Table of Contents

1. The social determination of ritual; 2. Background politico-religious history of the Merina, 1770–1970; 3. Background to Merina social organisation and religion; 4. Description and preliminary analysis of a circumcision ritual; 5. The symbolism of circumcision; 6. The myth of the origin of circumcision; 7. The history of the circumcision; 8. The circumcision ritual in history: towards a theory of the transformation of ideology; Notes; References; Index.