Cornell University Press
Revelation and Divination in Ndembu Ritual
About this book
Drawing on two and a half years of field work, Victor Turner offers two thorough ethnographic studies of Ndembu revelatory ritual and divinatory techniques, with running commentaries on symbolism by a variety of Ndembu informants. Although previously published, these essays have not been readily available since their appearance more than a dozen years ago. Striking a personal note in a new introductory chapter, Professor Turner acknowledges his indebtedness to Ndembu ritualists for alerting him to the theoretical relevance of symbolic action in understanding human societies. He believes that ritual symbols, like botanists' stains, enable us to detect and trace the movement of social processes and relationships that often lie below the level of direct observation.
Author / Editor information
Victor Turner is Professor of Anthropology and Social Thought at the University of Chicago.
Topics
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Frontmatter
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Foreword
7 -
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Contents
11 -
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Illustrations
12 -
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Introduction
15 - PART ONE. CHIHAMBA THE WHITE SPIRIT: A RITUAL DRAMA OF THE NDEMBU
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1. Chihamba the White Spirit
37 -
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2. Some Notes on the Symbolism of Chihamba
159 -
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3. Some White Symbols in Literature and Religion
179 - PART TWO. NDEMBU DIVINATION: ITS SYMBOLISM AND TECHNIQUES
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4. A Preliminary Analysis of Ndembu Divinatory Symbolism
207 -
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5. Some Kinds and Methods of Ndembu Divination
243 -
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Appendix
339 -
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Bibliographical References
343 -
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Index
345
