uniting the Magician and the invoked forces (Deity or Spirit).

Magical initiation is integral part traditional teaching of magical arts and serves not only significant event, marking the transition to a new level, but also a certain event transforming the Magician. In other words, magical initiation is a ritual that is designed to influence the Magician himself, change him and reconfigure him. An essential element of magical initiation is the acceptance of certain obligations, which may be given by the initiator or the Deity presiding over the ritual.

There are often cases when magical initiation is accompanied by some kind of tests. As part of the initiation ritual, the Magician is asked to answer a question or perform some action beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person. Speaking about magical initiation in this way, one can say that it reveals the power of the Magician. But it also has another side - a social one. A magician, undergoing initiation, becomes part of a community of initiates, Mages like himself, who have passed tests, taken on obligations and have Power. At the same time, gaining experience that is unavailable to an ordinary person, A magician undergoing initiation withdraws from society ordinary people, becoming unlike either them or his former self.

How is initiation transmitted?

The transfer of initiation always occurs from teacher to student. The teacher, conducting the initiation ritual, opens the way for the student; he presents his student before the Deities and Spirits, reinforcing his status with his authority earned over the years and the authority of his predecessors (teachers).

The teacher's presentation of the initiate to the Deities and Spirits is similar to the presentation of one's protégé to people of high social status. In order to introduce your protégé and bring him into the world, you need not just desire to do this, but also to have a certain status in society, and to have a personal acquaintance. Otherwise, the representation will not mean anything - “an unknown person represents a useless person.”

In the understanding of traditional training in magic, initiation is transmitted along the lines of discipleship. With initiation, not only strength is revealed, but also the ability to draw upon the experience and strength of predecessors is acquired.

Types of initiations in the tradition of the Brotherhood of Fire (School of Fire Magic)

Initiatory rituals are divided into several groups, each of which corresponds to its own level of initiation. The rituals themselves are aimed at connecting with the Sun God and the Moon Goddess, establishing an energetic connection with the Deities and restructuring perception. Initiation or initiation ritual allows a person to have more magical power and gain access to the knowledge of Fire Mages of past generations. However, according to the teachings of Fire Magic, the magical power of the Magician depends not only on his knowledge, experience and number of initiations (although this undoubtedly influences), but also on his goals and moral guidelines.

Mages of the Brotherhood of Fire often unite in "circles" - small localized associations. The circle can cover either 1 city or an entire region. The purpose of associations is joint action and mutual assistance.

In the initiatory tradition of the Brotherhood of Fire, in addition to the ritual of self-initiation, there are 3 rituals of initiation of the Path:

1st ritual aimed at introducing the Deities and Spirits, and establishing a connection with them. During the first initiation, the Magician receives his first magical name and his own key to understanding the path of his development and destiny.

After passing the 1st initiation, the Magician is considered to have set foot on the Path. At this stage, it is important to pay special attention to daily ritual practices and conducting seasonal rituals at your altar.

2nd ritual is aimed at establishing a connection with God and the Goddess of the Earth, and involves passing the test of Death. The magician plunges into a deep trance state and goes on a journey in the form of the Spirit. On his journey, he communicates with the Progenitor of All Living Things, who reveals to him the secrets of the Force and gives him her blessing in exchange for obligations.

At this stage, the Force will guide the Magician, revealing the inner essence of many phenomena. Magical practice will be improved, it is recommended to supplement it by performing rituals at Places of Power. Strength will make the Magician active both externally and internally, and therefore it is important to direct oneself to the implementation of a task that reflects the 4th ministries of the Fire Magician.

3rd ritual aimed at establishing a connection with the Sun God and the Moon Goddess. At this stage, the Magician may have several tests that are announced to him through the oracle. After completing the 3rd initiation ritual, the Fire Mage becomes a full-fledged follower of the Path.

Having taken the Path and strengthened himself on it, the Fire Mage, revealing the Power within himself, realizes his highest destiny. Magical practice at this stage is varied, since the initiate already has considerable knowledge of various magical arts.

