Toltec Dreaming
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Recent papers in Toltec Dreaming
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Preface Throughout all of Europe we find examples of folk-belief assigning special qualities to the seventh-born son or daughter of a family. At times these attributes were positive, at times negative. However, they always had a magical... more
Preface
Throughout all of Europe we find examples of folk-belief assigning special qualities to the seventh-born son or daughter of a family. At times these attributes were positive, at times negative. However, they always had a magical aura about them (Bloch [1924] 1983). For the most part, these beliefs have been written off as superstitious residue from times past and as a result little attention has been paid to documenting the concrete social practices associated with them. An exception to this tendency is the work of Marc Bloch, who in 1924, called attention to the supernatural powers attributed to the seventh son and at times, to the seventh daughter, born after an uninterrupted series of the same sex, remarking that seventh-born children were credited with a “particular supernatural power” (Bloch [1924] 1983: 293, 296). Writing in 1924, Bloch observed that “La croyance sous cette forme a été et est sans doute encore très largement répandue dans l’Europe occidentale et centrale: on l’a signalée en Allemagne, en Biscaye, en Catalogne, dans presque toute la France, dans les Pays-Bas, en Angleterre, en Escosse, en Irlande […]” (Bloch [1924] 1983: 294-295).
Specifically, Bloch noted that from at least the 16th century onwards, children born into a seventh position in their family supposedly had the power to heal by touch. Such extraordinary people, often deemed sorcerers, even devils, were also referred to by a variety of expressions such as mahr (German) or murawa (Polish) and consequently they had the ambivalent privilege of tapping into powers that were inaccessible to normal humans. Specifically, they were viewed as having healing and divinatory powers, which could entail shape-shifting (Vaz da Silva 2003). That is, those individuals were endowed with the ability to take the form of an animal. From the point of view of modern Western thought this belief causes the dividing line between humans and animals to become blurred. Nonetheless, that blurring or fusion of two natures would be in accordance with the cosmology of native peoples in other parts of the world, especially contemporary hunter-gatherers, where such animistic beliefs also prevail (Bird-David 1999; Brightman 2002; Ingold 2000; Willerslev 2007).
It is quite clear that the qualities assigned to the seventh-son or daughter harken back to an earlier animistic mindset, notions of nonhuman personhood and social practices that in turn connect back to shamanic modes of healing. At the same time, as noted in the earlier chapters of this study, the fused nature of the Bear Son, the half-human, half-bear being known as Hamalau “Fourteen” in Basque, reflects a similar blurring of the Western human-animal divide and related cultural conceptualizations.
And as Bertolotti has demonstrated in his detailed and extraordinarily well researched study Carnevale di Massa 1950 (1992), European versions of the Bear Son folktales, e.g., Giovanni l’Orso, may well reproduce much earlier beliefs, more in consonance with the cosmovision of hunter-gatherers who inhabited these zones in times past. More concretely, the fact that the figure of Hamalau is grounded in the belief that humans descended from bears allows us to consider the significance and symbolism of this character’s own genesis: he is born of a human female, but his father is a bear. In this sense, he is a double-natured intermediary occupying the ontological ground between humans and bears.
Throughout all of Europe we find examples of folk-belief assigning special qualities to the seventh-born son or daughter of a family. At times these attributes were positive, at times negative. However, they always had a magical aura about them (Bloch [1924] 1983). For the most part, these beliefs have been written off as superstitious residue from times past and as a result little attention has been paid to documenting the concrete social practices associated with them. An exception to this tendency is the work of Marc Bloch, who in 1924, called attention to the supernatural powers attributed to the seventh son and at times, to the seventh daughter, born after an uninterrupted series of the same sex, remarking that seventh-born children were credited with a “particular supernatural power” (Bloch [1924] 1983: 293, 296). Writing in 1924, Bloch observed that “La croyance sous cette forme a été et est sans doute encore très largement répandue dans l’Europe occidentale et centrale: on l’a signalée en Allemagne, en Biscaye, en Catalogne, dans presque toute la France, dans les Pays-Bas, en Angleterre, en Escosse, en Irlande […]” (Bloch [1924] 1983: 294-295).
