book chapter

The Todas

Macmillan • London • Published In 1906 • Pages:

By: Rivers, W. H. R. (William Halse Rivers).

Abstract

This standard ethnological study of the Todas is based on the authors field work among them in 1901-02. Rivers primary emphasis has been placed on the religion and sociology of the people; their personalities and physical characteristics have been the subject of studies published by the author and others elsewhere. Full details are provided in this work on the complex social, economic, ritualistic and ceremonial aspects of the dairy organization. The importance of ritual in the dairy structure provides the basis for Rivers theory that the Todas are a people who possess a religion in process of degeneration --that their religious orientation has been transferred from the formerly highly developed idea of 'god' of 'gods' to a series of almost entirely ritualistic practices and mechanical formulae applied predominantly to the dairy animals, dairymen-priests, buildings, vessels and sacred bells. Among other distinctive features of Toda culture the author lists Toda relationships with neighboring tribes of the Nilgiri hills, polyandry, and female infanticide. The division of Toda society into moieties and the resultant cultural distinctions between the two groups, the organization of the clan communities, and the elaborate funeral customs, are also discussed in detail.

HRAF PubDate

2010

Region

Asia

Sub Region

South Asia

Document Type

book chapter

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Mary L. Bartlett; 1954

Field Date

1901-1902

Coverage Date

1602-1902

Coverage Place

Nilgiri Hills, southern India

Notes

William Halse Rivers

The glossary on pp. 741-748, indexed for the subject GLOSSARY (104), should be consulted for definitions of native words used extensively in the text. The genealogical charts frequently are indexed for the subject KINSHIP TERMINOLOGY (601).

Includes bibliographical references

Omitted from the collection pages 749-755). Page numbers [749] to [788] have been assigned to the unpaginated genealogical charts

LCCN

07018149

LCSH

Toda (Indic people)