Book Review

Imaginations in the Periphery: State Rule andin Chapter 2 ("SavannaJliFiood Plain Cosmology").

Resistance of the Hor in Southwestern Ethiopia.

1be next three chapters shift the analysis into a

Yukio Miyawaki, Sekaishiso-sha, 2005. 513 pp.

more social anthropological perspective.

Chapter

3 ("Power, Body, and Space: Patriarchy and Spatial
Over the past few decades, an increasing number

Construction") describes and analyzes the Hor socialof Japanese anthropologists have undertaken fieldstructure. Miyawaki defines Hor society as one based

research iu southern Ethiopia.

Unfortunately, few

on a patriarchal ideology with a fundamental basis in

ethnographic papers have been published in Eng­

the kinship system, age system, norms of gender, spa­

lish, although many have been published in Japanese.

tial composition in the villages, and so on.

Furthermore, only a limited number of ethnographic

Chapter 4 ("Enemies' Blood ls Sweet: ldeology

books have been published, even in Japanese (Fukuiof War and Creation of Outside") outlines inter­

1991; Kurimoto 1996; Shinohara 1998).

ethnic relations and questions the meaning of war

Yukio Miyawak.i's ethnographic Ima gitzations infor the Hor people according to the vernacular

the Periphery: State Rule and Resistance of the Hor in

idea that "enemies' blood is sweet". The Hor clas­

Southwestern Ethiopia is a recent product of the social

suy sw-rounding groups into three categories-(1)anthropological work that has focused on southern

enemies whose blood is sweet, (2) impure people

peripheral peoples.

The Hor, formerly called thewho have "hot" blood, and (3) friendly groups withArbore or Erbore, are an agropastoral group living

whom the Hor share a peaceful relationship-but

near Chew Ballir (Lake Stephaoie).

Miyawaki points out that even these classifications

The book consists of three parts and contains 13

have changed over time and that war is the process

chapters, an index, and a helpful glossary of vernacu­

of enacting the symbolic fertility/richness in the Hor

lar terms.

community. 1he analysis of symbolism continues inThe key word here is periphery. The boundary ofChapter 5 ("Blessing and Cursing"), which describes

Ethiopia was determined as a result of military op­

the myth and magical potential of the Hor ritualerations by the northern monarchy in the last half

leader Kawot.

of the 19th century. Through this, the petipheral
peoples, of whom the Hor are one, have been po­Parr ll "History of Events" includes five chapters

sitioned geographically, politically, and economicallythat describe Hor experience of the modern Ethio­as "peripheral".

pian state since the 19th century. 1he chapters areThe introductory chapte1·, "Constructed Periph­

as follows:ery," outlines Miyawaki's theoretical and concep­

Chapter 6 "Ethno-History oflmmigration and Hy­

tual frameworks. In this context, the state of beingbridization: Around Lake Turkana, 180Q-1900"

peripheral refers not just to being situated on theChapter 7 "Between Empires: Conflicts and An­

geographical fringe and being subject to political­

nexation Into Ethiopia"

economic exvloitation; it also refers to the process

Chapter 8 "Collapse of Imperial Rule: Italian Oc­of resistance and the function of imagination in thatcupation and Changes of Rw-alAdministration,colonized space.

1897-1935"
Chapter 9 "Amhara Poison: The Power of Middle­
men andlntcrethnic Conflicts, 1941-1974"
Chapter 10 "Enlightenment and Darkness: Revo­lution and Modernity Among the Hor, 19742002"

Part 1 "Spatial Ideology" contains five chapters thatanalyze Hor social structure and ideology, the lat­ter of which functions ro maintain and stabilize thesocial sttucture. After providing basic informationon Hor ecology and their environment, subsistence
economy, clans, and surrounding groups in Chapter

Although these chapters cover two centuries,

1 "The land of the Hor", Miyawaki describes the in­

Miyawaki does not use a unilinear clu·onology;

digenous classification system in relation to the envi­

rather, be describes history as a s eries of interac­ronment, the system of Hor agropastoralism, and thetions between the Hor and the state. Through thepolitics of resource distribution and administration

historical analysis, Miyawaki attempts to clarify the75