Prohibit

Quote

In actual practice, this prohibition has a major consequence with regard to the attitude of the elders vis-à-vis the newborn in their family: since its nani (ancestor) is not officially known, they do not touch the child so as not to harm him.

• Source: Dieterlen, Germaine. The souls of the Dogons. Paris: Institut d’Ethnologie, 1941.
• Culture: Dogon
• Location: Africa