Lia: das grosse Ritual auf den Mentawai-Inseln (Indonesien)

Schefold, Reimar

Book

Lia: das grosse Ritual auf den Mentawai-Inseln (Indonesien)

D. Reimer • Berlin • Published In 1988 • Pages:

By: Schefold, Reimar.

Abstract
This book, in German, consists of two major parts. Part 1 describes the day-to-day life and general ethnography of the Sakuddei (Sakkudei) people living on the island of Siberut in the Mentawai archipelago of Indonesia. The second part of this work, which comprises the bulk of this document, presents a detailed analysis in words and pictures of the month long all-important ritual known as the PULIAIJAT. This analysis, with frequent reference to ethnographic theory relevant to the development of ritual behavior in society, provides an insight into often times implicit ideas and thoughts which can be understood only through the symbolic examination of the data. In regard to the significance of this ritual Shefold states that: 'our starting-point was the assumption that a ritual does more than enact and give form to everyday ideas and institutions. For those that participate in it, daily existence and ritual life stand in a dialectical relation: the traditional response to prevailing circumstances periodically call forth forms of expression of critical reflection. These symbolically replace daily existence with alternative possibilities and ultimately both modes of being complement each other, representing an all-embracing order' (p. 665). A complete summary of this work in English will be found in the indexed category 105, pp. 665-672 of the text.

Theoretical orientation in research and its results

Social relationships and groups

Community structure

Shamans and psychotherapists

Cosmology

Mythology

Prayers and sacrifices

HRAF PubDate