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- Publisher
- Brill
- Copyright
- © 1996 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
- ISSN
- 0022-4200
- eISSN
- 1570-0666
- DOI
- 10.1163/157006696X00352
- Publisher site
- See Article on Publisher Site
Abstract
THE EAGLE AS MESSENGER, PILGRIM AND VOICE: DIVINATORY PROCESSES AMONG THE WASO BOORANA OF KENYA BY MARIO I. AGUILAR* (University of St. Andrews) Since their settlement in the Waso area of North Eastern Kenya in 1932, the Waso Boorana have gone through several processes of reli- gious change (Aguilar 1993a: 34-49; Baxter 1966). Their current reli- gious practices combine Islamic with Oromo ones: while public commu- nal rituals are guided by Sheikhs and follow Islamic practices, domestic ones maintain traditional elements of Oromo ritual that the Boorana brought with them when they arrived in the Waso area (Aguilar 1993a: 214-215).' It is in this context of religious 'diversification' (Aguilar 1993a: 306), that the Waso Boorana associate the appearance of an eagle with mis- fortune and with a particular message to be delivered. What follows is an account of a communal session in which a ritual specialist (abayen), who represents the concern of a particular community, tries to listen to such a message.2 My aim is to discuss this communal session and the role of the eagle in a process of divination. Processes of divination are common in East African societies (El-Tom 1985; Heald 1991; Holy 1991; James 1988)
Journal
Journal of Religion in Africa – Brill
Published: Jan 1, 1996