Abstracts X. BLAISEL THE MOON AND THE SUN IN THE INUIT MYTH OF ORIGINS:

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1 G. DURAND THE NON-LOGIC BEHIND THE MYTH. Before undertaking the study of any myth or of the imaginary in general, one must de-construct the thoughts that oppose the considerations pertaining to myths in the West. This article suggests that one should learn to replace the «transcendental esthetic», proposed by Kant, by other conceptions of phenomena as suggested by the scientific thoughts of the 20th century (the relativity of time, the non-divisibility of space, and so on). In other words, the forms of the myth must be looked at as a receptacle filled with the timeless and spaceless presence of humans on this earth. J.-J. WUNENBURGER FORMS, FORMATIONS AND TRANSFORMATION OF THE MYTH. The research conducted on myths has allowed us to establish certain theories stemming from positivism and rationalism that resulted in breaking the former trend of devaluating such narratives. The myth has thus gained a certain identity and legitimacy as a tool that allows us to capture the nature of the human experience. However, within many academic approaches, there remains a lot of clichés or accepted ideas that necessitate a further analysis. This article wants to go beyond such clichés by depicting how the myth is still often thought of as a rigid constructed form of narrative, as opposed to a rational human production. J. LACOURSE MYTHOLOGICAL INCURSIONS IN THE LIFE ON AN ETHNOGRAPHER. Much has been said about the downfall of ethnography and field work, recognizing the difficult position of the ethnographer as both the observer and as being his own tool for observation. The scientist s own social and cultural background is confronted to those of the peoples studied. To these epistemological difficulties one must consider the range of practices and beliefs that, willing or not, the observer is drawn into. J. Favret-Saada (Les mots, la mort, les sorts, 1977, Corps pour corps, 1981) gave a wonderful account of such a situation from his own experience in the world of witchcraft. The author of this text attempts to present a similar problematic as she experienced it when studying a terriro (a candomble sanctuary) in Recife, Brazil. 1

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3 P.-J. LE QUÉAU ORDINARY URBAN MYTHS. The word spreads within the city, invisible yet distinct, carried in the wind like a perpetual buzzing. This rumor appears to be a reality, yet it is but useless chatter. Beneath this jabber lies a hidden treasure: it is one s self account. The story tells of the search of the City Dweller who is attempting to find a certain something which exists at the «center». The story opens a gate in the static order of things: it is the path by which forces and stakes flow and move about, linking the subject to the cosmic entity. It is a moment of pure religiosity during which the man, confessing, converts himself that is, he looks inwards and transforms himself. J.-B. RENARD BETWEEN TRIVIALITY AND MYTH: THE URBAN LEGEND. The creation of myths is better explained when analyzed by a specialist of contemporary legends having the ability to investigate the «here and now» as opposed to an expert on folklore who is unable to retrace the origins of the stories studied. The relationship between the legend and a particular event, or group of events, is the core of the question being examined here. Finding its roots in a previous published book by the author (Légendes urbaines, by V. Campion-Vincent and J.-B. Renard, 1993), this article attempts to show how a specific event is related, in a more or less direct fashion, to a legend, this according to three established modes: the amplification, the modulation and the reconstruction. X. BLAISEL THE MOON AND THE SUN IN THE INUIT MYTH OF ORIGINS: THE NOTION OF GIVING (MINAQ). This article examines the anthrogonical creation of the world through the Inuit Moon and Sun myth of origins, the emerging taboo of sibling incest (brother and sister) and the prohibition applied on the first game harvested. Stemming from the relationship between the first humans and Nuna, the Earth, it is not surprising that the path of the stars and the patterns of ritualistic exchanges are closely related to the activity of the cosmos. The opposition of Sun to Moon may be compared to the poles that exist socially within the economic order and the practice of 3

4 cannibalism that occurred in periods of famine where social values lost their meaning. Giving the first game harvested leads to the notion of sharing and exchanges, whereas the shrinking of Moon is perceived as representing the extinction of social values. 4

