THE TALLENSI 2,55
The Earth is impersonal, but 'alive' (bonvor)—that is, a controlling agency in the lives of men. Incalculable, like all mystical agencies, the source of prosperity, fertility, and health as well as of drastic retribution for sin or sacrilege, witting or unwitting, it is regarded with great awe. As lineage and locality are inextricably intertwined in the social structure, so tey and ancestors (yaanani) are indissolubly associated in Tale religion. The concepts mark two poles of the system, the ancestors being concerned primarily with the good of their descendants, the Earth with the general good. Every lineage worships its ancestors, but the priestly offices connected with the Earth are confined to particular maximal lineages.
VIII. Chiefship and Tmdaanaship
The head of any lineage greater than the minimal is at the apex of a hierarchy of lesser heads. The head of a maximal lineage alone is not subordinate to one of higher degree nor balanced by the head of another segment of equal order. His status in the unit is unique, epitomizing its genealogical and corporate exclusiveness in comparison with all other similar units. He is the fulcrum of its relations with other units. Most heads of maximal lineages hold special offices sanctioned by the religious system and defined by myths of origin or descent. Through them a range of political relations transcending the limits of agnatic grouping is achieved.
In native thought, these offices comprise two major institutions: na'am, chief ship, and tzndaan, the office of Custodian of the Earth. Net am is the prerogative of one set of clans and lineages, predominantly the Namoos; tendaan that of the Talis and their congeners, in accordance with the major cleavage of the social structure. Actually, these two categories overlap. Several clans have both types of offices, held by different maximal lineages, and some offices (e.g. those held by the Hill Talis) have attributes of both. Homologous though they are in many respects, no!am and tzndaan are polar functions indissolubly coupled together though opposed. This is the central factor in Tale political organization. The same configuration is found, with many local variations, throughout Taleland and the neighbouring areas. Its most precise elaboration occurs in the Tongo district. The Master of Tongo (Toyraana) is the most eminent chief (na'ab) in Taleland. He claims nowadays to be the ruler of all the Tallensi; but this is a distortion in