Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches: The Riddles of CultureOne of America's leading anthropolgists offers solutions to the perplexing question of why people behave the way they do. Why do Hindus worship cows? Why do Jews and Moslems refuse to eat pork? Why did so many people in post-medieval Europe believe in witches? Marvin Harris answers these and other perplexing questions about human behavior, showing that no matter how bizarre a people's behavior may seem, it always stems from identifiable and intelligble sources. |
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allies ancestors animals anointed Australian bandits Baptist believe burned Bushmen Canon Episcopi Castaneda cattle caused Chagnon Church claimed clans competitive feasting confessed counter-culture cow love cult culture death Devil disciples Don Juan ecological economic Empire enemy Europeans explanation farmer female fight followers force forest gardens gospels guerrilla guests Guinea harder Herod Hindu holy hosts human Indian insisted Jahweh Jerusalem Jesus Jewish Christians Jews John Frum Josephus Judas of Galilee kaiko killed kingdom Kwakiutl land lifestyle consciousness living Madang male Manahem Maring meat messiah military military-messianic milk million missionaries Moslems natives oxen Palestine peaceful messiah peasants pig love political population pork potlatch practical and mundane prestige primitive production prophets protein Quamran redistribution riddles Roman Rome rumbim sabbat sacred sciousness sexual slaughter social soon taboo tion torture Tsembaga village warfare water buffalo wealth witch craze witchcraft Yali Yanomamo Yanomamo women zealot-bandits zebu