Les Maitre Fous

Issack 1 Prof Smith ANT 124 Midterm 1 05/01/2012 The mad masters. Jean Rouchs mad masters is revolve about around a solemnity by a ghostly sect- the Hauka- in the Ghanaian city of Accra in 1954. The ridiculous ceremony takes place in a remote localise; the participants take an hour bulky ride in a taxi and walk the anticipate of the way. The secluded location is exalted for the grotesque events that unfold there. The Haukas survive into a bewitch and atomic number 18 possessed by the spirit up of their colonizers; they embody the identities of colonial figures much(prenominal) as, the governor general, the engineer, the doctors wife, the wicked major and the corporal. In their trance like state, the Haukas make extraordinary acts such as reaching into a scum bag of turn water, burning oneself with actual fire, speaking in tongues, bubbly copiously at the mouth, cooking and consuming a wimp and a dog and drinking the blood of these sacrificial animals . In their trance like state these members body movements are notably diametrical from when they arrived. They started out with graceful and slower gestures and as they got deeper into the trance, their gestures flummox much rigid and controlled; mimicking the actions of the colonial figures.

From the events of the ceremony, an attitude of both pasquinade and take to be for the colonizers- by the Haukas- is evident. The clicking together of pieces of wood that resemble rifles and the alimentation of a dog (consumption of dog meat is considered taboo in umteen cultures) signify power, Issack 2 fearlessness an d being above taboo. The ludicrous matchin! g and ordering on the other hand demo an air of arrogance, lack of rhythm and utter indifference. Society, although a locution of individuals, is more than the sum of individual parts. In order to grok the actions of the Haukas, one has to take into account what was happening at the social level at that time in that region. This part of the universe was under colonial rule or influence from the late...If you respect to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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