Leiden University Student Repository

Ferrari, Nisa (2021)

Demystifying the Macabre - The Skull-cup in the Chöd Ritual

Master thesis | Asian Studies (60 EC) (MA)

In examining the ritual use of objects made from human bone, this thesis contests inaccurate western perceptions of Tibetan Buddhism as demoniac and repugnant in its obsession with corpses and skeletons. This work is intended to explain and thereby demystify these practices. It focuses in particular on the significance of the skull cap in the Chöd ritual, traditionally carried out by wandering practitioners in wild and forbidding places, such as charnel grounds. Its use is investigated from both a visual and functional perspective.

tibet

kapala

gcod

Author

Ferrari, Nisa

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

History art and culture

Supervisors

P.C. Verhagen

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en