„VORES ØL“ Ajon og sociale relationer i Teso, Østuganda

Resumé

Peter Henriques: Our Beer: Ajon and

Social Relations among the Iteso, East

Uganda

When it comes to a description of Iteso

community life and commensality, the first

thing which comes to mind, both to the Iteso

themselves and to outside observers, is the

local beer, ajon. I claim here that the

consumption of ajon is a way of practicing

“the good life”, an ordered life where

oppositions in the system of social and

cultural reproduction are temporarily muted.

Ajon drinking is presented here as mediating

the ambivalence of good and evil found in all

central social relations among Iteso. But if

the consumption ideally is supposed to be

only merry sociability, this sociability is

under constant threat because of fear of

people who might want to harm others. Ajon

consumption can be dangerous, since the

beer party is also a place where people, under

cover of friendliness, may try to poison you

or practice witchcraft.