anthropological theory
Caste Organization
Category=JB
Category=JHMC
comparative monarchy studies
contemporary fascination
cultural anthropology
De Heusch
Endogamous Groups
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Harvest Ritual
Inauspicious Qualities
Installation Ceremony
Installation Ritual
Japanese Imperial System
Japanese Kingship
King Ship
kingship
Malla Kings
Napoleon III
Original Sacrament
regicide anthropology
ritual and political authority interplay
ritual power structures
Ritual Regicide
royal symbolism
Sacred Chief
Sacred Kingship
scapegoat
Shah Kingship
social hierarchy analysis
Southern Orissa
Sumanguru Kante
Tongan Islands
Tui Tonga
Untouchable Castes
Vice Versa
Young Men
Product details
- ISBN 9781845202910
- Weight: 453g
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 01 Sep 2005
- Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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Why has monarchy been such a prevalent institution throughout history and in such a diverse range of societies? Kingship is at the heart of both ritual and politics and has major implications for the theory of social and cultural anthropology. Yet, despite the contemporary fascination with royalty, anthropologists have sorely neglected the subject in recent decades. This book combines a strong theoretical argument with a wealth of ethnography from kingships in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Quigley gives a timely and much-needed overview of the anthropology of kingship and a crucial reassessment of the contributions of Frazer and Hocart to debates about the nature and function of royal ritual. From diverse fieldwork sites, a number of eminent anthropologists demonstrate how ritual and power intertwine to produce a series of variations around myth, tragedy and historical realities. However, underneath this diversity, two common themes invariably emerge: the attempt to portray kingship as timeless and perfect, and the dual nature of the king as sacred being and scapegoat.
Declan Quigley is Honorary Research Associate, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Oxford University.
