Difference between revisions of "Quartering"
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| − | '''Quartering''' (''zunagai'', lit. 'four-continuous') is the cosmological concept in the [[Corps]] that underlies the shape of the world. | + | '''Quartering''' (''zunagai'', lit. 'four-continuous') is the cosmological concept in the [[Corps]] that underlies the shape of the world. (The resemblance of the term ''zunagai'' to the name [[Zunuga]] is surely not coincidental, and has often been remarked upon.) Under Quartering, the body is a metonym for the universe; it is the framework for the division of the body and the cosmos into four segments across two axes, vertical (up-down) and horizontal (left-right). In the body, the chest and internal organs are central, where the ibu (spirit) resides. Each organ is believed to have connections to emotional and temperamental qualities. |
These can in turn be mapped onto physical and conceptual spaces, guiding Omban understandings of gender, space, and time, as follows: | These can in turn be mapped onto physical and conceptual spaces, guiding Omban understandings of gender, space, and time, as follows: | ||
Latest revision as of 10:23, 5 February 2024
Quartering (zunagai, lit. 'four-continuous') is the cosmological concept in the Corps that underlies the shape of the world. (The resemblance of the term zunagai to the name Zunuga is surely not coincidental, and has often been remarked upon.) Under Quartering, the body is a metonym for the universe; it is the framework for the division of the body and the cosmos into four segments across two axes, vertical (up-down) and horizontal (left-right). In the body, the chest and internal organs are central, where the ibu (spirit) resides. Each organ is believed to have connections to emotional and temperamental qualities.
These can in turn be mapped onto physical and conceptual spaces, guiding Omban understandings of gender, space, and time, as follows:
| Vertical | Horizontal |
|---|---|
| Up-Down | Right-Left |
| North-South | East-West |
| Order-Chaos | Life-Death |
| Past-Future | Becoming-Ending |
| Voice | Hand |
| Male | Female |
The quartering structure is reflected in temples (whose entrances reflect the cardinal ordering of their respective priesthoods), the layout of many communities, and the structure of numerous other ritual practices. The Hulti do not adhere to this partition.
