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Lecture VIII. The Socio-Economic Interpretation of Folktales
Modern Collections and their Implications 1& 2 Part 1 Recent Ethnic Collections Mexico and South America
Caption: flickering candle Caption: Mexican Cross and Skull - Grave Scene Alteration of a photo by Alexis Ciurczak, of the Municipal Cemetery, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. Probably the easiest way to understand the problems of modern folk-tale research, from a social/political aspect is to take a look at the issues that confront "legitimacy" of folklore in South America and Mexico. First of all, the succession of ruling peoples in both Mexico and South America introduces an important decision: which folk is the folk? In Mexico, for example, enough is known about the Mixtec and Toltec cultures that the "folk" material of the Aztec culture is already compromised, a secondary, if not tertiary heritage. Then, the conquest of Mexico by Spain, although it nearly destroyed the existing Aztec culture, did not destroy the indigenous peoples entirely, nor did it wipe out their deeply-cherished beliefs. The imposition of Catholicism on the natives was brutal and insistent. However, much like the sub-rosa survival of European pagan beliefs in Catholic manifestations in Ireland, England, Spain, Germany, and so forth (some of which we have examined), the ancient beliefs continued to exert powerful influence on the way Catholicism came to be practiced. The Mexican Day of the Dead is a good example. The linkage between religion and folklore that we have previously explored becomes even more important in the mythologies of non-European cultures. Because much of what has come down to us has been considered "folklore"--even though it may represent remnants of a full-blown, fully-articulated spiritual doctrine, our notion of folk in this sense blends almost imperceptibly into the surviving religious behavior. Many scholars, however, have commented on the emphasis on The Day of the Dead in Mexican practice - and its similarities to the focus on ghosts and spirits that characterize earlier Aztec and Toltec beliefs. Caption: Animated Gif - Ancient Mayan Face Morphs to Modern Mayan Face this morphing head comes from The Jaguar Sun site, by Jeeni Criscenzo, the author of a novel about the ancient Maya, Place of Mirrors. Just as a yardstick to measure how much residual presence these old beliefs still might have, here are the figures for Amerindian population in Latin America: Caption: Mayan King and his court from Mayan VaseDatabase by Justin Kerr In all of "Latin-America" there is an
Amerindian population that totals 48,959,838 distributed as follows: Jade Fetish of Twins Australia and New Zealand pose another kind of problem in terms of subject peoples' attempt to preserve their culture, and the natural, good-willed, but probably bumbling attempts of folklorists to interpret it to European and American audiences. The Maori peoples have made a concerted effort to preserve their own heritage. Two interesting sites on the web: Pakiwaitara Stories And, from Maori Legends, a creation tale that may sound familiar: RUAMOKO Caption: Weaving Stories - New Zealand In Hawaiian Mythology
Caption: Hawaiian Lagoon
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