3/12 Reading Journal

            This story told us about an outsider visiting the death rituals of another culture.  It is described before the story that it is unknown if the story is talking about Vikings or of the Russians.  I personally do not know enough about either culture to make a guess on which it could be.  This story explained how and why they perform the death rituals that they do.  I found it strange that they kill a slave girl to be cremated along side the man who died.  They justify it by saying that she is to accompany him in the afterlife, but it’s hard to understand why these slaves would choose to be killed.  The outsider describes the people as alcoholics and essentially savages.  He thinks this because they don’t take care to clean themselves properly, their sacrificial practices, and also the way that they treated one another.  It also shows that they had a hierarchy of people in the order that the men were bathed, and by how much jewelry their wives wore.  It is also obvious that this is a patriarchal society as well because of the way they describe the burial of men, and the men show their wealth by giving their wife jewelry.  This story led a lot of insight on how different cultures were viewed.  One point to make is that this outsider seemed tolerant of the other culture, though he didn’t agree with their practices he understood their intentions.  From what we have read in this class before, this case seemed the most modern in the way of thinking.  Although many members of different religions today don’t agree with some of the others beliefs, this doesn’t stop us from understanding their culture.  I think it’s possible that this particular traveler could be atypical of the average person living at the time in terms of his acceptance.  

Ibn Battuta (3-58)

In the first part of the book, Ibn Battuta describes the beginning of his journey to Mecca.  He explains how he left everything at home to go on this journey.  Shortly after his departure he gets invited to join the caravan of the king of Africa, and this ends up being very helpful to him in the end.  Being a part of the caravan provided protection, and help when Ibn needed it.  Ibn became ill a few times and the other people of the caravan helped him, and gave him advice on what should be done.  After a dispute with his father-in-law, Ibn separated from his wife but quickly remarried and had a large feast to entertain the members of the caravan.  Next, Ibn describes several encounters among people that he has stayed with along his journey after separating from the group.  All of these people were surprisingly hospitible and send him away with provisions that he may need in the future.  At each place he stops he describes the state that the city is in and tells of his visits with people that  he meets there.  He also describes landmarks that he passes by as well such as the nile river, and various mosques.  When he started his journey he had planned to go one route, but along the way someone told him to go through the path of Syria, and at first Ibn didn’t take his advice but eventually turned back and used the path through Syria.  Teachers are also described in this part.  They had similar separations among teachers that we still do today.  There was a teacher who only taught calligraphy, and one who taught the Qur’an.  They teach children who went to these teachers the various skills needed to be able to recite prayers. 

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!