Narrating the Local Web of Associations

Abstract

This chapter continues to explore the local web of associations in which Haḍimbā is embedded and through which she and her community are constituted. Turning from the world of ritual to that of narrative, the chapter critically introduces five major stories about Haḍimbā, showing how each of them sheds a different light on the goddess’s character, biography, and social roles. It becomes clear that, while Haḍimbā is explicitly presented by her devotees as a single, unitary being, the narratives reveal a persona who is multilayered, multifaceted, and continuously changing. Haḍimbā emerges as a storehouse of fragmented memories of multiple origins and events, as well as a product of interactions among deities, people, interests, and ideals. It is evident that all the stories contain elements of power and reflect Haḍimbā’s involvement in the local web of sociopolitical relations and the developments she has undergone as a result.