Almost eating the ancestors 1
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23705702 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maurice Bloch (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Pages | 166-186 |
| Publication date | 2020-12-16 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | Ritual, History and Power (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Routledge (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.4324/9781003136361-8 |
| OpenAlex | W4255189527 |
| ISBN | 9781003136361 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
This chapter brings together two of the best known myths of the Merina of Madagascar. Both are concerned with food and, more particularly, beef-eating. The chapter is a study of two well-known Merina myths, both of which focus on eating. Before examining the myth, it is convenient to follow L. Molet and look at some of the other evidence he produces since, as he himself realizes, this evidence serves well to introduce the concepts evoked in the myth. Molet&s;s concerns are much wider-ranging than the title might suggest. He argues that all Malagasy funerary rituals (not just Merina ones) are based on an ancient practice of communal feasting on the flesh of ancestors by their descendants and close relatives. The myth presents an alternative to the horrifying ideal of being consumed by one&s;s ancestors in the enjoyment of individuality in this life, that is in the eating of cattle and by association in personal, as opposed to ancestral, creativity.
Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · History · Origins and Evolution of Life · Psychology · Race, Genetics, and Society
| Citations per year | 0.11 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1989 - 2022 (34) |
| Highly cited | No |