“Living Water” in Nguni Healing Traditions, South Africa
This paper explores the ideas of “living water” held by Nguni-speaking diviner-healers in South Africa. It considers their beliefs in snake/mermaid water divinities and their claims of being called by them underwater, either physically or in a dream, to obtain knowledge and gifts of healing. Seen as...
| Published in: | Worldviews |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2013
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| In: |
Worldviews
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| Further subjects: | B
living water
Nguni diviner-healers
water divinities
dreams
hierophanies
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| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | This paper explores the ideas of “living water” held by Nguni-speaking diviner-healers in South Africa. It considers their beliefs in snake/mermaid water divinities and their claims of being called by them underwater, either physically or in a dream, to obtain knowledge and gifts of healing. Seen as cosmic generators of life, fertility and water/rain, these divinities are believed to reside in certain sites of “living water,” which, while characterized by certain physical features, are dependent on correct human ritual relations to maintain their vitality. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5357 |
| Contains: | In: Worldviews
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685357-01702005 |