SHIRBIT CULTURE

The shirbit culture believes that the human body is ugly and that its natural
tendency is to feebleness and disease. The shirbit therefore indulge in
rituals and ceremonies designed to avoid this, and consequently every
household has a shrine devoted to the body. The rituals associated with the
shrine are private and secret. Adults never discuss the rituals and children
are told only enough for them to be successfully initiated. The focal point of
the shrine is is a box built into a wall in which are kept charms and magical
potions for the face and body. These are obtained from the medicine men who
write down the ingredients in an ancient and secret language which is only
understood by the herbalist who prepare the potion. These potions are kept in
the charm-box for many years. Beneath the charm box is a small font. Every
day, twice a day, every member of the family enters the shrine room in
succession and bows his or her head before the charm box, mingles different
sorts of holy water in the font and proceeds with a brief write of ablution.
The shirbit have an almost pathological horror of and fascination with the
mouth, the condition of which is believed to have a supernatural influence on
all social relationships. Were it not for the rituals of the mouth, they
believe their teeth would fall out, their friends would desert them and their
lovers would reject them. Finally, men and women indulge in barbaric acts of
self mutilation. Men engage in a daily body ritual of scraping and lacerating
their faces with a sharp instrument, whilst women bake their heads in a small
oven once a month.