Book

Feasts of honor: ritual and change in the Toraja Highlands

University of Illinois Press (16) • Published In 1985 • Pages: xi, 216

By: Volkman, Toby Alice.

Abstract
This book focuses on the village of To' Dama' located in the Mount Sesean area on the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in Indonesia. Much of the information gathered in this document revolves around Mama' Agus (one of the author's primary informants) and her family, told against the broad outline of the history of the Toraja highlands, and an analysis of Toraja society and rituals (primarily funerary). 'It is a local history that emerges through the eyes of the people of To' Dama' and the surrounding area, a history in which symbols, ritual performances, and social processes are reinterpreted and charged with new meaning in a profoundly changing world' (p. 8).
Subjects
Sociocultural trends
Burial practices and funerals
Cult of the dead
Eschatology
Spirits and gods
Prayers and sacrifices
culture
Southern Toraja
HRAF PubDate
1997
Region
Asia
Sub Region
Southeast Asia
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 1995
Field Date
1976-1978
Coverage Date
1900-1978
Coverage Place
To' Dama' village, Mount Sesean area, Celebes, Indonesia
Notes
Toby Alice Volkman
Originally presented as the author's thesis (Ph.D. -- Cornell University, 1980): The pig has eaten the vegetables
Includes bibliographical references (p. 201-207) and index
LCCN
84016123
LCSH
Toraja (Indonesian people)