The Encyclopedia of World Religions

caste in Hinduism S 75

In cargo cults as such, typically a teacher arises within a colonialized native community who says that although the white rulers seem to have all the wealth and advanced technology now, our ancient gods and ancestors have not forgotten us. Some times this prophetic teacher is himself thought to be an incarnation or emissary of one of the old gods. Soon, he says, the gods will send a ship or, more recently, airplanes, laden with cargo for the natives, and this will be the beginning of a millen nial age of happiness in which they and their ways will be vindicated. In order to prepare for the cargo, docks or air strips must be built. At the same time, it is no longer necessary or appropriate to work for the old order or put stock in the old order’s goods and money. At the height of cargo cult enthusiasm, natives have ceased working for their colonial overlords, and have stopped attending mission churches and mis sion or government schools. They have destroyed their property, killing their animals and throwing away money to make room, as it were, for the new cargo. Needless to say, all this was very disruptive of the colonial economy and brought stern reprisals from the European rulers. Although based in an updating of traditional religious beliefs, including millenarian themes, cargo cults were sometimes also influenced by Christian missionary teach ing about the Day of the Lord and the KINGDOM OF G OD . It is clear they had political overtones as well. While on the surface destructive and backward looking, cargo cults sometimes in the long run clarified native issues and leadership in ways that helped prepare for independence. Carnival In Latin countries, a festival held just before the beginning of the fasting season of L ENT . During Carnival, joviality and rich foods, including meat, are enjoyed for the last time until E ASTER . Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a good example. By extension, though, Carnival can be taken to refer to a type of festival found throughout the religious world, such as holi in H INDUISM and many of the matsuri of S HINTO , or in some ways P URIM in J UDA

ISM , when “letting go” through song and dance and ribald humor is the rule. Clowning, drunken ness, and the mocking even of sacred things may be in order at such times. Identities may also be changed as people wear masks and costumes ( see MASKS AND RELIGION ). Carnival shows that religion can sometimes be festive and fun. caste in Hinduism Traditional social grouping in India into which persons are born. Each group ranks higher or lower than other groups in terms of its RITUAL purity. Thus, a caste is distinguished by limiting participation in rituals, including marriage and eating together, to members of the caste, as well as by specific occupations. The term “caste” usually refers to two distinct but related ways of organizing society; varnas, an ideal organization of human society into broad ritual classes, and jatis, specific, localized groups within the varnas. VARNAS In Sanskrit the word varna means “color.” Applied to social groups it does not refer to skin color, and although it may be translated as “class,” it does not refer to economic status, either. Varna refers instead to ritual status. It is quite possible to belong to the highest varna and be extremely poor. The varnas were systematized roughly 2,000 years ago in books of religious codes known as the Smritis or the Dharmasastras. Before then, many scholars maintain that distinctions of varna existed but were not so rigidly drawn or applied. The four traditional varnas are, in order of descending ritual purity, BRAHMIN , kshatriya, vai sya, and sudra. According to the Dharmasastras, a brahmin should be a priest, a kshatriya a ruler or warrior, a vaisya a merchant or businessper son, while a sudra should meekly serve the other varnas. In addition, the varna system defines two groups of persons who are so impure that they fall outside the system altogether. The first group comprises the so-called untouchables, officially known today as Dalits. These were often people whose menial jobs were thought to be extremely polluting, for example, hunters and those who