The common member of our education system has become so familiar with the diversity of ways in which different peoples answer to similar assignments, that he is not likely to be surprised by even the most ridiculous of minjok customs introduced in our blogs. However, there is a certain tribe called the Asnim that shows the end of the spectrum of where human behavior can go.
The Asnims are a rather newly introduced people, brought to attention about eighteen years ago. They are an East Asian group found in residence over an expanse of over three hundred acres of land in a high altitude region. Their territory is located between the Ruetsap region and the Asos culture. Research testifies the Asnim nation was created when some of the Naerok tribe relocated in hopes of constructing the pure, perfect utopia appearing in the legends of Kojnim, their holy script.
The Asnim culture is characterized by a highly developed bartering economy, which seems to have completely replaced the use of physical currency elements once present. From frequent trade, the denizens of the Asnim nation gain magical substances that can either calm or disrupt their digestive systems according to need. This enables them to gain ample energy for the ritual activity they contribute most of their time to. This rite is the reading of holy scripts. The focus of this activity is on the 'luminating board'. Although the application of various types of slate-like boards has been found as a common facet of life in numerous cultures since prehistoric times, the ceremonial usage of the boards in Asnim culture is quite bizarre.
Each individual of the tribe possesses at least one big board and one small board. The big board consists two stone slates attached to each other, while the small board is one slate small enough to be carried in a single hand. Both are used for the same purposes. When highly structural and very specific finger movements are performed on them, the boards light up and fill up with holy blue letters of a sacred script called the 'Koobecaf'. The Koobecaf is an eclectic document made up mostly of diverse writings on ancient history and studies on human psychology.
The Asnims show remarkable obsession about these boards and the Koobecaf. They exhibit almost masochist behavior in taking care of the boards. Carrying around the boards to everywhere they go, the Asnims tire out completely their finger and arm muscles over the day in being insanely cautious never to drop the boards lest so much as a scratch appear on their surfaces. They also stare into the luminated side for hours straight until their heads ache, for the alleviation of which they frequently pour a type of holy water named 'Skistoh' into their throats. All this is so that they can keep reading the Koobecaf. They seem to believe the Koobecaf offers every solution to problems in social relationships, government policies, and other sectors of everyday life. The Asnims have also been found to be able to communicate directly through the boards at even long distance by engraving marks called 'Ekil' into the Koobecaf.
But there is also an entirely different type of holy reading ritual present in the Asnim world. This is the reading of higher texts written in a language different from the one the Koobecaf is in. However, unlike the reading of the Koobecaf, this ritual is not open to all members of the tribe. The 'Citsemod' caste, deemed unfit for such lofty holy activities, is excluded from this activity. The rest of the tribe, refered to as the 'Tanretni', marches several times a week to a special temple located at the top of the central hill, near the residential structures, chanting the spell 'nawgoyggnoey'. Once inside the temple, they are separated into smaller groups and sent to certain specialized chambers, where they are guided by the priests called 'Ti-cer's to read and understand ancient scripts. Although all this is a very secretive rite, I was able to infiltrate into one of the chambers where the ceremony was taking place. Recent tribal focus seems to be decoding the works of the great ancient scholar 'Renim Ecaro'.
Because the language in the documents read in this sort of ritual is very different from the usual found in the Koobecaf, most Asnims find it very arduous to decipher the material given in the temple. They often do not understand the full meaning of the texts, and so the Ti-cers, who have gained full insight in the language and content, are placed in ultimate power among the tribe. They are in charge of holding the sacrifices, including the annual 'Erutcip-tac' ritual, and the legal punishments including the 'Mujlub'.
The Asnims did not understand the Nacirema, as we do not understand the Asnims. The Asnims were so busy applying prejudices and forming opinions against the seemingly horrific customs of the Nacirema that they didn't realize they performed the same rituals everyday.
I didn't realize I performed the same ridiculous rituals everyday.
 |
The Asnims |
