article
Divination and experience: explorations of a Chagga epistemology
journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute • 12 (2) • Published In 2006 • Pages: 313-330
By: Myhre, Knut Christian.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This article argues that anthropological approaches to African divination are characterized by a certain epistemology, which creates specific problems with regard to vernacular truth-claims. Using ethnographic material from the Chagga-speaking people of Kilimanjaro, the article traces the multiple overlapping ramifications that interrelate vernacular concepts, physical objects, and local subjectivities. By thus avoiding reductionist arguments, the article endeavors to demonstrate that careful attention to these complex lateral relationships reveals how local diviners are able 'to see', or 'be shown', the 'truth' pertaining to their clients.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Revelation and divination
- Magic
- Cult of the dead
- Prayers and sacrifices
- Sacred objects and places
- Settlement patterns
- Community structure
- Kin relationships
- Household
- Theory of disease
- Medical therapy
- Real property
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Chagga
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2010
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Africa
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Eastern Africa
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Anthropologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Teferi Abate Adem; 2010
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1998-2003
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1998-2003
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Chagga, Tanzania
- NotesAdditional notes
- Knut Christian Myhre
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 328-330)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 95660943
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Chaga (African people)