Folklore and Fable

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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

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Caption:  flickering candle

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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. 

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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:

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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:

Bolivia 4,283,200
Ecuador 3,340,000
Guatemala 4,200,000
Mexico 23,500,000 (roughly 29% of Mexico's population, and
49% of Latin America's Amerind population)
Peru 10,288,850
Argentina 197,500
Brazil 220,000
Colombia 500,000
Costa Rica 32,000
Chile 925,000
Salvador 293,000
Honduras 245,000
Micaragua 152,000
Panama 126,480
Paraguay 66,662
Venezuela 331,929
Antilles 215,000
Guyana 38,367
Suriname 4,850

Distribution of Mexican groups as of 1982 (Source: Handbook of Middle- American Indians, Univ. of Texas Press, and
Summer Institute of Linguistics, Wycliffe Bible Translators)

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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

By Hana Weka


When Ranginui the Sky father and Papatuanuku the Earth mother clung to each other, their children complained bitterly. No light could penetrate between the parents and there was very little space for the children to move. Ranginui and Papatuanuku did not want to part and took no notice of their children's cries of discomfort and unhappiness.

When the youngest child was born, life became unbearable. The new baby was very active and had a terrible temper. He was named Raumoko. He was the god of volcanoes.

Raumoko loved Papatuanuku dearly and often pushed his long fingers of fire through her body to warm her. He was her beloved potiki and both Rangi and Papa thoroughly spoiled him.

One day the older brothers held a hui. Ruamoko was too young to be included so he was not invited. The brothers decided to separate their parents and they chose Tane Mahuta god of the forest and birds, to carry out the separation. Tane Mahuta lay on Papa and shoved Rangi up into the heavens. Light rushed into the world. Tangaroa spread his waters around Papa and Tawhiri Matea, god of the wind screamed across the empty space between his parents.

Ruamoko peeped out from his mother's arms and howled with rage at the sight of his father's tears and his mother's agony. The ground cracked and opened and Ruamoko threw boiling mud into the air, and huge clouds of foul smelling steam. His brother's stared in amazement at their little brother's fury.

"How dare you!" screamed Ruamoko and the earth shook with his voice.


"How dare you!" he shrieked and he took the fires from inside Papatuanuku and made them erupt high above the ground.

So it was that Ruamoko howled and shook with rage for many days until finally Papatuanuku folded her arms around him and sang him to sleep.

Time passed. Ranginui stopped weeping for Papatuanuku and Papatuanuku began taking an interest in her children's work especially when they dressed her in gowns of many colours.

But Ruamoko is still the baby and a very bad tempered baby at that. When he wakes from a nap he is inclined to shake Papatuanuku rather hard and then hurl mud and hot, foul smelling steam into the air.

And when Papatuanuku cannot sing him to sleep, Ruamoko hurls red rivers of fire into the forests of Tane Mahuta. He shoves ugly islands of molten rock upon the waters of Tangaroa. And he speaks to his brothers saying;

"Ko Ruamoko, e ngunguru nei,

Au, au, aue ha!


"Hark to the rumble of the Earthquake God. Au, au, aue ha!"

THE END

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 Caption:  Weaving Stories - New Zealand

In Hawaiian Mythology


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Caption:  Hawaiian Lagoon

 

Continue with Lecture VIII.