What is a taboo?
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A taboo (often spelled "tabu") usually is a moral or cautionary restriction placed upon certain actions by authorities (kings, priests, shamans, etc.) of a people, which if ignored will result in specific negative consequences.
Examples in world folklore and mythology are numerous, and can include the warnings that were imposed upon the opening of Pandora's Box (in Greek Mythology), and the advice to take precautions about being 'out' at midnight (as in the Cinderella stories). What we know of Celtic lore is rife with good examples of such warnings and consequences, as are plenty of the legends of Native North American tribes, especially as enacted by some of the more popular trickster characters.
The meaning of the word has been diluted by misapplication in recent times. While the concept has been very widespread, the specific term seems to have first come into the light of investigation several hundred years ago by early foreign visitors to Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands.
- Peter Kohler
Further reading:
Taboo
Encyclopedia Britannica entry
