Taboo

Tabou is a word of Polynesian origin which means “defended” or “prohibited”. The verb tapui means “to make holy”. It indicates, in the ethnological literature, a prohibition with character magico-monk whose transgression involves a supernatural punishment. As a Polynesian, the opposite of taboo says " noa" , which is ordinary, accessible to everyone. Thus to the taboo the concept of a kind of reserve is attached, and the taboo appears primarily by prohibitions and restrictions.

Taboo and religions

The ethnologists made of this Polynesian word a generic term applying to all prohibitions of a magic nature , religious or ritual, whatever the Peuple which formulates these prohibitions.

Emile Durkheim estimates that it is annoying to thus extend the meaning of a narrowly local and dialectal expression. There is no religion where prohibitions do not play a considerable part. The terms prohibited or prohibition would be preferable. Moreover, taboo indicates as well prohibition as the prohibited thing.

  • the taboo is a religious phenomenon which can be seen as the negative form of crowned. It expresses at the same time its contagious and dangerous character. It includes/understands three elements: a belief in the impure or crowned character of such person or such thing; a prohibition: prohibition to touch or use of this person or this thing; the belief which the transgression of this interdict involves automatically the punishment of the culprit, who will see, for example, its body to swell or decay; it will have an accident, will lose its harvests or his/her parents will die. The transgression of the taboo is punished of died or at least of Ostracisme.

  • the taboo, always as a religious phenomenon, can also be seen like a warning: a thing, a person is in charge of power. The violation of the taboo inevitably does not involve a punishment but a reaction of the power. This one fascine the human being but generates also fear. So much so that the taboo makes avoid the word, by fear of the power. " When it persists, fear is fixed in an observance… we seize consequently how, with long, the shiver was to necessarily pass to the state of observance, and alive fear to degenerate into formalism

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