ABSTRACT
What is a shrine? A number of characteristics seem to be relevant at the same time. First, a shrine is an observable object or part of the natural world, clearly localized and usually immobile. It is a material focus of religious activities, and perceived and respected as such by the participants. The observable features of a shrine are defined within the participants’ local religious system, which entails a limited selection of material objects (man-made or not) that possibly qualify for a shrine. The material variety of shrines in the Zambian context will be discussed below. In the case of non-man-made natural shrines, particular specimens from a class of natural objects such as trees or hills are selected to become shrines in a certain community. While there is also a wide variety in man-made shrines, the most typical form here is a miniature hut-like construction. Man-made shrines in Zambia are seldom permanent; often they are short-lived, constructed for the specific occasion of placating a particular invisible entity after the latter has demonstrated his wrath.7