Specifically, Bloch noted that from at least the 16th century onwards, children born into a seventh position in their family supposedly had the power to heal by touch. Such extraordinary people, often deemed sorcerers, even devils, were also referred to by a variety of expressions such as mahr (German) or murawa (Polish) and consequently they had the ambivalent privilege of tapping into powers that were inaccessible to normal humans. Specifically, they were viewed as having healing and divinatory powers, which could entail shape-shifting (Vaz da Silva 2003). That is, those individuals were endowed with the ability to take the form of an animal. From the point of view of modern Western thought this belief causes the dividing line between humans and animals to become blurred. Nonetheless, that blurring or fusion of two natures would be in accordance with the cosmology of native peoples in other parts of the world, especially contemporary hunter-gatherers, where such animistic beliefs also prevail (Bird-David 1999; Brightman 2002; Ingold 2000; Willerslev 2007).
It is quite clear that the qualities assigned to the seventh-son or daughter harken back to an earlier animistic mindset, notions of nonhuman personhood and social practices that in turn connect back to shamanic modes of healing. At the same time, as noted in the earlier chapters of this study, the fused nature of the Bear Son, the half-human, half-bear being known as Hamalau “Fourteen” in Basque, reflects a similar blurring of the Western human-animal divide and related cultural conceptualizations.
And as Bertolotti has demonstrated in his detailed and extraordinarily well researched study Carnevale di Massa 1950 (1992), European versions of the Bear Son folktales, e.g., Giovanni l’Orso, may well reproduce much earlier beliefs, more in consonance with the cosmovision of hunter-gatherers who inhabited these zones in times past. More concretely, the fact that the figure of Hamalau is grounded in the belief that humans descended from bears allows us to consider the significance and symbolism of this character’s own genesis: he is born of a human female, but his father is a bear. In this sense, he is a double-natured intermediary occupying the ontological ground between humans and bears.
This paper explores Dreaming in the Bible, cataloging, and commenting on, the most relevant Bible verses from the Old and the New Testaments. This study is based solely on the Greek texts of the Old and the New Testaments, as these are... more
This paper explores Dreaming in the Bible, cataloging, and commenting on, the most relevant Bible verses from the Old and the New Testaments.
This study is based solely on the Greek texts of the Old and the New Testaments, as these are the primary texts that the Apostles used, or wrote.
The Biblical texts I used were the Greek Septuagint Old Testament (LXX, the text approved by the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Greek Orthodox Church, 1926/1977) and the Greek New Testament (Patriarchate of Constantinople, 1904 text and Nestle 26th ed.)
A dream in the Bible is known and described by a variety of terms, the most common in the Old Testament being: Enypnion - ἐνύπνιον - meaning "in-sleep" ('during the sleep') - other words for dreams and dreaming are used as well. In the New Testament the most common word is: onar (ὄναρ, dream,) Other terms used are descriptive: "vision of the night" etc.
According to the 2nd century AD writer, Artemidorus “Oneirokritikon” (“on assessing dreams”) an Enypnion is expressing current affairs and feelings of the subject. It’s about the person as an individual while an Oneiron has a different scope - it’s about the person as an interconnected pray and member of the wider world. So an oneiron according to its etymologies it can reveal events in non linear time - past, present, future - or it can stir the psyche - the inner person to action or even have transformative effects on the psyche/ the person.
I will explore these too.
The Biblical text I used were the Greek Septuagint Old Testament (the text approved by and the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Greek Orthodox Church) Greek New Testament (Patriarchate of Constantinople, 1904 text and Nestle 26th ed.)
On Dreams short FAQ
- Does the Bible mentions Dreams and Dreaming?
Yes, in quite a few places, both OT & NT
- Does the Bible presents Dreams under a good light or a bad light?
Mostly under good light, few times neutrally, some times warns and condemns certain deliberate dreaming practices or fraudulent dreaming and fraudulent dream interpretation.
- Does God speak to humans through Dreams?
Yes, Job 33:15 explicitly states that to be true, and for all humans not only believers
- Where do Dreams come from (according the Bible?)
