Cover; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; Preface; Introduction; Two Books on Ihamba: The Effect of Victor Turner's Study ; Theorists of Ritual; The Groundings of the Present Ethnographic Method; Chapter I. The Field Context of the lharnba Rituals in 1985 ; Time Factor: History Continues Separately for Ndembu and Turners ; Returning to Mukanza Village; The Ihamba Tooth; Chapter 2. The Medicine Quest for the First Ihamba ; Medicine Collection; Medicine Preparation; Chapter 3. The First Ihamba: The Performance for Nyakanjata ; The First Tooth; Commentary; The Second Tooth
Chapter 4. Discussion of the First Ihamba Sakutoha; Nyakanjata; Healing and Hunters; Mazu (""Words""); Childbirth Medicines in Iharnba; The Ambiguities in Iharnba; The Sequences and Processes Involved in Extraction; Chapter 5. Background to the Second Iharnba ; The Kawiko Vicinage; Quarrels in the Past; The Hunters' Conference: The Significance of the Hunter ; Trouble with Morie; Chapter 6. The Second Ihamba: The Performance for Meru ; Chapter 7. Ritual and the Anthropology of Experience ; The Event as Fact: Subjectivity and Objectivity; The Human Tooth; Chapter 8. Seeing Spirits
The Difficulties of the Healer ModeCoda; Appendixes; I. African Spirit Healing and Iharnba; 2. Types of Spirit Healers; 3. Medicines and Hallucinogens; 4. Cupping with Horns; 5. Music and Drumming; Drums, Ñorna; Drumming in Ihamba; Songs; 6. The Extraction of Harmful Intrusions; 7. A Composite Ihamba Scenario; 8. Old and New Ihamba Compared; 9. Matriliny, Rituals, and Religions: The 1985 Ndcmbu; 10. Maps; 11. Abridged Genealou of the Kahona Family; Notes; References; Index
Summary
Experiencing Ritual is Edith Turner's account of how she sighted a spirit form while participating in the Ihamba ritual of the Ndembu. Through her analysis, she presents a view not common in anthropological writings--the view of millions of Africans--that ritual is the harnessing of spiritual power
