Sacred+Rac

Sacred Rac
 * The Sacred “Rac”**

An Indian anthropologist, Indira Thapar, made a study of foreign cultures with customs similar to those of her native land. One culture in particular fascinated her because it revered one animal as sacred, much as the people of India revere the cow. The things she discovered might interest you as we begin our study of India.

The tribe studied by Dr. Thapar is called the Asu. The Asu culture is a highly developed society in some ways and yet do many things as primitive societies would. The Asu seem preoccupied with the care and feeding of the rac, an animal much like the bull in size, strength, and temperament. In the Asu tribe it is almost a social obligation to own at least one rac. Any member of the tribe not owning one is held in low esteem by the community and many times is held in a low social class. Some powerful and wealthy members of the tribe have their own herd of racs.

The problem that arises from this social valuing of the rac is that the breed is not a very healthy one. Individual animals have a life expectancy of less than seven years. Each family invests a large amount of their wealth into the rac to keep it healthy. Each community has rac specialists who have been trained in the care of treating the rac. These specialists demand costly offerings for the treatment of rac problems and this sometimes causes problems within the community.

Although the rac may be used as a beast of burden, it has many habits which other cultures would consider harmful to the society. The first problem is that of the increasing rac population. Tribes people have given little thought about what to do about this ever increasing problem. A second problem with the increasing size of rac herds is the need to acquire more land for fields and paths for the rac to travel on. The cost of smoothing the Earth to make sure that the rac are not injured is too expensive for each individual so, the community does it by collecting an annual tithe to build and maintain these fields and paths. The third problem is that unlike the excrement of the cow which is very good as a fertilizer, rac excrement is extremely foul and useless. The final, and possibly the most serious problem with the increase in rac, is that the rac is prone to rampages in which runs down anything in its path, much like stampeding cattle. Estimates put the number of injured Asu in the thousands each year because of the rac.

Despite the high cost of keeping a rac, the damage and cost it does to the land, and the fact that rac kill and injure thousands yearly, the Asu still regard the rac as essential to the survival of their culture. The Asu still initiate their young people into the culture by having them petition a high priest in a grand temple where they are tested on their knowledge of the care and handling of a rac. If they are successful they are given permission by the elders to work with rac.


 * General Rac Statistics:**

Total Rac Population among the Asu: 125,000,000

Average age of Rac: 5.3 years

Percentage of Asu families with Rac: 79% (1968) 90% (1998)

Percentage of World’s Rac owned by Asu: 58%

Dead carcasses disposed of each year: 8,000,000

Deaths caused by Rac in one year: 51,000

Injuries caused by Rac in one year: 1,050,000


 * With the information you now have about the Asu and their cultural “obsession” with rac, please answer the following questions in your course wiki. Be sure to explain your answers using 1-2 complete sentences.**

1. Why do cultures like India and the Asu put such a value on things like the rac and cow? -Because they think its part of their culture. They think its almost like a social obligation to own at least one Rac.

2. Should the Asu try and control the rac population? -I dont think so because RAC isnt really an ordinary animal, doesn't serve much purpose and they should let them roam free instead of controlling them. 3. Why would the Asu value an animal that causes so much injury and death? --because its sacred and its part of their culture 4. How would Asu culture be affected by getting rid of most rac? - they would of alot less injuries or death each year, and wouldnt have to use so much land each day 5. Do you think this is a culture that you could adapt to living in? Explain. -no because i cant speak their language and wasnt brought up to sacred animals 6. (EXTRA CREDIT) What is a RAC and who are the ASU? an animal much like a bull it seems to be a highly developed society of its type, it has an overwhelming preoccupation with the care and feeding of the rac-