At any stage after the 1st initiation, the Fire Mage can turn through his School to the Brotherhood of Fire and, after passing the appropriate tests and rituals, become part of it. The Brotherhood of Fire is also called the San family, it is the 8th family serving the Sun God. Initiation into the San family opens the Path to special rituals of the 7 families of Spirits.

By the next ritual, the Fire Mage, who feels his purpose in teaching other Fire Mages, is initiated into the Teacher and Guardian of the Path. The initiation ritual for Teachers is also divided into several stages.

In addition to the central line of initiation, there are also specific initiations associated with individual areas of magical craft, for example, such as: rune magic, the art of “Sol Vas In” *, combat magic, healing, and so on. Thus, a Fire Mage who wants to deeply study the magic of runes, in the process of his training, can undergo 5 initiations related to at different levels knowledge this direction. There are also 5 initiations associated with the art of “Sol Vas In”, each of which allows you to control different energy channels.

* Sol Vas In is the art of channeling the energy of the Sun God, the Moon Goddess and the Three Guardians of Fire.

You can ask questions about Fire Magic on the forum - “Questions about Fire Magic”
(registration is required to write messages).

Transformation into a superman is possible only due to the increase in magical religious power. This is why among the natives of North America we find so many similarities between the initiations associated with the achievement of puberty and the rites of entry into secret societies or shamanic brotherhoods. The fact is that the goal of each of them is the mastery of sacred power, which is confirmed by the acquisition of one or more patron Spirits, witchcraft or strange behavior - such as cannibalism. Each time at initiation, the same mystery of death is played out, followed by resurrection as a being of a higher order. IN North America The influence of shamanism on the scenarios of other initiations is especially noticeable, because the shaman, first of all, is a person gifted with extraordinary capabilities, in in a certain sense- sample religious person. A sorcerer, shaman, mystic is a specialist in the field of the sacred; he is an exemplary example for other people, stimulating their desire to strengthen their magical, religious powers and increase social prestige through new initiations. Perhaps we find here an explanation for the emergence of secret societies and "male unions" not only in North America, but also in the rest of the world.

Morphology of “Secret Male Unions” (Männerbünde) is extremely complex, and we cannot dwell on their structure and history. Regarding their origin, the most common is the Frobenius hypothesis, adopted by the historical-cultural school. Secret men's societies, or “Mask Societies,” arose during the period of matriarchy; their task was to terrify women into believing that the masks were demons and ancestral spirits, and thereby free themselves from the economic, social and religious supremacy of women established by the matriarchy. This hypothesis does not seem deep to us. The Mask Societies may have played a role in the struggle for male supremacy, but it is difficult to believe that the religious phenomenon of a secret society could have serious consequences for the fate of matriarchy. On the contrary, one can state a very clear connection between the rites of growing up and the trials of initiation into the secret societies of men. Throughout Oceania, for example, initiations of boys and initiations giving access to secret male societies include the same ritual symbolic death when swallowed sea ​​monster, followed by the resurrection: this is proof that all initiatory rites historically originated from one center. Similar phenomena are found in West Africa - secret societies are derivatives of coming-of-age rites. And the list of examples can be continued.

It seems to us that in the phenomenon of a secret society lies the need to more fully participate in the sacred side of existence, a sense of a specific side of sacredness accessible to each of both sexes. This is why initiations into secret societies are so similar to coming-of-age rites - the same tests, the same symbolism of death and resurrection, the same touch on traditional and secret knowledge. For the initiation script represents that without which the most complete experience of the sacred is impossible. However, some new elements can be noticed in the secret societies of masks. The most significant of them: the important role of mystery, the cruelty of trials, the predominance of the cult of Ancestors (personified in masks) and the absence of a Supreme Being in these rites. We have already noted the gradual decline in the importance of the Supreme Being in Australian coming-of-age rites. This is a phenomenon common to secret societies: the place of the heavenly Supreme Being was taken by the Demiurge God, or the mystical Ancestor, or the Enlightenment Hero. But, as we shall see, some initiations into secret societies still adhere to the old rites and symbols; it seems to us that this proves the original religious significance Supreme Celestial Beings, who were supplanted over time by other Deities or demigods.

