Re: info sources
Posted by Natasha papousek on October 14, 1999 at 16:17:49:
In Reply to: Re: Grief Henna? posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on October 14, 1999 at 03:02:41:
We're using mainly journal articles for this class and most of the
authors did their field work in Egypt. And then there are the
comments of the prof (who;s from Turkey) -- I think he's the one who
mentioned that the Djinn also follow human religions, and that Muslim
Djinn are always good and can be called upon to help humans.
No mention of nosebleeds at all. Or even blood from cuts and scrapes.
It seems to be a matter of vulnerability and which areas of the body
are considered esp. vulnerable.
It;s hard to make generalisations about such a large area. But it is
fascinating to see regional differences in how evil spirits are
perceived and protected against. And even actions which look the same
on the outside (widows abstaining from cosmetics, etc.) can have very
different meanings in different areas.
Cynthia Nelson, "Self, Spirit, Possession and World View: An
Illustration from Egypt," The International Journal of Social
Psychiatry, v. 17, number 1 (1970)
Janice Boddy, "Zar" chapter 4 from Wombs and Alien Spirits, published
1989
John G. Kennedy, "Mushahara: A Nubian Concept of Supernatural Danger
and teh theory of Taboo", American Anthropologist, v. 69, 1967.
Ailon Shiloh, "THe interaction between Middle Eastern and Western
Systems of Medicine", Soc. Sci & Med., V 2, 1968.
Alan Dundes, "Wet and Dry, the Evil Eye" from Interpreting FOlklore,
Indiana U Press, 1980.
BTW, relating to the original topic of the original poster, I think
that she did a really beautiful and moving thing. Henna has
historical roots, but isn't bound to any one cultural view. In our
culture, it's important to celebrate the spirit of the person who has
passed and to remember how that person touched our lives. I wish I'd
known about henna when my Grandmother died...it would have helped me
articulate and make visible how important she was (and still is in my
heart).