Summary Of The Place Of Haunted Ironwood Trees

The Place of Stunted Ironwood Trees by Dr. David Crandall introduces the world of the Himba living in the country of Namibia. These people have interesting and unique beliefs that are based on an imaginary world or way of thinking. This imaginary world has a foundation in their belief in the god Mukuru and their belief that other supernatural forces play a part in their daily lives. These beliefs contribute to how Himba perceive life, judge moral character, and react to the world around them. The collective imaginary world of the Himba touches various aspects of their society, such as morality, the interpretation of unusual events, and religion and while it is accepted in their society as a whole, can be interpreted differently by individuals within the society. This kind of individual interpretation of common ideologies is also present in the culture at BYU, and can extend to include all societies.
While the Himba recognize the heart is responsible for pumping blood, they also believe it has the capability to help “decide whether something is right or wrong” (Crandall 100). But the heart does not do this alone, the brain will send the thoughts it has to the brain and the heart will discern whether or not to act upon the thoughts depending on whether the heart is good or bad. (101). These kinds of mystical powers of the heart contribute to the imaginary world of the Himba. They do not say a person is bad or good but say the person has a “good heart” or “bad heart”. This kind of judgment could have arisen from the Himba’s necessity to believe a person can be integrated back into society after a crime, so they choose to believe the person is not bad, but that their heart which is easier to manipulate and change, is