From feathers to figurines: past symbolism and present significance

Despite the many threats that birds in Africa face today, the connection between people and birds remains strong, as it has been for centuries. This paper examines how birds continue to hold deep social and spiritual meaning for communities through totemism, folklore and cosmology. It was written by a DSI-HSRC intern during her training at the HSRC as part of her master’s dissertation at the University of Pretoria.