article
Kingalu: a myth of origin from eastern Tanzania
Anthropos • 66 (5/6) • Published In 1971 • Pages: 817-838
By: Brain, James Lewton.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is a theoretically-informed analysis of major events, characters and motives in a popular and well-documented Luguru origin myth. By interpreting its contents from different angles, the author argues that it holds the key to understanding the dynamics of Luguru matrilineages and cultural ethos. For example, when viewed as a context-specific oral tradition the myth outlines a series of local events relevant for reconstructing the spatial distribution and subsequent interaction of different matriclans. The myth can also be viewed as an epic charter for legitimizing inequalities and structural cleavages along gender, age, and seniority.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Traditional history
- Verbal arts
- Rule of descent
- Lineages
- Status, role, and prestige
- Inter-community relations
- Avoidance and taboo
- Kin relationships
- Functional and adaptational interpretations
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Luguru
- 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.
- 4: Excellent Secondary 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; 2020
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1965-1966
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1965-1966
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Uluguru Mountains, Morogoro Region, Tanzania
- NotesAdditional notes
- James L. Brain
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 836-838)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 07021775
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Luguru (African people)