Tribal chief
Perceived or real - - leading member of a society called without strong state system ( a tribe, a tribal society or a Häuptlingstumes ) with a chief is. In the wake of colonialism, Europeans had introduced this unifying name for undifferentiated as a collective term for a variety of social functions. This was done to adapt the social structure of the unknown familiar strangers ( military leaders, princes, kings, etc ) especially; but also to attract certain people to collective responsibility to. Although status, authority and powers of a " chief " depending on ethnicity were completely different and the term is still used.
As a counterpart to the English chief ( "Boss ") in the translation of the works of the American writer James Fenimore Cooper, the term chief widespread in the first half of the 19th century in the German-speaking world, with the general meaning of " head of a (semi) wild tribe " (French chef de tribu " tribal chief "). Cooper's historical novels described to a large extent the culture of some North American Indians and Indians dominated the German image.
About the English social anthropology and ethnology later policy was also expressed in Europe a key term used to describe the European early history. The term is still used in ethnology, despite its history and lack of alternatives in some cases.
In German history is " chief " is the name of the leader of East Frisian ethnic groups from the 14th to the 17th century in north-western Germany (see East Frisian chieftains ).
Origins of the name
The German word chief, formed from the word head, and the suffix- ling has, correspondence (word equations) in several other Germanic languages and is first attested in Old Frisian, where hâvding or hâvdling a member of the Frisian nobility called. Hâvding ( hauding ) designated initially a leading person in a process or a leader in a feud or military organization, then a leading member of the nobility. In the Middle Low German there is the word with the appropriate meaning hovetling. From 1358 the word is assigned as a title Frisian rulers and lords. The Dutch word hoofdeling has today this meaning, and in his High German chieftain, it is stated only in this sense, by Johann Christoph Adelung in his Grammatically - critical dictionary of the High German dialect (2nd edition 1796). However, the authors of Grimm's German dictionary ( Volume 10 by dtv, original band 4.2, 1877) already indicate an extended use, such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Ludwig Uhland: ( Tarfe, saracenischer chief :) " The Saracens, inhabiting Luceras castle am, I set to the chief. "
In Johann Peter Eckermann's Conversations with Goethe in the last years of his life in 1829 we hear say the 79 -year-old Goethe: "To bring a nation out his heroes, demigods are equal to protection and healing at the top; and so the poetic powers of the French united in Voltaire. Such chiefs of the people are great in the generation in which they act; some well.They last out later, most are replaced by others and forgotten by the aftermath. "
Chief gentlemen in Friesland (14th - 17th century)
As more personal- stately interspersed in the 14th century against territorial- cooperative forces, the group of wealthy and powerful ( divites et potent ) became independent. It originated veritable chief lords between Jade and Ems, whose leaders ostentatiously deposed by small standing forces and often stone houses. During the 15th century, the chiefs were at a clear-cut stand in this meaning chief was needed in High German up to 1800. Despite the social changes, the word held with a less than grand legal significance, and it was used in a general sense for leaders.
Transfer to ( perceived) leaders of non-European peoples
In the early phase of colonialism, the concept chief was transferred to overseas heads in non- state-organized societies. At most similar fuzzy terms like prince were occasionally applied to it. In contract negotiations occurred through the concept of chieftainship, which used the colonizers, often problems. There namely where no chieftain similar institution, and no state rule violence was encountered, this position was quickly created by somehow chose a prominent person, or just someone who thought capable a certain internal assertiveness. It basically were not groups but individuals and men always preferred, where a council of elders, or a group of women was the most influential instance. Were evident in the eyes of strangers hierarchies, so they called the apparently less influential " sub- chiefs " (sub - chiefs ). This sub- chiefs led in their eyes a " sub-tribe ", which in turn, as the main stem, a territory possessed.
For the colonial politician evidently it was inconceivable that there were groups that had neither a command Wealthy head, still claimed a territory with defined boundaries, or whose leadership consisted of a group, or from women. A fortiori corresponded to temporary associations of house groups or families who came together seasonal and completion of certain tasks, not the narrow notion of leadership by a chief (see the North American coastal Salish ). This depends in many cases together with an evolutionary worldview. So it was long common in the western ethnology to speak of primitive peoples and tribes, if in no state companies being exists, and denote their ( perceived) leaders as chiefs. So it was not conceivable for instance in North America that there were ethnic groups without the triad of "trunk", " territory" and " chief ".
The translation process of the names of leading people in ethnic groups is complicated by the transition from the main colonial languages English and French into German. In North America, " chiefs " were designated as chiefs or chiefs - names which again have different connotations, but received as legal terms in contracts and laws. Was the only established name, he was no more testing, since there seemed to be no other suitable word, translated into German, as a " chief ".
The rule form of " chiefs " were often perceived undifferentiated from the eurozentristischem angle. High Authority, pure speaker functions, or the principle of operation ( eg Warchief is different from the peace chief ) were leveled with this perspective. With the fixation on " chiefs " also created one to an ethnological sequence problem, since one empirically tribes without rulers auffand (German ethnic groups without a leader ). Thus the stage was mainly the British colonial administration difficulties, as she was set to the " Indirect Rule ": this but it would have the direct been necessary rulers ( chiefs ), so that one part of the foreign them legal form of " chiefs " forced upon these folks.
To establish the designation in the European countries of origin of colonialism in particular contributed to the wide dissemination of the books of James Fenimore Cooper and Karl May. During his lifetime, the authors, the mediated representation seemed very realistic and true to life. In particular, by Karl May, we know that his depictions came only from him then available literature sources, which included the Leatherstocking novels Coopers especially. A similar meaning finally came to the film, initially billed as " Western ", and later the film adaptations of the Karl May novels.
Problem of the term " chief "
The German Africa researcher Susan Arndt introduced in 2004 that:
" The term is composed from the root word " main " and the suffix " -ling "that a minifying (test, apprentice ), but usually has a pejorative connotation ( coward, libertine, etc.) has. Also " chief " is a pejorative term. Among other things, he suggests " primitive ," which can also develop from common visual associations with the word. Since the word is also associated only with men who exercise power of women in the context of African societies remain hidden. "
The self- designations of the colonized would also dismissed linguistically. With this designation could be therefore be determined from the position of the Conqueror, who invaded under monarchs or presidents, stand out from less important rulers in colonized societies.
Chief in anthropology
In anthropology, the term " chief " (which is rarely used ), the leader of rank societies ( by Morton Fried - or of tribal societies and chiefdoms by other authors However, they are described quite differently. .
The tribal chief is equipped by special abilities or merits for a certain time with authority. This form of the head is now referred to as "Big Man." That is, the communities accept only temporary charismatic leader in certain situations ( eg, " Warchief ", " hunting chief ," etc.). Powers are thus in a usually not connected, but only prestige and status. was not until the colonial powers demanded action represented on the European model, which is then simply as chief (English Chief ) were designated.
The chiefs of the form of society which is called a " chiefdom ", inherit their office chiefs probably added from the highest-ranking social class and have certain privileges to the resources your power is restricted: .. They do not have a monopoly on violence, nor henchman.
Figurative Use
Today in the media commenting on current political conflicts in the use of the term chief to reduce an opponent 's quite common. Very present he is in satire, cabaret and advertising.