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Monsters and caricatures: spirit possession in Tana Toraja
Author(s) -
Tsintjilonis Dimitri
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of the royal anthropological institute
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.62
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1467-9655
pISSN - 1359-0987
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9655.2006.00352.x
Subject(s) - possession (linguistics) , sacrifice , indigenous , exegesis , aesthetics , sociology , art , history , literature , philosophy , archaeology , linguistics , ecology , biology
Focusing on a specific healing ritual, this article explores the efficacy of spirit possession in Tana Toraja. Framed in terms of indigenous exegesis, this exploration centres on the link between spirit possession and death, which manifests an intrinsic connection between spirit possession and sacrifice. In articulating this connection, the article foregrounds the body of the healer and attempts to explicate its ‘monstrous’ potency.