Forbidden Ground

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Today I'm thinking about the word taboo. In Hebrew, the same word has two meanings: the first is a legal property term, derived from the Turkish word tapu, meaning proof of ownership of a property (a land or part of it). A registration in the taboo, in Hebrew, means the land is legally yours. The second meaning of the word comes from Polynesian and means sacred or forbidden. I was sure these two meanings came from the same word, but their origins differ.

Then again, there's something about the control over access that feels similar. We have an almost animalistic urge to mark our territory, and what started as "we bury the dead outside the village to prevent disease from spreading" became "burial ground is forbidden". Marking territory for individual or group use became marking territory that no one is allowed to use. Except for the high priests and for very specific purposes.