The socio-religious phenomenon of secret male cults and brotherhoods was especially common in Melanesia and Africa. In our previous work we gave several examples based on African material, especially initiation into the secret cult of Ngoua among the Kuta tribes, as well as rites of entry into the secret societies of Manja, Banda and Bakhimba. Let us recall the main ones. Among Bakhimba, initiation lasts from two to five years, and the main rite is the death and resurrection of the initiate. The latter is severely scourged, he drinks a narcotic drink, the so-called “drink of death”, then one of the old men grabs his hand and leads him around, and he falls to the ground. Then everyone shouts: “Oh, the name is dead!” - and the initiate is brought into the sacred enclosure, which is called the “courtyard of the resurrection.” There he is undressed, placed naked in a hole dug in the shape of a cross, and left for several days. After undergoing various tortures and swearing to keep absolutely everything secret, the neophyte is eventually resurrected.

Only clan leaders have the right to join the Ngouan Kuga society. Applicants are beaten with a whip, rubbed with the leaves of burning plants, and their bodies and hair are smeared with plant juice, which causes unbearable itching. All these ritual tortures are to some extent reminiscent of the dismemberment during the initiation of shaman disciples, which we will talk about in the next chapter. Another test “consists of forcing the adept to climb a tree five to six meters high and drink medicine at the top.” When he returns to the village, the women greet him with tears: they mourn him as if he were dead. Among other Kut tribes, the neophyte is severely beaten in order to “kill” his old name and be able to give him another, new one.

The neophyte learns about the origin of the secret brotherhoods of Manja and Banda, which bear the name Ngakola, from a myth that is told to him during initiation. Once upon a time there lived a monster named Ngakola in the forest. he had black body covered with long hair. It could kill a person and immediately resurrect him, but more perfect. The monster turned to the people: “Send me people, I will swallow them, and then return them to you renewed.” Everyone followed his advice, but since Ngakola returned only half of those he swallowed, the people killed him. This myth served as the basis for a ritual in which a sacred flat stone taken from Ngakola's belly plays an important role. The neophyte is led into a hut, which symbolizes the body of the monster. Here he hears the gloomy voice of Ngakol, here he is tortured. He is told that he is in the stomach of a monster, which will now begin to digest him. The rest of the newcomers at this time sing in unison: “Take our entrails, Ngakola, take our liver.” Having passed the remaining tests, the neophyte hears the initiation leader announce that Ngakola, who has eaten him, is bringing him back.

The myth of Ngakola is reminiscent of the Australian myth of a semi-divine Beast who was killed by humans for bringing back only a portion of those he had swallowed, and after his death became the center of a secret cult involving symbolic death and rebirth. We encounter here the symbolism of death when a neophyte is swallowed, falling into the monster’s stomach, symbolism that occupies so much great place in coming of age rituals.

Similar scenarios exist in West Africa. IN late XIX centuries in the Lower Congo, in connection with the epidemic, the custom of founding societies arose "ndembo". The death and resurrection of neophytes during initiation gave reason to think that even in the case of incurable diseases this ritual could be effective. In the depths of the forest they erected a palisade called "Vela". Entry into it was strictly prohibited for the uninitiated. Initiation was preceded by a divine "call". Those wishing to become members of the Ndembo suddenly fell as if dead in crowded places, for example, in the center of the village. They were immediately sent into the forest and taken behind the stockade.

Student communities in the United States have existed for three centuries. And these are not just interest clubs. The so-called “brotherhoods” and “sisterhoods” consist of the best of the best, the color of the nation and its future.

History of appearance

The tradition of creating student communities appeared in the United States along with the first universities. They were called "Latin societies" because abbreviations from Latin letters. The first such organization was the Flat Hat Club (F.H.C.), the most famous member of which was the third US President Thomas Jefferson, although in one of his letters published in November 2010 by The New-York Times, he called membership in the society pointless.

