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Book: Charming Beauties and Frightful Beasts

Chapter: Guardian Spirits, Omens and Meat for the Clans: The Place of Animals among the Apatanis of Arunachal Pradesh

DOI: 10.1558/equinox.21377

Blurb:

In this chapter the author will discuss how one Tani group, the Apatanis, understand, use and live with animals, and what non-human animals mean in their religious beliefs. The chapter will bring a number of examples drawn from my own fieldwork in the villages of Hari and Mudang Tage in 2002, 2009 and 20103 as well as from previous academic literature. It includes a description of animal sacrifices during large festivals, rites of protection, health-seeking rituals, haruspicy and judiciary rituals.

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