ritusritus

Ritusritus is a term in ritual studies referring to the phenomenon of performing rituals within a ritual, that is, layered or nested ceremonial acts embedded in a larger rite. The concept highlights how core rites can function as micro-rituals, each with distinct symbols, actors, and outcomes, while contributing to the overall ceremonial trajectory.

Etymology and usage: The term is a coinage combining Ritus (Latin/European word for rite) and ritus (Latin for ritual). It is used by a minority of scholars to emphasize multiplicity and nesting in ceremonial design. There is no broad consensus on its exact definition or boundaries.

Characteristics: Nested rites may be sequential, interruptible, or spatially distinct; their meanings can be synecdochic, layering individual identities, social roles, or moral orders. The inner rituals can be prerequisites or preludes to the main act, and vice versa.

Examples: In many initiation rites, sub-rituals such as instruction, withdrawal, and vow constitute a set of rites within the overall rite of passage. In liturgy, processions, readings, and blessings may be treated as embedded rites within the larger service.

Reception and critique: The concept is used mainly in scholarly writing on ritual form and performance. Critics argue that it can be vague or tautological if not clearly delineated. Proponents see it as a useful analytic for describing complexity in ceremonial life.

See also: ritual, rite of passage, liturgy, ritual sequence.