Elvis Presley Religion

Elvis Presley was born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Texas. Little did he know that he would grow up to create “a new era of American music and popular culture.”  Much less did he think he was going to start a phenomenon based on his talent, good looks, and touching lyrics. This phenomenon would grow into a universal faith shared by so many people. His followers honor him for the connection he brings through his lyrics. They relate to Elvis by sharing the pain so beautifully expressed in his songs. When Elvis died in August of 1977, small gatherings began to appear at the gates of Graceland in the first few years after his death. The gatherings have become known as Death Week, and are the ‘cry of the oppressed creature’ for those who loved him. I believe that there is a religion of Elvis and there is plenty of evidence to support it.

            Death week can be closely identified as a pilgrimage. There is evidence in many aspects of Death Week that relate to the terms we have talked about in class about the steps to a pilgrimage. Examples from the Turner and Eliade Model are presented. The idea of a religion of Elvis is heavily supported in the selection we read from “New York Times”.  Rituals following the Elvis culture lately are beginning to take shape of an actual faith.

            Edith and Victor Turner created the idea of a pilgrimage referred to as the Turner Model. The Turner Model involves four major steps. Step one requires a person to leave his or her world of convention, or what is most comfortable. This is leaving the normal way of life for something new. In the article we read, leaving to go to Graceland for Death Week could be leaving the world of convention. Second is to create a different structure in life. Crossing the gates of Graceland and entering into a mental state of mourning and sorrow is an example of the second step. Also, crossing the gate is liminality, seeing the gate as the limin or threshold. “The central focus [of Death Week] is on loss, on hurt, on the moment of grieving communion at the grave.” (Rosenbaum 1) Aggregation of an entire group of people with this state mind is a perfect example of the third step in the Turner Model, to form a new community. The new community is called communitas, which are the sacred people. The last step to the Turner Model is a metaphorical death followed by the return to normal ways. Because symbols of metaphorical death are fire and ice, it is appropriate to say the action of holding candles and tears coming from the community are an example of the last step. When the ritual is over and the pilgrims have said their goodbyes, they all return to their normal way of life.

            Eliade believed that there was a birthing place in the world and at the center of this place was most sacred. He said that anything that is sacred is everything that is close to the navel or the center of the earth. An axis mundi is a connecting point between heaven and earth. The axis mundi can be represented as something like a tree or hill. Coincidentally, Elvis’s grave is located at the top of the garden. Carrying their lighted candles and shedding tears, pilgrims “circle around to the flat bronze grave marker and pause there to commune with the spirit of the departed king.” (Rosenbaum 1) Circumambulating around the axis mundi demonstrates clearly the cosmology idea of Mircea Eliade. He also believed that there was something sacred about the image an ideal house and in this case is Elvis’s house. Graceland is the center of the world for those who love him and the farther they get from it, the more profane the world seems.

            Every aspect of religion is involved in the faith of Elvis. “Elvis was the ‘taboo man’ he was a healing figure…inaccessible to the ordinary.”(Rosenbaum 6) He was criticized by people because his songs and dances were very sexual. Elvis was often seen as a “fertility totem, the baby maker of the baby boom” (Rosenbaum 7) Elvis’s followers according to Rosenbaum believed that he was more that human, but less than divine. (8) Shrines are connecting points between heaven and earth. The followers of Elvis believe that Graceland is a shrine. Graceland has many rooms filled with things that belonged to or represented Elvis. Pieces of things made and touched by him, even his clothes are sacred relics and vestments. Sometimes the Elvis inclined can purchase and take home items and this is referred to as material expression, ideas or concepts expressed as physical things. Elvis is the “new face of Jesus” to some people and Graceland is “the place of life.” (Rosenbaum 12)

            When Elvis started his career as a singer, he had no idea what an impact he would have on people and when I was growing up, I never thought I would believe that there is a religion for him. There is so much evidence and correlation to the fact that followers of Elvis truly do have a religion for him. Although I do not participate in this religion, I cannot deny that is it such a thing. Even if you do not like a person’s beliefs, you still cannot deny that their faith is a religion. Every aspect of religion is presented in the article we read in class on Tuesday. According to Emile Durkheim, religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, and the ultimate reality is the group unified by a totem. Elvis is the totem of his followers who all truly love and believe in him. Karl Marx thought that religion was the sigh of the oppressed creature, and religion was the projection of our own goodness in which we alienate in something else because of our oppression. Elvis’s lyrics had the most profound influence on his people because he expressed their sorrow in a beautiful way. After reading and analyzing the article we read in class. I firmly agree that there is a religion of Elvis.

works cited
Rosenbaum, Ron. "Among Believers."New York Times Sept. 24: 1-13. Print.