>Hi,
>
>>Two examples of things which have managed sustained
>>cultural lineages, but with altered meanings. Interesting,
>>that, come to think of it: activities are passed on, meaning
>>is lost.
>
>Yes yes yes! There are examples of this everywhere! The
>court-rooms are a good example -- what's with the judges robe?
>His gavel?
Ha ha ha ha ha. There was something in the news here UK-side about some guy
in the House of Lords who's just been given the go-ahead to update his
wardrobe. Pictures of him doddering about, his powdery spine all but
collapsing under the weight of ermine and chain.
I guess, though, things like the gavel... people still have conditioned
responses to things like that: the gavel kicks off, you all shut up, EG. I
think they should have a different completely fucking stupid object each
week, though, such as a fibreglass arse that he blows through like a conch
shell to get everyone's attention. And the wig: how about a pink afro every
now and then?
Actually maybe that's too radical a mutation. Saltatory cultural evolution.
>But another excellent example (if you buy the Amanita Muscara
>scholoarship) is the Christian Communion. Actions continue, but
>the meaning and purpose of the event is lost (and has been since
>at least the sixth century, when the Catholic Church officially
>recgonized the dogma of "Transubstitution").
True at least in some cases: I went to church as a child- delayed onset of
my eventual worldview until I'd finished as a university student, meaning I
went through life a bit baffled until I was 27- and I remember communion as
being something a bit special, and a thing kids couldn't do... but, you
know, what the fuck was that thing?