Ethnic Terms

[bi1 at soas.ac.uk]

I can only tell you that in Lakota stories ghost women are invisible
from the legs down or possibly have no legs.  Hence when they
walk their skirts do not rustle.  So be careful if you meet any of
these silent walking women.

Bruce
On 24 Jul 2002, at 10:39, Justin McBride wrote:

>
>
>
> > Regarding Tom Leonard's posting:  white foks were regarded as being
> > ghost-like by members of quite a few cultures, including several who
> learned
> > to their cost that these pale people weren't their ancestors who had
> > returned.  This is true of some Polynesian groups (the usual term for
> white
> > people in Polynesian languages means, or is interpreted as,  'people
> who've
> > come over from the skies').
>
> Dumb question...
>
> Are ghosts in Siouan culture thought of as pale or white?  I assume that the
> color of a ghost--at least in western culture--is supposed to be indicative
> of the loss of color in the features of a corpse.  Obviously the wanaNghe
> isn't the white-sheeted, chain-rattling, image so stylistically indigenous
> to Europe.  But is it even white?
>
> JM
>
>


Dr. Bruce Ingham
Reader in Arabic Linguistic Studies
SOAS