Dancing with two sticks: Investigating the origin of a southern African rite

dc.contributor.authorJolly, Pieter
dc.date.accessioned2016-07-18T08:56:27Z
dc.date.available2016-07-18T08:56:27Z
dc.date.issued2006
dc.date.updated2015-12-17T13:00:25Z
dc.description.abstractPhotographs of San descendants from Prieska, Northern Cape, form part of the Bleek Collection, Oppenheimer Library, University of Cape Town. They show some of the Prieska San performing a dance and were taken by Dorothea Bleek in late 1910, or possibly early 1911. A particular posture adopted by dancers in some of these photographs, stooped and supported by two sticks, is represented in San rock paintings. It has also been observed in the rites of some San-speakers, as well as those of some southern Bantu-speakers in South Africa. his article investigates the symbolism of the dancing sticks and whether the rites in which these sticks are employed originated with the San or whether they originated with southern Bantu-speakers. It is suggested that the sticks were used to support trancing San shamans, as has been proposed previously, but that in at least some cases they also symbolized the front legs of an animal into which a shaman was transforming. The rite probably had its origins amongst the San, but, in some cases, the meaning attached to it may have changed as San and southern Bantu-speakers exerted a mutual influence on each others' cultures.en_ZA
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.2307/20474925
dc.identifier.apacitationJolly, P. (2006). Dancing with two sticks: Investigating the origin of a southern African rite. <i>South African Archaeological Bulletin</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20396en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationJolly, Pieter "Dancing with two sticks: Investigating the origin of a southern African rite." <i>South African Archaeological Bulletin</i> (2006) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20396en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationJolly, P. (2006). Dancing with two sticks: investigating the origin of a southern African rite. The South African Archaeological Bulletin, 172-180.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0038-1969en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Jolly, Pieter AB - Photographs of San descendants from Prieska, Northern Cape, form part of the Bleek Collection, Oppenheimer Library, University of Cape Town. They show some of the Prieska San performing a dance and were taken by Dorothea Bleek in late 1910, or possibly early 1911. A particular posture adopted by dancers in some of these photographs, stooped and supported by two sticks, is represented in San rock paintings. It has also been observed in the rites of some San-speakers, as well as those of some southern Bantu-speakers in South Africa. his article investigates the symbolism of the dancing sticks and whether the rites in which these sticks are employed originated with the San or whether they originated with southern Bantu-speakers. It is suggested that the sticks were used to support trancing San shamans, as has been proposed previously, but that in at least some cases they also symbolized the front legs of an animal into which a shaman was transforming. The rite probably had its origins amongst the San, but, in some cases, the meaning attached to it may have changed as San and southern Bantu-speakers exerted a mutual influence on each others' cultures. DA - 2006 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town J1 - South African Archaeological Bulletin KW - San KW - ritual KW - dancing sticks KW - rock art LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2006 SM - 0038-1969 T1 - Dancing with two sticks: Investigating the origin of a southern African rite TI - Dancing with two sticks: Investigating the origin of a southern African rite UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20396 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/20396
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationJolly P. Dancing with two sticks: Investigating the origin of a southern African rite. South African Archaeological Bulletin. 2006; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20396.en_ZA
dc.languageengen_ZA
dc.publisherSouth African Archaeological Societyen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Archaeologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.sourceSouth African Archaeological Bulletinen_ZA
dc.source.urihttp://www.archaeologysa.co.za/saab
dc.subjectSan
dc.subjectritual
dc.subjectdancing sticks
dc.subjectrock art
dc.titleDancing with two sticks: Investigating the origin of a southern African riteen_ZA
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceArticleen_ZA
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