The cultural and symbolic significance of the African rhinoceros: a review of the traditional beliefs, perceptions and practices of agropastoralist societies in southern Africa.
A study of ethnobiological, archaeological, linguistic and historical ethnographic data shows that notions about the cultural and symbolic significance of the African rhinoceros were widely shared among southeastern Bantu speakers and had considerable time depth. African farming communities could dr...
| Publicado en: | Southern African Humanities Vol. 26; pp. 21 - 56 |
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| Autores principales: | , |
| Formato: | Artículo |
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Natal Museum
Jul2014
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=97438450&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 97438450 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 16815564 TB8 jtl: Southern African Humanities issn: 16815564 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Jul2014 vid: 26 pid: 20684 pub: Natal Museum artinfo: ui: 97438450 ppf: 21 ppct: 35 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P size: 32.6MB tig: atl: The cultural and symbolic significance of the African rhinoceros: a review of the traditional beliefs, perceptions and practices of agropastoralist societies in southern Africa. aug: au: Boeyens, Jan C. A. van der Ryst, Maria M. affil: Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, Box 392, UNISA, 0003 South Africa su: Rhinoceroses Agropastoral systems Ethnographic analysis Horns (Anatomy) Taxonomy sug: subj: Rhinoceroses Agropastoral systems Ethnographic analysis Horns (Anatomy) Taxonomy keyword: African rhinoceros archaeofauna cultural and symbolic significance farming communities figurines folk taxonomy historical ethnography leadership monoliths praise poems southern Africa ab: A study of ethnobiological, archaeological, linguistic and historical ethnographic data shows that notions about the cultural and symbolic significance of the African rhinoceros were widely shared among southeastern Bantu speakers and had considerable time depth. African farming communities could draw upon the traits of both the more aggressive and solitary black rhino (Diceros bicornis) and the more sociable and territorial white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) in their conceptualisation of the qualities of leadership. The Mapungubwe gold rhino served as an emblem of sacred leadership in a class-based society. In less-stratified Sotho-Tswana society, the importance of this pachyderm was reflected in its appropriation as a leadership referent in chiefly praise poems, the use of rhino figurines as didactic tools during initiation schools, as well as a plethora of vernacular names and a complex folk taxonomy. Meat cut from the breast of the rhino was the preserve of a chief and a special club of rhino horn was widely employed as a marker of chiefly status. Rhino horns and bones also featured in rainmaking rituals. Monoliths adorning the central courts of nineteenth-century Tswana towns, as well as the walls or courts of Zimbabwe culture and Venda capitals, most probably signified rhino horns, thereby architecturally encapsulating the key qualities of power, danger and protection traditionally associated with African leadership. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y custom: Copyright of Southern African Humanities is the property of Natal Museum and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. item: Southern African Humanities holder: Natal Museum dt: @attributes: year: 2014 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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