Nubian Ceremonial Life: Studies in Islamic Syncretism and Cultural ChangeJohn G. Kennedy The building of Egypt's High Dam in the 1960s erased innumerable historic treasures, but it also forever obliterated the ancient land of a living people, the Nubians. In 1963-64, they were removed en masse from their traditional homelands in southern Egypt and resettled elsewhere. Much of the life of old Nubia revolved around ceremonialism, and in this remarkable study, John G. Kennedy and other leading anthropologists from around the world reveal and discuss some of the most important and distinctive aspects of Nubian culture. Since its original publication, Nubian Ceremonial Life has become a standard text in the fields of anthropology and cultural psychology. In addition to basic ethnographic data, this groundbreaking study contains a number of theoretical discussions on topics of interest to students of comparative religions: the psychology of death ceremonies, the nature of 'taboo, ' theories of circumcision rituals, and the importance of trance curing ceremonies. The book also presents information about a village of Nubians who had been resettled some thirty years earlier, thereby providing some clues regarding the possible patterns of future culture change among these recently relocated people. With a new foreword by Robert Fernea, this edition brings back into print a major work of scholarship on the unique ceremonial traditions of a changed and changing Nubian world. Contributors: Hussein M. Fahim, Armgard Grauer, Fadwa al-Guindi, Samiha al-Katsha, John G. Kennedy, and Nawal al-Messiri. |
Contents
John G Kennedy | 1 |
Dhikr Rituals and Cultural Change | 41 |
The Sheikh Cult in Dahmit | 61 |
A Theme in Nubian Ritual | 104 |
A Nubian Concept of Supernatural Danger | 125 |
Circumcision and Excision Ceremonies | 151 |
Changes in Nubian Wedding Ceremonies | 171 |
Nubian Zar Ceremonies as Psychotherapy | 203 |
Death Ceremonies | 224 |
| 245 | |
| 251 | |
Common terms and phrases
Abu Hor activities adhan adult al-jum'a al-Sunna Allah Arabic associated Aswan Aswan dam behavior beliefs birth bridal bride and groom Cairo celebration changes chapter circumcision customs Dahmit dancing death dhikr dhikr rituals district Diwan dogir dogri Egypt Egyptian example excision Fadija feast female fertility festivity forty days Friday girls guests henna imam important individual informants jinn Kanuba katb Kenuz keswa Kom Ombo leader lineage Mahas male marriage mawlid Mehannab mosque mother Muhammad mushahara Muslim nadr naja naqib Nile Nubian ceremonial Nubian ritual occasion Old Nubia Ombo omodiyya palm participants pattern performance period Popular Islamic practices prayer procession Prophet Qur'an recitation relatives religious resettlement rites ritual river role sacred salat sheikh cult shrine singing slaughtered social songs spirits Sudan Sufi Sufism supernatural symbolic taboos tion traditional Nubian tribal sheikh tribe usually village of Kanuba wedding woman women young zăr