Another oldest Latin fraternity was the Please Don't Ask (P.D.A.) group. Both fraternities united young intellectual elite, the future American tried unsuccessfully to break through several times political figure John Hiff.

On December 5, 1776, he created the first “Greek” student society, Phi Betta Kappa, at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, of which he served as president.

Since then, the use of a combination of two or three Greek letters as the name of communities has been a tradition. In this regard, the phrases “fraternity” and “Greek society” became synonymous. Often the abbreviation hides the secret motto of the brotherhood.

The first "sisterhood", called the Adelphi Society (today Alpha Delta Pi), appeared only in mid-19th century, in 1851, at Georgia Wesleyan College. And since the beginning of the twentieth century, many men's societies began to accept women into their ranks. And if initially “sisterhoods” were created as opposed to “brotherhoods,” today they sometimes unite, so now the term “brotherhood” is freely used in relation to both organizations of boys and girls.

Rite of passage

To undergo the rite of passage into a community, one must first be approved by the members of that community. Talented athletes, excellent students, future leaders are those in whom interest is shown. But all these qualities instantly fade if the candidate does not have wealthy parents behind him. Who you are and who your family is are the most important criteria when joining the student elite. An important role is played by the potential candidate's ability to pay membership fees, which range from $2,000 per semester onwards, which includes accommodation in a special “Greek”, dormitory and meals.

Becoming a “sister” is a little more difficult. In addition to all of the above, a successful candidate must have an attractive appearance.

But let's return to the initiation rite itself. Each community spends a so-called “hell week” - a hellish week, during which candidates for membership undergo a series of tests. Some of them are quite acceptable: an interview, demonstrating knowledge of the history of the community, its traditions and values, checking that the candidate meets all the requirements. But among others there are also extremely wild quests, which are more like torture: walking naked around campus, dousing yourself with sour milk, spending the night on the cold floor in the basement in only your underwear.

There is a legend that during initiation into Yale University's Skull and Bones community, candidates were forced to drink blood and tell the audience about their sexual preferences. Cruel rituals are considered the most dangerous and frightening part of “Greek” life, causing terrible incidents that sometimes even end in death.

Thus, in 2008, during initiation into the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, 18-year-old California Polytechnic University freshman Carson Starkey died. Carson, under duress, drank several bottles of strong alcohol, including 95-proof Everclear.

The young man fainted, and the club members decided not to take him to the hospital so as not to incur problems. After the incident, the “brotherhood” closed. But similar stories continue to appear in the American press.

Their morals

Over the past few years, in the American media, the hype around student communities has not subsided: homophobic, misogynistic and racist antics, cases of hooliganism, alcohol poisoning, beatings, drug trafficking, rape - this, according to Complex correspondent Ian Cervantes, is far from full list what the members of the “Greek houses” are repairing. Bloomberg News journalists David Glovin and John Hechinger note that since 2005, more than sixty people, mostly students, have died in fraternity-related incidents.

Such incidents have become a regular practice, and parents of injured students prefer to sue not the university, but the society itself. In the early 90s, the union of three student fraternities created the Franternity Risk Management Trust, an insurance fund designed to cover the costs of incoming lawsuits. Today, 33 fraternities work with the foundation.

To control the situation, communities themselves create certain rules for themselves. For example, alcohol is prohibited on most sorority campuses. However, this law can be easily circumvented by going to a party with the “brothers” in the neighborhood. Also, in 44 states, hazing (in our opinion, hazing) in student communities is prohibited at the legislative level. But ritual humiliation and wild customs still exist, only secretly.

Today, journalists and analysts predict the death of student communities due to declining trust, and many universities are taking steps to futile attempts close them on their territory - usually Greek houses exist independently from universities, being independent organizations, or in the event of another scandal they enlist the support of their influential alumni.

Why is it so important to be in a “brotherhood”?

