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How could Kpelle personal animal totems be inherited?
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Totemism
Totem fish mask from the Orokolo Bay area of New Guinea. Painted bark cloth over rattan frame with fringe of dried grass. Height 1.63 m.
Among the Kpelle people, personal animal totems are inherited through a gender-specific lineage: they are transmitted from father to son or from mother to daughter.1
These individual totems, which are also referred to as a "thing of possession," "thing of birth," or "thing of the back of men," serve as guides and warners of danger for the individual. In addition to being inherited, these totems are subject to taboo and are given offerings, as they are believed to communicate magical powers and act as an alter ego to the person.1