Definition of ritual (n)

Victim of Ritual

What do you think its meaning is?

I have seen so many people relate it to rituals as in magic, ceremonies, Religions, etc. however ritual doesn't only mean these things. Ritual could also mean routine or something one does before a performance, OCD, etc. Maybe Tarja has fallen victim to certain routines in her life.

Definition of ritual (n)

1. established formal behavior: an established and prescribed pattern of observance, e.g. in a religion
2. performance of formal acts: the observance of actions or procedures in a set, ordered, and ceremonial way
3. system of rites: the system of set procedures and actions of a group

his is what im tryin to more of in terms of her meanin,not really the relig stuff,as Tarja herself said that the albums doesnt base around that like of thing,when she explained what Colours ment,I kind of figured thats what she was ref to,and VoR can also mean along the lines of OCD in some way,you tend to do thngs in certain ways that may appear strange to some ppl lmao But sometimes you dont realized your in a "Ritualistic Routine",and even if you did,it can sometimes be hard to break.

Victim of Ritual....My Take....Part 1 of 3

I'm normally too literal-minded to understand the symbolism of a music video. I have little in the way of an aesthetic sense. It would seem, however, that Victim of Ritual has made an impression that transcends my usual limitations. I interpreted Victim of Ritual as symbolic of modern rites of intensification, whereas for Tarja it symbolizes rites of passage.

Before that analysis it is important to know the meaning of the word ritual. As a noun, a ritual is the performance of a detailed method of procedure faithfully or regularly observed in a prescribed form; or a state or condition characterized by the presence of established agenda or routine. As an adjective it is being part of an established routine.

What is the purpose of rituals? Anthropologists tend to focus on positive sacred rituals that reinforce social bonds within the group and make crises less socially disruptive. They have classified several different types of rituals, and among them are rites of passage and rites of intensification. Rites of passage mark important stages in the lives of individuals, such as birth, puberty, marriage, parenthood, social advancement, occupational specialization and death. Rites of intensification serve to bind individuals together and mark important stages and crises of the social group as a whole. For anthropologists, they can include funerary ceremonies as well as celebrating the summer and winter Solstice and the Equinox of autumn and spring. An example of a spring ritual is the Hindu Festival of Holi.

Although we may not immediately recognize them as such, rituals are an important part of the mundane modern world, too. For rites of intensification, an event steeped in ritual, both modern and ancient, that has meaning for whole world, is the relay of the Olympic Flame from Greece to the host country (introduced in 1936) to the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic Torch in the host stadium (reintroduced in 1928; its origins lie in ancient Greece where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics to commemorate the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus). Staying on the same theme, let us not forget the pregame ‘rituals’ that rabid sports fans conduct to make sure that their favourite team will prevail in that day’s match. For rites of passage, the standardized means of getting a drivers licence at the age of sixteen takes on the form of ritual. The process by which Tarja warms up before her passage to the stage for a performance can be one of ritual, too. I, too, have a ritual or routine that I follow on work days. Doing the same things in the same order ensures that I don’t forget anything and that I get there on time. Rituals, then, are not confined to religion or to ancient and primitive cultures; they are all around us in the modern world.

Victim of Ritual....My Take....Part 2 of 3

Can we become a Victim of Ritual in the modern world? In a word, “Yes.” The setting for Victim of Ritual epitomizes like no other the ritual victimization of humanity through the repetitive, monotonous, controlling industrial process that permeates all of society. It is symbolic of the attempts by certain vested interests in society to subjugate individuals to the mind numbing, soul crushing, life robbing, manipulating rituals that try to control our actions, thoughts, and feelings. Modern rituals differ in that they attempt to reinforce/break/create social bonds and make crises less/more socially disruptive depending on the agenda espoused by the competing interests involved. These forces can be the various elements of society, be it a society based on communism, socialism or a liberal democracy, for example, and include as some of its agents the entertainment, advertising and news media; the government and its bureaucracy; the boss at work; and lastly, ourselves, because we can get used to our familiar, safe, secure rut. Tarja’s song/video Victim of Ritual is well chosen both visually and lyrically to illustrate the breaking free of modern ritual and the establishment of new ones created on our terms in an emotionally powerful way.

Visually, Victim of Ritual begins with an absence of colour, or the colours severely washed out. The exceptions are the controlling safety tape on the floor and pipes of the factory and Tarja, as an agent of change, is framed by light. The painter, the musician, the assembly line worker are all monotonously and unthinkingly working with black on white. Black takes all colours and reflects none; white gives by reflecting all colours.

Eyes are symbols of perception and perspective; threshold to the heart; window on the soul….

Black eyes and hardly breathing
When there’s no light
You sacrifice
Alone, a monster living
You lost the fight before the fall

How did you end up in hell?

“Black eyes…” as dark as a Finnish Winter describe of the plight of the victims of ritual. The light that illuminates the heart and soul has been taken away and extinguished; life slowly strangled and suffocated as they sacrifice their self for another’s benefit. It is truly a descent into a living hell of lethargy, monotony, routine, and resignation to a life not of their making.

Cold eyes, for every seeing
They try to hide, in thin disguise
Denied your soul from singing
The darkest night, the night you died

How did you end up in hell?

“Cold eyes…” as frigid as a Finnish Winter belong to the masked characters representing the forces identified above and in whose interest ‘denied your soul from singing’. These parasites revel in absorbing the light of our souls and hearts for their own enrichment and your impoverishment. As long as they can keep useful pawns in the ‘cold dark’, their reign is unchallenged and your place in a living hell is secured. They have taken away your freedom and determine your life on their terms.

