A Look Back at the Nacirema

Perhaps the most curious aspect of Nacireman culture is the relatively recent splinter factions that branched out from the Elibomotua Cult. Although the Nacirema fell sometime around the late twenty-first century, carbon dating has put certain religious artifacts at being much more recent than their elibomotua and rac counterparts. What is being referred to is of course the mysterious enohpllec, which appears to be a tiny, metal box with an arrangement of buttons. These enohpllecs appear frequently on archaeological expeditions, being perhaps the most common item procured. As all members of the Elibomotua Cult were assigned status by the wealth of their rac, the splinter factions operated under a similar hierarchy. While there were many different denominations (such as Gnusmas, Elgoog, and Alorotom), the most prominent one by far was Elppa. These factions were already quite distinct, but each one had its own organizational hierarchy, where enohpllecs served as a type of identifying badge, operating under separate ranking systems, to mark one’s position in the group. For example, within Elppa, the fewer number of buttons on the enohpllec, the more wealthy and powerful the individual would be.

While the design and make of each enohpllec differed among and within factions, their central purpose as religious objects remained the same. Indoctrination into a specific branch was done by the family, typically upon reaching a certain age. The convert-to-be would receive a ceremonial code from one of the parents, which would immediately be memorized. Every individual would have their own code as well, although typically only family units would be required to memorize each others. Then, by inputting another’s code onto the enohpllec, someone could activate that member’s own enohpllec. Both would begin praying at the objects in unison, regardless of the distance between them.

Enohpllecs could also be worshipped alone, in a different ceremony. This one didn’t require the participant to speak, but rather watch instead. The cultist would hold the enohpllec and stare at it for hours on end, often making mysterious symbolic hand gestures and pressing various buttons in sequence. The purpose of this ritual is still unclear, but it would be performed frequently throughout the day. A similar ritual is performed on another religious object: the retupmoc. This is another holy metal object, similar in size to a koob or redlof, but much heavier and larger. The retupmoc is composed of a metal sheet and glass sheet connected on a hinge, so that it can be opened and closed. However, the size of this one meant that it would be normally left in the home, as a central worship object. The ceremonies used with it are similar to those of the enohpllec: quiet worship involving staring for hours and complicated finger movements. Despite being much larger and less frequently used, it still retained its importance in Nacireman culture, to the extent that both enohpllecs and retupmocs were important signifiers of status and identity.

However, these identities were not always permanent. Recent research into the topic has revealed that while these items were essential to daily life, they were not designed to last. Oftentimes, the initial enohpllec received by an indoctrinated cultist would end up being replaced years later. Sometimes members within one faction would convert to another, Elppa to Gnusmas, Alorotom to Elgoog. Other times, members would be part of multiple factions at the same time, by praying with objects from separate groups. While these cases are unusual, it appears that there would be very little stigma or backlash from the family if a member decided to convert. In fact, it appears that the status granted by the value of the enohpllec or retupmoc mattered more than the faction it originated from. In an unusual move for religious organizations, the Nacirema were able to have members of each group coexist peacefully and worship together, often performing rituals alongside one another.

Yet unfortunately, this tolerance would prove to not be enough to save their civilization from collapse.