For a comparison of the ways of living with bats among the Kasua of Papua New Guinea and the Ni-van of Santo Island, Vanuatu - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue Current Anthropology Année : 2023

For a comparison of the ways of living with bats among the Kasua of Papua New Guinea and the Ni-van of Santo Island, Vanuatu

Résumé

in the dense tropical forest of the lowlands and low mountains, on the other one, the Ni-van occupy an island covered with a mantle of more sparse greenery, cradled by the fishy waters of the Pacific Ocean. However, their territories both enjoy exceptional karstic regions where bats live in society. Their species, of course, are not identical: we find the Miniopterus sp. in Vanuatu, and the big Dobsonia magna in Papua New Guinea. But still, a comparison of Kasua and Ni-van conceptions and practices towards these animals is relevant in order to identify common features and to single out certain ethnographic differences. In order to establish our point, we will not have recourse to the notion of "companion species" identified by Haraway-so useful in the naturalist Western universe-, for in the worlds described here, human beings perceive themselves from the outset as living with non-humans, participating in a cosmological and ecological relational mode; in short, as evolving in a continual and dynamic interspecific companionship at the basis of their existence and society. Their world is thus qualified by a formidable complexity; it is assimilated to a cosmos where, alongside living beings (human and non-human), spirits also co-evolve. In all the tribes encountered-the Kasua and six Ni-van tribes-, all admit the co-presence of several categories of spirit whose identity can vary from one tribe to another: spirits of ancestors, spirits of the clan, spirits incumbent to certain spaces or species (animal, floral, marine), spirits of fertility, etc. However, as diverse as they are, all these spiritual entities have in common that they can materialize in visible life in the form of living beings, and express themselves through natural phenomena. Finally, they all hold the power to harm human life (through disease or death), if humans do not fulfill their reciprocal obligation toward them. Humans are therefore forced to maintain a certain relational and ecological harmony by practicing rituals, sacrifices or offerings, as well as by observing numerous behavioral taboos with regard to either spirits, living beings, or the spaces of which the latter are the guardians-in this case, karstic cavities. It is in light of this context that we can understand the original relationships that are formed with bats.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
For a comparison of the ways of living with bats among the Kasua of Papua New Guinea and the Ni-van of Santo Island, Vanuatu.pdf (60.84 Ko) Télécharger le fichier
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)

Dates et versions

hal-03916351 , version 1 (30-12-2022)

Licence

Paternité

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-03916351 , version 1

Citer

Florence Brunois-Pasina. For a comparison of the ways of living with bats among the Kasua of Papua New Guinea and the Ni-van of Santo Island, Vanuatu. Current Anthropology, In press. ⟨hal-03916351⟩
48 Consultations
1 Téléchargements

Partager

Gmail Facebook X LinkedIn More