On Yanomami ceremonial dialogues: a political aesthetic of metaphorical agency

The Yanomami ceremonial dialogues (wayamou) are a ritualized form of verbal exchange aimed at inter-community conflict resolution. This paper is devoted to describing and analyzing these ceremonial dialogues, taking a closer look at a. the significance of their tropic nature; b. the role played by k...

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Main Author: José Antonio Kelly Luciani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Société des américanistes 2017-06-01
Series:Journal de la Société des Américanistes
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/14892
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author José Antonio Kelly Luciani
author_facet José Antonio Kelly Luciani
author_sort José Antonio Kelly Luciani
collection DOAJ
description The Yanomami ceremonial dialogues (wayamou) are a ritualized form of verbal exchange aimed at inter-community conflict resolution. This paper is devoted to describing and analyzing these ceremonial dialogues, taking a closer look at a. the significance of their tropic nature; b. the role played by knowledge acquired in dreams; and c. the manner in which « naming » the forest socializes space, peopling it not only with communities, but also with resources and exchange possibilities. I shall demonstrate that this combination of features delineates a political aesthetics reminiscent of shamanic form and efficacy. Such proximity suggests lines of continuity between political and religious agency, helping to bridge the gap Amazonianist anthropology has carved between the analysis of intra-human politics and that between humans and non-humans.
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series Journal de la Société des Américanistes
spelling doaj-art-7c6d002985434efc989402895c4817452025-02-05T15:54:05ZengSociété des américanistesJournal de la Société des Américanistes0037-91741957-78422017-06-01103117921410.4000/jsa.14892On Yanomami ceremonial dialogues: a political aesthetic of metaphorical agencyJosé Antonio Kelly LucianiThe Yanomami ceremonial dialogues (wayamou) are a ritualized form of verbal exchange aimed at inter-community conflict resolution. This paper is devoted to describing and analyzing these ceremonial dialogues, taking a closer look at a. the significance of their tropic nature; b. the role played by knowledge acquired in dreams; and c. the manner in which « naming » the forest socializes space, peopling it not only with communities, but also with resources and exchange possibilities. I shall demonstrate that this combination of features delineates a political aesthetics reminiscent of shamanic form and efficacy. Such proximity suggests lines of continuity between political and religious agency, helping to bridge the gap Amazonianist anthropology has carved between the analysis of intra-human politics and that between humans and non-humans.https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/14892ceremonial dialoguesYanomamimetaphorAmerindian politicsagency
spellingShingle José Antonio Kelly Luciani
On Yanomami ceremonial dialogues: a political aesthetic of metaphorical agency
Journal de la Société des Américanistes
ceremonial dialogues
Yanomami
metaphor
Amerindian politics
agency
title On Yanomami ceremonial dialogues: a political aesthetic of metaphorical agency
title_full On Yanomami ceremonial dialogues: a political aesthetic of metaphorical agency
title_fullStr On Yanomami ceremonial dialogues: a political aesthetic of metaphorical agency
title_full_unstemmed On Yanomami ceremonial dialogues: a political aesthetic of metaphorical agency
title_short On Yanomami ceremonial dialogues: a political aesthetic of metaphorical agency
title_sort on yanomami ceremonial dialogues a political aesthetic of metaphorical agency
topic ceremonial dialogues
Yanomami
metaphor
Amerindian politics
agency
url https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/14892
work_keys_str_mv AT joseantoniokellyluciani onyanomamiceremonialdialoguesapoliticalaestheticofmetaphoricalagency