1. From God or from God via His messengers (Angels)
2. From the human mind, the humans themselves - day-to-day-life events and mental images, impressions, worries, obsessions, cravings, needs etc - These are seen as subject to deception or at best insignificant - nightmares could belong here sometimes.
3. From ambiguous sources, the self and/or unidentified "spirits" - nightmares can also originate from these.
5. From questionable or deceptive sources - caution is advised here for possible deception (con men/tricks) and/or "unclean spirits" influence
Related Bible verses - A breakdown:
1. From God (sometimes through angels)
Job 33:15 (chapter 33 and specifically Job 33:14-33 is relevant)
Matthew 1.20, 2.12-13,19,22,
Matthew 27.19 could belong here* (see also Job 7:14) - nightmares and upsetting dreams of Godly origin.
Acts 2.17 - Joel 3.1 (Acts 2.17) dreams through the Holy Spirit
Genesis 28.12, 37:5-6,9, 15:12 contains dreaming elements
Gen 40:5 could be from God* - God warning secular people
Gen 41:1-25 from God - God warning secular people
Gen 41:25-26,32 the same dreams twice signify certainty of God's intention
Gen 46:2 direct communication from God
Judges 7:13 God warning godless enemies through dreams
Job 7:14 Godly nightmares (Matthew 27:19 too)
Esther (LXX) chapters 0 and 10
Sirach 13:14 (possible allusion to dreaming)
Dan 2:1-7 the same dreams twice signify certainty of God's intention
Dan 1:17 secular recognition of dreaming from God
Daniel Vel and Dragon 1:17 contrasting God given wisdom and godly learning to godly visions and dreaming
Dan. ch.2 God warning secular people
Dan ch.4, ch.7 (v.2-15) repeatable prophetic dreams
Dan 8:2-16 repeatable prophetic dreams
Ezekiel 3:24&4:4 possibly suggest dreaming
Jer 38:25-26 pleasant dreams of godly origin or involving God *
Joel 3:1 (Acts 2) dreams through the Holy Spirit
2. From the humans themselves - worries, obsessions etc - subject to deception etc
*Matthew 27.19 could partly belong here* (see also Job 7:14)
Job 20.8 could belong here
Isaiah 29:7-8 dreaming what we lack/need - "the thirsty dream of water"
Eccl. 5:2-6 dreams out of daily images, fears, worries
Sirach 31:19-21 disturbed sleep from overeating
Sirach 34:1-6 vain, false dreams mislead the careless, eluding dreams, dreams-as-mirror (v.4) vanity in dream interpretation and deceptive dreams (v.5-6)
Sirach 40:5-6 dreams distorting reality, source of imaginary fears
Jer 38:25-26 * pleasant dreams of contentment
3. From ambiguous sources, self and/or unidentified "spirits" - nightmares can also originate from these
Gen 40:5 * could be from God
Gen 41:1 * could be from God
Job 4.13-19,
Eccl 5:6 (7) Too many dream are vain, fearing God is important
Deut 13:5 dreams as a test from God - testing vigilance against false prophets
4. From questionable sources - caution is advised - humans deception (frauds, con-people/tricks) and/or demonic/devil influence
Jude 1.8 condemning unclean dreaming
Deut 13:2-6 against false/deceptive dreaming
Sirach 34:6 vanity in dream interpretation and deceptive dreams (v.5-6)
Mich 3.7 condemning "professional" "dreamers"
Is. 56:10 vain dreaming
Isaiah 65:3-4 against demonic induced dreams and against false dreaming (pagan incubation/vision quests)
Zach 10.2 condemning deceptive dreams alluding demonic origin
Jer 36:8-9 condemning vain dreaming (v.9) deceptive dreams alluding d origin (v.8)
Jer 23:16,15,28-32 condemning deceptive dreams alluding d origin
Jer 34:9 warning against false deceptive dreaming using substances / magical means
Jer. 36:8 unjust/vain dreams NOT to listen to!
5. on expressing dreams & discernment
Gen 37:8,10,19 suggesting caution in telling dreams from God, they might be from God but they might anger others if untimely told - unwise.
