Mak Betisek concepts of humans, plants and animals

Abstract

Studies of symbolism in anthropology have mainly attempted to show the relationship between ritual behaviour, ritual symbols and the kind of social system which is maintained by the people of the society. By ritual symbols, I mean objects, words or physical behaviour which are regarded as representing or typifying something else by virtue of analo gous qualities or associational characteristics.2 In The Forest of Symbols, Turner (1967) is primarily concerned with the way in which symbols express and reinforce the social institutions within Ndembu society. In The Ritual Process (1969), his approach is more contextual, since he focusses on the multi-referential character of ritual symbols ? the way in which the same symbols are used to express different ideas. However, he does not break away completely from the conventional 'social structural' model, since his ultimate concern is with relating ritual symbols in their varying forms to prevailing social institutions. Douglas (1970, pp. 8-9) puts forward the view that the body can supply symbols for people to express attitudes to their own society. Body postures, body movements and gestures reflect the kind of relationships which one establishes in a group and the way in which individuals are bound to one another within it.3 Here she attempts to show how differences in social systems may reflect differences in ritualized be haviour. Again here, the social system is pre-established as a social