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| Title: | Initiation into the Ugao; Rethinking the Structure of Tharaka Symbolism |
| Author: | Giarelli, Guido |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Periodical: | Africa: Journal of the International African Institute |
| Volume: | 67 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| Pages: | 175-199 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Kenya |
| Subjects: | healers Tharaka Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) |
| External link: | https://www.jstor.org/stable/1161441 |
| Abstract: | This article deals with the author's initiation in the 'territory' of 'ugao', the art of healing of the Tharaka of Meru District, Eastern Province of Kenya. Material was collected over a period from 1984 to 1993, twenty-nine months of which were spent directly in the field. After analysing the myth of origin of 'ugao', the author describes his initiation by three 'agao' (healers) during a period of seventeen days, paying attention to the different kinds of teachings and ritual performances and the conclusion of the initiation with a practical apprenticeship. In particular, he gives an account of the 'giciaro', the blood brotherhood sealed by the 'muma', the oath made with goat's blood between the master and the novice, and the ritual handing over of the horns, the instruments of the 'mugao's' healing art. The author analyses the key symbols of the 'ugao' therapeutic rituals in order to show the specific structure that defines the healing pattern. He questions the validity of 'dual classification' and discusses the shortcomings of the analysis of Meru symbolism proposed by R. Needham. Instead, he argues that a triadic classification would be more suitable for the analysis of Tharaka symbolism. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in English and French. |