Genesis 40:8 The interpretation should be from God
Genesis 40:9,16 & Jer 23:28-29 suggesting people say their dreams for discernment
Genesis 41:8 dreams from God cannot be interpreted by human means
Gen 41:32 the same dreams twice signify certainty of God's intention/plan
Gen 42:9 memory of dreams verified by events
Judges 7:13-15 telling each other dreams
Job 20:8 dreams are fleeting
Eccl 5:6 (7) Too many dreams are vain, fearing God is important
Jer 23:30 condemning plagiarizing other people's dreams
We note from the above preliminary examination that in both cases, of the Old and the New testament, the earliest texts present dreams under an almost exclusively positive light (Genesis and Matthew) somewhere in the middle dreaming is stated as from God (Job and Acts) then dreams and then towards the end the Old Testament stance becomes progressively mixed and/or critical (Wisdom and Prophets' books) while in the New Testament a warning also appears towards its end (Jude's epistle.)
Notes and Links:
Early Christian texts illustrating active dreaming life as part of the early Christians' devotion and spiritual life. But while this was apparently widespread very few records written by ordinary people survive. What "ordinary people" really thought and practiced about dreams is always difficult to assess - not least because most surviving voices are usually through the writings of Church people, clergy or distinguished citizens (apologists, philosophers etc).
The only very early texts that give us a chance to eavesdrop on everyday faithful men and women "thinking aloud" are:
- The Poemen of Hermas (The Shepherd of Hermas) (c. 90 AD) once included in the early New testament compilations and considered a New Testament text https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shepherd_of_Hermas
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/shepherd.html
- The Acts (Diary) of Vivia Perpetua (c.203 AD) known today as "Passion of Saint Perpetua, Saint Felicitas, and their Companions"
Vivia Perpetua is known today as Saint Perpetua. She was a catechumen (not yet baptized!) that martyred in 203 AD with others and her best friend and servant Felicitas (St. Felicity today) they were both single-mothers when they martyred. The diary St Perpetua was keeping towards her martyrdom is an archetype of Anne Frank's Diary.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passion_of_Saint_Perpetua,_Saint_Felicitas,_and_their_Companions
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/117.html
https://earlychurchtexts.com/main/perpetua/passio_of_perpetua_01.shtml
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/actsperpetua.html
https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/enypnion
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g1798
Glossary (still in progress)
on Dreams and Dreaming
Onar - Onia - Onerus
Dream - Drom - Dro - Drasis - Drama
- Enypnion - hypnos -
This study is based solely on the Greek texts of the Old and the New Testaments, as these are the primary texts that the Apostles used, or wrote.
The Biblical texts I used were the Greek Septuagint Old Testament (LXX, the text approved by the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Greek Orthodox Church, 1926/1977) and the Greek New Testament (Patriarchate of Constantinople, 1904 text and Nestle 26th ed.)
A dream in the Bible is known and described by a variety of terms, the most common in the Old Testament being: Enypnion - ἐνύπνιον - meaning "in-sleep" ('during the sleep') - other words for dreams and dreaming are used as well. In the New Testament the most common word is: onar (ὄναρ, dream,) Other terms used are descriptive: "vision of the night" etc.
According to the 2nd century AD writer, Artemidorus “Oneirokritikon” (“on assessing dreams”) an Enypnion is expressing current affairs and feelings of the subject. It’s about the person as an individual while an Oneiron has a different scope - it’s about the person as an interconnected pray and member of the wider world. So an oneiron according to its etymologies it can reveal events in non linear time - past, present, future - or it can stir the psyche - the inner person to action or even have transformative effects on the psyche/ the person.
I will explore these too.
The Biblical text I used were the Greek Septuagint Old Testament (the text approved by and the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Greek Orthodox Church) Greek New Testament (Patriarchate of Constantinople, 1904 text and Nestle 26th ed.)
On Dreams short FAQ
- Does the Bible mentions Dreams and Dreaming?
Yes, in quite a few places, both OT & NT
- Does the Bible presents Dreams under a good light or a bad light?
Mostly under good light, few times neutrally, some times warns and condemns certain deliberate dreaming practices or fraudulent dreaming and fraudulent dream interpretation.
- Does God speak to humans through Dreams?
