This article argues the inadequacy of the structuralist framework of analysis as applied to Central African myths of foundation and tries to demonstrate that a dichotomous approach can inhibit the full understanding of these narratives, often misrepresenting and curtailing their meaning. Instead, it is claimed that blurredness, ambiguity, “consubstantiality,” and fluidity are, in Central Africa, the assortment of logical and symbolic instruments able to convey, as well as constantly recreate, the prodigious intricacy of meanings that emanate from mythological thinking.
This article argues that, in the African contexts analysed, discourse on sorcery, healing, and the so‐called ‘world of the invisible’ should be read as ‘theories’ or ‘philosophies’ of knowledge rather than as a set of ‘beliefs’ in mystical and transcendental powers. Furthermore, it aims to demonstrate that these theories do not follow the Cartesian dualism embedded in much Western philosophical thought (also a legacy of Plato), which mistrusted senses as reliable vehicles of knowledge and frequently opposed the sensible to the intelligible, body to mind, senses to reason. In contrast, the African exegeses analysed here assert that wisdom and power – as well as the accurate use of reason and judgement – depend, in the very first instance, upon the full mastering of one's overall sensorial system. The discussion consists of a cross‐cultural examination of data collected in rural and semi‐urban settings among the Aruwund (Lunda) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Résumé L'auteur affirme ici que dans les contextes africains analysés, le discours sur la sorcellerie, la guérison et le « monde de l'invisible » doit être interprété comme des « théories » ou des « philosophies » de la connaissance et non comme un ensemble de « croyances » dans des pouvoirs mystiques et transcendantaux. En outre, elle veut démontrer que ces théories ne s'alignent pas sur le dualisme cartésien (également un héritage platonicien), qui imprègne une grande partie de la pensée philosophique occidentale. Celui‐ci déniait aux sens la faculté d'être des véhicules fiables de la connaissance et opposait fréquemment le sensible à l'intelligible, le corps à l'esprit, les sens à la raison. À l'inverse, les exégèses africaines analysées ici affirment que la sagesse et le pouvoir, ainsi d'ailleurs que l'usage judicieux du raisonnement et du jugement, dépendent au premier chef de la maîtrise du système sensoriel global du sujet. La discussion procède à un examen interculturel de données recueillies dans le cadre rural et semi‐urbain parmi les Aruwund (Lunda) de la République démocratique du Congo.
vol. 12 (2) | 2008Inclui dossiê "European Christianities at the turn of the millenium: ethnographic approaches" Paradoxos, fluidez e ambiguidade do pensamento simbólico (o caso ruwund): para uma crítica a alguns modelos de análise Paradox, fluidity and ambiguity of symbolic thought (the Ruwund case): a critique of some theoretical models Electronic reference Manuela Palmeirim, « Paradoxos, fluidez e ambiguidade do pensamento simbólico (o caso ruwund): para uma crítica a alguns modelos de análise », Etnográfica [Online], vol. 12 (2) | 2008, Online since 03 Etnográfica is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. etnográfica novembro de 2008 12 (2): 353-368 Paradoxos, fluidez e ambiguidade do pensamento simbólico (o caso ruwund): para uma crítica a alguns modelos de análise 1 Manuela PalmeirimO conceito de "versões" ou "variantes" tem-se afirmado crucial na análise das tradições orais. Contudo, o uso das versões como textos "fechados" e "delimitáveis" conduz, quando falamos das tradições centro-africanas de fundação do Estado, à emergência de contradições desconcertantes e aparentemente irresolúveis. Os historiadores africanistas crêem-nas passíveis de serem questionadas quanto à sua veracidade; os estruturalistas reduzem-nas a oposições algo estáticas. Ambas as abordagens, tentaremos demonstrar, obscurecem a extrema riqueza, complexidade e, acima de tudo, a extraordinária ductilidade destas narrativas. A leitura que será apresentada da narrativa de fundação da realeza dos aruwund da República Democrática do Congo sugere o paradoxo, a ambiguidade e a fluidez como os mecanismos sobre os quais se constrói o pensamento simbólico e, desta forma, afasta-nos quer das abordagens históricas quer da fixidez dos modelos dicotómicos frequentemente utilizados na sua análise. PAlAvRAs-ChAvE: lunda (Aruwund), Congo (República Democrática do), ambi-
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.