book chapter

The Todas

MacmillanLondon • 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.
Subjects
Pastoral activities
Dairying
Comparative evidence
Sacred objects and places
General character of religion
Priesthood
Ritual
Etiquette
Mythology
Cultural participation
Sociocultural trends
Community structure
Kinship terminology
culture
Toda
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)