Women Like Meat: the Folklore and Foraging Ideology of Kalahari Ju'hoan

Women like Meat is an illuminating remark made by a Ju 'hoan informant; it succinctly embodies the duality of male and female roles in Ju 'hoan society. In traditional Ju 'hoan society, though both men and women did some hunting and some gathering, men mostly hunted and women mostly gathered. This complementarity of roles was and still is echoed in the central ritual of their beautiful healing dance. The collaborative metaphors of hunting, gathering and healing are deeply embedded in their folklore. In this fascinating and lively study, Megan Biesele draws on a large collection of oral literature gathered over many years. Through her engagement with the women of the Ju 'hoan society, she has been able to gain access to a variety of women's stories which offer valuable insights into the interrelationship of the sexes. The significance of an oral tradition to the foraging society – the most ancient and long-lived form of human organisation – is examined from anthropological, ethnographical and historical perspectives. This new edition features a new preface by Biesele and an engaging foreword by Pippa Skotnes.