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Taboo
Encyclopedia Article
Taboo, prohibition against an item, person, or type of behavior. In religious taboos, the forbidden item is believed to be unclean or sacred, and the taboo is imposed for protection against the item's power. Prohibitions against incest and marriage within certain groups are examples of behavioral taboos. Some taboos are not wholly a matter of religion, but are rather more concerned with social relationships; an example is the observance of caste.
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