According to The Atlantic journalist Maria Konnikova, 18 of the 44 presidents of the United States were members of fraternities. William Howard Taft, Truman's Secretary of Defense Robert Lovett, media mogul Henry Luce, both Bushes, current Secretary of State John Kerry - all were members of the already mentioned Yale University Skull and Bones society, and even Jen Psaki, known in Russia for her pearls, studied in that Yale University, was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.

Statistics related to this issue, in principle, very tempting - 42% of all US senators and heads of 85% large companies in the states they belonged to “brotherhoods”.

Professor Alan DeSantis, in his book “Inside the Greek Y: Brotherhoods, Sisterhoods and the Pursuit of Pleasure,” notes that only 8.5% of US students are members of fraternities, and they are the first contenders to rise to the top of power. So who would refuse the opportunity to be among the future political and economic elite?

IN modern idea, a member of the community is the ideal student. He is successful in his studies, he attends the loudest parties, participates in organizing the best events at the university, is familiar with interesting people. An image that fits perfectly into the notorious “American Dream”. Membership in a student community is even indicated on a resume when looking for a job, and the company will be more favorable to such a candidate.

A member of the “Greek House” will never go missing. After all, one of the basic rules of any student society is to “pull up” your own. " Former brothers" can not be.

Secret societies. Rites of initiation and dedication to Eliade Mircea

Secret society and men's fraternity(Männerbund)

Secret society and men's brotherhood (M?nnerbund)

Transformation into a superman is possible only due to the increase in magical religious power. This is why among the natives of North America we find so many similarities between the initiations associated with the achievement of puberty and the rites of entry into secret societies or shamanic brotherhoods. The fact is that the goal of each of them is the mastery of sacred power, which is confirmed by the acquisition of one or more patron Spirits, witchcraft or strange behavior - such as cannibalism. Each time at initiation, the same mystery of death is played out, followed by resurrection as a being of a higher order. In North America, the influence of shamanism on the scenarios of other initiations is especially noticeable, because the shaman, first of all, is a person gifted with extraordinary capabilities, in a certain sense, an example of a religious person. A sorcerer, shaman, mystic is a specialist in the field of the sacred; he is an exemplary example for other people, stimulating their desire to strengthen their magical, religious powers and increase social prestige through new initiations. Perhaps we find here an explanation for the emergence of secret societies and "male unions" not only in North America, but also in the rest of the world.

Morphology of “Secret Male Unions” (M?nnerb?nde) is extremely complex, and we cannot dwell on their structure and history 29 . As for their origin, the most widespread is the Frobenius hypothesis, adopted by the historical-cultural school 30 . Secret men's societies, or “Mask Societies,” arose during the period of matriarchy; their task was to terrify women into believing that the masks were demons and ancestral spirits, and thereby free themselves from the economic, social and religious supremacy of women established by the matriarchy. This hypothesis does not seem deep to us. The Mask Societies may have played a role in the struggle for male supremacy, but it is difficult to believe that the religious phenomenon of a secret society could have serious consequences for the fate of matriarchy. On the contrary, one can state a very clear connection between the rites of growing up and the trials of initiation into the secret societies of men. Throughout Oceania, for example, initiations of boys and initiations into secret male societies involve the same ritual of symbolic death by being swallowed by a sea monster, followed by resurrection: this is proof that all initiation rites historically originated from a single center. Similar phenomena are found in West Africa - secret societies are derivatives of coming-of-age rites 32 . And the list of examples can be continued 33 .

