the Masai say the souls of the dead may reincarnate in certain snakes, which must not be killed
That's exactly what I mean by paltry -- which snakes? Is it a particular marking only on some snakes, or where the snakes are found, or a specific species of snake, or do you know because of certain behaviors the snakes display? These are questions I don't find ethnographers asking (or, if the questions were answered, a lot of what I've read just doesn't mention it, so I can't tell whether it was left out, or never discussed in the first place).
Those books are definitely going on my to-get list. Thank you!
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Date: 23 Feb 2011 04:30 pm (UTC)That's exactly what I mean by paltry -- which snakes? Is it a particular marking only on some snakes, or where the snakes are found, or a specific species of snake, or do you know because of certain behaviors the snakes display? These are questions I don't find ethnographers asking (or, if the questions were answered, a lot of what I've read just doesn't mention it, so I can't tell whether it was left out, or never discussed in the first place).
Those books are definitely going on my to-get list. Thank you!