Yes, Job 33:15 explicitly states that to be true, and for all humans not only believers
- Where do Dreams come from (according the Bible?)
1. From God or from God via His messengers (Angels)
2. From the human mind, the humans themselves - day-to-day-life events and mental images, impressions, worries, obsessions, cravings, needs etc - These are seen as subject to deception or at best insignificant - nightmares could belong here sometimes.
3. From ambiguous sources, the self and/or unidentified "spirits" - nightmares can also originate from these.
5. From questionable or deceptive sources - caution is advised here for possible deception (con men/tricks) and/or "unclean spirits" influence
Related Bible verses - A breakdown:
1. From God (sometimes through angels)
Job 33:15 (chapter 33 and specifically Job 33:14-33 is relevant)
Matthew 1.20, 2.12-13,19,22,
Matthew 27.19 could belong here* (see also Job 7:14) - nightmares and upsetting dreams of Godly origin.
Acts 2.17 - Joel 3.1 (Acts 2.17) dreams through the Holy Spirit
Genesis 28.12, 37:5-6,9, 15:12 contains dreaming elements
Gen 40:5 could be from God* - God warning secular people
Gen 41:1-25 from God - God warning secular people
Gen 41:25-26,32 the same dreams twice signify certainty of God's intention
Gen 46:2 direct communication from God
Judges 7:13 God warning godless enemies through dreams
Job 7:14 Godly nightmares (Matthew 27:19 too)
Esther (LXX) chapters 0 and 10
Sirach 13:14 (possible allusion to dreaming)
Dan 2:1-7 the same dreams twice signify certainty of God's intention
Dan 1:17 secular recognition of dreaming from God
Daniel Vel and Dragon 1:17 contrasting God given wisdom and godly learning to godly visions and dreaming
Dan. ch.2 God warning secular people
Dan ch.4, ch.7 (v.2-15) repeatable prophetic dreams
Dan 8:2-16 repeatable prophetic dreams
Ezekiel 3:24&4:4 possibly suggest dreaming
Jer 38:25-26 pleasant dreams of godly origin or involving God *
Joel 3:1 (Acts 2) dreams through the Holy Spirit
2. From the humans themselves - worries, obsessions etc - subject to deception etc
*Matthew 27.19 could partly belong here* (see also Job 7:14)
Job 20.8 could belong here
Isaiah 29:7-8 dreaming what we lack/need - "the thirsty dream of water"
Eccl. 5:2-6 dreams out of daily images, fears, worries
Sirach 31:19-21 disturbed sleep from overeating
Sirach 34:1-6 vain, false dreams mislead the careless, eluding dreams, dreams-as-mirror (v.4) vanity in dream interpretation and deceptive dreams (v.5-6)
Sirach 40:5-6 dreams distorting reality, source of imaginary fears
Jer 38:25-26 * pleasant dreams of contentment
3. From ambiguous sources, self and/or unidentified "spirits" - nightmares can also originate from these
Gen 40:5 * could be from God
Gen 41:1 * could be from God
Job 4.13-19,
Eccl 5:6 (7) Too many dream are vain, fearing God is important
Deut 13:5 dreams as a test from God - testing vigilance against false prophets
4. From questionable sources - caution is advised - humans deception (frauds, con-people/tricks) and/or demonic/devil influence
Jude 1.8 condemning unclean dreaming
Deut 13:2-6 against false/deceptive dreaming
Sirach 34:6 vanity in dream interpretation and deceptive dreams (v.5-6)
Mich 3.7 condemning "professional" "dreamers"
Is. 56:10 vain dreaming
Isaiah 65:3-4 against demonic induced dreams and against false dreaming (pagan incubation/vision quests)
Zach 10.2 condemning deceptive dreams alluding demonic origin
Jer 36:8-9 condemning vain dreaming (v.9) deceptive dreams alluding d origin (v.8)
Jer 23:16,15,28-32 condemning deceptive dreams alluding d origin
Jer 34:9 warning against false deceptive dreaming using substances / magical means
Jer. 36:8 unjust/vain dreams NOT to listen to!
5. on expressing dreams & discernment
Gen 37:8,10,19 suggesting caution in telling dreams from God, they might be from God but they might anger others if untimely told - unwise.
