Ritual Process

Government

In the Loba society we have the Battle Ritual which is closely associated with our institution of government. In this ritual we have several rites; one of which starts at the beginning of a child’s life. When a baby turns one year old, the elders go to each mother to see if her baby was born on a solar eclipse on a hundredth year. If the baby is one of the few born with these circumstances the elder assigns a mentor to the child. The mentor will then train the child until the age of sixteen. This is the age at which the battle for leader occurs. Before these young children go into battle, they individually pray to the Moon Goddess for strength and also give thanks for passing in front of the Sun God at the time of their birth. Whomever wins this battle receives the title of Izel, leader of all Lobas and continues the tradition of an authoritarian government. We do this Battle Ritual to make sure our next leader is strong and young in order to rule for a longer period of time. What this ritual ensures is that if we go into battle with humans or anything else, we are ready and win because our leader is the best warrior princess possible.

Family

A ritual closely related to the institution of family is the Extrar Sangre ritual; this means to “draw blood” in Spanish. Since all the Lobas’ children are born as human children, this is the ritual where they become Lobas. One rite that this ritual entails is when the children turn thirteen years old they go through a ceremony that marks their transition from human to Loba. This ceremony is done within individual family dwellings. During the transition ceremony the children’s palm gets cut by the mother with a sacred clovis point. The blood of the child then gets sprinkled into a fire and a spell is recited by the rest of the child’s family. This spell is what actually turns the child into a Loba but the most important aspect to this ritual is that the child remains calm, serious, and does not show any pain. The reason why the Lobas do this is to mark not only the transformation from human to Loba but also to mark the young girls movement into womanhood. All the children of Lobas are born as girls and they must be raised into powerful women. What this ritual accomplishes is that it brings the family unit closer and it makes the Loba community stronger.

Community

The biggest ritual associated with the Loba Tribe is part of the institution of community. It is the Ritual of Complete Transformation. This is the most crucial ritual of our existence; it includes how we get our food and how we procreate. The Ritual of Complete Transformation is the title for when we turn into Lobas after consuming the human male heart. The heart feeds us and we procreate through this ritual. The Loba women who have yet to give birth get the first chance to hunt in the city. However, before this occurs all the Loba women who are going to feed that night must gather out of their caves underneath the stars in the city. They pray to the Moon Goddess for a safe journey and protection from the outside world. After this, the childless women scavenge for their victim. The rest of the Lobas follow after the transformation happens to get a meal for themselves. The reason this ritual is performed is because it is needed for the survival of our Loba Tribe and it helps us reflect on ourselves and the constant struggle between worlds. What this ritual accomplishes is that it reminds us that community is one of the most important structures for us. Not only does it involve family but our complete survival and existence depend on this ritual as well.

Religion

The institution of religion is closely related to the ritual of Seclusion and Isolation. Once the Loba girls turn eighteen years old they undergo a grueling ritual which consists of isolating themselves from everyone, including their families. The rites include making a pilgrimage to a secret spot out in a countryside and staying in a wooden shack for seven days alone. Each eighteen year old girl goes alone, not as a group; therefore, they are truly by themselves. What happens during this ritual is that the girl stays in this lone room without food but she is allowed to roam at night. She has the opportunity to hunt and get her own food if she is wise enough. The young Loba cannot hunt human men before this ritual, she must only hunt animals. Since the countryside has a very little amount of humans residing there, the Loba community worries about becoming known to humans that is why the young Lobas must hunt only animals. If they do not follow this rule they will be exiled to an alternative coutryside to continue their ritual for an extended amount of time. The reason we do this ritual is because the young Lobas need to learn that as much as we are a community, we are still isolated from the world (of the humans) we live with. This makes Lobas realize how they must be independent. Independent from humans and independent in case they should ever be left without a family which does happen on occasion during times of battle.

Rite of Passage

One rite of passage that is predominant within the Loba Tribe is the movement between common Loba to elder Loba. After the previously mentioned rituals occur there is one more ritual that is held only for those who believe they can help lead the tribe. Elder Lobas are very wise and can mentor young Lobas, especially those looking to one day become Izel, the Loba leader. The very first step of this rite of passage is separation and is marked by an oral test. Elders cannot fight any longer but they can contribute their wisdom to the Loba society. The test does not have mathematical or scientific questions but those who wish to become an Elder Loba must answer questions about life and growing up; questions that will truly help younger Lobas. These participants answer questions that Izel asks and she looks over them for several days. These days are considered the liminal part of this rite of passage. These participants gather and have great meals together while they wait until the day Izel announces the new Elders. They are sworn to secrecy not to discuss their answers or the questions they were asked by Izel but they have friendly dinners and conversations about their families. The end of the liminal phase is marked by an enormous dinner celebration. The hearts of several pure men are brought to the dinner and are considered gifts from Izel. When the feast starts coming to an end, Izel announces her new council of Elders and are reincorporated into the Loba society as the wisest of our community.