5 R. CRÉPEAU MYTH AND RITUAL OF THE KAINGANG INDIANS OF SOUTHERN BRAZIL. The Kiki, usually described in ethnological texts as the «celebration of the dead», is an important annual ritual for the Kaingang Indians of the Xapecó Reserve in Brazil. Perceived today by the Kaingang themselves as a crucial element in their threatened cultural survival, this ritual apposes a sociological complement to a cosmology, both elements being the foundation of their social organization. The myth that serves as the creating force of this ritual is thoroughly analyzed in this article. Such an analysis should contribute to a questioning on the relationship between the myth and the ritual, a classic but nonetheless always important and actual debate. L. RACINE AN ANALYSIS OF SHAMANIC HEALING: THE CIRCULATION OF GOODS OF VALUE. If, as it is reasonable to think, one of the fundamental dimension of social life is the circulation of goods of value, one may expect to find forms of this circulation of goods in the representations that exist in the narratives as well as in some of the ritualized practices. In order to establish the relevance of such an hypothesis, this article present some of the most current forms of the movements of goods, as inspired by Greimas. An analysis of how such a diffusion of goods manifest itself in Siberian shamanism will be explained; there exists a healing where the soul is interceded, and where one finds a mixture of narratives and ritual practices. A. CÔTÉ WHAT IS A MYTHICAL TRANSFORMATION? NOTES ON A FUNDAMENTAL NOTION PERTAINING TO THE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF MYTHS. One of the important contributions of C. Levi-Strauss to the study of myths, the notion of mythical transformations, carries certain difficulties of comprehension. We understand its reference to the chain of relations that often appear to be a chiasmus, which is in all cases closely related to the pattern of the canonical myth. We also know that this notion is entwined with the structural organization of myths within a closed group. However, it is still difficult to express simply and clearly what exactly it relates to. It is essential to consider not only what Levi-Strauss stated 5

6 about the pattern of the canonical myth (establishing what is crucial in such a transformation), but to analyze what he says he is doing when he is studying the American mythology in order to fully understand this notion. 6

7 J. LEROUX CLASSIFICATIONS WITHIN THE ALGONQUIN ORAL TRADITION. The oral tradition in the Algonquin culture is classified in two great categories. The experts indeed always evoke the aboriginal terms, separating them into two types. However, the Algonquins from Great Victoria Lake do not abide by this rule, which allows us to question the validity of the accepted classification. If one carries out an all inclusive analysis, it can be shown that only one distinguishing criterion is needed: it always refers to the notion of temporality, a notion where «measure» is defining. The two accepted types of oral tradition explain how there is a praxis dictating ethical behavior within the different concepts of the tradition. Such a tradition may be interpreted as taking shape within a cosmology or within a regional history. Borrowing from R. Jakobson the notions of «linguistic function», this article depicts how the oral tradition is structured. P. BAUDRY MARTIAL ARTS AND RITUALIZED VIOLENCE: THE DYNAMIC TENSION. Practicing martial arts may be looked at as the ritualized performance of a social link that is undetached from daily life and where the Dojo, the area where such a ritual is performed, may not be considered as separate from the surrounding world. Rather, this performance depicts an organization of social relationships. The Dojo represents simultaneously the place and the space where an experience of the self creates and molds the perception of the other (Levinas). The Dojo does not express itself as a different world, but rather as a dynamic where a tension exists: the relationship to the other cannot be captured nor released, just as is the social relationship where the other cannot be seduced nor destroyed. A. DAHER THE GOALS OF EXPENDITURE IN ISLAM. An expenditure is a social and economic activity that is incurred by humans in order to reach a certain goal, goal that can be influenced by religious convictions. Islam contains certain prescriptions aimed at guiding the behavior of the believers, and aimed at forging different types of expenditures. These expenditures can be classified under three categories: 1) the ones pertaining to the Divine, those that will be used to glorify God; 2) those pertaining to the community, that is, those that 7

8 have for goal the promotion of the ummah, the islamic community; 3) those related to personal goals, which can facilitate the believer s life on earth and his or her passage to paradise. These three categories overlap, as resources must be spent onto the individual, who must invest within the community, the latest being responsible to God and for His glory. 8