Genesis 40:8 The interpretation should be from God
Genesis 40:9,16 & Jer 23:28-29 suggesting people say their dreams for discernment
Genesis 41:8 dreams from God cannot be interpreted by human means
Gen 41:32 the same dreams twice signify certainty of God's intention/plan
Gen 42:9 memory of dreams verified by events
Judges 7:13-15 telling each other dreams
Job 20:8 dreams are fleeting
Eccl 5:6 (7) Too many dreams are vain, fearing God is important
Jer 23:30 condemning plagiarizing other people's dreams
We note from the above preliminary examination that in both cases, of the Old and the New testament, the earliest texts present dreams under an almost exclusively positive light (Genesis and Matthew) somewhere in the middle dreaming is stated as from God (Job and Acts) then dreams and then towards the end the Old Testament stance becomes progressively mixed and/or critical (Wisdom and Prophets' books) while in the New Testament a warning also appears towards its end (Jude's epistle.)
Notes and Links:
Early Christian texts illustrating active dreaming life as part of the early Christians' devotion and spiritual life. But while this was apparently widespread very few records written by ordinary people survive. What "ordinary people" really thought and practiced about dreams is always difficult to assess - not least because most surviving voices are usually through the writings of Church people, clergy or distinguished citizens (apologists, philosophers etc).
The only very early texts that give us a chance to eavesdrop on everyday faithful men and women "thinking aloud" are:
- The Poemen of Hermas (The Shepherd of Hermas) (c. 90 AD) once included in the early New testament compilations and considered a New Testament text https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shepherd_of_Hermas
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/shepherd.html
- The Acts (Diary) of Vivia Perpetua (c.203 AD) known today as "Passion of Saint Perpetua, Saint Felicitas, and their Companions"
Vivia Perpetua is known today as Saint Perpetua. She was a catechumen (not yet baptized!) that martyred in 203 AD with others and her best friend and servant Felicitas (St. Felicity today) they were both single-mothers when they martyred. The diary St Perpetua was keeping towards her martyrdom is an archetype of Anne Frank's Diary.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passion_of_Saint_Perpetua,_Saint_Felicitas,_and_their_Companions
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/117.html
https://earlychurchtexts.com/main/perpetua/passio_of_perpetua_01.shtml
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/actsperpetua.html
https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/enypnion
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g1798
Glossary (still in progress)
on Dreams and Dreaming
Onar - Onia - Onerus
Dream - Drom - Dro - Drasis - Drama
- Enypnion - hypnos -
Full citation: Frank, Roslyn M. and Marianna Ridderstad (2013) Conflicts over masks, museums and tourism: Comparing European and Native American Traditions and Solutions. Presentation at the 34h Annual American Indian Workshop: Art of... more
Full citation: Frank, Roslyn M. and Marianna Ridderstad (2013) Conflicts over masks, museums and tourism: Comparing European and Native American Traditions and Solutions. Presentation at the 34h Annual American Indian Workshop: Art of Indians – Indians of Art, May 14-17, 2013, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Abstract
Roslyn M. Frank
Marianna Ridderstad
Conflicts over masks, museums and tourism: Comparing European and Native American Traditions and Solutions
The presentation begins by comparing certain contemporary conflicts and debates that have arisen in both Europe and N. America concerning the way that traditional masks worn by performers are carved and cared for, or, better stated, should be carved and cared for. The discussion will examine the impact of tourism and subsequent commercialization of the artifacts on the performances themselves and the way these pressures have impacted the production and sale of the masks, giving special attention to the ongoing debates over whether these masks should be commercialized at all and/or kept in a museum. The two study groups consist primarily, although not exclusively, of the masks and performances associated with the False Face Society of the Iroquois, on the one hand, and a kind of Alpine equivalent, the Tschäggättä performers of Switzerland, or stated more explicitly, the masked performers from the Löchtental of the Canton Valais in the Rhône Valley whose ritual activities are understood to bring good luck and health to those visited. Interviews with traditional carvers and performers will be discussed.