It seems to us that in the phenomenon of a secret society lies the need to more fully participate in the sacred side of existence, a sense of a specific side of sacredness accessible to each of both sexes. This is why initiations into secret societies are so similar to coming-of-age rites - the same tests, the same symbolism of death and resurrection, the same touch on traditional and secret knowledge. For the initiation script represents that without which the most complete experience of the sacred is impossible. However, some new elements can be noticed in the secret societies of masks. The most significant of them: the important role of mystery, the cruelty of trials, the predominance of the cult of Ancestors (personified in masks) and the absence of a Supreme Being in these rites. We have already noted the gradual decline in the importance of the Supreme Being in Australian coming-of-age rites. This is a phenomenon common to secret societies: the place of the heavenly Supreme Being was taken by the Demiurge God, or the mystical Ancestor, or the Enlightenment Hero. But, as we shall see, some initiations into secret societies still adhere to the old rites and symbols; it seems to us that this proves the primordial religious significance of the Supreme Celestial Beings, who over time were supplanted by other Deities or demigods.

The socio-religious phenomenon of secret male cults and brotherhoods was especially common in Melanesia and Africa 34 . In our previous work we gave several examples based on African material, especially initiation into the secret cult of Ngoua among the Kuta tribes, as well as the rites of entry into the secret societies of Manja, Banda and Bakhimba 35. Let us recall the main ones. Among Bakhimba, initiation lasts from two to five years, and the main rite is the death and resurrection of the initiate. The latter is severely scourged, he drinks a narcotic drink, the so-called “drink of death”, then one of the old men grabs his hand and leads him around, and he falls to the ground. Then everyone shouts: “Oh, the name is dead!” - and the initiate is brought into the sacred enclosure, which is called the “courtyard of the resurrection.” There he is undressed, placed naked in a hole dug in the shape of a cross, and left for several days. After enduring various tortures and swearing to keep absolutely everything secret, the neophyte is eventually resurrected 36 .

Only clan leaders have the right to join the Ngouan Kuga society. Applicants are beaten with a whip, rubbed with the leaves of burning plants, and their bodies and hair are smeared with plant juice, which causes unbearable itching. All these ritual tortures are to some extent reminiscent of the dismemberment during the initiation of shaman disciples, which we will talk about in the next chapter. Another test “consists of forcing the adept to climb a tree five to six meters high and drink medicine at the top.” When he returns to the village, the women greet him with tears: they mourn him as if he were dead. Among other Kut tribes, the neophyte is severely beaten in order to “kill” his old name and be able to give him another, new one 37 .

The neophyte learns about the origin of the secret brotherhoods of Manja and Banda, which bear the name Ngakola, from a myth that is told to him during initiation. Once upon a time there lived a monster named Ngakola in the forest. it had a black body covered with long hair. It could kill a person and immediately resurrect him, but more perfect. The monster turned to the people: “Send me people, I will swallow them, and then return them to you renewed.” Everyone followed his advice, but since Ngakola returned only half of those he swallowed, the people killed him. This myth served as the basis for a ritual in which a sacred flat stone taken from Ngakola's belly plays an important role. The neophyte is led into a hut, which symbolizes the body of the monster. Here he hears the gloomy voice of Ngakol, here he is tortured. He is told that he is in the stomach of a monster, which will now begin to digest him. The rest of the newcomers at this time sing in unison: “Take our entrails, Ngakola, take our liver.” Having passed the remaining tests, the neophyte hears the initiation leader announce that Ngakola, who has eaten him, is bringing him back 38 .

The myth of Ngakola is reminiscent of the Australian myth of a semi-divine Beast who was killed by humans for bringing back only a portion of those he had swallowed, and after his death became the center of a secret cult involving symbolic death and rebirth. We encounter here the symbolism of death when the neophyte is swallowed, falling into the stomach of the monster, symbolism that occupies such a large place in the rites of growing up.

Similar scenarios exist in West Africa. At the end of the 19th century in Bas-Congo, in connection with an epidemic, the custom of founding societies arose "ndembo" 39 . The death and resurrection of neophytes during initiation gave reason to think that even in the case of incurable diseases this ritual could be effective. In the depths of the forest they erected a palisade called "Vela". Entry into it was strictly prohibited for the uninitiated. Initiation was preceded by a divine "call". Those wishing to become members of the Ndembo suddenly fell as if dead in crowded places, for example, in the center of the village. They were immediately sent into the forest and taken behind the stockade.

