Book
The social functions of avoidances and taboos among the Zulu
de Gruyter • Berlin, New York • Published In 1973 • Pages: xiv, 576
By: Raum, Otto Friedrich.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This source presents an exhaustive analysis of the sociological function of UKUHLONIPHA (Hl) (avoidance) and UKUZILA (Za) (abstention or taboo) in Zulu social organization and institutional activities. The framework for the tables appearing in this work were drawn up by the author in 1940 and filled in from the literature on the Zulu as well as fieldwork in Mapumulo District. This information was further verified and supplemented in consultation with approximately 100 students and teachers at the Umpumulo Training College. During the summers of 1952-1953, 1955-1956, and 1956-1957 (a total of nine months in all), the author visited the districts of Eshowe, Mahlabatini, Nongoma, and Nkandla to further supplement his data (p. 1). From Raum's original survey, it was determined that the avoidance and taboo patterns covered a very wide range of phenomena in those specific situations in which such behavior was obligatory. later fieldwork '…revealed that the whole gamut of Hl and Za observances is never found implemented in any one family, in any particular individual. Each Zulu, and each lineage makes a selection which is determined by historical, cultural and economic circumstances and individual predilections' (p. 1).
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Vocabulary
- Diet
- Eating
- Personal names
- Classes
- Marriage
- Household
- Family relationships
- Kinship
- Chief executive
- Executive household
- Community heads
- Provinces
- Religious offenses
- Death
- Avoidance and taboo
- Puberty and initiation
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Zulu
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2005
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Africa
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Southern Africa
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- Book
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- 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
- John Beierle ; 1979
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1940, 1952-53, 1955-56, 1956-57 (9 months)
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- ca. 1800-1957
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Mapumulo, Eshowe, Mahlabatini, Nongoma, and Nkandia Districts; KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
- NotesAdditional notes
- von O. F. Raum
- Errata slip inserted
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 548-554)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 73174174
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Zulu (African people)