Mythology, Spirituality, and History

1. Auflage 2003
ISBN: 978-1-57181-835-5
Verlag: Berghahn Books

Buch, Englisch, Band 1, 352 Seiten, Format (B × H): 140 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 444 g

Reihe: Arakmbut of Amazonian Peru

The Arakmbut are an indigenous people who live in the Madre de Dios region of thesoutheastern Peruvian rain forest. Since their first encounters with missionaries in the 1950s,they have shown resilience and a determination to affirm their identity in the face of many difficulties. During the last fifteen years, Arakmbut survival has been under threat from a goldrush that has attracted hundreds of colonists onto their territories. This trilogy of books traces the ways in which the Arakmbut overcome the dangers that surround them: their mythology and cultural strength; their social flexibility; and their capacity to incorporate non-indigenous concepts and activities into their defence strategies. Each area is punctuated by the constant presence of the invisible spirit, which provides a seamless theme connecting the books to each other.

Following the Arakmbuts' recommendation, the author uses their three greatest myths to introduce social, cultural and historical aspects of their lives. He ends with a discussion of the relationship between myth and history showing how the Arakmbut recreate their myths at the dramatic moments of their history.

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Autoren/Hrsg.

Gray, Andrew

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Sonstige Religionen Indigene Religionen
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Volkswirtschaftslehre Internationale Wirtschaft Entwicklungsökonomie & Emerging Markets
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Entwicklungsstudien

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Tables

List of Figures

List of Maps

General Preface

Preface

Introduction: The Harakmbut

PART I

Preface: Myth and Relativity

Chapter 1. Death and Salvation: The Story of Wanamey

Chapter 2. Gender: Social and Cosmological Exchange

Chapter 3. Time through Space: House and Community

Chapter 4. Descent of Man and Exchange of Women

PART II

Preface: Nature and Potentiality

Chapter 5. The Defeat of Death: The Story of Marinke

Chapter 6. Keeping Body and Soul Together

Chapter 7. Sickness and Death

Chapter 8. Being Invisible: The Spirits

PART III

Preface: History and Creativity

Chapter 9. Aiwe and the Papa

Chapter 10. The Great War - The Rubber Boom

Chapter 11. Christian Invasion

Chapter 12. The Arakmbut Community and the Gold Rush

Conclusion

Orthography

Glossary of main Arakmbut Words used in Text

Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Gray, Andrew
Andrew Gray was, until his untimely death in 1999, Tutor in Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford. He was also a leading activist in indigenous rights, advising the Forest Peoples Programme and the International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) among other organizations.

Andrew Gray was, until his untimely death in 1999, Tutor in Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford. He was also a leading activist in indigenous rights, advising the Forest Peoples Programme and the International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) among other organizations.