Sometimes up to fifty or a hundred people fell in one day. They were said to have died for "ndembo". The neophytes who settled in the huts behind the stockade were considered dead and began to decompose, so that only one bone remained from each body. Initiates, called nganga(those who know) took special care of these bones. The period of isolation could last from three months to three years, and during this entire time the neophyte families brought food daily for the nganga. Neophytes walked naked, since it was believed that in the “vela,” that is, in the other world, sin did not exist. (The symbolism of ritual nudity is actually much more complex. On the one hand, there is an idea of ​​paradise, of the state of primordial bliss that preceded the appearance of social forms. In addition, funeral symbolism is added here, as well as the idea that the newly born neophyte should share the nakedness of small children.) Since representatives of both sexes took part in the sacrament, orgies often took place in the "vela", but from the point of view of the neophytes, their behavior was not there was nothing immoral. Orgies were part of life in the “other world”, where human laws do not apply.

When the neophytes, revered as “resurrected,” returned to the village in a whole cortege, they pretended to have forgotten their past. They did not recognize their parents or friends, could not remember their language, and did not know how to use everyday things. They allowed themselves to be taught like small children and imitated childhood irresponsibility: they attacked those they met and stole everything that came to hand. "The right to steal" - common feature There are 40 African secret societies and is part of the socio-religious ideology of “men's unions”.

As Bastian says, the ritual scenario of such secret brotherhoods is based on the original myth. “In the depths of the forest lived the Great Idol, no one could see it there. When he died, the idolatrous priests carefully collected his bones to give them new life. They fed these bones until they became flesh and blood." 41 In the ritual, the neophytes were supposed to repeat the fate of the Great Idol, the patron saint of the brotherhood. But the main role in the ritual belongs to the idolatrous priests, that is, the stewards of initiation: it is they who carefully “feed” the bones of the neophytes, as they once “fed” the bones of the Great Idol. At the end of the ceremony, it is they who proclaim the return of the neophytes to life - the example of the Great Idol made this possible.

The transformation of the body into a skeleton, accompanied by the birth of new flesh and blood - this is the theme of initiation specific to the hunting culture - we find it in the initiation of Siberian shamans. As for the African brotherhoods, this ancient element is included in a more developed religious-magical system, containing many later inclusions.

So, we see that the rites of entry into secret societies correspond in all respects to tribal initiations: isolation, ritual torture and trials, death and resurrection, receiving a new name, discovery secret knowledge, education special language etc. What is noticeable, however, is a significant increase in the complexity of the tests. Ritual torture - characteristic feature Melanesian secret societies and some North American fraternities. Thus, the tests that Mandan neophytes must undergo are famous for their particular cruelty 42 . To understand the meaning of ritual torture, it must be borne in mind that suffering has a ritual value: torture is supposed to be carried out by Superhuman Beings, and its purpose is the spiritual awakening of the object of initiation. Moreover, the highest suffering is an expression of ritual death. Some severe illnesses, especially mental ones, were seen as a sign that Superhuman Beings had chosen the sick person for initiation: he was to be tortured, dismembered and "killed" in order to be resurrected to a better state. high existence. As we will see later; “ritual diseases” constitute one of the most important signs shamanic calling. Torture of candidates for secret societies is identical to terrible suffering, symbolizing the mystical death of the future shaman. In this and other cases we're talking about about the process of spiritual transformation.

Secret societies undoubtedly represent an extremely complex social and religious phenomenon. We cannot examine it in its entirety, for our interest is limited to an analysis of the facts connected with initiation. However, it should be pointed out that the functions of secret societies are not limited to religious tasks. They are both mutual aid societies and function effectively in public and political life communities. In many religions, secret societies are the last resort to which people turn in search of justice 43 . In some countries, this legal aspect of the activities of secret societies has turned them into an instrument of terror and is sometimes accompanied by extreme cruelty. For example, members of numerous African brotherhoods called "Leopards" or "Lions" ritually identify themselves with these animals and are guilty of many murders and cannibalism 44 .