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Time, Space and the Unknown

Maasai Configurations of Power and Providence

Paul Spencer author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:9th Oct '03

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Time, Space and the Unknown cover

First Published in 2004. Uncertainty is an aspect of existence among the Maasai in East Africa. They take ritual precautions against mystical misfortune, especially at their ceremonial gatherings, which exude displays of confidence, and generate a sense of time, space, community, and being. Yet their performances are undermined by a concern for clandestine psychopaths who are thought to create havoc through sorcery. Normally elders seek moral explanations for erratic encounters with misfortune, viewing God as the Supreme and unknowable figure of Providence. However, sorcery lies beyond their collective wisdom, and they look for guidance from their Prophet, as a more powerful sorcerer to whom they are bound for protection. This work examines the variation of this pattern, associated with different profiles of social life and tension across the Maasai federation.

ISBN: 9780415317245

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 589g

304 pages