Mophungzuket "leper"

B&W photographic print. 'This image of a grave hung with the deceased person's possessions could be interpreted in various ways. "Leper'' in inverted commas on the back of the photograph may indeed mean that the person who died was a leper, in which case the death is considered in some villages...

Full description

Archive & Special Collections PP MS 58/02/H/14 Open

Date(s) of creation: 1920
Level: Item
Format: Archive           
Main author: Mills; James Philip (1890-1960); colonial administrator and anthropologist
URL: http://digital.soas.ac.uk/LOAA004519
URL Description: Digital version available online at SOAS Digital Collections

collection SOAS Archive
id PP_MS_58.02.H.14
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
callnumber PP MS 58/02/H/14
callnumber_txt PP MS 58/02/H/14
callnumber-sort PP MS 58/02/H/14
prefix_number 14
title Mophungzuket "leper"
scb_date_creation 1920
scb_level Item
level_sort 8/Collection/Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Sub-Collection/Series/Sub-Series/Sub-Sub-Series/File/Item
scb_extent 1 photograph
author Mills; James Philip (1890-1960); colonial administrator and anthropologist
author_facet Mills; James Philip (1890-1960); colonial administrator and anthropologist
authorStr Mills; James Philip (1890-1960); colonial administrator and anthropologist
author_letter Mills; James Philip (1890-1960); colonial administrator and anthropologist
format Archive
description B&W photographic print. 'This image of a grave hung with the deceased person's possessions could be interpreted in various ways. "Leper'' in inverted commas on the back of the photograph may indeed mean that the person who died was a leper, in which case the death is considered in some villages as accursed, bringing disgrace and ruin upon his family. They would have to kill all their livestock and abandon their house and all their possessions, being reduced to destitution and reliant on the charity of their neighbours. But, in that case the grave would have no roof or Ornaments for the next world. This grave, however, has a rough Christian cross in front of it, although this is painted with various non-Christian symbols such as snakes and stylised hornbills. Though Christians bury their dead rather than expose them on corpse platforms, they often roof over the grave and display the possessions just as the non-Christians do. Perhaps the deceased was converted to Christianity before dying of leprosy, thus avoiding the calamity for his family of an "accursed" death.'
scb_access_status Open
scb_copyright Copyright held by J.P. Mills
language No linguistic content
language_search No linguistic content
scb_scripts_material Unwritten
scb_physc_charac_tech_reqs 9.5 x 7 cm
scb_copies Digital version available online at SOAS Digital Collections
note Leprosy
scb_url http://digital.soas.ac.uk/LOAA004519
scb_url_description Digital version available online at SOAS Digital Collections
hierarchy_top_id_raw PP MS 58
hierarchy_sequence PP_MS_58.0002.00H.0014

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