spirit possession/spirit succession: aspects of social continuity among Malagasy speakers in Mayotte
American Ethnologist November 1, 1988 DOI: 10.1525/ae.1988.15.4.02a00070 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Malagasy speakers in Mayotte |
| Key findings | The paper argues that spirits in Mayotte are frequently passed down through generations and linked to particular families, and that possession plays a role in constituting and refiguring family groups, personal identity, and the experience of social continuity. |
Abstract
When the identities of the spirits that possess particular individuals in communities of Malagasy speakers in Mayotte are taken into account, it becomes evident that spirits are frequently passed on from generation to generation and thus associated, though not exclusively, with particular families. The paper presents a number of case studies of spirit succession, attempting to draw out some of the social structural and personal implications. Possession's role in the constitution and refiguration of family groups, personal identity, and the experience of social continuity is analyzed.
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- The Voice of the Winds Versus the Masters of Cure: Contested Notions of Spirit Possession Among the Lauje of Sulawesi Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute September 1, 1996
- From Powerlessness to Control: Psychosis, Spirit Possession and Recovery in the Western Desert of Egypt Health Culture and Society December 17, 2015
- Amina: Shaking Boundaries of a Woman Inhabited by the Spirits (Senegal). Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry March 1, 2025
- Spiriti e riti ebraici a Meknes. Seduti alla “tavola di David” Archivio Antropologico Mediterraneo January 30, 2025