Im Banne der Furcht : Sitten und Gebräuche der Wapare in Ostafrika

"Im Banne der Furcht" by Ernst Kotz is an ethnographic monograph written in the early 20th century. It examines the customs, beliefs, and daily life of the Wapare (Pare) people of East Africa from a missionary-ethnologist’s vantage point, with particular attention to religion, language, law, and rites of passage. The book blends close field observation with a critical view of fear, magic, and healing as forces structuring community life. The opening of the work presents a laudatory foreword that defends collaboration between mission and ethnography and frames the study as scientifically valuable and candid about intimate customs. A detailed contents list signals wide scope, from “Negro psychology and language” to birth, initiation, law, economy, cult, superstition, illness, and mission. The first chapter urges empathetic engagement and mastery of local languages, illustrating the tonal complexity of Chasu and the pitfalls of colonial miscommunication. Subsequent sections depict pregnancy and birth rites, the roles of healer (mganga) versus sorcerer (msavi), and coercive midwifery practices, while condemning fear-driven infanticide when taboos are breached. Early childhood customs for girls follow—naming, tooth rituals and their dangers, protective amulets, and early female circumcision. The narrative then outlines the first and second women’s festivals: seclusion of the “house virgin,” drumming, erotic night dances, strict sanctions for transgression, and the start of her public “bringing out” marked by communal brewing, songs, and ritual weeping. (This is an automatically generated summary.)