great antiquarian scholarship, offered new explanations for old rituals or even cre-
ated a specific meaning for a ritual with their explanation. Therefore we should do
better to concentrate on the structuring and aesthetic function of the elements of
the ritual.Function of Music and Dance in Structuring the
Ritual and Creating Emotions
Discrepancies between visual and written depictions are the result of the mode of
visualization and the basic difference of the media text and image. While texts allow
the description of a sequence of events, images compose what seems to be only a
snapshot of a moment. Written descriptions can be very detailed in the description
of the temporal structure of an event, while an image produces a definite accent,
marks unequivocally the main protagonists and items, even if it does not say any-
thing about the temporal sequence of events.
The complexity of rituals in general makes their reproduction in imagery quite
difficult. On the other hand, the complex structure allows a variety of forms that
can be used to visualize a ritual and its sequences. It is almost impossible to gener-
ate a narrative within a single picture. Because of this, specific markers, which definitely
describe a situation and are linked to a ritual or ritual sequence, are needed. The
phenomenology of religion determined certain repetitive basic elements within the
variety of religious activities that can be considered atoms of the ritual. These may
be objects or actions that are the core of a simple ritual or generate in combination
the sequence of events of a more complex ritual. According to Wallace (1966; see
also Cancik and Mohr 1988), in addition to gestures of touching, sacrifices, sermons,
prayers, repeated washing, and specific clothing and posture, songs and chants, dances
and music are important elements of religious rituals. These elements have an
important role in structuring and generating the rhythm of a ritual. The specific ele-
ments of a ritual demonstrate to the participant, or to the beholder of a depiction
of a ritual, which phase of the ritual is presented. For the participant, the continu-
ous sequence of events has to be structured into discernible units so that he can
identify the different ritual actions and adapt his behavior accordingly. Music and
dance are here important indicators, since clear accents in sound and movement can
introduce a new phase of the ritual. On the other hand, these elements can evoke
and control emotions, describing the character of the ritual to the beholder.
Both aspects are found in depictions of religious rituals in ancient Roman art. Pictures
of the Roman triumph show clearly how music was used to mark an event and to
draw the attention of the viewer. In modern analysis of the Roman triumph the polit-
ical aspects are usually considered in great detail; however, it is easily forgotten that
the Roman triumph is first and foremost a religious ritual, whose prime sacral pur-
pose was the fulfillment of the votabefore the start of the war on the Capitol. In
its depictions the religious aspect of the Roman triumph was made unequivocally
clear. This starts in the selection of sequences that was captured in the image. Quite
often only the sequence of the procession is found in the images. No other sequence
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