Certain objects come to have special significance – not just for some individuals, or for brief periods of time, but for generations and for whole societies.
Some of these objects are believed to hold spiritual powers, so that ancestors, or spirits, speak through them. Other are thought to have healing powers. Some may be significant because they commemorate or date back to a great event in the history of a particular culture. Some objects are symbolic. They stand for, or in place of, something that is important to the community, something non-physical – a deity, perhaps. Still others may be thought to possess the power of divination – of explaining something hidden from daily knowledge, or of foretelling the future. Objects like these may be kept for use only on special days, or only by certain people, like priests or shamans.
Think about your own culture, society, or family
Think about your own culture, society, or family
What objects of cultural significance, in any of those forms from your own experience, can you name or describe? Write these down.
In small groups of four or five, compare and then explain the meaning and use of some of the culturally significant objects on your list.
Are any of them in the form of, for example,
A book, scroll, or something that contains the written word?
A garment or vestment, or something worn on the body?
A vessel for drinking from, or for containing food, or for pouring from?
A stick, or pointer, or staff?
A sound-making object, like a drum, or gong, or animal horn?
Or something else altogether?
OBJECTS OF CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
Sometimes objects which are imbued with special significance, or which are now used in rituals, might have been once everyday functional objects that have gained importance over time.
Do you recognize any of these objects, where they come from, and what they are used for?
Are any of these objects familiar to you? These are just a very few examples