In the second part of the presentation other contemporary masking traditions in Europe and N. America will be examined, specifically, the masks and costumes of ‘bear performers’, including variants such as the Finnish Nuutti/Kekripukki. The accoutrements of these European 'bear maskers' will be compared to those found in N. America. At the same time, the comparative approach will serve to bring into focus the archaic pan-European belief that humans descended from bears since in many locations in Europe we still find a wide variety of bear-human performers, actors who dress as bears or bear-men and whose function is prophylactic, to confer good luck and health on those visited, masking traditions that have striking parallels among N. American indigenous peoples.
Roslyn M. Frank, Professor Emeritus at the University of Iowa, has done extensive fieldwork in the Basque Country, studying the language and beliefs of the Basque people, including the folk belief that holds Basques descended from bears. This led to subsequent investigations into circumpolar bear ceremonialism and to documenting residual evidence of the same in European traditional performance art. Her publications are in the area of Basque studies, cultural cognitive linguistics, and anthropology. For further information, cf. http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank.
Marianna Ridderstad has a Lic.Phil. in astrophysics and M.Sc. in theoretical physics, and is currently preparing her Ph.D. at the University of Finland on the archaeoastronomy of Neolithic stone monuments in Finland. Her research explores the archaeoastronomy of Finnish monuments from the Bronze Age to the Early Middle Ages, as well as ancient Finnish and Finno-Ugric folklore and traditions related to astronomical subjects, including the calendrical and ritual significance of the Bear. For further information, cf. http://helsinki.academia.edu/MariannaRidderstad.
Abstract
Roslyn M. Frank
Marianna Ridderstad
Conflicts over masks, museums and tourism: Comparing European and Native American Traditions and Solutions
The presentation begins by comparing certain contemporary conflicts and debates that have arisen in both Europe and N. America concerning the way that traditional masks worn by performers are carved and cared for, or, better stated, should be carved and cared for. The discussion will examine the impact of tourism and subsequent commercialization of the artifacts on the performances themselves and the way these pressures have impacted the production and sale of the masks, giving special attention to the ongoing debates over whether these masks should be commercialized at all and/or kept in a museum. The two study groups consist primarily, although not exclusively, of the masks and performances associated with the False Face Society of the Iroquois, on the one hand, and a kind of Alpine equivalent, the Tschäggättä performers of Switzerland, or stated more explicitly, the masked performers from the Löchtental of the Canton Valais in the Rhône Valley whose ritual activities are understood to bring good luck and health to those visited. Interviews with traditional carvers and performers will be discussed.
In the second part of the presentation other contemporary masking traditions in Europe and N. America will be examined, specifically, the masks and costumes of ‘bear performers’, including variants such as the Finnish Nuutti/Kekripukki. The accoutrements of these European 'bear maskers' will be compared to those found in N. America. At the same time, the comparative approach will serve to bring into focus the archaic pan-European belief that humans descended from bears since in many locations in Europe we still find a wide variety of bear-human performers, actors who dress as bears or bear-men and whose function is prophylactic, to confer good luck and health on those visited, masking traditions that have striking parallels among N. American indigenous peoples.
Roslyn M. Frank, Professor Emeritus at the University of Iowa, has done extensive fieldwork in the Basque Country, studying the language and beliefs of the Basque people, including the folk belief that holds Basques descended from bears. This led to subsequent investigations into circumpolar bear ceremonialism and to documenting residual evidence of the same in European traditional performance art. Her publications are in the area of Basque studies, cultural cognitive linguistics, and anthropology. For further information, cf. http://uiowa.academia.edu/RoslynMFrank.
Marianna Ridderstad has a Lic.Phil. in astrophysics and M.Sc. in theoretical physics, and is currently preparing her Ph.D. at the University of Finland on the archaeoastronomy of Neolithic stone monuments in Finland. Her research explores the archaeoastronomy of Finnish monuments from the Bronze Age to the Early Middle Ages, as well as ancient Finnish and Finno-Ugric folklore and traditions related to astronomical subjects, including the calendrical and ritual significance of the Bear. For further information, cf. http://helsinki.academia.edu/MariannaRidderstad.
- by Roslyn Frank and +1
- •
- Creative Writing, Screenwriting, Critical Theory, Languages
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