Hysterical, tragical
Victim of ritual
Cynical, critical
Victim of ritual

In the chorus, the victims of ritual are the visual focus for ‘hysterical’ and ‘tragical’. The musician, painter and assembly worker are hysterical. Not in the Freudian sense, but rather in the modern sense: a psychological disorder that involves a dissociation or interruption in aspects of consciousness, including identity. The reduction of individuals to an unthinking ‘sameness’ is a tragical waste of the creative spirit that has infused humanity throughout the ages. The masked characters are the visual focus for ‘cynical’ and ‘critical’. A philosophy of contemptuous manipulation and treatment of the victims of ritual is cynical to the core. To prevent people from overcoming these psychological spells placed upon them and following their hearts, be super critical of them. Most will wilt under the constant flow of negativity and be manipulated into accepting their place as being the only one for them.

She’s a killer, killer
She’s a killer, killer

Tarja is a catalyst and introduces something different—something colourful—to ‘kill’ the cynical spell that has been placed on them. Light and some glare are associated visually with the victims as the controlling spell of the ‘industrial’ ritual is being broken. But breaking out of their mind numbing hysteria and defeating those that need to control them is a hard fought battle requiring the active assistance of a strong support group at a critical time so as to avoid a tragic return to the past. It can often involve inner turmoil, doubt and pandemonium. Have you the strength to resist society’s pressure to conform for their benefit, not your own? If you encounter resistance or a setback, do you have within your heart the strength to see it through?

Pandemonium, where’s your heart from?
Pandemonium, where’s your heart from?

The choice of enacting this scene with Holi Powder is again well chosen. The Holi Festival celebrates the beginning of the new spring season. Spring refers also to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, and growth. Like the transition to spring from the dark Finnish Winter into the full light of summer, Tarja’s resurrection of the self symbolizes the individual’s and group’s new found renaissance. The group’s final victory is reflected in the change of their clothing to white and the introduction of more light and glare in the background. The man dancing reflects his dream of being a dancer and his new found freedom from his former daily ritual. The painter paints and the musician plays according to their terms.

The story of Victim of Ritual is an inspirational one of breaking free and minimizing the expectations and the control of those identified above. By following our hearts, surrounding ourselves with supportive people and having the heart and conviction to see it through no matter the hardship the reward is the freedom to create new positive rituals in order to live and work on our own terms within and in spite of the restrictive ritual expectations that society places upon us. Not all modern rituals are sinister. There are people worth following because of their inspirational nature. Tarja Turunen is one of those people.

Victim of Ritual....My Take....Part 3 of 3

I’m hesitant to presume to know what the meaning that Victim of Ritual has for Tarja. If asked, no doubt she’d smile secretively with a knowing twinkle in her eye and suggest that the meaning the individual listener/viewer derives from the song/video is what counts. Now that’s an artist’s answer! Since ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, I am now left to hypothesize, theorize, or take my best guess.

It is easy to equate Tarja’s struggles with her former band, in her solo career, with critics and an indifferent record label to scenes in Victim of Ritual. Many will consider the video, and especially the fight scene against four adversaries, to symbolize her struggles with Nightwish and her eventual firing. The subsequent resurrection scene symbolizes the beginning of her solo career with the support of her loyal fans and the aid of some very talented musicians. Tarja approached her solo career, though, with hesitant steps and relied on the advice of others that compromised in some ways her musical ‘vision’. Some critics have been especially ‘cold’ in their evaluations of her music. I recall one in particular that reviewed What Lies Beneath unfavourably because it wasn’t Nightwish. To judge something solely in terms of what it is not is to me intellectually bankrupt. It is amazing how many people can’t comprehend nor separate the fact that she was pushed to the forefront to be voice and face of the band to vocally interpret a musical formula not her own. The final days with Universal must have seemed frustratingly bleak indeed when What Lies Beneath was not given the same support that My Winter Storm received.

Victim of Ritual ultimately reflects Tarja having the ‘heart’ and conviction to overcome the obstacles before her to achieve a renaissance in her musical career several times over. First, she had the brilliance to surround herself with talented musicians who have confidence in her and her musical direction. Tarja has recently commented that the critics are finally coming to an understanding of her musical vision. They may finally be realizing their folly of expecting Tarja to be something she isn’t. We shall see, but it is a promising revelation. Her new label, EarMusic, is totally supportive of Tarja’s classical and rock/metal projects and in this new atmosphere she is ‘coming out of her box’ from a creative stand point. Finally, Victim of Ritual shows that Tarja will continue to deeply touch the lives of her listeners in an inspirational way.

Tarja Turunen has been on the cutting edge of musical innovation from the day she said "Yes" to join a certain ‘mood music project’ at the end of 1996. Victim of Ritual in sound, arrangement, and message proclaims to the world that this will continue. With Victim of Ritual leading off the album and presumably setting the stage for the remaining tracks, I expect that Colours In The Dark will push back the limits of her musical vision of the fusion of classical and rock/metal music. It will symbolize Tarja’s freedom from the restrictive formula or ritual of the past and reflect her growing confidence in herself and her music. For Colours In The Dark, Tarja the familiar will be well represented too. The many years of musical study in some of the finest musical academies in Europe and learning the practical side of the music business through recording and performing with Nightwish and as a solo artist have left an indelible imprint upon Tarja into the present. If Victim of Ritual is used as a guide, Colours In The Dark will be a welcome addition in the evolution of an artist who continues to mature in a positive direction—both personally and professionally.

Very well put,and it all makes sense now,AND I still think that those ppl she helps aslo in are us fans,she helps us as in turn we help her,when she feels shes fallin in the same "old routine" of "your only a classical singer,you cant sing metal","Your not metal,stop tryin to be metal when your not","youll never get any better with your voice,your stuck the way you are and can never sing any better" etc etc,when in fact she can,and ppl tell her all the time how beautiful her voice is and has grown since Nightwish days.